Frank Bass is going to stay on as superintendent of schools in Pelham and Windham after apparently working out problems with two School Board members.

Bass had applied to become Manchester’s school superintendent just seven months after coming to SAU 28, the Windham and Pelham school districts. His move prompted Al Letizio Jr., chairman of the Windham School Board, to accuse two of his colleagues, Barbara Coish and Beverly Donovan, of creating a hostile work environment for Bass.
 

“They made it very unpleasant for him,” he said. After he put out word that Coish and Donovan should resign from the school board, Letizio said, Bass received an outpouring of support from the public and the two women individually approached the superintendent in a conciliatory manner, ironed out their problems and agreed to change their behavior.

At a Thursday, Feb. 7, meeting of the SAU 28 School Board, made up of the School Board members of both communities, Bass announced that he had resolved matters with Coish and Donovan and would stay on the job.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Pelham’s Cindy Kyzer, chairman of the SAU 28 School Board. “I think he’s doing a good job. He has a good vision for the district, and works hard.
 

Bruce Couture, chairman of the Pelham School Board, said he, too, is glad Bass wants to keep working in the two towns. Couture said previously that problems in Windham can adversely affect the Pelham district.
 

“They worked a lot of things out, and that meant a lot to both boards,” he said.
 

Although Letizio had said publicly that Coish and Donovan should step down, he never called on them at a meeting to do so. But they knew he was prepared to do it, Letizio said.
 

“It was a diplomatic effort to get it resolved,” Letizio said. “I agreed to not call for their resignations in exchange for them to change their behavior. It ended with a peaceful resolution.”
 

Coish said she had a “very nice” conversation with Bass last week in his office about working together. But she said she doubts that conversation had much of an influence on his decision to stay.