Deer Isle school administrators resign 2 weeks before classes start

DEER ISLE — With two weeks left to go before students return to the classroom, the Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School (DISES) principal and the district curriculum coordinator have resigned, setting off a flurry of ever-changing communications from officials that have left some in the community confused and upset.

Community School District 13 Superintendent Dan Ross announced the resignation of Principal Jane O’Connor and curriculum coordinator Lynne Witham in an email on Aug. 9. After an “informal” meeting scheduled by Ross for Aug. 12 was canceled, the CSD 13 school board scheduled an official emergency meeting via Zoom to take place on Wednesday, Aug. 14, after the Ad-Vantages’ press deadline. The agenda’s only action item was to approve a fifth grade teacher.

Then, on Tuesday evening, Aug. 13, Ross announced another meeting scheduled for Friday, Aug. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at DISES, also via Zoom, that includes calling for votes to approve candidates for eight vacant positions at the school, including a new principal, a curriculum coordinator, teachers and ed techs.

In yet another turn of events, Ross announced that O’Connor, the recently resigned principal, is the candidate for the curriculum coordinator position, which the board will be asked to increase to full-time at the Aug. 16 meeting. The CSD 13 meeting agenda sent in an email from the superintendent can be viewed here .

The agenda also includes discussions on a “Plan for Return to School,” as well as comments from citizens.

Last week, O’Connor and Witham were both present during the Aug. 6 regular school board meeting, just three days before the announcement of their resignations. During that meeting, the board voted on future renovations to both of the school buildings, approved a PFAS water filtration system and six staff positions. The application for one fifth grade teacher candidate, Tanya Bannon, was tabled for a future decision. According to Ross, Bannon has since “accepted a position elsewhere.”

Ross then issued a statement on Aug. 9, saying the two resignations were “a huge blow to us which will be hard to recover from.”

“Both of them were tireless champions of local children, and had been expanding the range of emotional and instructional supports for students in the building, along with bringing in just under $1 million in grant funding,” Ross said.

When asked for details about the resignations, Ross said he was legally barred from speaking on “personnel matters.”

In a letter issued Monday, Aug. 12, Ross said there would be an informal Zoom meeting held in lieu of an emergency board meeting to address community concerns and answer questions.

“Personally, I realize there are a great number of upset folks out there (just as I am), but if we have a meeting without the means to reassure everyone that we have a confident reopening plan, it is only going to get worse,” Ross said.

When asked for details on the resignations, plans for an interim principal, and the planned first day of school on Aug. 27, board member Genevieve McDonald said, “I anticipate we will have answers to these questions and information to share with both the public and the media in the near future.”

Resignations

Jane O’Connor was hired at DISES last August, coming to the school from George Stevens Academy. The school’s last principal, Vince Alvelo, was hired in August 2022 and resigned his position shortly before the end of the school year.

When asked by the Ad-Vantages about her resignation, O’Connor said, “My decision to step down as principal of DISES was not made lightly and, in fact, was a painful one. I have enjoyed immensely working with our dedicated staff, supporting students, and engaging with our supportive parents. I am eager to contribute however I can to ensure that our school opens, thrives and provides a meaningful and impactful experience for our students. And I hope that the community also knows that, despite this transition, their children will continue to have the incredible care and support of our fantastic teachers.”

In the days after her resignation, O’Connor said “conversations” have left her “hopeful there is a viable and healthy path forward ahead for the school.”

“Despite the issues of late,” O’Connor said, “we’ve made great progress in helping to create a healthier, more collaborative and, frankly, fun environment for students and staff.”

Lynne Witham has held several positions at CSD 13 over the past seven years, including director of adult education, head of school, grant coordinator and, most recently, curriculum coordinator. Witham said the school’s “ongoing staffing problem” was “the key issue in our resignations.”

“We desperately need staff, and the board and the community need to support and help the school in their hiring process,” Witham said. “This is the fourth year in a row the school has struggled to fill enough positions to open in the fall, and it keeps getting worse. Changes need to be made, both on the state and the local level.”

Witham opposed holding an immediate public meeting to discuss the resignations, saying it would “impede the school opening process.”

“The superintendent’s focus has to be on getting the schools open on schedule. It is a lot of work and takes very strategic and thoughtful planning under the circumstances, and he needs everyone’s full support, not criticism and threats. I have given my notice, but I am still working to help with this process until I am replaced,” Witham said.

Public response

Community members immediately responded to the news via email and on social media.

Ross’s initial email announcement had several “reply all” responses. In a follow-up message, he said he is getting “bombarded with messages and media inquiries.”

One parent, Stonington resident Leslie McDonald, said she was “very saddened” by the news.

“I don’t know the reasoning and I’m sure they feel like they are doing what they feel is right,” McDonald said. “What I worry about is the future of our school system. I have my fourth child going through the DIS system and we have had at least nine different principals throughout the four children. It’s not good for the kids, families or community. We need more consistency and communication.”

This article appears through a media sharing agreement with Island Ad-Vantages .