FARMINGTON – Key founding members of MSAD 9 were honored at a dedication ceremony in the Mt. Blue Campus courtyard Friday afternoon, with the superintendent calling them an “amazing” team.
The ceremony was a product of the Legacy Campaign that raised more than $600,000 for the Mt. Blue Campus during its multi-year renovation. Money donated by businesses and private individuals paid for a number of improvements that would not have been funded through the state construction plan, including the enlarged Bjorn Auditorium, the Franklin Savings Bank-funded concession stands and athletic event scoreboards. Smaller donations purchased the naming rights of classrooms and benches.
One such donation was set aside to dedicate the Mt. Blue Campus courtyard, located beside the food court, to six individuals tied to the creation of MSAD 9. The creation of that district, which would later become Mt. Blue Regional School District, would lead to the construction of a new building for Farmington, Wilton and New Sharon high schoolers.
“None of this could have happened without the people we’re going to honor this afternoon,” Superintendent Thomas Ward said during at-times emotional remarks. “To me, they set the tone.”
The courtyard was dedicated to Raymond Brennick, the district’s superintendent; Ronald Bailey, the district’s assistant superintendent and director of transportation and maintenance; and Kenneth Marks, another assistant superintendent that managed instruction, assessment and curriculum when MSAD 9 formed. Also honored was Stanley Keirstead, Mt. Blue High School’s first principal; Richard Duntley, the first vocational school director; and Allan Smith, a board chair that served on two high school building committees: one for the original Mt. Blue High School and one for the Mt. Blue Campus.
“The key was that they knew that being a leader was more than telling people what to do,” Ward said of the six administrators and educators. “Wherever I’ve gone, we’ve always tried to operate as a family.”
The courtyard includes a tree planted for each of the six men. Ward and Keirstead unveiled a commemorative bench with all six names written across the back.
A Wonderful tribute.
It was a very nice ceremony, thank you.
For years, then as now, we have been fortunate in our administrative leaders! Thanks to all of them for their vision and hard work in creating the system we now enjoy.
Knew them all, and were a great group of men. Well deserved.
I worked with and for all who were honored on this day. Leaders with vision are credited with the MBC we are enjoying today.
A great way to honor a group of people who dedicated their lives to education and the SAD9 community.
A wonderful tribute to a great group ……also thank you to our community for supporting our school system over the years. I worked here for years and also had children go through the district. Many terrific experiences. Stan, I even stopped calling you “Archie” !!!!! Thanks for all your help, all of you.
So well deserved! What a most wonderful group of leaders.
Thank you so much for doing this for my dad and the other deserving individuals. They were so dedicated and hard working and put in countless hours so that the school could be the success that it was. I know Dad was honored to be included in this “group of great guys”!
I have been teaching for 27 years (currently 5th grade). My sister, Andrea has been teaching in Farmington for years. My daughter, Megan is in her second year of teaching (with a degree in Special Education and in the middle of getting her Masters to be an Autism Specialist) and my son, Ben just graduated from Springfield College with a degree in Physical Education. Guess Dad’s blood flows through us all!
I graduated in 1975 from MBHS, Mr Keirstead was the principal and Mr. Brennick was the superintendent. All of these leaders were instrumental in giving MBHS a great start and foundation. The education I received has served me well throughout my life, from my Naval career to my career in education. The teachers we had then we top notch and expected more from their students so the received more from them. I am very proud to say that I graduated from MBHS. When we come to Maine on vacation I drive by the campus and am amazed by the changes. It has been 2 years since I have been there, I hope to see the finished product this summer.
wonderful!