BRUNSWICK

The school board hired Jeff Ramich as Brunswick schools’ new athletic director Wednesday.

Ramich, 46, is currently the athletic director at Leavitt High School in Turner — a post to which he was appointed in 2011. His selection was approved unanimously by the Brunwick school board after a brief executive session Wednesday.

Prior to his current post, Ramich, of Lisbon, was co-curricular director in the Gray-New Gloucester school district, principal at Philip W. Sugg Middle School and co-curricular director for Lisbon High School, where Ramich earned his high school diploma in 1984. Ramich since has earned degrees in physical education from the University of Maine in 1989; and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine, in 2006.

He said his goal is to win state championships in every sport, but not at the expense of sportsmanship.

“I want all the sports to do well,” he said. “My goal is for every team to win a state championship, but also the sportsmanship award. It says a lot about a community when you’re winning championships but also exhibiting sportsmanship at the same time.”

With experience in the classroom and as an administrator, Ramich said he prefers to be out of doors and in more direct contact with kids.

“That’s where I thrive,” he said, adding that having kids participate in sports often helps them with their academics and any personal issues they may be experiencing.

“My lesson is, here’s a good two, three hours,” Ramich said. “Whether you play soccer or baseball or basketball or football, you don’t have to worry about anything outside these lines.

“You’re a soccer player? Work as hard as you can — and have fun doing it.”

Ramich starts Monday. The first full day of fall sports ins Aug. 19.

In other business, board members continue to debate the merits of building a new elementary school vs. renovating the existing Coffin School in order to accomodate a burgeoning student population.

The board has been debating how to upgrade its facilities for months, and may construct a new elementary school rather than fix up the Coffin School. The moves are made necessary by the 2011 closure of the Jordan Acres School, which fell into a state of disrepair.

District 1 board member Richard Ellis told colleagues it would make more sense to build new than to renovate, since costs are only about $5 million apart and a new building would get 40 years of use as opposed to 20 in a renovated building. Estimates of the cost of a new elementary school have been tabbed at $22 million.

Board members approved a plan by which it will pay PDT Architects another $66,000 to study new configurations of schools.

The money will come from $508,604 more in state subsidy than was budgeted. Members voted to request the Town Council appropriate those funds — minus the $66,232 for the facilities study — so the money can be expended this school year.

The board also reached consensus that addressing overcrowded elementary schools is more vital than solving facilities issues at Brunswick Junior High School, where floors are sagging and other work needs to be done.

And Superintendent Paul Perzanoski revealed the school department in August will confer honorary Brunswick High School diplomas on as many as 10 veterans who did not graduate.

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