Construction is nearly complete as seen Thursday at the new Mountain Valley Community School at 60 Highland Terrace in Mexico. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
Laura Johnston was unanimously appointed Monday as interim principal at Meroby Elementary School following an executive session of the Regional School Unit 10 board of directors in a meeting at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.
Laura Johnston, seen in 2024, was named interim principal at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico. (File photo)
Johnston will receive a pro-rated stipend of $10,000 to serve in the position until the opening of the new Mountain Valley Community School in January.
It was announced earlier in the meeting that Superintendent Deb Alden had transferred Johnston from the assistant principal at the Mountain Valley Middle School to an assistant principal at the elementary school level. Another announcement at the meeting noted that Alden had accepted the resignation of Mark Thibodeau as interim principal at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico, effective Aug. 22.
Alden provided an update on the community school project.
She said the furniture and equipment are in the process of actually being ordered.
“We’ve put the playground out to bid. We’re also looking for someone to bid on fencing for the current Meroby playground because one of the things we decided was to keep and not move the Meroby playground, and the town of Mexico is in agreement,” she said. “And we would be able to use it during school hours and then it would be there for community during off hours, but we need to put a fence around it.”
Earlier in the summer, Alden suggested that a public tour of the new school on Highland Terrace in Mexico might be possible in August, but that’s not going to happen.
“They’re trying very hard not to interrupt any of the things that are going on and they have over 100 people in there working,” she said. So, there’s some hazards, but she added that tours will be provided for staff, however. Alden is working on getting a tour for the school board as well.
Construction is nearly complete Aug. 21 at the new Mountain Valley Community School at 60 Highland Terrace in Mexico. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
Other resignations include Lynn Newell as literacy coach; Heidi Cole, Behavior Intervention Ed Tech III at Meroby; Heather Magoon as nutrition service worker; and Nolan Breton as IT Specialist-Level I in Nezinscot Region.
The board accepted a letter of retirement from Judy Mazza as a van driver for the district.
Alden approved the transfer of Ashleigh Milligan from grade 4 teacher at Meroby to music teacher at Rumford Elementary School and the new community school.
Appointments include Tammy Tatlock as high school varsity golf coach at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School, and Noah Marston as the JV boys’ soccer coach at BJSHS.
New hires by Alden include Rebecca Gallant as a part-time van driver for the district; Abbey Rice as an Ed Tech III at MVHS; Jennifer Shaw as a grade 7, special education, Ed Tech III at MVMS/MVCS; Veronica Lee, as special education, Ed Tech II at MES/MVCS; Alison Woodcock, as special education, Ed Tech II at MVMS/MVCS; and Pritty Kumari, as a special education, Ed Tech I at MES/MVCS.
The board approved Alden’s recommendation of Valentina Ortiz as grade 5 special education teacher at MVCS; Vanessa Hamner as interim special education teacher at MVHS; and Mark Soehrn as high school science teacher at BJSHS for 2025-26 only.
The first days of school are:
• Sept. 2 for grades K-5 and 9 (Mountain Valley) and K-7 and 9 (Nezinscot Region).
• Sept. 3 for grades 6-8 and 10-12 (Mountain Valley) and grades 8 and 10-12 (Nezinscot Region).
• Sept. 4 for pre-K (Mountain Valley and Nezinscot Region)
Graduation is June 11 for MVHS and June 12 for BJSHS.
