Hearing that he has grown as a leader, Michael Bessette said, is one of the greatest compliments he’s received since joining the Kearsarge Regional School District.
After more than a decade as the school district’s assistant superintendent, Bessette officially stepped into the superintendent role in August. Now, he’s the one who has to make tough decisions while trying to be transparent and caring.
“I’ve worn a lot of hats for a lot of different reasons, but nobody, not even myself, knows me as superintendent,” Bessette said.
Bessette became interested in the position while working with former superintendent Winfried Feneberg from 2016 to 2024. He worked with former superintendent John Fortney up until the board terminated Fortney’s contract in June.
Bessette learned from Feneberg that being superintendent meant doing the right thing for the district, including its parents, teachers, and most of all, students.
“I learned so much every day watching what he was able to accomplish,” Bessette said. “And when he pushed back, he always did it the right way.”
Bessette has spent over 10 years with Kearsarge because of its community of families and teachers who care deeply about their kids’ education, he said. As long as he feels he has something to contribute, he hopes to stick around. Before coming to Kearsarge, Bessette spent 16 years as a principal in Hopkinton.
“My personality is to stay in places where I feel like it can be effective for a long time,” Bessette said. “I’m not a hopper. I don’t job hop. I try to stay where I am, because I feel like if I’m making a solid commitment to what’s going on around me and I can still contribute, I want to.”
Bessette said having a highly engaged board that is consistent and focused on what’s best for the district as a whole motivates him to work harder.
“They support the work, and they’re willing to take the slings and arrows,” Bessette said.
Engaging students in learning early, whether through hands-on opportunities or better facilities, is Bessette’s focus when envisioning the path forward for the district. He said the exponentially changing educational landscape makes forecasting the future difficult, but getting to see a vision explored and enacted is a part of the job Bessette loves.
“It’s that ability to forecast 10 years down the road and try to make really effective decisions to move the organization, the people who we serve, all forward to the best of what public education can provide,” Bessette said.
To him, engaging students means lighting a fire. Especially as technology expands, Bessette said this early engagement is necessary.
Currently, the tough decision facing the district is the possible consolidation of its elementary schools. In early September, the Kearsarge Regional School Board recommended the closures of Simonds School in Warner and Sutton Central School in Sutton, directing Bessette to prepare for a summer 2028 implementation. The decision of whether to close the elementary schools ultimately comes down to a town vote.
Preparation for this decision has become Bessette’s priority. He has been working on a strategic plan for the district’s budget, student learning and transportation. To improve transparency, he spent six months compiling information to create a ‘facilities review’ landing page on the district’s website with a timeline of events, linked documents and answers to frequently asked questions.
“Approaching with honesty and transparency as frequently as you can is what we’re doing,” Bessette said. “But we can’t move fast enough.”
Bessette also wants to be clear and intentional with the district’s employees. He said he met with staff when he became superintendent and was honest about the possibility of positions being cut.
“I intentionally went into that environment and tried to be as transparent as I could with them and say to them, ‘Look, we have to make really tough decisions. This is not about people or this isn’t about performance. This is about wants versus needs,'” Bessette said.
The upcoming decision by the board has evoked strong feelings and concerns from community members. Some cited the impact on transportation for students and the local ties to the schools.
“People want to retain those heartstrings. They want to be tied to that little local elementary school, and I get it,” Bessette said. “I mean, we’re generational in some of these towns.”
Bessette previously said Simonds and Sutton Central were singled out because both schools needed critical infrastructure repairs that may not be worth the increased taxpayer burden.
“I’ve been charged by the board to try to implement what they need, which is a fiscally responsible district that gets the best outcome for students over time,” Bessette said. “It’s hard.”
Outside of the facility planning, Bessette said he is making sure the district is adjusting and planning for new laws. He has been attending town meetings to speak about the implications of House Bill 1300, which mandates a question on November ballots about school district tax caps.
He said he is trying to be ready for all possibilities.
“I’m not a politician,” Bessette said. “I’m a pragmatist and I have to get things done.”
Bessette said it will be difficult to eventually leave the district, but he hopes that when he does, he leaves knowing the kids and families had the opportunities to get the life they wanted for themselves.
“Nothing on earth prepares you for this, except patience, honesty, working hard, being willing to challenge facts, talk about issues, communicate effectively; those are the skills,” Bessette said. “So, it’s hard, but I love it.”
