INTERVALE — Former Wakefield School District Superintendent and retired Jackson Grammar School Principal Anne Kebler has been charged with committing theft from Wakefield’s SAU. She maintains her innocence.
Kebler, 69, of Intervale retired from Jackson Grammar School as principal in 2008 after 11 years of service. She received a standing ovation at the school district meeting that year when her retirement was announced.
A Class B felony charge of theft by deception was bound over from Ossipee Circuit Court to Carroll County Superior Court on Oct. 15. Carroll County Sheriff Sgt. Stephen Rowe filed a charge against Kebler on Sept. 25 that alleges that on Oct. 24, 2024, Kebler was responsible for theft involving between $1,001-$1,500 at the North Conway Walmart.
“With the purpose to deprive the Wakefield School Administrative Unit, the defendant did purposely obtain monies in excess of $1,000 in that she knowingly submitted credit-card expenses for repayment, these expenses not required for the performance of her duties with the Wakefield School Administrative Unit,” Rowe said.
No court dates are scheduled.
Richard Guerriero of Lothstein Guerriero of Keene is Kebler’s attorney. “Anne Kebler is innocent,” said Guerriero. “We will address this matter in court, not through statements in the media.”
On Jan. 13, the Wakefield School Board issued a letter saying Kebler would no longer work for the district. It said in part: “We are writing to inform you of a recent development regarding the leadership of our district. Our current superintendent, Anne Kebler, will no longer be employed by the district effective Jan. 8, 2025. We wish Anne well in her future endeavors.”
The letter continue, “We have a comprehensive plan in place to ensure a seamless transition in leadership. Our immediate priority is to maintain the continuity of educational programs, and to support and empower our administrators, staff, and teachers.”
Kebler served since 2022. Donna Magoon is now superintendent.
According to Magoon, Kebler was first hired as a special education coordinator in 2013. Kebler became interim superintendent in January of 2022 and full time superintendent in July of that year. Kebler was part-time superintendent on Aug. 1, 2024. She retired July 1 of 2025. Kebler was put on administrative leave on Jan. 8, 2025 and was terminated on Oct. 31.
This was not Kebler’s first brush with the courts. In 1998, when she was Jackson Grammar School’s principal, Kebler pleaded guilty to drunken driving after she was arrested by state police on Valentine’s Day with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. Kebler was driving on Route 16 in Bartlett at about 10 p.m. on Feb. 14 with a blood alcohol level of .23, court documents said. The legal level of impairment for an adult is .08.
She was fined $500 and her license was suspended for one year.
Calling herself a “respected educator in this valley,” Kebler said after the arrest. “I went through a stressful situation and, as a result, I made a poor choice, and I have to pay the consequences of my mistake. I have had tremendous support from my family and my colleagues, and it has not impacted my job performance.”
Kebler’s family includes daughter Kristen Miller, who is president of Southern Maine Community College.
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