BRUNSWICK — When Nancy Weed, superintendent and director of Region 10 Technical High School, retires at the end of June, her replacement will be a familiar face — outgoing Brunswick School Superintendent Paul Perzanoski.
Perzanoski is retiring from Brunswick in June after leading the department for 12 years. Region 10’s cooperative board has hired Perzanoski to serve as its interim superintendent and director for two years.
Weed, who was hired as Region 10’s first superintendent and director four years ago, will still work part time leading the charge to get a new four-year comprehensive technical high school in which students are taught both academics as well as career and technical subject. She will work as a legislative liaison in that role and, if appointed, will serve on a new legislative task force to study the creation of a comprehensive career and technical education system.
Weed and Perzanoski are still negotiating their salaries but said the two positions combined will not cost more than Weed’s current salary, which is $117,000.
Superintendent Paul Perzanoski will retire from Brunswick School Department at the end of June and go on to work as the interim superintendent director of Region 10 Technical High School in Brunswick. Times Record file photo
Region 10 Technical High School plans to replace the current building on Church Road with a new comprehensive four-year career and technical high school.
Before hiring Weed, superintendents of the three sending schools served as rotating superintendents of Region 10. Perzanoski served as the school’s superintendent for four years total.
“He knows us,” Weed said. “He’s going to step right in and miss very few beats.”
It was Perzanoski, working as the school’s designated superintendent, who proposed the idea of moving to a superintendent director, as well as a comprehensive high school, “and so I’d really like to try to see if we can bring that to fruition.”
He said he is very encouraged about the work he’ll be doing for the next two years at Region 10, “not just for the possibility of a four-year school but also looking ahead to what Maine may need for the workforce going forward.”
The state’s workforce shortage has been exacerbated, he said, especially given that the median age of many folks working in the trades is age 50 and there aren’t enough workers to replace them when they retire.
Perzanoski has worked in education for 46 years, including 25 years as a special education teacher and director. He used to work in Connecticut where he served as a liaison between school districts and the area technical high school. He also has experience as a facilities director.
The school serves students from Mt. Ararat High School, Brunswick High School, Freeport High School and Harpswell Coastal Academy.
Region 10 has identified land across from Southern Maine Community College at Brunswick Landing as a potential site for a new four-year technical high school.
Perzanoski said that while it would make sense to locate there, “at the same time if we’re able to secure the legislative and financial backing, it could be anywhere.”
Once he starts in July, Perzanoski said he plans to meet with each member of the school’s staff and cooperative board before he suggests any changes.
Weed has worked for nearly 40 years in education. She started as a counselor at Cape Elizabeth but worked primarily in Hancock County as a guidance counselor, assistant superintendent and superintendent of Milford and Union 69 before coming to Region 10 Technical High School.
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