FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve Katherine Duchesne as interim assistant principal/athletic director at Mt. Blue Middle School.

Duchesne of Farmington is a math teacher at the middle school.

She will start her new position Oct. 1. Her salary is prorated at $58,540, Superintendent Tom Ward said after the board meeting.

Duchesne replaces Joel Smith, who is an interim assistant principal at Mt. Blue High School.

Ward said Duchesne is fully aware the position will be reopened in the spring and she can apply to be reinterviewed.

The board also voted to appoint Dr. Ryan Whitt, a pediatrician at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, as the district’s physician. He will meet with school nurses once a month and be on hand for nurses to discuss any medical incidents or infectious diseases.

He also will serve on a concussion committee in the district.

Former school physician Dr. Kendra Emery, has moved to another part of Maine with her family. She recommended Dr. Whitt, Ward said.

Ward also gave an update on student enrollment as of Tuesday.

There are 2,297 students compared to 2,319 as of the same time last year, he said.

“We are down about 22 students,” he said.

The Oct. 1 enrollment will give the district a better picture of the student population.

For public school systems, the Oct. 1 and April 1 student counts are used to determine state subsidy amounts, according to the Maine Department of Education.

“We are doing well,” Ward said. “We are staying pretty consistent while other districts are declining (in student population).” 

In other action, the board voted unanimously, following an executive session, to reinstate a student who was expelled during the past school year. The student will be able to start school on Wednesday.

NOTE: The story was changed after it was initially published to report that Katherine Duchesne’s salary is prorated at $58,540. The information was incorrectly provided to the Sun Journal.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net