FARMINGTON — RSU 9 directors approved hiring several people on Aug. 27 that Superintendent Tom Ward recommended for positions in the 10-town school district.

Lynda Szenes was hired as a special education teacher at W.G. Mallett School in Farmington. Diane Pinkham was hired as a half-time third-grade teacher at Mallett. Teacher Keith Martin, who is now the assistant principal at the school, will teach third grade half-time as well.

There were 14 candidates for the half-time third-grade teaching position. Five of them were interviewed.

Emily Schanck was hired to teach kindergarten at the Mallett School. The board previously agreed to hire a sixth kindergarten teacher for that school, due to an increase in students.

There were 12 candidates for the position, and four of them were interviewed.

Meghan Bitterauf was hired as a school guidance counselor at Academy Hill and Cushing schools in Wilton.

There were three candidates for the position, and all of them were interviewed.

The board also approved the nomination of Lynda Szenes as a special education teacher at the Mallett School. She initially was going to be transferred to a special educational technician III position at the Mallett School, but a teaching position became available there, Ward said.

Ward also informed the board of support personnel positions he had filled that required no board action.

Those people were: Kelsey Graffam and Leeanne Angell, special educational technicians III, and Jessica Whitney, special educational technician II, all at Mallett School; Pamela Boyker-Smith, special educational technician II at the high school, and Teena Gusler, special educational technician II at Mt. Blue Middle School.

Ashlee McCormick will serve in the school lunch program at the high school.

Michael Wright was hired to a maintenance/bus driver position.

Hired as custodians were Matthew Aubin, Matthew White, Kyle Storer and Alan Thibodeau.

Ward also told the board he approved the transfers of Laurie Barker, as an educational technician III at Cascade Brook School in Farmington, Amanda Paradis-Roberts as educational technician III at Mallett School and Denise Cilley as an educational technician III at the high school.

dperry@sunjournal.com