Kennebunk High School principal resigns amid wave of RSU 21 departures: What's happening?

KENNEBUNK, Maine — Kennebunk High School Principal Jeremie Sirois has announced his resignation, joining a wave of recent departures.

After four years of leading KHS, Sirois is leaving to become the new principal of the Line Elementary School in Newfield. Sirois, who arrived at KHS four years ago after serving at Biddeford High School, has a degree in elementary education.

“I’ve been thinking for some time about getting into elementary education,” Sirois said Monday.

Sirois submitted his resignation to the RSU 21 central office on July 2, according to Matthew Shinburg, the district’s spokesperson.

“His last day will be Aug. 31, unless a new principal is hired sooner,” Shinberg said.

Sirois is departing at a time when local educators and community members alike are perceiving that RSU 21 teachers and other employees are leaving the district at what they charge is an alarming rate. In recent weeks, two high school guidance counselors have resigned, as confirmed by Shinberg, and at least seven educators have as well, according to the consent agendas of School Board meetings in June.

Superintendent of Schools Terri Cooper said the recent departures are the current norm throughout the state and country. Of the 741 employees who work for RSU 21, a total of 24 of them – teachers, administrators, and specialists among them – have resigned since late April, according to Cooper.

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Parent concerned about 'exodus' of RSU 21 staff

Local parent Beth Fossett, of Kennebunk, called the resignations an “exodus.”

“Things in RSU 21 have not improved for teachers and staff,” said Fossett.

Fossett made her remark in reference to the time that has passed since RSU 21 educators became more vocal in venting their frustrations during public forums this past spring.

During two public hearings in May, a few teachers told the School Board they and their colleagues do not feel supported by the board or the superintendent and her administration. Some teachers said they fear retribution if they speak out about their concerns.

“We are hurting,” one longtime teacher told the board, as she held back tears.

Both public hearings stemmed from a controversy in which then-School Board Chair Erin Nadeau called a group of teachers “cowards” in a comment on social media and seemed to compare them to members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Nadeau, who apologized and resigned, said she was frustrated with the educators and how she felt they carried themselves at the district’s annual budget meeting earlier that week.

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Kennebunk principal says departure has nothing to do with recent events

When asked, Sirois addressed whether his own resignation fits into a pattern with other employees who have left the district.

“I don’t think my resignation has anything to do with others,” he said. “This is something I’ve wanted to do. This is something that gets me back to my roots.”

Sirois said the available position at Line Elementary appealed to him because the school is a small one with a neighborhood feel. Also, he already knows some of the administrative staff there, he added.

Sirois said his upcoming experience leading an elementary school may help him in the future if he wishes to serve as an administrator in a school district’s central office. Once he starts his new position this fall, Sirois will have worked in the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Sirois said he is proud of the relationships he has built with students and staff members during his past four years at KHS. He noted that he and the school made it through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic together, and spoke of the “rigorous academic program” created at KHS during his time there.

Sirois said he will miss the students at KHS.

“I want the kids to know how much I adore them,” he said. “I’ve appreciated getting to know them. I’m sad to see that end.”

In an email on Monday, Cooper thanked Sirois for his time with the district.

“We thank Jeremie for his service to RSU 21 over the last four years and wish him nothing but the best in his new position,” she said.

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Superintendent: Recent departures 'on par' with other school districts

On Monday, Cooper addressed recent resignations in the district, offering her own perspectives and responding to perceptions expressed about her and her administration.

“It is important to keep in mind that these trends (recent departures) are actually on par with what we’re seeing in other school districts in Maine and across the country,” Cooper said. “A big concern is that more people are leaving education than are entering it.”

Cooper said outgoing employees have given many different explanations for their resignations: relocation, leaving the field of education, personal reasons, the heavy workload, and retirement are examples. Cooper said some also have left the district because of the level of pay they receive.

“ We wish we could pay all of our employees more, but we can only provide what the taxpayers have approved,” Cooper said.

Cooper also addressed the sense, expressed in public by teachers and others, that she and her administration do not support the district’s educators enough. She said those who feel unsupported have several ways in which they can make sure their frustrations are heard. She mentioned the surveys the district takes on a regular basis and said teachers and staff are always able to approach their building administrators and their unions with their concerns.

“ We have also invested a lot in providing additional time and resources to support the success of all of our educators because we value and respect them so much,” Cooper said. “The quality of our school system hinges on the quality of our staff. We take all of their concerns seriously and work hard to address them.”

Cooper said it “takes a special type of person to be an educator,” adding that it’s the type of job in which it’s difficult to “leave work at work.” Teacher attrition is not unique to RSU 21, she added.

“These are challenging times for all school districts in Maine and across the country,” she said. “The issues facing RSU 21, like employee retention and pay, are not unique to us. But we are also a strong and proud school district, and I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the last four years.”

Cooper started at the helm of RSU 21 in 2020, the same summer when Sirois joined the district. She said she is proud of what the district has accomplished in the time since. As examples, she offered the new athletic complex at Kennebunk High School, the upgraded, all-inclusive playground at Kennebunk Elementary School, and the placement of KHS and the Mildred L. Day Elementary School on U.S. News and World Report’s list of top public schools in the state. Cooper also said the district was able to negotiate higher pay for bus drivers, bus aides, and mechanics.

“We have so many great employees who care deeply about our students, and I look forward to seeking new ways to help grow the district in years to come,” Cooper said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk High School principal resigns amid wave of RSU 21 departures: What's happening?