Staff Writer

 When Mike Lafortune graduated from college and began looking for a job, he didn’t have any grand plan to become a superintendent.

In fact, he didn’t intend to go into education at all.

Decades after he stepped into his first classroom as a substitute teacher, Lafortune will retire this week as superintendent of Regional School Unit 23, the district that includes Dayton, Saco, Old Orchard Beach. 

Lafortune was a recent college graduate when his brother, Kenny, convinced him to start substitute teaching in their hometown of Jaffrey, N.H. He enjoyed working with students so much he got his teaching certification and settled in as an elementary school teacher.

“I loved teaching. It was the best job I ever had,” Lafortune said. “It was a special job. For 10 years, I loved every minute of it. I hated vacation because I just loved being with these kids. It wasn’t just a job, it was a passion.”

After 10 years in Jaffrey, Lafortune was ready for a new challenge. After earning a master’s degree in administration from Keene State, he was hired as a teaching principal in South Bristol. That move brought him and his family from the mountains of New Hampshire to a fishing community on the coast of Maine.

“It was a whole new experience for me. I loved the people of South Bristol,” he said. “I worked with wonderful children.”

Lafortune eventually left South Bristol for a full-time principal position in Tentants Harbor, where he stayed for four years before he became principal in Bath schools. In that school district, he worked as a principal, curriculum coordinator, assistant superintendent and superintendent.

Then, six years ago, Lafortune got a call from a former colleague, Dave Wallace, who urged him to move south to become superintendent of the Saco-Dayton school system.

“He said ‘Mike, come down here.’ I said, ‘Why would I do that,’” Lafortune said.

Lafortune said he quickly discovered Saco was a “beautiful community” that supports its school system. He said it was also nice for him and his wife, Ann, to move their three children closer to their extended family in New Hampshire.

During his six-year tenure in Saco, Lafortune served as superintendent first for just Saco and Dayton, then later for RSU 23 when Old Orchard Beach consolidated with Saco and Dayton. He said he recognizes the transition to a regional school unit hasn’t been easy for everyone, but he feels students benefited from the changes made during the past several years.

“We needed to look for ways to consolidate and save money so you can put the money into the kids,” he said. “I think the kids have benefited tremendously from the RSU.”

Lafortune said he will continue to support the RSU and talk about its benefits at public meetings if needed after he officially retires Friday.

While sitting in his office last week, Lafortune, 63, laughed when asked what he’ll do in his retirement. He said he has been fielding that question often and always tells people he’s looking forward to not having a schedule. He said he wants to spend more time with his grandsons and eventually head to a warmer climate.

“It’s time to let someone else take over the reins,” he said. “I think you just know when it’s time.”

Though he is looking forward to enjoying more free time, Lafortune said he will miss the “people part of the job.”

“I’ll miss working for kids and parents and trying to create as many opportunities as I can,” he said. “I’ll just miss the people. I worked with a lot of good, dedicated people every day.”

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.