Richmond school principal steps down after 2 weeks on the job, returns to teaching, coaching

Troy Kendrick, seen July 27 after being hired as principal of Marcia Buker Elementary School in Richmond, has decided to step down from that role in order to remain a teacher and coach in Regional School Unit 2. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file

RICHMOND — Troy Kendrick stepped down from his role as the Marcia Buker Elementary School principal nearly two weeks after the announcement was made to the community.

Kendrick said the decision came after “careful consideration.” He said he wanted to stay in the classroom as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher, and on the field as the Richmond High School girls varsity soccer coach.

“It took me a little while, but I figured out I wanted to finish out my career in public education doing the two things I’m really passionate about, teaching children in the classroom and coaching on the soccer field,” Kendrick said. “Being in the office this summer helped me reach that conclusion.”

It is unknown when Kendrick’s replacement will be hired by Regional School Unit 2, but it is on the agenda for discussion at Thursday night’s school board meeting. Under new business on the agenda, the board will be asked to approve a number of nominated new personnel, including a Marcia Buker Elementary School principal through June 30, 2022.

Neither RSU 2 Superintendent Tonya Arnold nor RSU 2 school board president Jon Hamann immediately responded to a request for comment. Kendrick told families at Buker of his decision via email.

Richmond High School girls soccer coach Troy Kendrick, seen with his team Oct. 31, 2017, will stay on as coach this fall after stepping down as principal at Marcia Buker Elementary School. The longtime teacher and coach of 11 state title teams had accepted the principal position earlier in the summer. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal file

When it was first announced to the Richmond community the longtime teacher and coach would be Buker’s principal, people were full of praise on social media, calling him a “perfect fit” for the role. He has been an educator for nearly 30 years and took on the principal position after Tom McKee left the role at the end of the most recent school year to go back into the classroom to teach at Hall-Dale Middle School.

Kendrick said in his interview with the Kennebec Journal a couple of weeks ago one of the “hardest decisions” he had to make to take on the principal position was to leave his spot coaching soccer in which he has won “Coach of the Year,” 11 state titles and coached his own daughter, Caitlin. He realized after all, that’s where he wanted to be.