SCARBOROUGH – Jo Anne Sizemore – formerly the longtime Scarborough Middle School principal and also a Maine Principal of the Year in 2006 – is now assistant superintendent of Scarborough schools.

Sizemore replaces Andrew Dolloff. Dolloff was Scarborough’s assistant superintendent until he left in June to take a position as superintendent of Regional School Unit 21, which serves Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel.

Sizemore was selected from a group of about 15 applicants and was one of five finalists for the position, said Scarborough Superintendent David Doyle. Her experience in Scarborough – she has been with the district for 30 years – was one of the qualities that made her stand out, he said. “Jo Anne is a veteran administrator who gets things done.

When she takes on a project or confronts an issue, you can be sure that it will be resolved,” Doyle said in a written statement. “She has great energy and is quite perceptive.”

Also, he said, “she has years of experience with conflict resolution – (with) students and adults.” Sizemore was principal of the middle school for 19 years.

“It was time to try something else,” she said. “I was looking for more professional opportunities for myself.”

The Board of Education in August approved her appointment as assistant superintendent. Her salary is set at $92,000 per year, Doyle said.

Sizemore earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine’s College of Education and Human Development.

She was a mathematics teacher and also a lead teacher in Scarborough before becoming principal of the Scarborough Middle School in 1990. The Maine Principals’ Association in 2006 named her as Maine’s Middle Level Principal of the Year. Replacing Sizemore as middle school principal is Barbara Hathorn, who formerly was assistant principal. Dave Currier, a physical education teacher, has been named assistant principal of the middle school.