Morning sentinel in maine5/1/2023 ![]() Waterville for many years employed an assistant superintendent, the last of which was Peter Thiboutot who now is superintendent of Winslow schools. Winslow schools Superintendent Peter Thiboutot Morning Sentinel file photo by Michael G. Haley has lots of connections with the community and when he retires next year, those connections will be gone, she said When Haley had an assistant, he was able to network with business leaders as he did when he was a member of the Waterville Rotary Club, according to Phillips-Sandy. Haley also would have time to work and network with area colleges and be able to spend more time in district schools, she said. An assistant could learn district finances, budgets and building construction issues, which would enable the hiring of a new superintendent who may not have those skills but is strong in other areas, she said. ![]() There is also no one to handle complaints from parents and guardians, which is an important part of the job but time-consuming, and an assistant would do that, according to Phillips-Sandy. ![]() The district was awarded the funds, but if an assistant superintendent had been in place, the application would have been processed sooner by that person, Phillips-Sandy said. Haley recently came within two days of missing a grant application deadline for getting $ 36,000 from the state to help with homeless students. That used to be a job of the assistant superintendent. Haley does not have time to be liaison for homeless students, of which there are 60 in the district, according to Phillips-Sandy. Haley was supposed to have a hip replacement earlier this year but did not do so for that reason. She said she worries that if Haley were to be out for an emergency, there would be no one to fill in. Phillips-Sandy said Monday that most school districts the size of Waterville’s have an assistant. Haley and Phillips-Sandy earlier this year had brought up the idea of hiring an assistant superintendent, but several parents opposed the idea and discussion ended. ![]() Phillips-Sandy and board members Pam Trinward, Patricia Helm and Elizabeth Bickford voted for hiring the assistant, and members Greg Bazakas, Maryanne Bernier and Spencer Krigbaum voted against. Haley agreed to stay on for one more year and a new search process for his job is expected to start in the fall. Haley had planned to retire this year but a search committee turned up no applicants that officials deemed were a good fit for Waterville. Phillips-Sandy cited a long list of tasks Superintendent Eric Haley can’t get to because he is so busy with other work. Increases are reflected in education technician salaries, projected teacher salary increases, increases in medical insurance and snowplowing. The board also took the first of 2 needed votes to approve a proposed $ 28.6 million school budget for 2022-23 that represents a 7.99% increase over the current budget. “In my opinion, the job is too big for one person if we want to get beyond what is essential to keep the ship afloat,” board chairperson Joan Phillips-Sandy said. WATERVILLE – The city’s Board of Education on Monday voted 4-3 to hire an assistant superintendent, after a long debate in which proponents said the superintendent’s job is beyond what one person can do, and opponents maintained a vote should be postponed until more discussion is had and a job description is at hand.
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