Hebron Station School Principal Jamey Martin (left) has been appointed Oxford Elementary School’s new principal. She replaces OES Principal Tiffany Karnes (right), who has accepted a post with the Cape Elizabeth school district. File photo

REGION — On the heels of Oxford Elementary School Principal Tiffany Karnes announcing she would depart her post to become the administrator of Pond Cove Elementary School in Cape Elizabeth, in a domino effect, three other principals in SAD 17 ate transferring to new elementary schools.

Jamey Martin was named as Karnes’ replacement at OES. Martin has been Hebron Station School’s principal since fall of 2021. Before that she worked as assistant principal of Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway.

Rowe School’s principal, Doug Kilmister, is transferring from his post in Norway to the Hebron Station School. Kilmister has led Rowe for the last four years. Previously he has held teaching and administration posts in a number of northeastern schools as well as in Colombia and Nicaragua.

With Kilmister’s position at Rowe open, Cathy Bickford, who has been principal of Agnes Gray School in West Paris since September of 2021, has been named as Kilmister’s replacement. Bickord was an assistant principal at Paris Elementary School before leading Agnes Gray. She has deep roots in SAD 17, having also taught at both Rowe and Agnes Gray earlier in her career.

“Our goal is excellent to have administrators who understand the needs of the students, families, and the community in each school that they serve,” SAD 17 Superintendent Heather Manchester told the Advertiser Democrat in an email statement. “We have the ability to put experienced administrators in our buildings, while retaining institutional history in the district.”

Manchester added the transfers were based on requests made by principals within the district and needs of the schools and students.

“One of the benefits of in-district transfers is that all three of these administrators are well-versed in district initiatives, and will bring that consistency to their new buildings,” Manchester continued. “Obviously, each of them will bring a fresh perspective to each of the schools that they move to, which always offers opportunities to staff, students, and families.”

The lead administrator role at Agnes Gray has been posted as a principal/interventionist. Manchester could not comment on whether there has been interest from staff within the district. The position description is available on the employment page of SAD 17’s website.

Although small, Agnes Gray is a dynamic school, long a model of outdoor education for other schools in Oxford Hills and other districts. During the tenure of its previous Principal Beth Clarke, the West Paris school was awarded a $250,000 Maine Department of Education Rethinking Remote Education Ventures (RREV) grant, which included gear and equipment for students to use in outdoor classes, adding a yurt classroom to boost experiential learning and hiring teacher Sarah Timm as the district’s first outdoor education coordinator.

Agnes Gray is also the oldest school building in Oxford Hills, dating back to the 19th century. It recently was placed on MDOE’s list of priority schools to be replaced and is moving forward with a building committee and design concepts.