Mealey plans to make move with Hottel?

NASHUA – When Christopher Hottel leaves to take over as superintendent in North Andover, Mass., he’ll likely take the school district’s chief financial officer with him.

Last week, the North Andover School Committee approved Jim Mealey as the district’s new business administrator. Mealey has been the Nashua School District’s chief financial officer since August 2006.Mealey came on board earlier that year as the district’s director of human resources but filled the finance position after Mark Conrad, the district’s former business administrator and current superintendent finalist, left for Bedford.

At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, Mealey said the committee in North Andover had appointed him for the position, but he was still in contract negotiations.

As long as they can come to contract agreement, Mealey said he would be taking the position. His salary this year is $106,325.

Hottel, who leaves for North Andover on July 1, said he wanted to see Mealey make the move to North Andover with him.

“I worked with the (North Andover) school committee on this,” he said.

One of Hottel’s first acts after being named acting superintendent in 2006 was to appoint Mealey to the chief financial officer position.

Mealey’s departure would mean another top-level administrative position would need to be filled. The board is in the process of selecting a new superintendent.

It was during Mealey’s tenure that the school district implemented its program-based budgeting format, which has been lauded by several aldermen for its transparency.