CAPE ELIZABETH — The School Board on Tuesday named recently hired Assistant Principal Douglas Perley the interim principal at Cape Elizabeth Middle School.

Perley on Nov. 26 will replace Principal Steven Connolly, who resigned to take the superintendent of schools position in Regional School Unit 60. Connolly’s last day at the middle school will be Tuesday, Nov. 20, the final day before Thanksgiving break.

The interim position, advertised soon after Connolly submitted his resignation, drew 20 applicants. Superintendent Meredith Nadeau said Perley was the strongest candidate. 

The School Department plans to advertise for a permanent principal in January and will likely fill the position in March, Nadeau said.

The assistant principal position, after Perley takes the interim principal job, could remain unfilled until a new permanent principal is found, although no decision was made by the board. Faculty will meet with Nadeau on Nov. 26 to decide how to proceed with the open position.

Perley was hired in the summer, along with two other administrators: Pond Cove Elementary School Principal Kelly Hasson and School Department Technology Director Erik Kramer.

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Perley previously was assistant principal for three years at the kindergarten through eighth-grade Paul School in Wakefield, N.H. He was also principal at Easter Seals/Harbor Schools special education high school in Amesbury, Mass.,  and was assistant principal and athletic director at the Middle School of the Kennebunks for about eight years.

He replaced former Assistant Principal John Casey, who worked in the position for more than a decade.

Perley has also worked as a social worker, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bates College, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern Maine.

Staff contracts

In other business, the board approved a contract with the Cape Elizabeth Education Association bus drivers, custodians, food service and maintenance employees.

The new contract combines the bus drivers, custodians and maintenance staff with the food service employees. The board and the employees had been in discussions for months working out the details.

“It was a lengthy, but fruitful discussion to merge the two units,” board member Michael Moore said.

The original contract for both groups expired June 30. The salary for the first year will see a 2-percent increase, while the two following years’ salaries will increase in accordance with the Consumer Price Index and is not to exceed 3 percent and not drop below 0.5 percent.

The union approved the contract earlier this month.

Will Graff can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or wgraff@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @W_C_Graff.


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