With school starting in two weeks, officials may have to fill nine vacancies in the Houlton regional school district with temporary substitutes until the positions are filled, officials said.
“We have to keep working hard to find the right people, or we will substitute with our veteran list of substitute teachers and ed techs,” Superintendent Joe Fagnant said Tuesday. “We are working in a team approach to make sure the district is ready to go on opening day.”
Houlton Middle High School Principal DeWayne Morse retired in mid-May, and in addition to his position there are multiple educational technician openings, long term substitute roles to fill maternity leaves and one first grade teacher slot that opened last week, Fagnant said.
Officials hired a third grade teacher last week and has also filled bus driver, custodian and cafeteria openings, he said.
Filling an increasing number of school vacancies is not unique to the Houlton region. It is a national crisis with a shortage of educators throughout the country. The Washington, D.C., and California-based nonprofit, nonpartisan Learning Policy Institute reported that in 2026, 29 states plus the District of Columbia had 37,569 unfilled teaching positions.
In Maine, approximately 47% of teacher vacancies are very difficult to fill or could not be filled, according to an earlier Learning Policy Institute State of the Teacher Workforce report.
Two of the main reasons for these shortages are that less people are entering education-related careers and more teachers are choosing to leave the profession, experts said. In Aroostook County, schools are competing with other employers because there are less people living in The County to fill these jobs.
“The pool of candidates shrunk faster than anticipated,” Fagnant said. “Our district needs multiple qualified staff in direct teaching and instruction roles, including a number of educational technicians.”
Morse, who previously served as an English teacher and assistant principal in the district, became principal in 2022, right on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To be an assistant principal and then principal coming out of COVID was very challenging for any educational leader,” Fagnant said. “DeWayne handled that role extremely well and pushed to get students to come back into the building and feel a sense of purpose.”
Morse was a student-centered principal, Fagnant said.
“He was always ready to listen and work with students, especially those who struggled to stay focused on school as a priority,” he said. “His goal was to help every student feel welcomed and part of the school. He was always available to help with activities and events to make sure students and staff had support that was needed beyond the normal school day. “
Morse could not be reached for comment.
Finding a replacement for Morse is a big task for the search committee made up of teachers, administrators, and the RSU 29 school board chair.
The committee reviewed application packets, conducted interviews, and came to a conclusion that due to the lateness of advertising for the position, they were unable to bring a candidate forward for hire who fit the needs of the district, Fagnant said.
As a temporary measure, the school board approved a plan on Monday night for a Houlton Middle High School Principal Leadership Team to lead the school until a principal can be hired. The team leaders include Assistant Principal Danielle Thibodeau, Director of Guidance Katherine Currie, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jil Blake and Fagnant will also provide support to the team.
“The RSU 29 Board understands that the goal is to hire a qualified candidate for this school year, but approved this emergency plan so that a supportive network is available for staff, families, and the community,” Fagnant said.
There are three levels of educational technician based on levels of education. For the upcoming school year, the Ed Tech 1 starting wage is $18.86 an hour. According to Maine law it must be 125% over minimum wage, Fagnant said. The most experienced Ed Tech 3’s cap out at $25.38 an hour.
The Board and Education Association agreed on a teacher salary range for the 2026-2027 school year from Step 1 at $45,300 to step 23 at $76,300 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree. Teachers with a master’s degree receive an additional $2,000.
“We need to attract people and keep people in our region to maintain the multiple workforce needs we have in education and beyond,” Fagnant said. “We also have to focus positively on education being the first step in the pipeline for future workforce needs.”
The district job openings are posted online at RSU 29 and also on Serving Schools and Indeed.
