Ray to stay as interim Saco superintendent for the upcoming school year

SACO — Jeremy Ray will stay with the Saco School department as the Interim Superintendent for the 2021-2022 school year.

Ray, through an agreement with the Southern Maine Administrative Collaborative, was appointed on April 15 the short-term interim superintendent for Saco schools, a position that ran through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Ray is also the superintendent of schools for Biddeford and Dayton.

The School Board on Wednesday night unanimously voted in Ray to continue as the interim superintendent for the 2021-2022 school year.

School Board Chairman Kevin LaFortune said the cost to hire Ray as the interim would be about $150,000 plus expenses for office supplies and professional development, which would be a savings of about $22,000 from a traditional superintendent contract.

Lafortune said though out the year there will be operational benchmarks, which will give periodic opportunities for Saco, Biddeford and Dayton to discuss and determine how well the arrangement is working.

“I personally have been stunned by how well the last month and a half has gone. It far exceeded my expectations of what we might be able to accomplish,” said Lafortune. He said he was encouraged by newfound collaboration and a more positive atmosphere within the school department as well as improvements in economic efficiency.

“I look at this as a tremendous opportunity to try something we haven’t tried before, and see where it goes,” he said.

School Board member Beth Johnston said having Ray on board has been a very positive experience and she had talked with staff who were impressed with changes that had occurred under his leadership.

School Board member Christina Shea said communication had improved since Ray was hired.

“We were often in the dark before, so this helps us makes sure that we’re making the best decisions for the students as well,” she said.

Ray said he and the Southern Maine Administrative Collaborative believe that collaborations can make school departments stronger and really “push things forward.”

“We’ll work tirelessly to make this happens and to make sure we’re making decisions that benefit our kids, our community and our staff,” said Ray.

Lafortune said the board will also in the future consider adding an assistant superintendent position.

School Board member Arthur Tardif asked about the cost for the proposed assistant superintendent and Ray said his intention was to present to the board a plan that would be as cost neutral as possible.

Saco schools will also share a food director with Biddeford and Dayton. The Biddeford and Dayton food director recently retired, and the Saco food director will now be the food director for all three communities. This will mean a savings of $32,000 for Saco and a savings of $22,000 for Biddeford and Dayton schools.

Other cost saving opportunities and sharing services could be considered in the future, said Lafortune.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.