SAD
15 Special Ed Director resigns Ms. Manikas forfeits contract renewal battle
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray--Christina Manikas resigned her position as MSAD
# 15 Director of Special Services on June 9. Her three-sentence
resignation letter was addressed to Board Chair Dr.
Alan Rich, and stated, "As you know I have requested
your several year renewal of my contract. My personal
plans have changed and I no longer wish you to do
so. Please accept my resignation at the end of my
current contract."
Ms. Manikas was hired 6 years ago as Director of Special
Services for MSAD 15. As a Director, her contract
has a term and at the end of the term may or may not
be renewed by her supervisor, the Superintendent.
Ms. Manikas's contract expired June 30, and according
to District policy, notification must be made to the
Director 60 days prior to the non-renewal that her
Supervisor would not recommend renewal. That was done
on March 2, when Superintendent Victoria Burns recommended
non-renewal. On March 10, Dr. Rich sent back a letter
denying Ms. Manikas's request for a hearing on the
matter. He stated in his letter that such procedures
were strictly administrative and the Superintendent
has the authority under Board Policy to make such
recommendations for non-renewal with no resulting
hearing in front of the School Board.
Ms. Manikas lodged a suit in Superior Court alleging
"Breach of Contract" and that her due process
was denied since no hearing was to be conducted. In
addition, Ms. Manikas had claimed that the Superintendent
had illegitimate reasons for her failure to recommend
a contract renewal, and further stated that there
were no material deficiencies in her performance.
Legal representation for the District and for Superintendent
Burns, who is specifically named in the suit, state
that the Board policy is clear in that Directors are
employees at will and further that the Superintendent
sustains the procedures to evaluate and renew or not
renew a Director's term of employment.
In early June, Ms. Manikas's lawyer, Donald Fontaine,
sent in a motion for an expedited hearing and a jury
trial.
Despite Ms. Manikas's contention that her contract
was not renewed illegitimately and was still an employee,
the SAD did advertise for a new Director throughout
June, and hired James Kilbridge at their Board meeting
on July 13.
Mr. Kilbridge is a graduate of the university of Maine
(Orono) with a masters in Education and also holds
a State of Maine Certification for K-12 Administrator
of Special Education. His experience prior to coming
to Gray-New Gloucester is in Unity as Director of
Pupil Services, Assistant to the Director of Special
Services in Wells-Ogunquit, and was a Special Services
teacher in North Berwick, Eastport, and Owls head.
He ahs also served on the Council or Exceptional Children,
is a member of the Maine Advisory Council on the Education
of Children with Disabilities, and was in the US Army
and the Reserve.
The status of the lawsuit lodged by Ms. Manikas is
undetermined. As of deadline, Superintendent Burns
had not heard if the lawsuit had been retracted or
if it was going to continue forward.
