Old Town school chief looks back on long career

OLD TOWN – Last October, Old Town Superintendent of Schools Owen Maurais gave the school board his resignation after almost 30 years of working for the school department.

Maurais is continuing to hold the position while training his replacement Matthew O. Oliver, who is currently superintendent for SAD 4. Maurais will officially retire Aug. 30. Recently, he took time to reflect on his career.

“I started as a teacher in 1974,” he said. “I was a special education teacher at the elementary level then became director of special education in 1979.”

The veteran teacher and administrator also taught in Van Buren for two years before transferring to work in Old Town.

“In 1985, in addition to being the special education director, I became the assistant to the superintendent of schools,” he said.

Maurais worked as assistant superintendent for 10 years before accepting the superintendent position in December of 1995. He said a number of goals have been accomplished under his tenure.

“One of the many pieces is collaboration within the system has been enhanced, which resulted in opportunities for curriculum improvement, opportunities for instructional improvements and student assessment,” he said.

Assessing how the students learn is another major objective Maurais said he has helped the school department reach.

“A lot of work has been done in learning results,” he said. “We’re identifying what students are learning. The system is working intensely with student assessment.”

The superintendent said he couldn’t take all the praise for the accomplishments and added, “All of the work has been done with the faculty.”

Upgrades to the high school and aligning textbooks with national standards are two other goals that have been accomplished during Maurais’ eight years in office, he said.

“We secured a bond for nearly $1 million to upgrade safety at our schools,” he said. “And we’ve been successful in applying for and receiving approval for a new elementary school.”

The high school building improvements came through a bond. Local taxpayers are just starting to pay for the new elementary school that is under construction on Stillwater Avenue.

“What I’m most proud of at Old Town is developing a system of special education, which concentrates on being responsive to the needs of children with disabilities and is supportive of their parents,” Maurais said. “I’ve worked really hard on this program.”

While pursuing this avenue, the Maurais has received numerous accolades, including a distinctive service award from the Maine Association of Directors of Services for Exceptional Children and a Maine School Superintendent’s Association Outstanding Education Leadership award.

After leaving employment with the school, Maurais said, he doesn’t plan on traveling far.

“I’m going to work several days a week with Eastern Maine Counseling and Testing in Bangor to provide consultation to school districts with special education programs,” he said. “I’ll probably be looking to provide other counseling services to school districts in the future.”

Maurais said he would miss working for the Old Town school department.

“It’s been a privilege to have worked in Old Town since 1974,” he said. “The community has been very responsive to the needs of the children and it’s been wonderful to help make the lives of children better.”

Maurais said all four of his children went through the Old Town school system.

“The last kid graduates in June,” he said.