HODGDON, Maine — SAD 70 Superintendent Stephen Fitzpatrick took time Aug. 9 to address some of the controversies in his district in recent months, as part of a lengthy school board meeting which stretched more than two-and-a-half hours.
The district has come under criticism from parents and residents in recent months following two separate incidents with the school.
The first incident was an independent investigation from the Maine Department of Investigation which found that the school had improperly given special needs students individual education programs without proper consultation with parents.
The second event was a recent hiring position made available by the school which residents stated was not properly listed, as well as accusations of favoritism.
Clarissa Porter, a member of the Hodgdon School Board, urged members of the public to attend the July school board meeting, which saw a large attendance and numerous public comments regarding the two issues.
“Unlike the district, I am not happy with the outcome and findings at MSAD 70,” Porter had written in an op-ed that was published in the Houlton Pioneer Times prior to the July meeting. “This is not an outcome to be proud of, it’s an outcome to be concerned about.”
At the Aug. 9 school board meeting, Fitzpatrick — as well as other members of the school board — defended the recent hiring practices, claiming their policies on hiring and job vacancies state the candidates were considered fairly. Fitzpatrick also acknowledged he had personally erred in mistakenly changing the title of the position from building administrator to administrative intern.
“This was not any one person’s decision to hire one person over another,” Fitzpatrick said. ”There’s an extensive process of engaging our educational community in that process, as well as vetting the candidates. And then the nomination would come for either a board approval or non-approval.”
Fitzpatrick also provided an update for the special education students, saying that all 28 students in the school had now received proper placement.
“The state report had in there an action plan for the district to execute with regards to making sure that all those parents knew exactly what changes were recommended or that were being considered,” Fitzpatrick said. “So that process has been completed successfully and everyone understands exactly where their students have been placed.”
