For 54 years, Concord Superintendent Kathleen Murphy served as a teacher and administrator in Derry, Hampton, Newmarket, Nashua and for the state Department of Education. She died while on medical leave Tuesday night.

“This is the first day of school and it’s an immense loss for a lot of our folks,” said Pamela Walsh, president of the Concord Board of Education. “But they’ve really rallied and that’s a testament to the affection they had for her and the team she built.”

Murphy was superintendent of the Concord School District for five years, starting in July 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. In February, Murphy announced the 2025-26 school year would be her last. She had taken medical leave this summer and earlier this month requested extending her leave through the e

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