Charles Lomonte was hired as Wiscasset Middle High School’s principal Friday, Aug. 17. He will start work Tuesday, Aug. 28.
Lomonte is from Windham. Most recently, he worked for three years as the Title II program coordinator and state ombudsman for the Maine Department of Education.
He has 16 years of experience as a principal at Biddeford Middle School; Lake Region Middle School, in Naples; and Woodstock Elementary School, in Bryant Pond.
“He came on Friday and we went through the buildings,” Wiscasset School Department Superintendent Terry Wood said. “He’s excited to get started.”
The hire follows the resignation of Peg Armstrong in late July.
Warren Cossette will be the new assistant principal for WMHS, and will also start Tuesday, Aug. 28. Cossette has worked for WMHS for the past few years as the varsity track coach. He is certified for the new position, Wood said.
“He was just looking to get into administration and this gives him the perfect opportunity,” Wood said.
Mandy Lewis, WMHS assistant principal from 2016-2018, also acted as the athletic director for the school. Cossette will share the responsibilities with another employee, though he or she has not been selected yet.
Cossette will cover the athletic director’s duties during the day, and the person to be selected will be responsible for those duties during the evening.
Vicki Decker had been hired as assistant principal Aug. 14, but quickly resigned.
The department’s finance manager, Shelley Schmal, will resign effective Dec. 1.
Other new hires include Joel Grindle, Wiscasset Elementary School physical education teacher; John Wise, special education teacher for the Anchor Program; Jeffrey Cardoza, Wiscasset Elementary guidance counselor; and Janelle Skillin, Wiscasset Elementary secretary.
Two new coaches were hired: Charles Bassett as middle school cross-country coach and Celia Philbrick as middle school girls soccer coach.
Energy project
Wiscasset School Department Director of Transportation and Maintenance John Merry said that as of Aug. 13, the department’s energy project was estimated to be 70 percent complete.
