PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Maine School Administrative District 1 board voted Tuesday to hire former superintendent Gehrig Johnson on an interim basis as they look for a long-term replacement for the district’s top administrative manager.
The board chose to hire Johnson to serve as interim superintendent following the resignation of Brian Carpenter Jan. 18. Johnson spent nearly 30 years as MSAD 1 superintendent and is currently the part-time superintendent of MSAD 32 in Ashland.
MSAD 1 board chair Lucy Richard said she consulted with Maine School Management Association director Steve Bailey about the process of bringing on an interim superintendent and was advised that hiring an interim superintendent would cost the district $500-$600 per day, plus travel expenses.
Richard said that Johnson offered to work in the interim-position for $30,000 from now until June 30, without travel costs.
“He said he would build in his salary in next year’s budget as he feels there is money from the Chinese program,” Richard said, referring to the district’s international student exchange program. “He would have a daily presence in Presque Isle and would still be doing Ashland.”
The MSAD 1 superintendent’s role also includes providing administrative services to MSAD 45 in Washburn equivalent to 1.5 days per week under a contract with MSAD 1.
Richard said that the timeframe with Johnson would cover the district’s budget process and offer enough time to find a permanent superintendent.
In Washburn, Wednesday night, the MSAD 45 board voted to continue the contract with MSAD 1 until the end of the current school year, according to MSAD 45 board member Jan Grieco. The contract has a 90-day exit clause for both districts if one wants to leave.
The board also voted to authorize its administrative committee to develop a recommendation on a process for recruiting an administrative team, including a superintendent, for the 2019-2020 academic year, Grieco said.
