Shawn Chabot has resigned as superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 75, effective June 30.
Maine School Administrative District 75 Superintendent Shawn Chabot is resigning effective June 30, making him the third superintendent to leave the district since 2018.
Chabot’s letter of resignation, dated April 20, did not give a reason for his resignation and attempts to reach Chabot for comment Monday were unsuccessful.
“I want to thank all of the staff for their work and dedication to our students during my time in MSAD #75, particularly in these past 13 months,” Chabot wrote. “Thank you for the opportunity to work in the district.”
The letter doesn’t his future plans.
Chabot was hired in March 2019 to replace former Superintendent Brad Smith, who retired in June 2018. The district’s assistant superintendent at the time, Dan Chuhta was set to replace Smith before leaving in February 2019 to become Maine’s deputy education commissioner.
The school board hired Robert Lucy to serve as the interim superintendent after Chuhta left MSAD 75, which serves Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell and Topsham. Chabot started July 1, 2019 with a salary of $127,000.
Earlier this year, Chabot announced he had been called to active duty with the Maine Army National Guard during February and March to support the guard’s COVID-19 mission.
The school board again hired Lucy to serve as interim superintendent during Chabot’s absence in February and March. When Chabot’s deployment with the national guard was extended, the school board voted last month to extend Lucy’s contract to the end of June.
School board Chair Rachelle Tome said Monday that the school board will decide its next steps at its meeting on Thursday. Options include whether to start a superintendent search right away or continue with an interim superintendent for the next year, she said.
Tome said that she can’t comment further on Chabot’s resignation or what he plans to do next.
Before coming to MSAD 75, Chabot previously worked for two years as the assistant superintendent for Lewiston Public Schools where he had worked for 14 years. During his time in Lewiston, he served as an assistant elementary school principal, the middle school principal and the high school principal before moving into the assistant superintendent position.
The day he was hired, Chabot told The Times Record he had worked 25 years in education but knew he wanted to move into administration. While he misses teaching, he said he found he can impact children on a more global level.
Chabot said at the time he was also a medic in the Maine Army National Guard.
MSAD 75 has seen a big turnover in administrators since last year. Hired in 2015, former Mt. Ararat Middle School Principal Josh Ottow resigned in October 2020. The school board on April 15 appointed the interim principal, Megan Hayes Teague, as principal effective July 1.
Mt. Ararat High School Principal Donna Brunette is retiring July 1 after serving eight years as principal and 20 years in the district. The school board on April 15 also appointed Christopher Hoffman as the new high school principal as of July 1.
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