LEBANON — Joanne Roberts, who has served as superintendent of Lebanon schools for eight years, announced Wednesday that she will be leaving the district at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

She offered no specific reason for her departure in her message to the community, but she said she timed it in order to give the Lebanon School Board sufficient time to hire her successor.

Her announcement comes at a time when school administrators in the Upper Valley and beyond are departing as the demands of their jobs have increased with the pandemic and schools have become a battleground in a polarized political environment.

Roberts, in her Wednesday message, described the challenges public schools in New Hampshire face at the moment, which she described as “pivotal.”

“We need to provide a voice for students who are underrepresented and those whose safety may be at risk,” she wrote. “We need to provide a voice for LGBTQ+ students; for students of color; for students and families facing food and housing insecurities; for students receiving special education services whose funding sources continue to be decreased; for students and families facing mental health issues; for public school funding; for teachers who no longer teach course content because of unclear language in the divisive concepts legislation and fear potential revocation of their certifications … and the list goes on.”

She cited an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicating that children and young people are at an elevated risk for suicidal behaviors. She pointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says that lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are at increased risk of mental health issues, emotional abuse and suicide attempts and that many students of color have experienced racism. She added, from the Dartmouth Health Suicide Prevention website, that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for New Hampshire kids and the ninth-leading cause for people of all ages, and that most of those deaths are preventable.

“Although these facts are well-known, there continue to be legislative actions to remove protections for students and penalties for school administrators and staff members who are trying to support them,” Roberts wrote.

Lebanon School Board Chairman Dick Milius praised Roberts — whose annual salary is roughly $148,000 — for her leadership.

“The district is in a much stronger position than it was eight years ago thanks to her vision and leadership,” Milius said in a Thursday email. “The Board is glad that she will oversee the start of our next three-year strategic plan, which contains a major focus on meaningful, broad, long-lasting efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion. We all wish her well in whatever she moves on to after the ’22-’23 academic year.”

Roberts came to Lebanon in an interim capacity in August 2014, replacing former Superintendent Gail Paludi who, along with the high school principal and the district’s director of technology, had left earlier that year. Roberts previously worked as director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for neighboring SAU 70, which serves Norwich and Hanover.

Roberts, in her message, outlined her accomplishments in Lebanon, which included leading the district through the COVID-19 pandemic; developing strategic plans; creating a districtwide budgeting process; developing a technology replacement plan, a facilities improvement plan and updated emergency response plans; helping develop a new enrollment agreement among Plainfield, Grantham and Lebanon; and implementing evaluation systems for the district’s educators.

Renovation projects at Mount Lebanon School, Lebanon High School and Hanover Street School recently got the funding they need to move forward, in part through a March bond vote.

“It took us many years, but we finally succeeded and administrators, staff, students and families will greatly benefit from these projects for years to come,” she wrote.

Next year, Roberts said, she plans to put forward a “fiscally responsible” budget, move forward with the renovation projects and negotiate with Lebanon support staff. She also said she will “work locally and at the state level to advocate for our public schools.”

But Roberts, in a Thursday email, was vague about her plans beyond next year.

“When I think the timing is appropriate, I will begin to look into opportunities where I can continue to support staff, students and families and remain a strong advocate for education,” she said.

Milius said the board will discuss plans for recruiting a new superintendent at its next meeting. He said he expects the formal search will launch in the fall.

Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.

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