ASHLAND, Maine – A familiar face can once again be seen in the halls at Ashland schools.
Roger Marecaux, who was the principal at the Ashland Central School from 1976 to 2004, is now serving as the interim assistant principal through the remainder of the 2006-2007 school year.
According to Gehrig Johnson, SAD 32’s interim superintendent, Marecaux was hired at the board’s Dec. 11 meeting.
“Roger has accepted this appointment on an interim basis,” said Johnson. “He was appointed Dec. 11 and was at the school the next day. He has been hired to work through June 30, 2007.
“Before this, principal Bob Hennessey was the only administrator running the elementary and the high school,” he said. “When the board hired Bob, there was an understanding among the board that they would look at the needs and address the assistant principal, which they just did.”
The board has agreed to pay Marecaux $59,000 – plus benefits – for his services, Johnson said, noting that the pay is prorated.
Marecaux said he enjoys being “home.”
“I really like the Ashland area … it’s really home,” he said. “We still have a home in the area, and a lot of my retirement rotates around fishing and hunting.”
Though he enjoys being outdoors, Marecaux said he found Aroostook County winters to be too long.
“I found retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he said. “My wife is a special education administrator down in Biddeford, so I had done some work down at the Sweetser School. Last year I probably put in 60 days down there as a substitute, and I said, ‘Well, if I’m going to work that much, I’d just as soon be home some.’
“When the position of interim assistant principal came up, Dr. Johnson talked to me about it and I agreed to accept the position,” said Marecaux. “My wife and I have done the long distance thing for four or five years, so that’s not a big problem.”
Marecaux said Hennessy will place him where he needs to be.
“He’s the boss, but discipline in both buildings will be one of my responsibilities,” he said. “I’ll be doing anything at all to assist … covering meetings, working with faculty, and doing some faculty evaluations.”
The interim assistant principal said being back is “just like being home.”
“I’m seeing old faces, and dealing with a lot of the similar problems that I used to deal with,” said Marecaux. “It’s been a lot of fun dealing with and reconnecting with the kids, although I think my biggest challenge will be getting to know the pre-kindergarteners, kindergartners, and first-graders because I didn’t know those kids before. Having only been retired for two years, I still know most of the other students.”
Marecaux said he and his wife will continue to commute between Ashland and Biddeford.
“Sometimes she comes up, sometimes I go down,” he said. “I went down for Christmas and she’s coming up for New Year’s. We still have a lot of friends in the area, so it’s been fun.”
Also at the Dec. 11 SAD 32 board meeting, directors authorized the creation of an assistant principal/activities coordinator position to take effect July 1.
“It’s a combination of the athletic director, which is currently Ben Lothrop, who receives a stipend,” Johnson said, “and that position is going to be folded into the assistant principal position, along with non-athletic activities, too.
“We will do a full search for that position starting in early spring,” he said, “and it will be a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 position.”
