Bangor Official Crosses to Rival Brewer to Run Its Schools July 1

Dan Chadbourne, a longtime administrator in the Bangor School Department, is set to take over as superintendent of Brewer's schools on July 1, stepping into a post that Gregg Palmer is vacating after nearly seven years, the Bangor Daily News reported. Palmer's retirement takes effect June 30.

Chadbourne has effectively been doing the job since January 2026, splitting his time with his existing role as Bangor's director of pupil services. Palmer called the six-month overlap a deliberate choice, saying, "Our school committee wanted somebody whose reputation they knew." He landed the Brewer job after interviewing in the fall of 2025 and being formally hired early in 2026.

Since joining the Bangor district in 2009 as a special education teacher, Chadbourne has also served as a vice principal, principal and athletic director. He told the newspaper that crossing over to a rival district will not change how he leads, saying his priority is tailoring support to what each student needs and pulling in colleagues' perspectives when problems come up.

This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.