The Westbrook schools’ chief is leaving the district to become superintendent of Mount Desert Island Regional School System.
Marc Gousse, who was the principal of Westbrook High School for 10 years and has been superintendent since 2011, accepted the offer and finalized contract details Thursday, said Charlie Wray, chairman of the school board for Bar Harbor-based district.
He starts his new job July 1 at a salary of $135,000. His current salary in Westbrook is $128,775.
Gousse will replace retiring superintendent Howard Colter, who this week was hired as the interim superintendent in Cape Elizabeth while that district continues a superintendent search after its two finalists withdrew from consideration.
The Mount Desert Island district, also known as Alternative Organizational Structure 91, also had to reopen its search after the first round of applicants did not yield the right candidate.
The district has about 1,400 students in nine schools and an annual budget of about $30 million. The Westbrook School Department has more than 2,500 students in six schools and a budget around $35 million.
Gousse, 55, a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, said last week that he and his wife spend a lot of time Downeast and had planned to move there eventually.
He said he hadn’t been looking to leave Westbrook, but was approached by someone from the area to apply for the job.
“It seems like the stars were aligned, and it’s a great opportunity,” Gousse said Friday.
Jim Violette, chairman of the Westbrook School Committee, said the board has been looking into its options for replacing Gousse.
“We’ve discussed an interim, we’ve discussed a national search or just go immediately out and try to find somebody by fall,” he said. “There’s pros and cons to all of them.”
Violette said that discussion will continue in executive session at a meeting Wednesday, when the board will “hopefully come out with a game plan,” he said.
Leslie Bridgers can be contacted at 791-6364 or at:
Twitter: lesliebridgers
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