ConVal Schools Superintendent To Leave The District

PETERBOROUGH, NH — The Contoocook Valley Schools' superintendent is set to leave the district at the end of the summer, school officials said Tuesday.

Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders — who joined ConVal as assistant superintendent in 2009 and was named superintendent in 2016 — has accepted a position with a school district in Pennsylvania and will be leaving on Aug. 22, according to officials.

Under Rizzo Saunders' leadership, ConVal has "rolled out numerous programs aimed at modernizing the educational product at ConVal and improving access to education for all families," including the Preschool for All and 1:1 Chromebook programs, the district noted.

The district also weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures, remote learning and return to school under her watch.

"The Contoocook Valley School District and its nearly 2,000 students have benefitted in a multitude of ways from the outstanding leadership and organization of Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders," ConVal School Board Chair Dick Dunning said in a news release. "She is a true force, supporting opportunities for our students, faculty and staff both inside the classroom and outside. She will be a difficult leader to replace, and I join the members of the School Board in thanking her for her service to our school community."

In November 2023, ConVal, serving as lead plaintiff with 17 other school districts, prevailed in a lawsuit against the State of New Hampshire after Superior Court Judge David Ruoff ruled that the state shortchanges students through an inadequate funding formula.

In part due to this effort, Dunning and 18 other school administrators throughout New Hampshire successfully nominated Rizzo Saunders for New Hampshire Superintendent of the Year for 2024. She was also named one of four finalists late last year for National Superintendent of the Year by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

"ConVal is a unique and special community, and I have enjoyed working with a generation of teachers, administrators, and of course, our students over these past 15 years," Rizzo Saunders said. "I am truly grateful for the experiences and challenges of working in this district and for the tremendous gift of working alongside so many dedicated and truly selfless educators."