LIVERMORE FALLS — Regional School Unit 73 directors voted 9-4 Thursday to appoint Jay Superintendent Robert Wall as superintendent and RSU 36 Superintendent Sue Pratt as assistant superintendent of the new consolidated school district.

Both have worked during the past year to move the Jay School Department and RSU 36 in Livermore and Livermore Falls to consolidate to improve education for students and contain costs to taxpayers.

The appointment followed about a 90-minute executive session to discuss the appointment of a superintendent.

Opposing Wall’s appointment were RSU 73 directors Ann Souther and Tammy Frost of Livermore Falls and Cindy Young and Tim Madden of Livermore.

Prior to that vote, a motion to appoint Pratt as superintendent and Wall as assistant superintendent failed, 4-9.

Opposing that motion were Mike Morrell, Vicki McCleod, Dan DiPompo, Mary Redmond-Luce, Tammy Dwinal-Shufelt and Darcie Comstock, all of Jay; Diane Gould of Livermore; and Jackie Knight and Denise Rodzen, both of Livermore Falls.

On Monday, the same motions resulted in two 6-6 tie votes, with one member absent.

The two superintendents had checked into sharing the responsibility as co-superintendents, but it is not allowed, Wall said. There can only be one superintendent, he said. Both have contracts with their respective systems through June 30, 2012.

Wall, of Lewiston, is paid $91,219 a year in salary. In 2008, the Jay School Committee voted to allow Wall to retire on Dec. 31, 2009, and he was retired as superintendent on Jan. 1, 2010. Wall retired under the Maine Public Employees Retirement System and his salary was frozen at its current rate of $91,219 through the end of his contract on June 30, 2012. He also agreed to give up a retirement bonus of 30 sick days, which is worth more than $10,000. Wall said at the time that the move would stabilize the administration at the superintendent level.

Wall has been superintendent of Jay schools since 2003. Prior to that, he served as superintendent of Union 29 in the Poland area. During that time, the school system built Poland Regional High School.

Pratt, of Strong, is in her first year as superintendent of RSU 36. Her salary is $95,000 a year.

Pratt had served as assistant superintendent of SAD 9 in the Farmington area from late November 2003 to July 1, 2010. Prior to that, she was principal of SAD 58’s Phillips schools.

Wall has said that the first year of consolidation, which begins July 1, is a transition year. During the second year, there will be only one superintendent, he said.

dperry@sunjournal.com