FARMINGTON – Monique Poulin hasn’t had time to set goals for her new job as principal of Mt. Blue High School.

That’s because she’s still busy doing her job as assistant principal.

The promotion came as a result of belt-tightening that included cutting one administrative position at the high school, she said Tuesday.

When Principal Joe Moore accepted a position in Jay, SAD 9 Superintendent Michael Cormier proposed cutting one full-time assistant principal position. The school board chose to promote Poulin to principal and change Athletic Director Scott Walker’s position to half-time assistant principal and half-time athletic director. The plan includes an assistant to the athletic director, said SAD 9 board Chairman Ray Glass.

“As enrollment goes down, it seemed appropriate to become more efficient,” he said.

The changes will save the district about $48,000, he said.

Poulin, who will be paid $81,650, is excited about the prospect of her new job but feels students, staff and administration will all have to pull together to make it work.

“It’s a team that will get the job done,” she said. “The students are the bottom line.”

She expects her big goal will include the building renovation project, which will involve another year of planning and discussions on architectural design for the high school and Foster Regional Applied Technology Center to house close to 850 students.

Prior to her three years as assistant principal at Mt. Blue, Poulin was assistant principal/athletic director at Mt. Blue Middle School. She moved to Farmington in 1999 for the middle school position after teaching French in other schools in Maine.

She likes being an administrator because she can take the time to help students come up with good plans to finish school. Teachers don’t always have time because they are responsible for many students, she said.

Along with the best part of administration there’s also the worst. For Poulin, that is trying to juggle everything.

“There are so many needs to be met and only so much time,” she said.