New assistant superintendent comes aboard in AOS 43

MILO — A new assistant superintendent/director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment is on the job in the SAD 41/AOS 43. Superintendent Darcie Fournier introduced Cathy Stankard to the SAD 41 School Board during a meeting at the Penquis Valley School on July 12.

Stankard, who is currently pursuing her PhD through Lesley University, “comes to us with 20 years in public education,” Fournier said. She said Stankard most recently served as assistant superintendent in the Sebago School Department.

Stankard has held some other administrative positions in Cumberland County, including director of teaching and learning in Cape Elizabeth, assistant superintendent of instruction in Gorham, and curriculum director in Falmouth. Before these positions Stankard taught social studies.

Stankard succeeds Fournier as assistant superintendent. For the 2023-24 school year Fournier becomes the SAD 41/AOS 43 superintendent, taking over for the retiring Michael Wright.

Wright has been on the job for nearly 14 years, starting in the summer of 2009. Several years after coming to the Milo-based school district, the position evolved into the AOS 43 superintendent job. This superintendent’s duties consist of overseeing both SAD 41 and neighboring SAD 31 of the Howland area. The school units have separate schools but share a central office.

Fournier came to SAD 41/AOS 43 in the summer of 2018 as the assistant superintendent and curriculum coordinator.

In other business, the school board accepted the resignation of Penquis Valley School Principal Kristina Dumond. Per her LinkedIn page, Dumond is departing SAD 41 for a teaching principal position in RSU 64 of Corinth. 

She took over as principal of the high school and middle school complex during this past school year. Dumond had been the middle school principal for more than a half decade.

“We’re in the hiring process for the PVHS principal,” Fournier said. She said a hiring committee is interviewing candidates and the group is made up of three board members, district administrators, faculty, and staff.

“We are narrowing it down, but with that being said we are in mid-July and it could take another week or two,” the superintendent said. Fournier said district policy allows for a candidate to be hired and start prior to formal school board approval, which may be utilized in case this cannot be taken care of at the August meeting.

“This policy allows us to save a little bit of time during summer months,” Fournier said.

The directors also formally approved the computation and declaration of votes from last month’s budget referendum. 

SAD 41 voters approved a 2023-24 budget totaling $11,048,816 via a combined count of 50-12 at the June 29 referendum. The budget was approved in each district community — 18-4 in Brownville, 9-3 in LaGrange, and 23-5 in Milo. The $11 million-plus gross figure represents an increase of $230,325 from the current $10,776,514 budget.

A month-plus before the start of practices, the directors appointed the fall soccer coaches. Jay Murano will lead the high school boys program and Chris Downing will serve as the Patriot girls head coach. For the middle school, Dan Fleming and Chelsea Richards will lead the Railroader boys and girls teams respectively.