As Mosley Exits, Nashua School Board Makes 2 Interim Hires

NASHUA, NH — The Nashua Board of Education wasted no time making interim hires after the official announcement that the city's school superintendent had been hired to work in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Garth McKinney, the city's current assistant superintendent for elementary for SAU 46, has been elevated to school superintendent after Jahmal Mosley announced he was leaving the position. The board, in a statement, said Mosley will remain with the district, "in an advisory capacity … through the conclusion of the current school year." Mario Andrade, who has been working for the district as the principal of the Elm Street Middle School, also in an interim capacity, will now be assistant superintendent for elementary.

McKinney and Andrade will begin serving in their positions on Feb. 1. The interim agreements run through June 30. Pro-rated salaries of $150,000 for McKinney and $125,000 for Andrade have also been approved by the board.

"I am thankful for the opportunity and look forward to working with the board of education," McKinney said. "Also, congratulations to Mario Andrade and I look forward to working together."

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McKinney previously served as an assistant principal at the Main Dunstable Elementary School between 2015 and 2017 before becoming an assistant superintendent. He holds a doctorate in Education and a master's in science in Education and has a principal certification in Massachusetts. McKinney was also a language arts coordinator in Merrimack. He was named an educator of the year in 2013.

Andrade, before coming to Nashua, worked as an educational consultant and spent five years as superintendent of the Bristol Warren, Rhode Island Regional School District. According to the EastBayRI.com news website, he resigned in June 2019 after "months of turmoil over behavioral and staffing issues" at two of the schools after district officials had to make "tough" financial choices. The resignation came after a Warren resident, Daryl Gould, a critic of the district, started a Change.org petition drive to have him removed.

"I am excited to join the central office leadership team and help support and bolster the students, educators, administrators, support staff, and school community from this position," Andrade said. "My time to date in the district has been very rewarding as I have observed the herculean work our schools have been doing for our students, families, and each other."

Mosley was hired in 2017 after working in administration in Massachusetts — including Newton, Sharon, Somerset, and Worcester. He was also a principal in Brattleboro, Vermont.

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