SAD 41 postponing school construction plan indefinitely

 Directors still working on 2017 budget

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

MILO — For much of 2016, the SAD 41 school board, district faculty and staff and others have been working on a construction project based on the concept of a 25-year plan to address the facility needs in the district with pre-kindergarten through grade 12 all being housed at the Penquis Valley School campus in Milo.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

SALUTE TO RETIRING TEACHERS — The seven retiring SAD 41 teachers were recognized by the school board during a June 1 meeting at the Penquis Valley School in Milo. The teachers were treated to a retirement dinner earlier in the evening and each was given a plaque. From left, with Superintendent Michael Wright in the background, are Chris Hamlin, Geoff Gillett, Christine Martin, Debra Walker, Cindy Davis, Teresa West and Russ Carey.

During a June 1 school board meeting, a motion to delay the school construction project was passed with no timetable set to resume. The first public meeting on the project, which would have included architect Steven Blatt, was scheduled for Wednesday, June 8 and a possible referendum had been considered in September.

School board member Bob Ade of Milo brought up the possibility of delaying the project — first making a motion to place the item on the board’s agenda — citing the construction costs. “These communities and towns can’t afford this plan,” Ade said. “I want the new school but it’s not fiscally responsible.”

Ade suggested more time be given for SAD 41 officials to meet with the selectboards of Atkinson, Brownville, LaGrange and Milo. He said the towns can then develop multiple-year plans to help budget for the school construction project.

“Milo’s going to control what happens in this district,” Ade said, saying this is another reason to delay the project. He explained with Milo’s population being greater than the other three SAD 41 towns combined, these residents would have to pay the construction costs regardless of the outcome of the referendum in their towns.

The board also tabled a decision on the 2016-17 budget. The directors are scheduled to meet on June 8 at 5:30 p.m. (when the public meeting on the construction meeting would have been held) to discuss the spending plan.

The annual district budget meeting is being considered for the early evening of Tuesday, June 21 at Penquis Valley, with the referendum taking place a week later, but the school board did not formally approve these dates during the June 8 session.

“I’m kind of hearing you would like to peruse the information you got tonight,” Superintendent Michael Wright said, with details on new options being brought to the next meeting.

Wright said in recent years $200,000 from the fund balance has been put toward the budget, but this account would total $300,000 — which he said is too low to provide for a sufficient cash flow — in 2017 between $150,000 carried forward and an additional $150,000. He said different possibilities are being considered to make up the $200,000.

One idea proposed is creating multiple-grade classrooms at Brownville Elementary, with a grade K-1 class and another with grades 2-3. The homerooms would have one teacher and an ed tech.

Wright said some positions could not be re-staffed following retirements and resignations, with these duties moved around. He said the Academy Program could be moved from the Marion C. Cook School in LaGrange to a portable at Milo Elementary for the elementary and middle school levels to be in the same location.

In other business, the nomination of Kristina Dumond as Milo Elementary principal was approved. Dumond is currently the teaching principal at Bradford Elementary, and she will succeed Julie Royal who will become the AOS 43 reading recovery leader.