The Board of Education voted late Thursday night to extend the contract of Superintendent Francine Coss, with the final year of the agreement transitioning to a part-time position as the district weighs potential long-term structural changes.

Following about 90 minutes in executive session for the purpose of negotiating the extension, the Board returned to public session shortly after 10 p.m. and voted to extend the Superintendent’s contract “for an additional year as a part time position, the details of said contract to be negotiated by the board’s attorney at a future date.”

The motion, made by board member Roxy Fainer, passed by a 5-1 vote, with two abstentions. Board members Roxy Fainer, Tanya Galpin, Marissa McGee, Amy Sedgwick and Chairperson Nathan Vieira voted in favor of the extension. Larry Duffany voted against the motion, while Cara Files and Sarah Ethier abstained.

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, Coss was serving under a three-year contract running from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. The contract will now extend through June 30, 2029, with the superintendent transitioning to a part-time role during the final year of the agreement, from July 1, 2028 through June 30, 2029. The superintendent’s salary for the upcoming school year is budgeted at $231,932, according to district budget documents. The Board did not publicly discuss what the part-time position will entail, how compensation may be affected, or how responsibilities may change during that final year.

Roxy Fainer, current member and former long-time Chairperson, said during the meeting that the transition to a part-time position was intended to coincide with the Board’s review of the feasibility study and consideration of “where the district is going.”

Before the vote, members of the public spoke both in favor of and against extending Coss’s contract. Supporters cited the value of steady leadership and familiarity with the district during what many see as a period of transition, while opponents argued that the district would benefit from a change in leadership and referenced efforts during the November 2025 election to elect members supportive of a leadership change.

Among those speaking in favor of the extension was Brian McCarthy, vice president of the local AFSCME union, which represents the district’s secretaries, custodians, paraprofessionals, IT personnel and some central office staff.

Board Chair Nathan Vieira acknowledged the difficulty of the annual evaluation and contract discussion process following the Board’s executive sessions, which included the Board’s self-evaluation, the superintendent’s annual evaluation and contract negotiations.

“This is always a very tough meeting. It gets personal. It’s always a tough conversation. It’s unnatural,” Vieira said. “I think the discussion was productive and that this is the responsible way forward.”

The vote comes less than a week before the Board of Education is scheduled to receive a presentation on the completed school feasibility study, which examines enrollment trends, building utilization, possible grade reconfigurations, opportunities for shared services and potential regionalization options. The Board is scheduled to receive that presentation during a special meeting on June 30.

Public portions of Thursday’s meeting, including public comment and the Board’s discussion and vote on the contract extension, may be viewed on the district’s YouTube channel.