Work continues on 2017-18 RSU 68 budget

DOVER-FOXCROFT — After several meetings of the finance committee, RSU 68 officials continue their work creating a 2017-18 budget to bring forward to residents of Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec in the late May.
“The finance committee met on the 28th and looked at the draft budget,” Superintendent Stacy Shorey said during a March 7 school board meeting. “Right now it appears we will have an increase in our revenue budget and that is based on an increase in our students.”
“We will have our next meeting on March 28th,” Shorey said.
The superintendent said the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative (PVAEC) directors met the week before. “There was no increase to the local contributions and overall the budget was about $5,000 less than last year,” she said.
The current RSU 68 budget includes $59,000-plus assessed to the four RSU 68 communities for the district’s share of the PVAEC costs.
“It’s still budget season, the finance committee has been doing a good job,” Board Chair Rick Johnston said. “I think the budget is very good at this point.”
Johnston encouraged those in attendance and others to put pressure on their legislators in urging the representatives to oppose school subsidy reductions in Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget.
In other business, Shorey gave an update on applications the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has released for vocational schools and rumors of such an institution between AOS 94 in the Dexter-area and the Guilford-based SAD 4.
While officials in these two neighboring districts, which like RSU 68 are part of the Tri-County Technical Center in Dexter, have discussed the concept of a combined comprehensive high school with both vocational and academic components, Shorey said “it’s not official that they are doing anything.” She said these respective school boards may take votes to pursue the process in the future.
“What I really want to know is what’s that mean for us?,” Shorey said. “We have to offer vocational services to our students and we have to send them to our regional vocational center,” but where this institution may be in the future with a new school is unclear at the present time.
Shorey said she will keep the directors informed moving forward. When asked, Shorey said the application process through the DOE would follow an approximate five-year timeline from start to the opening of the building.
In her report to the school board SeDoMoCha School Principal Julie Kimball said “We had approximately 350 people in attendance for families,” at the ending celebration for the eighth annual One Book One School finale shortly before the February vacation.
“As always there’s a lot of hard work that goes into that evening,” she said in thanking all the volunteers.
Kimball said on Thursday, April 27 from 6-7 p.m. the school will host a virtual field trip for families in connection with this year’s One Book One School selection, the junior novelization of “Finding Dory.” The principal said program organizer and grade 3 teacher Jessica Dunton “has connected with Australia so we will be going to the Great Barrier Reef.”
The virtual tour will feature a scuba diver exploring the Pacific Ocean location in real time for the audience back at the SeDoMoCha School. “It’s a natural follow-up to our Dory experience,” Kimball said.
With spring approaching, the middle school sports coach appointments were made by the school board. Jonathan Seavey will be leading the Eagle baseball team and Seth Sands will be the softball coach. Danica Wilson was OKed as the track coach with Mary Kate Povak serving as the assistant coach.
Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Nathan Dyer said a softball B team coach is still being sought. He said the participation numbers warrant a second squad for the sport.