Dr. Jenn Gillis selected as interim superintendent of Manchester School District

MANCHESTER – Early Tuesday morning, the Board of School Committee selected Dr. Jenn Gillis to serve as the interim superintendent of Schools for Manchester School District. Former Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt stepped down as superintendent on Friday, February 11.

“During this transition, our main focus is providing stability for our students, staff and teachers,” Dr. Gillis said. “I want to thank the Board of School Committee for the opportunity to serve as interim Superintendent. There’s a lot of work to be done, but we have a district full of experienced and dedicated educators to leverage our strengths and keep us moving forward. For the past eight years, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with members of our school community and I am committed to continuing the progress we’ve made to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students.”

Dr. Gillis joined the Manchester School District in 2014 as principal at Southside Middle School, and has served as Assistant Superintendent in charge of operations and facilities for the district since 2018. That role placed her in the middle of the district’s pandemic response, leveraging work with state, municipal and community partners to provide critical food resources, offer vaccination clinics, and implement safety measures at school buildings. Dr. Gillis has a MBA in Leadership, Certificate in Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.

Dr. Gillis will serve as interim superintendent until the board selects a permanent replacement.

The following Committee members will serve on a Special Committee on Superintendent Search: Julie Turner (Ward 1), Karen Soule (Ward 3), Nicole Leapley (Ward 11), Peter Argeropolous (At-Large), and Jim O’Connell (At-Large). That special committee will begin its work soon.