In the first of many anticipated hiring announcements, Maine School Administrative District 17 has named Steve Ciembroniewicz, assistant superintendent since 2022, as its acting superintendent starting July 1 through the end of August.

Ealier this year Ciembroniewicz had announced he would retire Sept. 1. He succeeds Heather Manchester, who last month was appointed Yarmouth School Department’s assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. Her last day in SAD 17 was June 30.

Manchester has held the position in permanent, acting or assistant capacities since January 2022. Before that she served as the district’s curriculum director for 10 years.

“Steve has been an important part of our leadership team for four years,” SAD 17 board Chair Troy Ripley wrote in a statement. “We appreciate his willingness to serve as our acting superintendent over the summer while we identify an interim superintendent for the upcoming school year.”

With a plan for the next two months set, the school board’s priority now shifts to hiring an interim superintendent for the 2026-27 academic year, which starts Aug. 31. The Maine School Management Association has been contracted to conduct the search.

The assistant superintendent position was posted last spring, after Ciembroneiwicz announced he would retire. The status of that search has not been announced.

Simultaneous to hiring an interim superintendent, school board directors are developing a hiring plan that includes the local community and stakeholders, for a new permanent lead administrator.

This search is likely to be heavily scrutinized by taxpayers in Oxford Hills. The last extensive search was in 2021 and brought Monica Henson to the district for a disastrous six-month stint before she was suspended and resigned four months later with a $374,000 payout.

During June 15’s school board meeting, directors who had been on the committee in 2021 shared that a more sharply defined background check might have resulted in a different hiring outcome. Gary Smith, director for Oxford, also said board members on the hiring committee in 2021 inappropriately exerted pressure on directors for a unanimous decision in Henson’s favor.

SAD 17 has one approved middle school construction project moving forward and a second consolidated elementary school pending, both of which qualify for 100% state funding. Manchester has agreed to stay on in a consulting roll to the construction committees.

SAD 17 includes Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Waterford and West Paris. During June 9 elections Harrison voted to initiate a withdrawal process from the district. And in April the town of Paris announced an ad hoc committee directed to research withdrawal.

Ripley added that work begun by Manchester to “right-size and modernize the district” will be a top priority for the next leadership team.

“The future of education has to be focused on delivering even better outcomes for our students and greater value for our local property tax payers,” Ripley said.  “Over the next few months we will be talking about the benchmarks we need to achieve and working together as a community to bring the right education leader to the Oxford Hills School District.”

Supporting Sponsor for the Advertiser Democrat
Keeping communities informed by supporting local news. norwaysavings.bank