RUMFORD – An administrator with a proven track record at Mountain Valley High School has been chosen as its principal.
Matthew Gilbert of Jay, who will be officially named at today’s SAD 43 board meeting, will begin his duties July 1.
Gilbert served as assistant principal of the high school from December 2000 to June 2003.
He then took a position as principal of Livermore Falls Middle School, where he has served for the past two years.
Gilbert replaces Bruce Lindberg, who has led MVHS for two years. Lindberg is leaving at the end of June for a headmaster position at Lee Academy in eastern Maine.
Gilbert was chosen from 11 applicants. Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said Gilbert’s leadership experience as a middle school principal should be an asset to the district.
“He will be able to help improve the connection between grade eight and grade nine,” he said, adding that he believes Gilbert will continue the positive improvements Lindberg has made at the high school during the past two years.
“The culture has changed and is more positive and a place to move forward. I feel confident Matt will continue with that,” Hodgkin said.
Gilbert graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in special education and from the University of Maine in 2004 with an master’s degree in educational administration.
Hodgkin said the district’s newest special services director, Diane Taylor-Moore, a native of the River Valley area who now lives in Leeds, will also be named today.
Taylor-Moore began with SAD 43 on July 1 as assistant special services director and also headed up the district’s new day treatment program. She’s been interim special services director since Paige Coville left for a similar position in eastern Maine in January.
She was chosen from a pool of four applicants.
Salaries for both administrative positions are expected to be set within a few weeks. The district is currently in negotiations with the administrative bargaining unit. Both will be hired under two-year probationary contracts.
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