Patrick Phillips has been hired as the new superintendent of Regional School Unit 23, serving Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Dayton schools.

Phillips, currently superintendent of SAD 61, serving Bridgton, Casco, Naples and Sebago, replaces retiring Superintendent Michael Lafortune, who has been working part-time since the fall.

Phillips starts July 1.

“Patrick is good when it comes to having a vision and implementing it,” board member Gary Curtis said.

The board is in the process of creating a five-year vision plan for the district.

Phillips has been with SAD 61 for three years. Before that he served as Maine’s deputy education commissioner under former commissioner Susan Gendron for three years, and was executive director of the Civic Mission of Schools in Washington, D.C.

“I get satisfaction out of knowing my work is having a positive impact on a lot of people,” said Phillips, 62.

He said he started teaching in the 1970s, came to Maine and eventually was principal of Blue Hill Consolidated School for six years.

Curtis said the RSU 23 school board was impressed with Phillips’ ability to create and carry out a vision for schools, as he did most recently at Lake Region High School.

Phillips oversaw voter-approved renovations of the high school and addressed issues that led the school to be ranked one of the 10 persistently lowest-performing schools in the state.

“It was not only a renovation of the physical spaces, but recreating the educational program,” Phillips said, adding that both projects are in the implementation phase. “I feel good about the current status.”

Phillips is also aware of Dayton and Saco municipal officials’ desire to withdraw from the school district.

The state Legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs heard testimony from officials earlier this month regarding L.D. 803, a bill to allow Dayton to withdraw without penalty. Dayton and Saco officials said they wanted to withdraw because of high costs and lack of municipal control.

The bill was rejected last week, which didn’t surprise Phillips.

“I would be very surprised, I think, that in the wake of years of difficult and hard decisions on local levels for consolidation that the education committee would open the floodgates for communities to reverse all that work,” he said.

Establishing open communication between school and municipal officials and taking another look at the cost-sharing formulas are two things Phillips said he plans to do early on.

He said he hopes to ensure fairness and equity in cost-sharing, while still maintaining the district’s goal to provide quality education.

 

Staff Writer Emma Bouthillette can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: ebouthillette@pressherald.com

 

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