Long-time educator Beth Schultz has been named Bonny Eagle High School principal for the 2008-09 school year, a move that brings outgoing principal Robert Strong closer to being released from his contract.

The announcement came at the Sept. 2 School Administrative District 6 School Board meeting, as Bonny Eagle officials said they hope to make a seamless transition from one principal to the next.

“We’re very pleased with where we’re at,” said Superintendent Suzanne Lukas. “We’re confident she will do a great job.”

Bonny Eagle opened the academic year needing a new principal after Strong resigned on Aug. 18. He is still at the school and is waiting to be released from his contract before he can begin his new job as principal at Freeport High School. His contract has a 90-day notice of resignation clause that expires on Nov. 4.

A Baltimore native, Schultz, 58, has more than 30 years of education experience.

She spent 20 years in the Brunswick school district, where she taught special education for six years. In 1986 she co-founded the Union Street Alternative Education program, which focuses on non-traditional students who need more personalized instruction.

She spent five years as Biddeford High School’s assistant principal, and the past 1-1/2 years as the assistant principal at Bonny Eagle High School. This marks her first time leading a building, she said.

“I’ve worked very closely with a lot of principals,” she said. “I felt I had reached a point in my career where it was time to step up to the plate.”

Schultz will be the interim principal until the end of the school year. From there, the district will figure out its next steps to finding Strong’s permanent replacement. Meanwhile, the school last week began advertising for a new assistant principal to take Schultz’ place and complete the staff of one principal and three vice principals, Lukas said.

Schultz earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Delaware in 1974. She is married with two sons, a stepson and a stepdaughter. She also has three grandchildren.

She said her main goal for this academic year is to keep Bonny Eagle’s administrative staff strong and cohesive.

“We’re a strong administrative team and we’ve been working together for a little more than a year,” Schultz said. “We want to continue to move things forward and continue to build a solid program with a strong academic department.”

The district has already received several resumes and expects to make a decision later this month or by early October. Once an assistant principal is found, the district will release Strong from his contract, Lukas said.

“We’re sorry to see Bob leave,” Lukas said. “We understand it was for personal reasons, however, and it’s difficult to pass up a job five minutes from your home instead of an hour away.”

At Freeport, he will take the place of Mark Tinkham, who left to become assistant vice principal at Windham High School.

SAD 6 taps Schultz as interim principal