WESTBROOK – Vickie Hebert has a familiarity with the students, staff and parents at Canal Elementary School that comes from working there as a teacher for more than 14 years.

Now, with Principal Jeremy Ray moving on to be the district’s director of operations, Hebert has become the interim principal. He appointment was approved less than a month before the start of the 2011-2012 school year.

The school almost went without having its own principal at all. Ray’s departure prompted Westbrook School Committee members at a recent meeting to bring up a series of perennially unanswered questions: Should Canal share principals – and perhaps someday, a building –with Sacarappa Elementary School, and should Congin and Prides Corner schools similarly combine? Officials have made no decision on the matter yet, but committee Chairman Ed Symbol suggested it may happen in the next budget cycle, given recent financial problems the district has been having.

This week, Hebert talked with the American Journal about her new role, new challenges, and the future of Canal school.

Q: Did you have any warning at all that you would be asked to be interim principal, or did it come as a shock?

A: It was a very big shock. It was a call out of the blue.

Q: How did you react?

A: Pretty excited, but I was sad. Jeremy and I have had a very good relationship over the years.

Q: How hard do you think it will be to see Jeremy Ray go?

A: It’s going to be very hard. He made a lot of good things here at Canal. He and I are very student-centered. He’s going to be a loss.

Q: With mere weeks until school starts, this feels like a last-minute change. Will it be a tough adjustment?

A: Yes and no. I think there are going to be some things that are going to be easier. I know the kids, I know the parents, I know the school. Now I’m just going to be seeing them through a different lens.

Q: How about for your students?

A: I think that there’s going to be sadness there with some students and parents. I think they’re very happy for me, but sad to see me leave the classroom.

Q: How long have you been with the school?

A: This is my 15th year in the district. I taught for three years in Farmington before coming to Westbrook, so I’m beginning my 18th year in teaching.

Q: What will be your toughest challenge this year?

A: For me, I’ve always been very much someone who’s about the kids. It’s not about me. I want to make sure we work on their needs. We’re starting a new (literacy) intervention block time here. It’s going to be a targeted needs time for kids to work on targeted needs, both reading and writing.

Q: What are your thoughts about the question of whether to have one principal sharing two schools in Westbrook?

A: It’s a great idea. It’s a great way to save money, but it’s a bigger issue than that. A lot of the kids who come to Canal have very special needs. When they don’t have someone here that they can make that connection with, I feel like we’re doing a disservice to our clientele, and I don’t think that’s right.