Falmouth’s new Superintendent Steve Nolan began in July and is ready for students to return to the classrooms. (Sophie Burchell/Staff Writer)

This week is the start of school not just for Falmouth students, but for Falmouth’s new superintendent.

Steve Nolan began in July as leader of Falmouth’s school system. With staff returning earlier this week and students walking through the doors starting Wednesday and Thursday, he looks forward to getting to know the Falmouth community as superintendent. The values of the Falmouth Public School system drew him to the position, he said.

“I was just really excited about a chance to do this work in a community that values education and has so much in common with my experience and interests,” said Nolan, who is experienced in service learning and understanding by design models of education.

“Just the more I learned about the district, the more I felt like we had many things in common, and that it was a place where I felt I could come and contribute in a way that would be helpful,” he said.

Nolan was hired at the end of an extensive search to replace Gretchen McNulty. McNulty was named the permanent leader of Falmouth schools after serving as the interim superintendent for a year following the departure of Superintendent Geoff Bruno.

“We are confident that Steve Nolan’s leadership will help Falmouth Public Schools continue to thrive,” said Analiese Larson, school board chair at the time of Nolan’s hiring, in the announcement of the decision. “His vision, collaborative approach, and commitment to academic excellence will ensure every student is set up for success.”

Prior to coming to Falmouth, Nolan served as the superintendent of RSU 40, which serves Waldoboro and surrounding Midcoast towns, for 10 years. For another previous decade, Nolan was the principal of Lincoln Middle School in Portland, and was a math teacher at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham and other schools beforehand.

Throughout his leadership in education Nolan said his experience as a teacher informs and motivates his work.

“The reason I do this work is because I believe in optimizing learning so every student has the best chance to succeed. That comes from my experience as a classroom teacher working with so many students over the years,” he said.

The more literal lessons of being a math teacher also help with the role of a superintendent, he said.

“Like it or not, almost everything we do at some point comes back to the budget and how things are funded. So I think it’s really important to have a good understanding of numbers and how budgets work,” said Nolan.

As the school year begins, Nolan said he looks forward to better understanding how he can best support everyone in Falmouth Public Schools.

“So for me, it starts with getting to know people, getting to know the staff, the community,” he said.

“I’m really encouraged by what I’m seeing, and I’m sure there will also be opportunities to help improve. That’s what I’m really looking for, those opportunities, so I can contribute to helping our school system best serve our community.”