Bookmark & share:

E-mail this page E-mail a letter to the editor Reader Comments (below)

story tools
sponsored by

BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer 07/04/2009

BY MECHELE COOPER

Staff Writer

The big move is on.

But it's only temporary.

The new Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 is moving its operation into new quarters.

Interim Superintendent Martha Witham said a permanent location for the central office will be selected after a November vote decides whether to repeal Maine's school district consolidation mandate.

"We put out (a request for proposals) for a central office, but people were reluctant to make changes until the vote in November to repeal the consolidation. Then, the RSU will look for more permanent space. This is just a temporary situation until we know if the consolidation is going to stay."

She said the Sheepscot district will use superintendent offices of defunct school unions in Whitefield and Windsor.

Eight towns belong to the new regional school unit: Chelsea, Whitefield, Palermo, Somerville, Windsor, Alna, Westport Island and Wiscasset.

The superintendent's office in Wiscasset at 214 Gardiner Road will be closed and become town property. The transportation and maintenance offices there will not be moving.

The temporary superintendent's office for the Sheepscot district will be located in the former School Union 133 office at 69 Augusta Road, Whitefield. Witham said that building will house the superintendent, assistant superintendent, curriculum coordinator, administrative assistant, secretarial receptionist and finance officers, including business manager, accounts payable and a human resource and bookkeeper position.

The School Union 132 superintendent's office at 320 Griffin Road in Windsor will continue to house the alternative school and special-education offices for the school unit, she said.

Adult education and the technology department will be moved into Whitefield Elementary School at 164 Grand Army Road.

"We're in the process of moving right now -- it's going to take the whole month of July to get through this," she said. "The new superintendent who starts July 1, I'm done as of July 2, is going to be Greg Potter. He's going to be where his current office is so that's not a big move for him."

Witham is the former superintendent of Richmond schools. When that school system joined Regional School Unit 2 -- Hallowell, Farmingdale, Richmond, Monmouth and Dresden -- she became the assistant superintendent there.

Potter, the former superintendent of Union 133, was hired as superintendent by the Sheepscot Board of Directors two weeks ago.

Witham said a permanent central office for the school unit will probably be located in Whitefield, Chelsea or Windsor. Those towns are in the middle of the eight towns, she said.

The Sheepscot school unit became official Wednesday.

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com

Bookmark and share this story: