MARS HILL, Maine — SAD 42 Superintendent Elaine Boulier has been in her new job since Jan. 1, and the veteran educator said the transition from principal at Fort Street Elementary School to superintendent has gone very well.
“I think the transition has really been seamless in many ways. In terms of within the district — both the transition here and the transition at Fort Street for the new building administrator — have gone really well,” she said. “The staff has been wonderful at that building, and overall staff has been great.
“Kathy Miller, the administrative assistant here, has been a lifesaver. She’s been instrumental in helping me acclimate to the position … just in knowing where things are and if I have any questions. She’s always there,” said Boulier, who replaced Roger Shaw, who retired Dec. 31. “Plus Roger is a phone call away. It’s the best of both worlds that way; I’ve got Kathy here and I can call Roger, so those aspects of the transition have gone really well.”
Boulier said there were a couple of things she had to get used to in her new role.
“One of the biggest things is not seeing the students on a daily basis. I try to get into the buildings at least a couple of times a week, so that’s been a huge change,” she said. “Usually when I stop in — if there are kids walking the hall — I get hugs, which is great.
“The other aspect — in terms of change — is realizing that whatever decisions I make, there’s nobody above me. The buck stops here, and that brings on a whole different level of responsibility,” said Boulier, who was first hired by the district as a first-grade teacher 29 years ago. “You really have to double-check and triple-check your thinking, and make sure that you’ve weighed every facet of that to make sure that you’re making the best decision for the district.”
Boulier said SAD 42 is currently starting its 2015-16 budget season.
“Here in the district we start with a zero budget; nobody has anything, and then you build from there. The teachers are now doing their requisitions, so we’ll be seeing what their needs are,” she said. “Once we have that data, we start building the budget. Last year our teachers negotiated a two-year contract, so the salary figures — which is our biggest expense line — are already set in stone and those figures can get plugged into the budget anytime.
“In a way that was convenient because being new, this will be my first budget cycle in terms of the district level that I go through, so not having to worry about negotiations is a huge bonus,” said Boulier. “That will be a learning curve next year, but by then, other pieces will have fallen into place.”
The Madawaska native said she’s pleased with how things have been going so far.
“I’ve had community members stop in, and I’ve met with the town managers of Mars Hill and Blaine. People have been very welcoming and supportive,” said Boulier. “All in all, things are going exceptionally well.”
