The Scarborough school board made Superintendent Sandy Prince’s appointment permanent Thursday night when it voted unanimously to remove “interim” from his title.
The board also unanimously appointed Scarborough Middle School Principal Diane Nadeau to become assistant superintendent in January, after Assistant Superintendent Jo Anne Sizemore retires in December.
Sandy Prince, retired superintendent of Windham-Raymond schools, now superintendent of Scarborough schools with a two-year contract the school board approved Thursday. Lakes Region Weekly
The board renegotiated Prince’s contract after only three months on the job, extending the written agreement for one year, through June 2021.
“During negotiations, it became apparent that we had an opportunity to not only maintain stability in our district by retaining our key leader Mr. Prince, but also to provide support and mentorship for our new assistant superintendent,” the board wrote in an email to the school community on Friday. The board didn’t mention Prince’s salary.
Nadeau’s appointment was on the board’s agenda that was posted online. Pending action on Prince’s position was listed near the end of the agenda as a “motion to approve superintendent’s contract.” No contract details were posted publicly.
Based on agendas posted on the district’s website, Thursday’s action appears to be the first time the board voted publicly on Prince’s contract since he agreed to take the interim position last spring. The board discussed his contract behind closed doors during three executive sessions, following meetings on Sept. 19, Oct. 22 and Nov. 7.
The sudden move to make Prince’s appointment permanent for two years without seeking community input drew scrutiny on social media. Some noted a lack of transparency mirroring past board behavior that led to the recall of three members in 2018.
The board appointed Prince last May to lead Scarborough schools for one year after he retired as superintendent of the Windham-Raymond school district in June. He started in Scarborough on Aug. 1.
The board sought an interim superintendent following a failed search for a candidate to replace the former superintendent, Julie Kukenberger, who resigned amid controversy and took a job in Massachusetts.
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