AUBURN — Catholic officials in Portland announced Friday that Saint Dominic Academy will adopt a new form of leadership called the “president/principal model.”

Under the new plan, the president will serve as the “school’s chief mission, advancement and executive officer,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced in a prepared statement.

Donald Fournier, St. Dom’s principal for the past eight years, will become the school’s first president.

Principals, meanwhile, will be “responsible for the day-to-day operations at each campus,” overseeing “academic, spiritual and administrative leaders.”

Assistant Principal Joline Girouard will become principal of the upper school for grades 7-12, while Assistant Principal Donald Bilodeau will become principal of the lower school in Lewiston for pre-kindergarten through grade six. 

Statement by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland

AUBURN — Continuing its commitment to provide a nurturing environment that promotes faith, community, and academic excellence while identifying new opportunities to improve as an institution, Saint Dominic Academy will adopt a president/principal model of school administration, starting in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Donald Fournier, who has been serving as principal for the past eight years, will become the first president of the school, which opened in 1941. Joline Girouard, currently an assistant principal, has been named the new principal of the upper school located in Auburn (Grades 7-12), while Donald Bilodeau, also an assistant principal, will become principal of the lower school in Lewiston (PK-Grade 6).

“It seems appropriate that this announcement comes on August 8, the feast day of the school’s patron saint, Saint Dominic,” said Bishop Robert P. Deeley. “Strengthening Maine’s Catholic Schools is a top priority for our diocese. The new model at Saint Dominic Academy will create an efficient environment for successful leadership. This organizational improvement will help to ensure that the true Catholic identity of the school is preserved, and that all opportunities to build proactively for the academy’s future will be fully explored.”

“This new model is becoming more common in Catholic schools around the country,” said Fr. Louis J. Phillips, Ph.D., interim superintendent of Maine Catholic Schools. “It is our hope that the organizational shift will enhance fundraising and financial viability, provide a more efficient approach to planning, and allow us to offer better services to the school community.”

Under the new model, the president will serve as the school’s chief mission, advancement, and executive officer, articulating the philosophy and mission of Saint Dominic Academy while acting as a liaison between the school, the diocese and the community.

Reporting to the president, the principals will be responsible for the day-to-day operations at each campus, supporting schoolwide goals and initiatives as academic, spiritual, and administrative leaders.

“Throughout the proud history of Saint Dominic Academy, many operational changes have come to pass, but our focus on integrity, community and academic excellence has never wavered,” said Mr. Fournier. “With this president/principal model, we believe our ability to prepare well-rounded, value-centered individuals will be enhanced while we pursue exciting new avenues to grow as a school.”