School mergers prompt unconventional solution

EASTPORT – Some school departments, feeling pressure now that the state’s consolidation plan is moving forward, are having to think differently.

That is what is happening in Eastport.

Earlier this year, its superintendent announced he was resigning to accept a position elsewhere.

Rather than jump into the hiring process, Union 104, which includes Eastport, Charlotte, Dennysville, Pembroke and Perry, took a cautious approach because of the state’s education consolidation initiative. School communities have until Aug. 31 to file a formal notice of intent to merge or consolidate their administrative offices with neighboring schools. Union 104 is talking with Union 106 in Calais and Union 107 in Baileyville about putting together a plan.

Eileen Curry, who is chairman of Union 104, said recently that given the uncertainty of the regionalization plan, it made sense to be cautious. So Union 104’s approach has been to hire veteran educator Omar Norton as interim superintendent – with a special charge.

Shead High School principal Terry Lux has agreed to be Norton’s intern and will spend the next six months learning the job of superintendent under Norton.

“She was recommended to us by Mr. Norton and some of the teachers at Shead,” Curry said.

It was Norton who came up with the idea.

“What I have done is arrange for the principal of Shead High to do a six-month internship,” he said. “Augusta has cleared the issuance of a superintendent’s certificate with the completion of the six-month internship.”

The interim superintendent said the school district was breaking new ground. “Terry will do the six-month internship, and it’s an intense one. The Department of Education requires a yearlong internship of at least 340 hours,” he said. “I went to Augusta and talked to the director of certification and said, ‘We can make almost three times the 340-hour limit in six months if she does a concentrated internship.'”

The state agreed.

Lux is in the superintendent’s office every day. “By the time we complete all of our night meetings, it will be three times the initial requirement for certification. I think she will do about 900 hours,” he said. “At the time she completes it, which is Feb. 1, I am then fading away.”

Given all the changes in education, Norton said, this model made sense. “When you have someone uniquely qualified in unusual times, you can waive the board’s right and the people’s right to competitive interview, and these are certainly unique times,” he said.

Lux is uniquely qualified, Norton said. She has completed her course work for her doctor of philosophy degree and taken Maine law. “She has functioned in the state in an administrative capacity [as principal], which is part of the requirement,” he added. “She is so uniquely qualified it seemed like only the internship was in the way of making the transition.”

Once she completes her internship, Union officials are expected to negotiate a contract with her.

Lux said recently that she was looking forward to the challenge. Lux has been in education for the past 29 years, the last three in Eastport. She said she plans to be Norton’s “shadow” for the next few months.

But she agreed she would miss the daily contact with the students.

“Kids are why I am in education, and I will miss it. I will try to visit the schools and get into that, but my time is going to be limited because of the additional responsibility of the consolidation,” she said.