SAD 45 superintendent to retire in June
WASHBURN, Maine — As SAD 45 Superintendent Ed Buckley prepares to retire at the end of the 2014-15 school year, the district is actively looking for his successor.
Buckley, who became the superintendent in 2007, announced his plans to retire last fall.
“I will be retiring June 30, 2015,” said Buckley. “I will turn 79 in June, and started teaching in 1958, so it’s time. I came here for nine months and I’ve been here for eight years. I always enjoyed education, and when I started, I said I’d do this for 50 years because I felt I could. I’ve gone past that now, so it’s time to enjoy my retirement years.
“I have a lot of things at home that need to be done. When I retired the first time in 2003, I took a couple of years and fixed up my house, and now I need to go back and repair the repairs,” he laughed.
Born in Westfield, Buckley grew up in Bridgewater. After graduating from Bridgewater Classical Academy in 1954, he attended the University of Maine at Orono where he received a degree in secondary education in 1958.
“My first teaching job was at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill where I taught math,” said Buckley. “I was there for three years, and then went to Guilford and taught at Piscataquis Community High School for five years. In those days, I was a varsity basketball coach, as well.
“In 1966, I came to Presque Isle High School where I taught mostly physics for 33 years,” he said, noting that in 1972 he earned a master’s of arts in teaching from Colby College, and in the early ’90s earned a certificate of advanced study in educational leadership from UMO.
Buckley spent four years (1999-2003) as the principal of Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School before retiring. Following an unsuccessful bid for the Maine Senate, Buckley spent some time training uncertified teachers as part of a state initiative.
“During that time, I had three teachers at Washburn that I was mentoring and working with,” he said. “That was my only experience with SAD 45. When they needed a superintendent to get them through the consolidation process — thinking they would be forced by the state to consolidate with Presque Isle, Caribou or somebody else — they asked me to come over an interview, which I did, and they hired me.
“I thought I would be here until the consolidation process was completed, but the consolidation plan didn’t work, so I stayed on,” said Buckley. “I’ve been in this role since 2007.”
Buckley, who resides in Presque Isle, serves as superintendent on a part-time year-round basis. He said he works Monday through Wednesday. The current advertisement for the superintendent position is for 3.5 days a week; however, the job could be made full-time with the right credentials and experience.
“With small school districts, the superintendent wears a lot of hats,” said Buckley. “When I came here I felt like I had three jobs — superintendent, business manager and curriculum coordinator. The work here is such that it’s suited for a part-time job. Plus money is tight for schools and I think it’s going to stay that way for a while.”
Ironically, Buckley has always been the “interim superintendent.”
“My contract stipulates that I can leave in 20 days or they can fire me in 20 days. I’ve been the interim superintendent with a 20-day contract since 2007,” he said. “It reminds me of an old Dodgers’ manager who never had longer than a one-year contract. He always figured, ‘If you want to get rid of me, fine. If I want to leave, fine.’ At my age that’s always been my philosophy; I can leave any time.”
Buckley and his wife, Martha, have eight children and five grandchildren. In his retirement, he plans to do some traveling and spend more time with his family.
Applications for the SAD 45 superintendent position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.
