The search for a new athletic and activities director at Oxbow High has concluded, and Jason Smith, who teaches social studies at Holbrook Middle School in Holden, Maine, has been selected for the role.
Smith, who has worked at Holbrook Middle School since 2023, is a graduate of the University of Maine and has experience coaching basketball and soccer.
“Jason stood out among 32 applicants for his strong background in both the classroom and on the field,” said Heather Lawler, Orange East Supervisory Union’s Superintendent of Schools, in a newsletter released on Tuesday that announced the hire.
Currently, the position at the high school is being filled by Shawn French on an interim basis.
French, who teaches physical education at the school and coaches golf and baseball, began his role in December, which Lawler described at an OESU Board Meeting at the time as an “emergency fill-in” due to the approaching basketball season and the vacant position.
The role was vacated when athletic and activities director Bill Hopkins resigned earlier that month for health reasons. Hopkins, whose hiring was announced in August, replaced Heidi Wright, who previously held the position.
A committee consisting of parents, students, coaches, and administrators, “representing a wide range of community perspectives,” was part of the search, according to the aforementioned newsletter.
After the field of 32 candidates was whittled down to two, the finalists spent a day at the school and spoke with community members.
“After reviewing all the feedback, the committee chose Jason Smith as the best candidate because of his strong background in both sports and education,” the newsletter reads.
It adds: “The committee was particularly impressed by his focus on academic responsibility as the foundation of a successful athletic program.”
Smith will start in the role on July 1; French will remain in his interim position until then.
