LIVERMORE FALLS — Regional School Unit 73 Superintendent Todd LeRoy will submit his resignation, according to the president of the teachers’ union.

“I will be submitting my resignation as soon as the final details are hammered out, most likely later today,” LeRoy wrote in an email to RSU 73 Education Association President Nathan Harnden on Tuesday. 

Attempts to reach LeRoy on Wednesday to confirm his resignation were unsuccessful. He was hired in August and was living in Madison at that time.

Board Vice Chairman Michael Morrell said late Wednesday night that to his knowledge the board had not received LeRoy’s resignation. 

“Resignations can’t be acted on until the board is together in public session,” he said.

The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Spruce Mountain Middle School cafeteria in Jay.

Rob Taylor, the association’s grievance chairman, wrote in an email Wednesday: “There has been a great deal of uncertainty in RSU 73 and this continues. Staff have received very limited communication from LeRoy about potential changes to the roles of administrators and a possible restructuring of the schools and have largely relied on the news media for most of its information from the superintendent in recent weeks.”

Staff learned Dec. 21 that TJ Plourde, the Spruce Mountain High School principal, had met with the superintendent and would no longer be the principal. That evening, middle school staff learned via an email from middle school Principal Scott Albert that he was being transferred to the primary school effective Jan. 2. 

On Dec. 24, a Sun Journal article was posted online saying that Mr. Plourde was no longer employed by the district and that there was a plan to restructure the middle and high schools into one entity. Staff were not informed prior to the publication of the article.

On Dec. 26, middle and high school staff received an email from Kevin Harrington, the Spruce Mountain Primary School principal, saying that “Spruce Mountain Secondary School would begin its journey” and that late-arrival staff development time on Jan. 2 would be used “to discuss the logistics of a 6-12 facility … ” 

However, on the morning of Jan. 2, LeRoy told high and middle school staff there would be no consolidation of schools, but there would no longer be middle and high school departments and staff would work as a 6-12 school with a single leader to help “heal the wounds.” Harrington was introduced as the new principal for grades 6-12.  

After an emergency school board meeting Jan. 2, the superintendent said there would be no school restructuring and Plourde was merely out on administrative leave and that his employment had not yet been terminated.   

On Thursday, Jan. 3, Harrington announced at a high school assembly that on Jan. 7, Plourde would return as the high school principal, Albert would return to the middle school, and Harrington would be returning to the primary school. 

The teachers’ union Tuesday took a vote of no confidence in the superintendent, 155-4.

“This entire process has been very difficult for staff and has had a huge impact on morale,” Taylor wrote in his email Wednesday. “Considering the scope of the proposed changes and the impact on students, schools, and community, the Association would have expected a high level of communication. To have to read about all these changes in the paper and then to have a constantly shifting message has been very stressful for students, staff, and the community.”

Regional School Unit 73 Superintendent Todd LeRoy indicated by email Tuesday he will submit his resignation once final details have been worked out. (Livermore Falls Advertiser file photo)

Copy of the email Regional School Unit 73 Superintendent Todd LeRoy sent to education association president Nathan Harnden outlining his upcoming resignation. (Courtesy photo)

Copy the Story Link