The Old Rochester Regional School District will open the 2018-19 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 28, with 18 new teachers and administrators, including a new high school assistant principal, according to ORR Schools Superintendent Douglas White.

White said Jim Barrasso, a former administrator at Sturgis Charter School in Hyannis, was hired to replace Michael Parker, who left to become principal at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School in Rochester.

Barrasso worked at Sturgis for 14 years as lead history teacher and served as the director of athletics for five years there before becoming an administrator at the charter school. Prior to that, Barrasso taught history at Carver High School, where he was also the varsity ice hockey coach for one year.

White said the new teacher hires are largely because of retirements and resignations, including Old Rochester Regional Drama Director Paul Sardinha, who resigned from his position at the end of the last school year after 26 years with the district. In addition to directing all of the high school's 61 plays for more than a quarter century, Sardinha worked as a paraprofessional school. White declined to say the reason for Sardinha's resignation. But the beloved drama club director said it was his decision to move on.

"I've been here 26 years. Don't you think that's long enough? It's time for me to move on to other things," Sardinha, 57, said.

Freshman orientation for incoming high school students is on Friday, Aug. 24.

There will be open houses at each of the district's six schools. White suggested that schools websites be checked for details on dates and times. There will be be an  open house at Sippican School in Marion will be on Monday, Aug. 27, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the 16 Spring St. school.

The school district will not hold school on Friday, Aug. 31 or on Labor Day, Monday,  Sept. 3.Classes will resume on Sept. 4.