LIVERMORE FALLS — RSU 73 Assistant Superintendent Sue Pratt of Strong has been hired to lead RSU 40/SAD 40 in Knox and Lincoln counties in the Midcoast area.

Pratt served as superintendent of Regional School Unit 36 in Livermore Falls and Livermore. Before that, she was assistant superintendent of Mt. Blue Regional School District in Farmington for many years. Pratt has also served as principal and school teacher in RSU 58 schools in the Kingfield area.

She begins her new job Monday.

Pratt, who grew up in Farmington, has been an educator for 27 years,  beginning as a teacher of math and computer programming at the high school in Madison.

“I’m leaving to pursue bigger and better things,” Pratt said. “It’s a bigger system. It’s a step up for me and I’m excited about running a large system.”

The district serves about 2,200 children and has seven school buildings,  including Medomak Valley High School and Medomak Middle School, both in Waldoboro. Besides Waldoboro, the district serves the towns of Friendship, Union, Warren and Washington. There is an elementary school in each of the five towns, which in some cases are 25 miles apart.

Bonnie Davis Micue, chairwoman of the 16-member RSU 40/SAD 40 Board of Directors, said the decision to hire Pratt Monday night was unanimous.

There were about 10 applications and Pratt was the Personnel Committee’s first choice. Pratt will take over the reigns from Superintendent Francis N. Boynton who retires this month.

“She was the strongest candidate for our needs,” Davis Micue said of Pratt. “Her qualifications and demeanor seem to fit what we were looking for and she is the one we brought to the board.”

She was offered a two-year contract with a $95,000 salary for the first year, Davis Micue said.

“We’re excited to have her join us. We think she will compliment the other two new administrators,” she said. “We look forward to bringing new energy to MSAD 40.”

Pratt will join the new administration of Business Manager Scott Wyman and Director of Instruction Kim Schroeter, who were both recently hired, Davis Micue said.

“We were really, really lucky to get her,” she said of Pratt.

Pratt’s new district spans about 400 square miles.

RSU 73 directors from Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls will consider Pratt’s resignation at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Superintendent’s Office in Livermore Falls.

As RSU 36 superintendent, Pratt, along with Jay School Superintendent Bob Wall, led the consolidation of the two systems into RSU 73.

Wall is the superintendent of RSU 73.

Pratt said her new office will be on the top floor of the Unity Elementary School.

She is married to Rupert Pratt and the couple operate a farm.

Pratt also served as the superintendent of Rangeley Plantation School Department for one year at the same time she did RSU 36. Rangeley Plantation voters opted to join RSU 78 in Rangeley earlier this year.

Pratt said she plans to have a residence in the new district to stay during the week.

“I will miss the wonderful people that I have met in RSU 36. I’m a people person,” she said.

However, she is also looking forward to her new role.

“I’m really anxious to get started,” Pratt said.

dperry@sunjournal.com