New principal being sought for Milo Elementary

Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

MILO — Last month, the RSU 68 board of directors voted to hire Milo Elementary School Principal Nathan Dyer as the assistant principal for the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft for the 2015-16 academic year. In the first meeting since the session for the neighboring school district officials,  the SAD 41 school board on July 1 formally accepted the resignation of Dyer who had been in the position in Milo for one year.

“As of yesterday morning we have four applications,” Assistant Superintendent Stacy Shorey said about the Milo Elementary principal vacancy. Shorey said the position is being advertised and the hope is to have a candidate to bring forward to the school board at the next meeting on Aug. 5.

Another administrative vacancy for SAD 41 is the special services director following the previously accepted resignation of Samantha Hubbell. Shorey said AOS 43 directors are expected to consider Marlene Daley to fill  the position on a temporary basis at their next meeting.

Shorey said Daley is a past director of special education in the Jonesport-Beals school system in Washington County. “She is retired so she can work 90 days,” Shorey said. “She will be be coming in a few days this summer.”

In other business, Shorey said Superintendent Michael Wright had surgery on his shoulder recently. “He really wanted people to be aware of the capital improvement committee meeting on the fifth,” she said, with this group of the school board gathering at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5 in the conference room at Penquis Valley before the regular board meeting at 7 p.m.

“We will look around the basement of our middle school,” Board Chair Arthur Herbest said, as work on this part campus is scheduled to be done by the end of the month prior to the August meeting.

On June 23 residents of Atkinson, Brownville, LaGrange and Milo passed the $8,247,100 2015-16 school budget by a 77-47 vote. The totals break down to six “yes” and seven “no” votes in Atkinson; passing 13-8 in Brownville; approved 13-1 in LaGrange; and OKed by a margin of 45-31 in Milo.

The school board formally signed the budget validation referendum voting results to enact the spending plan.

Board member Chad Perkins said he and his fellow directors will hear residents express concern over the school budget and its impact on their taxes, but pointed out that despite these comments the referendum had a low turnout. In Perkins’ town of Brownville, with a population of over 1,000,  only 21 citizens took part.

Milo board member Sheila Ellis said her initial impression was the 77-47 split was just for Milo, not 124 votes across all four SAD 41 communities.