BUCKSPORT, Maine — Two local administrators will take over the leadership of the high school and middle school for the next school year.
On Friday, RSU 25 named Dan Clifford to serve as principal at Bucksport High School and Ivan Braun to take up the post of principal at Bucksport Middle School.
Clifford will replace Principal Bob Doar who will retire at the end of the school year. He was chosen from a field of eight applicants for the post. Clifford has served for the past two years as the assistant principal and athletic director at the high school.
At the middle school, Braun, who is currently the principal at the Orland Consolidated School, will take over as principal to replace Tom Jandreau who will retire at the end of the year. Braun has a long tenure at the Orland school. He began working there as a physical education teacher in 1994 and served one year as the interim principal before beginning his stint as principal 10 years ago.
Superintendent Jim Boothby explained that Braun’s appointment was an internal appointment within the RSU and that the board did not advertise for the position. Orland is a member town in the RSU along with Verona Island, Prospect and Prospect.
Both men will begin their duties on July 1, the start of the new school year.
Meanwhile, Boothby said, state Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen has approved the closure documents for the Orland Consolidated School. The RSU 25 board is scheduled to meet Thursday, April 7, to formally set the date of the town referendum vote on closing the school.
Although the RSU board already has voted to close the school, the final decision rests with town voters. Under the RSU agreement, however, if voters choose to keep the school open, the town would have to pay the full amount that would have been saved by closing the school — an estimated $328,000. Town officials have estimated that amount would add about $185 to the annual property tax bill on property valued at $100,000.
Boothby said the referendum vote will be scheduled for May 9 to coincide with the municipal voting at Orland’s annual town meeting.