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MSAD 58 hires new superintendent

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SALEM – The Maine School Administrative District 58 school board unanimously voted to hire a middle school principal as the district’s next superintendent, effective July 1.

Todd Sanders, currently the principal at Gardiner Regional Middle School, was one of eight applicants for the position currently occupied by Superintendent Susan Pratt, who intends to retire at the end of this fiscal year. According to MSAD 58 Board Chair Kim Jordan, Sanders was one of four applicants interviewed by the hiring committee and one of two brought before the entire school board.

“We knew from his first interview that he was a wonderful match for our rural school district,” Jordan said. “The one thing that most stuck out about Todd with me was how many times he spoke about what is best for the students.”

Sanders said that he believes that fostering connections with students is one of the most important aspects of teaching. Sanders has 30 years of experience in education, serving as the middle school principal in RSU 11 for the past 11 years. Prior to that he was the assistant principal/athletic director in Rockland for four years. Before that he was a teacher, with experience throughout the K-12 levels, Sanders said.

He said that he was drawn to the position in part because he had interacted with people that had previously worked in MSAD 58 and that those people had always spoken very highly of the district. While the district’s small size and rural nature presented some challenges, Sanders said, it also provided a lot of benefits for the schools and students. The geographic location was also appealing: Sanders is an avid skier and hiker with his two German Shepherds.

Jordan said that it was obvious through the interview process that Sanders had done a lot of research on the MSAD 58 schools and towns.

“There is no question in my mind that Todd will do a fine job as our next Superintendent as he knows what it takes to thrive in a small rural Maine school district,” Jordan said.

Sanders noted that the interview process works both ways: while the district is interviewing the candidate, the candidate is also interviewing the school board.

“The school board [in MSAD 58] was very welcoming,” Sanders said. “I had a really good feeling from them.” He noted that Pratt had also indicated her willingness to help with the transition.

Sanders intends to attend the district-wide budget meeting on Tuesday, May 28 at Mt. Abram High School, as an initial way of meeting the community. That meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

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2 Comments

  1. The new super at Spruce Mountain is making 105,000 and that is a larger district. He was a long term principal in that district. Can anyone tell us what the new super in this smaller district will be making?
    Thank you.

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