Futures program inspires students

Thinking about college and beyond

Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

MILO — With the current academic year nearing an end at the conclusion of June, the budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year is being readied to go out to the public. “This time of year I am really consumed with budgets,” SAD 41 Superintendent Michael Wright said during a June 3 school boarding meeting, adding that he also in the midst of developing spending plans for AOS 43 and SAD 31.

Those in attendance at the meeting were given copies of the budget schedule for the ensuing few weeks. When asked about the SAD 41 plan, Wright said, “The board would approve it, in theory, on Monday night and then it goes out to the district meeting.”

The directors were scheduled to have a special meeting to consider the 2015-16 budget on Monday, June 8, with the spending plan then being moved to the annual district meeting on Tuesday, June 16 at the Penquis Valley School. An informational session starts the evening at 5:30 and then at 6 p.m. is the meeting for residents of the four SAD 41 communities to vote on the various articles making up the budget.

Wright said the third and final step in the district budget process is for the plan approved on June 16 to then go out to a referendum for the towns of Atkinson, Brownville, LaGrange and Milo on Tuesday, June 23. The ballot will ask these citizens to either vote “yes” or “no” on the total budget.

SAD 31 is going through a similar timeframe leading up to is referendum on June 23. The AOS 43 budget will be voted on during this annual meeting on Thursday, June 11 at the Marion C. Cook School in LaGrange, which starts with an informational session at 5:30 p.m.

Wright said he wanted to thank both AOS 43 Assistant Superintendent Stacy Shorey and Business Manager Darlene Ricker for their help in developing the various school budgets. “Their expertise and insight has been really invaluable to me as a superintendent,” he said.

In other business, Wright said several weeks prior a senior at Penobscot Valley High School in Howland drowned during a fishing trip and the principal asked Wright if Penquis Valley Social Worker Amber Gahagan could be available for this school’s students. “I want to thank Amber Gahagan for her work on that difficult day,” Wright said, saying this is not the first tragic situation Gahagan has responded to.

During the school board meeting, elementary Band Director Jack Eastman was congratulated several times for the group’s performance during the annual Memorial Day parade in Milo.

“There was a lot of positive comments on that on social media, so thank you Mr. Eastman,” Board Chair Arthur Herbest said.

“I too was going to mention the fourth- and fifth-graders in the Memorial Day parade,” Brownville Elementary Principal Julie Royal said. “They did a super job and it was wonderful to hear.” She added that the procession included some flag twirlers and “the children worked really (hard)and Jack works really hard, so it was nice to see that.”

Milo Elementary Principal Nathan Dyer also said he wanted to congratulate Eastman and the elementary band for their performance. He said like Royal, leading up to Memorial Day he enjoyed hearing the band practice and seeing the musicians going through their marching routine outside.