Special Ed. Director Retires One Year After Parents Call for Change

North Hampton School Director of Pupil Services Karen Frisbie, who oversees the school's special education program, will retire at the end of this year.

NHS Principal Peter Sweet confirmed the retirement in an e-mail to school staff, stating, "In the interest of fairness and wanting everyone to have the information … the School Board accepted Karen's letter of retirement today."

Parents had called for Frisbie's contract not to be renewed last year because they felt new leadership was needed to buck a troubling "pattern" that was preventing much-needed improvements to the NHS special education program.

The retirement had been rumored for the past couple of weeks, although official information about Frisbie's retirement and the status of the special education improvement action plan haven't been available because school and district administrators haven't been available for comment.

Sweet's e-mail, provided by a parent Thursday afternoon, is dated April 4.

The North Hampton School Board will meet at 7 tonight, and a discussion is scheduled about the special education program.