PARIS — Maine School Administrative District 17 directors approved hires for a new elementary school principal, an assistant high school principal and an assistant director for student services during the board’s Monday night meeting.

Samantha Armstrong, who was appointed as Agnes Gray Elementary School’s next principal. Armstrong has worked for SAD 17 since 2014, most recently as Paris Elementary School’s assistant principal. Agnes Gray is one of the school in Oxford Hills that employs a teaching principal as its building administrator.

Kayla McGee was named assistant principal at OHCHS. McGee’s education background has been as a health teacher. She has worked at the high school for the last two years. Previous to that she taught at schools in Lewiston and Yarmouth.

Jennifer Mocciola will be the district’s new assistant director of student services. She moves into her new role at Central Office from OHCHS, where she was special services coordinator for grades  nine through 12.

Superintendent Heather Manchester said that hiring continues for educator, ed tech and support positions.

“We have about 30 teacher positions open,” she told the board. “The high school, Harrison and Waterford are pretty much set. But we still need to hire several elementary teachers and we have pockets of openings. But the applicant pool is thin. We are making plans to accommodate for those roles.”

In her administrative update, Superintendent Heather Manchester reported that volunteer school building committees for West Paris and the district’s next middle school met for the first time on July 27.

The purpose of the meeting was to introduce members and hear presentations from Harriman Architecture and Design of Auburn and Lavallee Brensinger Architects of Portland on the planning and construction process, which is expected to take five to seven years. Harriman will design a new middle school and Lavellee Brensinger will design the replacement for Agnes Gray Elementary School in West Paris.

During early stages when much of the work is duplicated, the two committees will meet together. The next meeting will be Sept. 7 from 5-6:30 p.m. at Central Office.

Assistant Superintendent Steve Ciembroniewicz told directors about ongoing safety assessments and planning. He said a district safety committee convened its first meeting last month. Its work is guided by Policy ECBA Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

At its first meeting Ciembroniewicz said focus was on existing practices, specifically training, drills, school-based emergency plans and the district’s emergency plan, and also on areas for future priority.

“Generally speaking, we have identified these categories,” he said. “Facilities, technology, communications, personnel, transportation, community programming and district emergency operations.”

Operations Committee Chair Lew Williams of Hebron reported that Otisfield Community School’s sprinkler installation has been delayed because the supplier shipped the wrong size tanks. Correct equipment is already on the way but the building may not be able to open for the first day of school on August 30.

He advised that the committee is working on a contingency plan for Agnes Gray.

“Basically, if the school starts to deteriorate, what would we do for the children?” Williams said. The roof of the building is in poor shape. Last December a frozen pipe over the gymnasium burst, damaging the floor and causing about eight inches of water to flood the cafeteria.

Williams also told the board that the operations committee is planning a storage inspection of all schools in the district.

Copy the Story Link