SAD 29 names second interim superintendent

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
NEW LEADER — Liz Anderson, left, SAD 29’s school board chairman, goes over some policies with new interim superintendent Raymond Freve Monday evening.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — While the search for new full-time superintendent for SAD 29 has failed to produce a suitable candidate, the district is once again welcoming a new interim leader to the fold.
    The SAD 29 school board named Raymond Freve of Plymouth as its new interim superintendent Monday evening. He replaced Peter Edgecomb, who had filled this same position since July. Edgecomb stepped down as the interim superintendent at the end of Monday’s meeting.
    Edgecomb was named interim superintendent for SAD 29 on June 28, following the abrupt resignation of Steve Fitzpatrick in what was termed a “voluntary conclusion” of his employment. Edgecomb has served three terms in the Maine House of Representatives, representing District 4 in Caribou and was seeking re-election to that post in Tuesday’s elections.
    When he came to the district, Edgecomb originally planned to stay with the district until Jan. 1 or until a suitable candidate was found if sooner. Because he does not have a contract with the school district, Edgecomb – or the school board – could have decided to terminate his working agreement at any time.
    The district received seven applicants during its first candidate search in August and interviewed three of those seven. The search committee did not recommend any of the three candidates, so the district re-advertised the position in September. The board has not heard an update on the candidate search since its September meeting.
    “I’ve been blessed with the staff that we have in the office,” Edgecomb said. “When I show up to work in the morning, I am almost always greeted with broad smiles. They made me feel like they were looking forward to me coming into the office. And occasionally they would not have smiles on their faces. That’s when I knew there was a situation that needed to be taken care of right off.”
    Edgecomb added he appreciated the dedication of the staff throughout the district in making his transition smooth.
    “I will always have the Houlton Shiretowners at heart,” he said. “I will be watching with a lot of interest what happens with the district. You have a lot of great things coming up.”
    Freve grew up in Auburn, graduating from Edward Little High School. Following college and a stint in the military, his first superintendent’s position was School Union 106 in Baileyville from December 1975 to February 1988. He also served as superintendent of SAD 48 (Newport) from 1988-1994.
    “I then decided I wanted to do something different, so I retired at the age of 50,” he said. “That first summer of my retirement, I got a call from School Union 90 (Milford), who was looking for a fill-in superintendent, and I have been doing that [interim jobs] ever since. I find it to be enjoyable and as long I still feel that way, I am going to keep doing it.”
    Most recently, Freve was interim superintendent for both School Union 60 (Greenville) and the Otis School Department.
    “I’m very happy to be back in Aroostook County,” Freve said. “I wasn’t born and raised here, but I did several interim jobs here and I really enjoyed my time here. I have always loved the communities and have done recreational activities up here for many years.”
    As the interim SAD 29 superintendent, Freve is responsible for maintaining the daily functions of the district, which can include meeting with the administration, contract negotiations, hiring employees and managing budget issues.
    “Being an interim superintendent creates different challenges,” he said. “Different districts have different wants and needs. Most people think having an interim superintendent means the district is going to stand still until a new one is found. My suggestion is don’t stand still, because if you do, you might vegetate. We need to move forward.”