March 29, 2024
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Brewer High names Frost as new principal

BREWER – A former Brewer High School English teacher soon will return as principal.

James Frost, one of a dozen applicants for the Brewer High principal position, was Superintendent Betsy Webb’s nominee for the job, which opened up after Jerry Goss announced plans to retire in May.

Webb’s nomination of Frost received unanimous approval from the Brewer School Committee during its monthly meeting Monday night.

Frost taught English at Brewer High from 1981 through 1986, when he left the area to become assistant principal and athletic director at Calais High School, according to information Webb provided. Frost then moved on to Woodland High School, where he served a year as principal.

Frost is now the Calais School Department’s principal of kindergarten through grade eight, a post he has held since 1998.

The new Brewer principal is a graduate of Springfield College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree, and the University of Maine, where he earned a master’s degree in education.

A search committee with representatives from education and the larger community assisted in the selection process. While all of the applicants were from Maine, the search panel received no applications from current staff members.

Webb said earlier that the goal is to have the new principal on board sometime in August, before the new school year starts.

Also Monday, Webb briefed school officials on the impact of Gov. Angus King’s most recent round of budget cuts.

Because of last-minute budget cuts at the state level, the school department will receive $53,000 less in state subsidy than it anticipated when the current budget was adopted in late May. The $53,000 loss, combined with the $212,000 state aid reduction school officials built into the budget this spring, brought the total loss to $265,000.

As a result of the poor revenue outlook, school officials this spring eliminated the equivalent of 12.2 staff positions and reduced spending in such areas as interpreter services, athletic supplies, instructional materials, transportation and professional development.

Though Webb acknowledged finances would be tight this year, she noted that the school department could absorb the latest loss without having to eliminate additional personnel or programs.


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