The Kennebunk and Kennebunkport select boards appointed two interim directors to the RSU 21 Board of Directors last month. Wayne Sargent and Diane Franz will replace Lesley Stoeffler and Rachel Kennedy-Smith.

The Kennebunk Select Board unanimously chose Sargent to fill the position left by Stoeffler. Sargent ran against five other candidates.

“That felt good, that we were all in agreement,” Select Board Chair Miriam Whitehouse said.

Whitehouse said the board was impressed by Sargent’s background as an educator and his cool, calm demeanor.

“He said something about not going in with an agenda, and that really resonated with all of us because there has been so much strife on that board,” Whitehouse said. “The last thing we needed was someone going in with an agenda.”

The school board for the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel school district has seen a large turnover in the past year.

Stoeffler, whose seat Sargent will fill, resigned in August, though she did not provide a reason for her resignation. Stoeffler previously held the role of chair on the school board, but stepped down from that position in January.

In November of 2024, former school board member Kirstin Shapiro stepped down following a series of outbursts and policy violations, and in May of 2024, former school board Chair Erin Nadeau resigned following a controversial social media post. 

As Sargent takes on his new role, Whitehouse said his non-combative nature and self confidence will help him perform well.

“He’s not afraid to express his opinions, but once the board makes a decision, he will support the board,” Whitehouse said. “That’s very important.”

In Kennebunkport, a familiar face was appointed to replace the vacancy left by Rachel Kennedy-Smith, who resigned from the school board in July, citing the choice of Martin Grimm as the new superintendent as one of the reasons for her resignation.

On Sept. 11, the Kennebunkport Select Board unanimously chose Franz out of three candidates to serve the remainder of Kennedy-Smith’s term. This will be Franz’s third time serving on the board.

Franz was also appointed by the Select Board to fill a vacancy on the school board in 2023. She then ran for the seat in 2024, but lost the election to Kennedy-Smith.

Later that month, Franz was again selected by the Select Board to fill a vacancy left by former chair Nadeau after she resigned.

Franz did not run for reelection in the June election.

Both Franz and Sargent were chosen by their respective select boards after a candidate night in which each candidate was asked questions provided by school board Chair Matthew Stratford.

“Every candidate has the same questions,” Whitehouse said. “After that, the Select Board deliberates publicly and appoints the person they would like.”

Franz and Sargent will both serve through June 30, 2026. If they would like to keep their seats on the board after that date, they must run for reelection.