ELLSWORTH, Maine — The RSU 24 search committee is currently in the midst of a second round of interviews as it continues to search for a new superintendent.
The committee conducted interviews earlier this year, but reopened the search after they did not find a suitable candidate. According to Dr. Henry Ashmore, who is filling in for interim Superintendent Wayne Enman, the committee received an additional four applications in the second round. They already have conducted two interviews in this second round and have scheduled one more.
The RSU received less than 10 applications for the position, he said, a reflection of what appears to be a high number of superintendents who have left and may be leaving posts this year. Ashmore said there are estimates that as many as 30 superintendent positions could come open this year.
“The pool of candidates is fairly small,” he said.
That makes it more difficult to find the right match for the RSU which, with 12 member towns, is among the largest in the state. The district serves the towns of Ellsworth, Lamoine, Hancock, Eastbrook, Franklin, Sullivan, Sorrento, Steuben, Waltham, Mariaville, Gouldsboro, and Winter Harbor.
The committee is seeking to find a replacement for William Webster, the RSU’s first superintendent, who left at the end of 2010 to become superintendent of schools in Lewiston. Members hope to have the new superintendent in place by the start of the new school year in July.