LEWISTON – Lewiston High School didn’t have to look very far to find its newest assistant principal, but it now faces the task of filling another of the school’s high profile positions.
Paul Amnott is making the jump from Athletic Director to Assistant Principal, effective immediately, as the new school year officially begins at Lewiston High School today.
“I’m going to fill both roles for now,” said Amnott, “until they can get somebody full-time for the AD’s job.”
Amnott, 55, has been the Blue Devils’ AD since August of 1998, when he took over for Fern Masse. He had previously been Masse’s assistant as well as a math teacher.
“I liked doing what I did as the AD, but I saw this as a good time for career advancement,” said Amnott. “I’ve taught, I’ve been an assistant AD and an AD. This is just going to be a different way to deal with kids, and I think that’s why we’re all in education to begin with.”
Amnott has been serving Lewiston’s school and athletic programs for more than 20 years.
Amnott began his education career in Lewiston in 1975 as a substitute teacher at Montello School. In February of 1976, he became a full-time teacher at Lewiston Junior High School (now Lewiston Middle School). In 1981, Amnott moved to Lewiston High School to teach mathematics and alternative education, where he has been since.
Amnott is a Lewiston alumnus. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Math Education from Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., in 1973.
Amnott started his career in athletics in 1977 as an assistant freshman football coach under former Lewiston assistant principal Roger Lachapelle. He went on to be the head freshman football coach for seven years.
Amnott was the freshman boys’ basketball coach for three years, and in 1980 he assumed the coaching role for the boys’ junior varsity basketball team. In 1989, he took a position as the Faculty Manager of Athletics, which was, in effect, the assistant AD position, and held that until taking the AD’s job in 1998.
Amnott said while he will miss dealing strictly with sports, he is anxious for a new challenge.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Amnott. “It’s a whole different way of being with kids.”
Lewiston has not yet announced a new athletic director, but Amnott knows one thing for certain.
“I’m staying completely away from the selection process,” said Amnott. “I’ll continue to do both jobs, but that’s as close as I’m going to get.”
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