Sherburne hired to lead SAD 6

STANDISH – Frank Sherburne will be the new superintendent of the Bonny Eagle school system, after the School Administrative District 6 board of directors finalized a three-year contract Tuesday night.

Sherburne replaces Suzanne Lukas, who resigned effective June 30 to lead a regional school system based in Ellsworth. He will receive $120,000 for each of the three years in the contract, according to Lila Wilkins, the board’s chairwoman.

Sherburne, who could not be reached before deadline, will likely start fulltime Oct. 15 at SAD 6 working with interim Superintendent Mark Eastman until about the Christmas break to “get up and running,” Wilkins said.

Sherburne comes to the district with three years experience as superintendent of neighboring School Administrative District 57 (Massabesic) as well as more than a decade in special education programs in Maine and New Hampshire.

Tuesday night’s vote was unanimous except for one absence (Paul Arsenault Jr. of Standish) and one abstention, Sally Clark of Standish, who wanted a two-year rather than three-year contract.

Standish board member Todd Delaney said Sherburne’s leadership background and ability to cut budgets in response to the recent economic downturn “is exemplary.”

Delaney also said Sherburne is a leader who’s not afraid to “roll up his sleeves and help out.” An example of that, Delaney said, was Sherburne’s willingness to perform janitorial duties in Massabesic’s central office when budget cuts eliminated the building janitor’s position.

“When they had a reduction in payroll and needed to rotate cleaning duties at central office, he got right in there and helped out cleaning the bathrooms,” Delaney said. “He’s quite a dynamic leader and knows how to meet challenges when different issues come up.”

Wilkins echoed Delaney’s enthusiasm for the new hire.

“I am thrilled that we have gotten this man to be our superintendent,” she said. “He is dedicated to education, passionate about it. He’s a wonderful person, crazy about kids, a good listener and collaborator with his staff.”

Notable in the contract, said Wilkins, is that Sherburne will pay 20 percent of his health benefits. Wilkins said he volunteered to pay the same rate all new teachers in the district are paying, starting this year.