BRUNSWICK

Peter Dawson, one of three finalists during Brunswick’s recent search for a permanent high school principal, unanimously was confirmed by the town’s school board Wednesday to serve as the interim administrator for the remainder of the 2013-14 school year.

Dawson lives in Scarborough and formerly served as principal at Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth and Kennebunk high schools. Additionally, he served as administrator of secondary education at international schools in Prague, Bonn and Tel Aviv.

He was the second of three finalists recently considered for the top spot at Brunswick High School, along with Lisbon High School’s Ken Healy and Shanna Crofton, a 2001 Bowdoin College graduate and current director of secondary education at the Oberoi International School in Mumbai, India.

Crofton is not contracted to start in Brunswick until July 2014, and acting principal Donna Borowick is scheduled to retire at the end of December. Enter Dawson.

He officially will start Jan. 1, but will spend several overlapping days in December with Borowick, to become more familiar with faces, names and policies.

Reached by phone after the meeting Wednesday, Dawson explained the challenges of doing a large job in a short period of time.

“This certainly is a compacted time frame, and I’ll need to get a handle on that right away,” Dawson said Wednesday. “I’ll go to as many events and meet as many people as possible. It’s not easy, by any means, but I’m certainly looking forward to building relationships with students, faculty members, parents and the community.”

Among the issues Dawson will have to face is the start of the school’s regular reaccreditation process, required by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Although it’s not the administrator’s job to manage the process, he will have to play a support role to the faculty, staff and public members who do.

Dawson’s salary and benefits are being calculated now, said Superintendent of Schools Paul Perzanoski. The top pay scale for the position is $108,000; Dawson will earn roughly half that amount, or $54,000, because his interim post will be exactly half the school year.

Board members interviewed Dawson during an executive session Wednesday, prior to their regular public meeting, then voted 8- 0 to approve his temporary hire.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com