Meet Tim Broadrick, Claremont’s superintendent on a mission

Sullivan County’s finest may have noticed a lull in coverage on the dumpster fire that is SAU-6. We got tired. Let us get caught up, shall we?

A school board election returned a 2018 player back to revisit the scene of the crime, as Brian Rapp returns for Claremont (S)Cares. Crawford recrosses the River Styx to serve as Chair. More importantly, the first decision has dropped, and the newly constituted school board has hired Tim Broadrick as the new superintendent.

While I admit, my initial reaction to a 2 year contract at the high end of the salary range led to an initial condemnation. I beg you, dear reader to take the high road and withhold judgement.

The hiring process was begun under the previously discredited board, which winnowed the candidate pool down to two. The new board chose Tim over the other candidate.

In the corporate world, CEO’s might be broadly characterized as growth, maintenance, flippers, and fixers. With the previous school board and administration mismanagement and financially reckless incompetence now well established, Claremont is deep into fixer-upper territory.

Lets address the elephant in the room, contract terms. As I mentioned previously, this is a fixer situation. Fixers are paid to make hard decisions and take the blame if things don’t go well. The role leans into scapegoat. Fragile egos need not apply. There is a very limited pool of folks willing to take arrows from every direction while under intense public scrutiny. You have to pay up for this kind of service. As Father Guido Sarducci once said in the 70’s (when Saturday Night live was worth watching), “You pay for your sins, in cash.” Given the choice between two candidates, one a complete neophyte and Tim the Fixer; I believe the new board made the best choice under difficult circumstances. Claremont is paying for its sins, in cash. Pay up.

Secondly, Tim lives in Maine and plans to retire there. He will never live here. In the stagnant pool of Claremont elites, he suffers from “Ain’t from around here” disease. I challenge the assumption that his lack of residence necessarily impairs his judgement. We have had absentee supers, like Tempesta and Pratt, who abundantly had no skin in the game. Does that necessarily imply that Broadrick is cut from the same cloth? Residence did not protect us from Mary Henry… Since the other option did not live here either, I see this as a moot point.

Superintendent Broadrick hopes to establish a consultancy from his residence in Maine. We are his first customer. If he fails here, his credentials going forward into retirement will be seriously impaired. Fixers that can’t fix, don’t get hired. Mechanics are paid on a scale with a difficulty factor included. As Satchel Paige said, “It ain’t braggin’ so much if you can do it.” I believe Tim Broadrick has an exceptional amount of skin in the game, far moreso than all previous tenants, combined. I suggest that a fair chance at this opportunity is what he deserves. I want to see him do it, and then brag about it.

Lastly, I would ask you to draw your own conclusions about the probable intellectual and financial environment that Supt. Broadrick might encourage.

https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/11/18/as-prospect-mountain-dominates-nh-school-districts-weigh-open-enrollment

In the last SAU-6 election, an Open Enrollment policy was broadly damned by insiders and Claremont (S)Cares and Hope Damon, where Choice is for pregnant women seeking abortions, not parents looking for Education Options. Yet Supt. Broadrick supports open enrollment and competition in general as motivation to improve education. Candi and Loren oppose competition on principle, Tim supports it on principle. Where do your principles land? In this instance, I think some more school board members need replacement. I find choice and competition appealing and prefer Supt. Broadrick’s position.

Next, I urge you to consider a listen to a podcast.

In this episode of Off the Gravel Road, seventh-grader Aurora sits down with Dr. Tim Broderick(sp), Superintendent of the Barnstead School District, to unpack the complex world of school funding in New Hampshire. From the renovation of Barnstead Elementary to state adequacy aid, federal grants, and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on education funding—Aurora asks the big questions about how schools are built, staffed, and supported. The conversation also explores open enrollment, what it means for small towns, and how communities like Barnstead balance opportunity with affordability.

A thoughtful and surprisingly fun deep dive into how every dollar shapes the education of every child.

After consideration, after listening to the podcast and reading up on Tim, let us know what you think in the comments.