FARMINGTON – The SAD 9 Board of Directors accepted the resignation of the district’s longtime vocation school director on Tuesday night, but made it known they were doing so with heavy hearts.

Foster Applied Technology Center Director Ann DeRaspe will retire in early 2004, halfway though her 10th year at the helm of the center. The move ends a career that started in 1970 when she entered the district as a kindergarten teacher.

Since joining the technology center, DeRaspe has helped the school grow.

This past school year, nearly 600 students from SAD 9 as well as Mt. Abram High School, Rangeley Lakes Regional School, Livermore Falls High School and Jay High School took classes at the center, in addition to the classes needed to graduate from high school.

That enrollment figure is a far cry from the 150 or so students enrolled when DeRaspe began heading up the center. “We are really reaching out to all types of students and are bringing the awareness of what vocational tech is,” she said. “Now there is a waiting list to get into many of the classes and it’s an honor for students to come here.”

In her resignation letter, DeRaspe had only glowing words of praise for the district she has lived, and loved, to serve.

“Our community should be proud of the great school district we do have and the dedicated teachers, support staff, school board and administration,” the letter stated.

DeRaspe, who was present at the meeting, spoke proudly of her own accomplishments as director, but said she was looking forward to retiring and enjoying life in Maine, adding that she will continue to volunteer in the community and hopes to spend time snowmobiling and skiing.

A native of the Portland area, she came to the University of Maine at Farmington to study for one year and had plans to move out West to pursue a career in dentistry. While in Farmington that first year, she met her husband and the rest, as they say, is history.

“It’s been fun,” she said. “And I always said I would go out while I was still having fun. It’s been a joy to come to work every day.”

When asked by Superintendent Michael Cormier to accept the resignation, school board member Neil Stinneford suggested that it be accepted but added “with regret” to the motion, which passed unanimously.

“It’s hard to drag the hand up,” said board Chairman Greg Webber.

Cormier echoed that sentiment, saying the district was happy for DeRaspe, but sad about the resignation. “We are incredibly fortunate to have had her here,” he noted. “She has done a tremendous job. It’s now one of the premier vocation schools.”

DeRaspe’s resignation is effective in six months, but she said she will stay on and assist with the transitional period and expects to leave in February.

The board also unanimously agreed to give Wilton Elementary School Principal Paul Gooch permission to retain an education technician and possibly hire another for the kindergarten class if enrollment numbers prove a need.

The district teacher’s contract stipulates that an ed tech will be hired if the ratio of students to teachers exceeds 19:1. Currently, 54 students are enrolled to enter kindergarten at the Cushing School in Wilton this fall, making the ration 18:1 in the three kindergarten classrooms, however Gooch anticipates up to 10 more students may sign up by the start of school.

If enrollment is at 55 students, the ed tech hired last spring will retain that position, the board agreed, and if the number goes up above 58, another ed tech will be added.

A field trip for the Mount Blue High School cross-country team to travel to Acadia National Park later this month for a team building/training session was approved, as was a trip next April to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., for the Mount Blue Voices, who have been invited to perform at the theme park.

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