HODGDON, Maine — SAD 70 is searching for a new superintendent following the resignation of Steve Fitzpatrick during Monday evening’s school board meeting.
Fitzpatrick was hired as the district’s superintendent/high school principal in March 2019. He has served as the district’s high school principal since July 30, 2018. It marked his second stint as the high school principal for Hodgdon Middle-High School.
Prior to returning to Hodgdon, Fitzpatrick had served as the principal in RSU 71 in Belfast and is a former superintendent for RSU 29 in Houlton.
“I came into this position as an interim,” Fitzpatrick said. “That turned out to be four years. The last two years have been extremely challenging, not just for me, but districtwide, statewide and nationally. With all of what has gone on (with COVID-19), I just feel this is best for the district to move forward and for me to be healthy.”
The district has already advertised the position, and is looking for its next hire to also serve as high school principal/superintendent. Several other school districts in the area have employed a similar approach to their administration.
A special committee will be created to go over the criteria for its next superintendent. No timetable has been established for filling the position. Fitzpatrick will remain with the district until the end of the current school year.
In other business, the school board unanimously approved a cooperative agreement that will allow Hodgdon Middle-High School athletes to participate in lacrosse at RSU 29 (Houlton). The Houlton school district approved high school lacrosse as a club sport Feb. 7.
Since it’s a club sport, students who wish to participate in lacrosse will still be able to compete on the baseball and softball squads for Hodgdon Middle-High School.
Superintendent Fitzpatrick also told the board that the district was modifying its standard operating procedures for COVID-19. Under the new guidelines, the district will no longer conduct contact tracing when a student tests positive for the virus.
“We will continue to have parents check their children for symptoms,” he said. “All of our identified cases are from students showing up (to school) with symptoms. Teachers send the student to the nurse, who gives them a rapid test with parent’s consent. That is where the majority of our cases are coming from.”
Hodgdon Mill Pond School Principal Matthew Oliver asked parents to assist the elementary school by keeping children home when they are sick.
“We are getting a lot of kids coming to school who are just not feeling well,” Oliver said. “They are coughing and hacking.”
Fitzpatrick added he felt the district and the state were heading in the right direction.
“We are slowly getting back to more normal,” he said.
