BATH — Regional School Unit 1 Superintendent Patrick Manuel learned during his tenure leading Phippsburg Elementary School a decade ago that residents of the Midcoast region maintain a special connection to their schools.

Being a parent of two children who now attend public schools provides Manuel with added insights on that relationship.

When former RSU 1 superintendent William Shuttleworth announced in December 2010 that he would leave the district, Manuel said last week, “It was the only superintendency I was interested in. Really what got me interested was my past experience in Phippsburg — the area in general, the communities, and the families are very supportive and very nice. And some of (the district) is 10 minutes from home.”

Manuel, who resides in Topsham, was hired in April to become the second superintendent of RSU 1, which provides public education for Bath, Arrowsic, Phippsburg, West Bath and Woolwich.

Since taking the RSU 1 helm in July, Manuel has enjoyed reconnecting with the community — and some of the same students — he knew years ago.

Born in New Jersey, Manuel moved to Skowhegan when he was about 9 years old. He grew up there.

He taught in central Maine until 1996, when he took over as assistant principal and athletic director at Wiscasset High School. At that time, his family moved to Topsham.

“I really enjoyed the high school piece, but I remember one night watching a basketball game and, at 9:30 at night, watching the parents to make sure they behaved,” Manuel said of his decision to switch to elementary administration.

He studied early childhood education and literacy, and in 2000 became principal of Phippsburg Elementary School. Four years later he accepted a job as assistant superintendent for the school district that, under the state’s consolidation law, became RSU 21, serving Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. He later served a year as interim superintendent, but returned voluntarily to the assistant position in part to spend more time with his two children, Anna, now 12, and 9-year-old Caleb.

Seven years of daily 50- mile commutes from Topsham to the York County school district proved wearing, Manuel said, so he enthusiastically applied for the RSU 1 position when it opened.

Since taking the top position at RSU 1, Manuel has made it a priority to spend as much time as he can in the schools — to learn about “the climate and the culture.” He tries to visit each school in the district at least once a week.

His assistant, Veda Ferris, knows to only interrupt that time if an emergency arises.

Manuel said he’s encountered Morse High students this year who he first met almost 10 years ago as they embarked on their public education experience at Phippsburg Elementary School. Rekindling those relationships and seeing their progression from kindergartners to accomplished high school students has been “rewarding,” he said.

He also enjoys interacting again with older students, “talking about what they did over the weekend,” which he missed when working in the elementary school.

Manuel acknowledged that the learning curve for his first full-time superintendency has been steep, but RSU 1’s “strong staff” of “very committed people” has helped ease the transition.

“The administrative team is really focused on student instruction, and doing what’s best for student learning,” he said.

As RSU 1 — and most other school districts in the state — encounters dramatic budget cuts this year and next, Manuel said he’s working to establish “a level of trust and respect” with staff and the community.

Last year’s budget, he said, brought RSU 1 to “the tipping point,” at which any further cuts will certainly affect student learning.

“It’s a balancing act for us, starting in January, to be up front and honest about, ‘Here are areas we can reduce, but here’s how it’s going to impact education,’" he said.

“Nobody’s looking forward to it,” he said of deliberations over a 2012-13 budget that will likely demand difficult decisions about what stays and what goes at a time when demand outstrips revenues. “It’s a serious situation we’re in. Everything is open for discussion and on the table, and I’m sure it will cause some heated debate.”

Already, Manuel said he sees the effect of recent cuts on students — most notably in the academic or behavioral interventions the schools can provide them.

“If we only have so many staff who can help with literacy or math, or to help create positive behavior … those are areas in which we have concerns,” he said.

He also worries about a lack of funding for professional development.

Beyond navigating a difficult budget and interacting with students and staff, Manuel listed among his goals developing a more consistent staff evaluation process among the schools, developing curriculum and technology integration.

He’s also working to continue to bring the district’s seven schools into a more cohesive unit.

“We’re all in it for the same purpose,” he said.

bbrogan@timesrecord.com

THE ANNUAL NEWSMAKERS SERIES profiles local individuals whose circumstances reflect major stories of the year. In July, former Phippsburg Elementary School principal Patrick Manuel became superintendent of Regional School Unit 1, which provides public education to students in Bath, Arrowsic, Phippsburg, West Bath and Woolwich. 

Manuel, of Topsham, has enjoyed being back in the Mid-coast region and reconnecting with communities he described as “very supportive and very nice.” 

Those qualities will prove critical as Manuel, like all superintendents in the state, faces severe budget cuts that he said will undoubtedly affect student learning.