School has started in RSU 68
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
SEBEC — School had been in session for four days when RSU 68 officials held their September board meeting on Sept. 3 at the Harland Ladd Municipal Building — the first of three months in which they travel for annual sessions in the district’s three other member communities outside of Dover-Foxcroft.
SeDoMoCha School Principal Julie Kimball reported that the elementary school (pre-kindergarten through grade 4) has an enrollment of 400 students while the figure for grades 5-8 on the middle school side of campus is 268. When asked about classroom size, she said the elementary teacher to pupil ratio is fine for this year but may have to be looked at for several grades as plans are made for 2014-15.
“We had a great start to our year, both (Assistant Principal Matthew Lokken) and I met with the middle school the first day of school,” Kimball said. She said grades 5-8 is made up of a great group of students, who have really responded to behavioral guidelines implemented the last few years.
At the conclusion of classes last spring, Kimball said the school “sent a dress code reminder home” with report cards. She and Lokken said so far nearly all students have been in compliance with the dress code, such as not wearing articles of clothing with holes.
“We opened with 470 students which is one of the largest (enrollments), certainly in my tenure,” Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey reported to the board.
In other business, the RSU 68 directors heard from Technology Coordinator David Bridges on a camera system that has been a topic of discussion for several years. Bridges said using available funding, wiring was placed throughout the SeDoMoCha building “to set up for as many cameras as possible.”
Bridges said cameras will be placed at different locations to determine where advantageous positions are, comparing the process to test driving a car. He said the intention is to increase surveillance efficiency, and hopefully save money where possible.
“Essentially now we do have strobes that flash blue in the event of a lockdown,” Bridges said, as previously some portions of the school had some trouble with hearing such announcements over the intercom.
Superintendent Alan Smith said he did some research and RSU 68 is responsible for paying into a retirement account for Foxcroft Academy teachers. “I don’t have a figure, I wish I did,” he said. “Once I know I will bring that figure back to you,” likely first with the budget committee and then to the larger school board.
The amount RSU 68 would pay for teachers’ retirement at the private school where it contractually sends its students for high school would be based on a pupil count. Smith said Foxcroft Academy officials have indicated they are willing to work with RSU 68 on teacher retirement costs.
School board chair Rick Johnston said that Dover-Foxcroft board member Sue Mackey Andrews will be resigning as of November, at which time community residents are scheduled to vote on her successor. In her resignation letter Mackey Andrews, who had been on the school board for over four years, said she sustained an accident at home and was unsure how her recovery would affect her availability to serve on the school board.
“The election is Nov. 5, so that’s when a new board member would be elected,” Smith said.