Mark Deblois will take the reins as the new principal of Whitefield Elementary School on July 1. (Photo courtesy Mark Deblois)
The next principal of Whitefield Elementary School was the principal of Nobleboro Central School for a decade and has long connections to Lincoln County.
The Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit Board of Directors approved the hiring of Mark Deblois on Thursday, April 12. Deblois, who has been the principal of Lincoln Akerman School, a K-8 school in Hampton Falls, N.H., since 2010, will start as principal at Whitefield Elementary on July 1.
Deblois “is no stranger to the area or to Whitefield Elementary School,” RSU 12 Superintendent Howard Tuttle said in an email. “He served as principal of the K-8 Nobleboro Central School in Nobleboro from 2000-2010. He used to play volleyball in the old gym at Whitefield Elementary in the 1990s.”
Tuttle said Deblois “has fond memories of Whitefield Elementary School as the heart of the Whitefield community and looks forward to continuing to strengthen those relationships between town and school.”
“Mr. Deblois comes to Whitefield with a wealth of experience as a K-8 principal,” said Tuttle. “We had a comprehensive principal search process. We feel fortunate to attract someone of Mark’s caliber. Mark comes to RSU 12 and to Whitefield having had successful experiences with school improvement. He is the ideal match for Whitefield Elementary School.”
Tuttle said the search committee “was looking for someone dedicated to building trust with all stakeholders and strengthening a culture of school improvement.”
He said Deblois is “somebody who realizes the importance of connecting with parents and the community as well as students, teachers, and support staff … We are pleased and excited to hire him.”
Deblois has a home in Newcastle.
Whitefield Elementary School Principal Joshua McNaughton resigned Jan. 31 amid criticism of the school administration’s response to bullying and other issues. Interim Principal Tom Soule currently leads the school.
The RSU 12 Board of Directors also approved the hiring of RSU 12 social worker Stephanie Oliphant as the new principal of Palermo Elementary School and Heather Wilson, dean of students at China Middle School, as principal of Windsor Elementary School.
Tuttle said RSU 12 needs to hire a new social worker to replace Oliphant, who currently spends part of her time working at Whitefield Elementary.
