Wealthy Maine town embroiled in education drama

A string of crises facing Kennebunk schools reached a new nadir with embezzlement charges against a newly appointed drama teacher.

Holly Fougere was arrested Thursday – just four days after being hired.

The school board had appointed Fougere to succeed Dennis St. Pierre, former Kennebunk High School theater director.

But just four days after she got the job cops grabbed Fougere – in Conway, New Hampshire – allegedly for stealing money from a Conway high school arts department.

The drama following Fougere’s hiring is just the latest challenge plaguing schools in pricey Kennebunk, an oceanfront town that ranks in the top 10 percent per capita income in Maine – and is located in the third-wealthiest of the state’s 16 counties.

The drama in the local schools has not been limited to the theater department.

First, there have been governance issues. Kirstin Shapiro, a member of the school board, recently resigned as teacher-contract negotiator, saying her family’s welfare was in danger.

During a school-board meeting last fall, she accused parents – frustrated over lack of a teacher contract – of harassing her family.

Just weeks ago, voters in the Kennebunk-schools district town of Arundel voted to take her out of office in a recall election that effectively ratified her board resignation weeks earlier.

Then there has been broad unrest among staff. An estimated 30 teachers and 10 staffers resigned from the district in the past year over frustrations with the alleged lack of administrative leadership.

The resignations included a principal, assistant principal – and even some board members.

An assistant principal quit after being accused of sexual harassment.

Together with these troubles have come concerns about leadership. Amid the tumult, the school board two weeks ago gave Superintendent Terri Cooper a controversial $9,000 bonus, angering some parents who questioned her leadership.

Cooper has been accused of failing to support teachers, over-emphasizing public relations and creating a culture in which employees said they felt uncomfortable expressing their concerns, according to complaints in local media.

After months without a contract, teachers had thought the school district was on the rebound in December when they ratified a new pact.

No sooner did the celebration begin than Cooper’s raise triggered a political firestorm.

Then Fougere was arrested.

Conway police Chief Chris Mattei said Fougere was nabbed “following a lengthy investigation into allegations of forgery and theft by misapplication of property.”

The investigation revealed that Fougere diverted checks made payable to programs associated with Kennett High School into a personal bank account, Mattei said. “It appears as though these funds, intended to support the Kennett High School Performing Arts and Dance programs, were misappropriated for personal use,” he charged.