School budget taking shape soon

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the calendar changing to 2016, RSU officials are well into the initial work on the budget for the 2016-17 academic year. “We are kind of through the first process now, which is getting the budget requests from staff through the administrators,” Superintendent Robert Lucy said during a Jan. 5 school board meeting.

Lucy said requests, such as changes in programs and different uses of classroom space, were scheduled to be discussed at a meeting later in the week. He said the week after he and Financial Manager Teresa Scott would be meeting with administrators individually to go over potential budget requests.

“The administrators will be at that meeting on the 26th with the finance committee,” Lucy said.

An initial draft of the 2016-17 budget could be ready by late February. The school board could have a vote to adopt a preliminary spending plan at its April meeting, with the district budget meeting on May 31 and the ensuing referendum scheduled for June 14.

In other business, RSU 68 officials heard from administrators both working in and affiliated with the district.

SeDoMoCha School Principal Julie Kimball presented on a planned academy program the district has developed with Foxcroft Academy for students who may need assistance to prepare for their freshman year at the secondary school — to avoid a possible grade 8 retention. She said the academy program is being planned for July 18 through Aug. 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We will be having conversations with those families early on, maybe in March,” Kimball said about students who could be served over the summer.

“The expectation is it kind of will be a full day,” she said, adding that the academy program will be limited to no more than 10 students to ensure each pupil’s need is met. She said Foxcroft Academy will be providing transportation with students being housed at the secondary school. “We kind of hope to make that the landing place for them, and to start that connection for those kids as freshmen,” Kimball said.

RSU 68 and Foxcroft Academy will be splitting the $17,000-plus costs. “We will be using transition funds,” Kimball said about the district’s $8,600 contribution.

She said the expectation is academy program participants will attend all 15 sessions. “They can miss no more than the equivalent of three full days,” Kimball said.

“I wish you the best of luck, especially for the kids,” Board Chair Rick Johnston said.

Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey said the school is looking at becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) institution. “This is a great opportunity for all the students at Foxcroft Academy, and what it is is an opportunity to earn this stamp,” Shorey said about the IB designation.

He explained on the Common Application for colleges, the first question posed inquires if the applicant’s school is IB. He said IB is a step up from Advanced Placement, which has students studying to take a subject test to earn a score for college credit.

“With IB it’s the total opposite, what it is this student has the stamp of approval,” Shorey said, saying the process to earn the distinction typically takes about three years with only several schools in Maine currently having IB designation.

“There’s a lot to it and a big part of it is staff development,” Shorey said. He said another component is community involvement, and Foxcroft Academy will be working with the school board and other facets of the community along the way.

The school board, which later extended its participation in the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative (PVAEC) for one more year through June 30, 2018, also heard from PVAEC Director Thelma Regan.

Regan said she has been on the job for 11 years and it is her passion. “It still feels fresh and new and why is that … I’m working with people,” she said. “As education comes I see them lift their head up and lift their body up as they realize what they are capable of.”

“Our main thing is academics,” Regan said, with students taking high school, college and career courses as well as participating in enrichment programs. “I think adult education is an important cog in economic development,” Regan said.

“We have a very good working relationship, adult ed has really grown in the area in the last few years,” Johnston said.

Johnston told the board that he recently met with directors from SAD 4 in the Guilford area. He said a request was made to explore potential “cooperative ventures” with everything on the table, but “I’m not sure at this point what the advantages might be for us.”

Asking for direction on how to proceed from his fellow board members, the idea of having the two groups get together was mentioned and Johnston said he would invite SAD 4 Chair Cindy Hoak.

“We have always left it open that we’re always open,” board member Mary Downs said about any potential collaboration between RSU 68 and other school districts.