HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton-area school district once again finds itself in need of a new superintendent after Mike Hammer’s surprise resignation on Jan. 5.
In a resignation letter, Hammer cited the strain of being away from his family as a contributing factor in his decision. His wife, Julie, who is a physical education instructor at Ellsworth High School, and their two children remained in the Ellsworth area when Hammer relocated to Houlton to take the job.
“It has been very difficult to miss the small stuff, each day,” he said. “Julie has been amazing, and the girls supported the decision I made to be a superintendent and to continue to get experience. I have tried to get back to as many events as I can, however, that has taken a toll on us as well.”
The school board for RSU 29, which serves the communities of Houlton, Hammond, Littleton and Monticello, hired Hammer on Feb. 23, 2011, and he began his duties on June 21, 2011. Hammer replaced Steve Fitzpatrick, who resigned in June 2010. Before coming to RSU 29, Hammer had served as superintendent for the Otis School Department since 2010 and as principal at Hancock Grammar School for about seven years before that.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as superintendent in this district for the past three and a half years,” Hammer stated in his resignation letter. “I want to thank the board for the support you have shown me and for allowing me to grow as a professional.”
School Board Chairman Fred Grant said during Monday night’s board meeting that he was saddened by Hammer’s resignation but understood the reasons for his decision.
“Mike, you and I started about the same time, and it is going to be strange for me,” Grant said. “I know it has been challenging for you to be away from your family. We appreciate the sacrifices you made to help our district.”
Hammer added he was not leaving RSU 29 to take a similar post at another district.
“I do not currently have a position close to home,” he said. “That is a little nerve wracking, but I have faith that something will turn up.”
Hammer said his goal was to give the school board enough time to start the process of finding the next superintendent before he actually leaves office.
“I wanted to give the district plenty of time to find a new superintendent,” he said. “As far as knowing that four years was enough, both of my daughters will be in high school and I have missed quite a bit of their daily life stuff, and I want to be home to support my wife and the girls.”
The district will hold a workshop with the Maine School Management Association to discuss the hiring process for the next superintendent beginning at 6 p.m. Jan. 14. After that meeting, a search committee will be formed to come up with the district’s goals and the attributes it would like to have in its next leader.
“I would like to start the process sooner, rather than later,” Grant said. “Some districts take more than a year to find an appropriate superintendent. A lot of districts are already wrapping up their searches.”
The district could choose to use the services of an interim superintendent, should a suitable candidate not be found before Hammer’s contract runs out June 30. The district has gone this route in the past as Peter Edgecomb and Ray Freve both served as interim superintendents from the time Fitzpatrick resigned until Hammer took over.