HOULTON, Maine — RSU 29 will be searching for a new principal to guide Houlton Middle-High School following the announcement that James Hodgkin is stepping down from his post.
The RSU 29 school board learned of Hodgkin’s resignation during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting. Hodgkin is leaving RSU 29 to become superintendent of Winthrop Public Schools at the end of the current school year.
Hodgkin was named as Houlton’s Middle-High School principal in August 2018 and was hired by the Winthrop Public School system in February.
Hodgkin said leaving Houlton was not an easy decision, but the chance to become a superintendent again — particularly in the Winthrop community — was too great of an opportunity to pass up.
His wife Mary Jo continues to live in their home in Leeds, which is just 10 miles from Winthrop, and teaches in Auburn.
“One of the things I have learned over the last two years is that my skill set is probably best utilized at the system level,” Hodgkin said. “I will certainly miss the kids, because they have been just great. The community has also been very supportive.”
Prior to coming to Houlton, Hodgkin served as interim superintendent for AOS 93 in the Damariscotta area; superintendent for eight years in Gardiner-based Regional School Unit 4; six years in the former Mexico-based SAD 43; and a year as the per diem superintendent in Fayette.
At Winthrop, he succeeds Cornelia Brown, who was working as the interim superintendent for the district.
Hodgkin will take over in Winthrop on July 1.
