New Exeter School Superintendent Will Start In July 2023

EXETER, NH — Exeter’s assistant school superintendent will lead one of the largest school districts in the state during the next school year.

Esther Asbell will be taking over the district on July 1, 2023, after being approved by the SAU 16 Joint Board on Nov. 23. Patrick O’Day, the chairman of the board, said she was hired following “a rigorous interview process.” Her skills, experience, and leadership vision were closely aligned with SAU 16 needs and priorities, he added.

“We look forward to Dr. Asbell’s leadership of our multi-faceted school district,” O’Day said.

Asbell, who has been working in the district for 18 years and has been working as an educator for more than two decades, said she was “looking forward to continuing to support all staff and our work in creating a student-centered learning environment where all students feel a sense of belonging and their differences valued.”

Asbell has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University, superintendent and principal certifications from Plymouth State University, a Certificate of Advanced Study in education and Masters of Science in Counselor Education from the University of Southern Maine, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire. She serves on numerous boards.

Asbell will take over for David Ryan, who will be stepping down at the end of the current school year after a mutual agreement between him and the board.

A search committee was formed after the agreement that focused on finding internal candidates for the open position due to a desire to find someone with strong working knowledge of the district, one of the largest in the state, serving 4,000 students in six communities.

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