A message from the ORCSD School Board

August 17, 2023 

Dear Oyster River Community Members,  

The Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) Superintendent, Dr. James C. Morse, Sr., has announced his decision to retire in June 2024. The District and School Board are grateful for his 11 years of dedicated service and the many remarkable accomplishments he has achieved during his tenure.  

The School Board has begun the search process for ORCSD’s next superintendent and has hired the New England School Development Council to assist with the search. The advertisement for the position is now available on the district’s website (https://www.orcsd.org/school-board/superintendent-search). Applications are due on October 27, 2023.  

The School Board invites the community to take part in the search by providing input during the search process. A survey will be provided on the district’s website in September and shared with targeted stakeholders. Community members can also attend focus groups during the month of September.  

The information gathered at these meetings and through the survey will be used to establish a profile of the preferred candidate. More information, including dates and locations, will be provided soon, including on the Superintendent Search page on the district’s website. The webpage also contains more information about the entire search process, which is anticipated to run through the end of December 2023.  

While we are saddened to see the end of Dr. Morse’s time here at ORCSD, it is an exciting time for the district as we choose new leadership to strengthen our mission of “Working Together to Engage Every Learner”.  

Sincerely,                                                                                                       

Denise Day
Oyster River Cooperative School Board Chair 

Seen above: Superintendent Morse in his office at the SAU.