RSU 68 board approves budget

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

   DOVER-FOXCROFT — The RSU 68 Board of Directors gave their approval to a $10,121,701 budget for the 2015-16 academic year during a May 5 meeting at the SeDoMoCha School. This figure represents a near $150,000 increase (about 1.5 percent) from the current year’s budget of over $9.9 million.

   Along with approving the preliminary 2016 budget, the school board also OKed 11 related articles that break down the $10.1 million such as over $5.8 million for regular education, about $1,245,500 for special education and lesser amounts for transportation, facilities and other items.
   The various components of the budget will be voted on by members of the public at the district budget meeting, which will start at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26 at SeDoMoCha. The spending plan approved on May 26 will then be moved to a district-wide referendum on Tuesday, June 9 for approval, with this voting conducted at the polls in Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec.
   The school board normally meets on the first Tuesday of each month, but in June the session will be on Tuesday, June 16 instead. Superintendent Bob Lucy said the directors would have had to meet after the referendum to approve the voting numbers and set the assessments, and the school board opted to have one meeting instead of two in June.
   The June 16 school board meeting will be held the evening before the last day of classes on Wednesday, June 17. “We had three weather-related cancellation days,” Lucy said about the final day for students being pushed back to June 17. This day will be an early dismissal at 11:30 a.m.
   In other business, SeDoMoCha Principal Julie Kimball said the May 5 meeting fell during Teacher Appreciation Week, and she said she wanted to thank not only the teachers but the entire staff as well for all they do. Lucy said he wanted to echo Kimball’s sentiments. “We provided them with some pastries this morning and the SeDoMoCha School Organization has been providing some things on a daily basis,” he added about treats being given to faculty and staff.
   Special Services Director Sue Watson said, “Staff and students have raised nearly $2,000 for the Autism Society of Maine,” through several events in April. Once again the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands took part in the Walk for Autism on the last weekend of Autism Awareness Month.
   Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey reported that Mia Morrison, who currently is the secondary school’s technology integration specialist, has been named Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year and now is one of 16 finalists for the state’s top educator honor. Shorey said Morrison was in Washington, D.C. but he planned to attend a ceremony on Morrison’s behalf in Augusta on May 7.
   “I think that represents our whole community,” Shorey said, mentioning the 2014 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year is SeDoMoCha Middle School grade 8 social studies teacher Dyan McCarthy-Clark.
   Shorey said Foxcroft Academy’s Class of 2015 Valedictorian and Salutatorian are Fern Morrison and Julia Annis. “They both came from SeDoMoCha,” he said about the where the top two students attended middle school. The Valedictorian is the daughter of the Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year.