SAD 58 superintendent to become principal
Quenten Clark will take over until the position is filled

in the spring.
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

PHILLIPS – For the past seven years, Quenten Clark has been busy working with promising politicians, tight budgets and major mandates.

Starting in October, add lost lunch money, unruly students, morning announcements and assemblies to his daily to-do list.

As of Oct. 10, Clark, superintendent for SAD 58, a district of just under 1,000 students, will assume the principal position at the Phillips school, which serves 180 students in grades K-8, on top of his superintendent duties.

The nine-person school board in SAD 58 unanimously approved the move last week.

Major moves

Clark will be replacing veteran Principal Sue Pratt of Strong, who will become second-in-command in neighboring SAD 9 when she moves into the assistant superintendent post, vacated by Paul Knowles, who will become superintendent for the Gardiner school district.

The move of Clark, who will remain at his current superintendent salary for now despite the added responsibilities, was a preemptive response to the expected difficulties of finding someone qualified mid-semester.

“Given the time of year, it would have been extremely difficult to find a really good person to fill that position as principal of the Phillips school,” said Clark. “We didn’t want to settle. I’ve got a few prospects (for the position) but I want to have time to really work on this.”

The position will be advertised and filled next spring.

Clark’s presence in Phillips follows a year when the antiquated Phillips Primary School was permanently closed due air quality concerns and those students were moved into portables on to the middle school campus, now called Phillips Elementary School.

And earlier this month, ground was broken on an $823,000 addition to house those K-2 students, a library and arts space, expected to be finished later in the spring.

Familiar face

Clark, a former teacher, is no stranger to the halls of Phillips school having served there as principal from 1994 through 1996.

He is excited to be get back to the heart of education: the kids. In fact, it was his idea.

“I am really looking forward to it. It will be good to be with the kids, not just the ones who are in big trouble, and get a real feel for education again,” Clark said.

“It’s extra work for sure, but I am kind of excited. I expect it to be rejuvenating. I think it will be the best thing for the school, and really the community. The man in the street in Phillips, the teacher in the school and the kid in the classroom feels good about this.”

Clark knows he’ll be busy, but hopes he can balance the workload. A superintendent is responsible for long-term issues while a principal deals with what needs to be done to get a disruptive kid back in the classroom in five minutes, he joked. “I am sure there will be very busy days.”

Saving money

As Clark moves from his superintendent’s office in Kingfield, so will his staff including Secretary Andrea Adams, Personnel Director Tammy Goldfrank and Business Manager Anne Stinchfield.

For this year only, all superintendent matters will be handled at the Phillips school.

“I know that if I didn’t have my staff with me, I’d never be in the right place at the right time,” he said.

That means the Kingfield office will be shut down for the winter, a savings of nearly $7,000 as the office heating system guzzles an average of 4,000 gallons of oil each winter.

The district will also save money, more than $45,000, Clark said, by not having to pay for a principal in Phillips this year.

“It’s a win-win situation. The Phillips School is going to be a very crazy and busy place this year,” Clark admitted. “They’ll get their money’s worth out of me this year. That’s for sure”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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