READFIELD — Carol Fritz will step down as principal of Maranacook Community High School at the end of the year.

The Regional School Unit 38 school board voted not to renew Fritz’s contract last week, but they rescinded that vote when Fritz asked to be allowed to resign.

Superintendent Donna Wolfrom said she could not discuss the reasons for the nonrenewal because it’s a personnel issue.

Fritz did not respond to a request for comment.

The vote not to renew her contract was 5–3. Mount Vernon board members Russ Evans and Rebecca Lambert, Readfield member Samantha Horn Olsen and Wayne members Lynette Johnson and Bill Shardlow voted against renewing Fritz’s contract.

Manchester members David Guillemette and Melissa O’Neal and Mount Vernon member Bob Mentzinger opposed the decision. Manchester member Bonnie Simcock abstained from voting.

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Fritz has been principal at Maranacook since 2006. Before that, she was principal of a small high school in western New Hampshire.

In the past three years of results from the Maine High School Assessment, Maranacook has improved in the number of students scoring at or above proficiency. The proficiency rate for 2012 ranged from 51 percent in mathematics to 56 percent in reading and writing.

In the same period, Maranacook’s average scores on the Maine High School Assessment have shown little change and were just slightly above state averages.

The school’s graduation rate was 85 percent in 2012. Since the state adopted a new method for calculating the graduation rate in 2008-09, Manaracook’s has ranged from a low of 76 percent to a high of 93 percent.

Fritz’s resignation leaves RSU 38 in search of principals for three schools. The board already has accepted the retirement of Cheryl Hasenfus, principal of Readfield and Wayne’s elementary schools.

Wolfrom said she’ll meet with staffs at the schools to talk about qualifications for new principals and hopes to advertise the positions as soon as possible.

Also last week, the RSU 38 school board granted a new three-year contract to Maranacook Community Middle School Principal Cathy Jacobs. The vote was 8–1, with Mentzinger voting in opposition.

Susan McMillan — 621-5645
smcmillan@mainetoday.com


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