Classes have begun across SAD 41
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
MILO — Students had been back in school, in some new and some familiar places, for nearly a week when the SAD 41 school board met for their monthly meeting on Sept. 4 at the Penquis Valley School. The directors were provided with updates on the first days of classes from across the district’s various programs in place for 2013-14.
“On Aug. 26 we were able to have an open house for the Academy Program,” Director of Student Services Samantha Hubbell said about the new behavioral program located at the Marion C. Cook School in LaGrange. She said that families of all the students enrolled attended the open house to see where their children attend classes, meet the teacher and staff and learn more about the program.
Hubbell also reported that several members of the community dropped off supplies for students, such as notebooks, pens, pencils, book socks and more. She said these items were given to special education staff to use or to give to students who may need the supplies.
“I learned tonight the Outing Club has received a great donation from TradeWinds,” Brownville Elementary Principal Lynn Weston said. Weston said the grant will meet the club’s food needs, and she thanked TradeWinds for its generosity.
Weston said with sixth-graders now attending Penquis Valley, a drop in enrollment was anticipated at Brownville Elementary. She said with just grades K-5 the student count is still over 100 at 105. She also said the new buzz-in system for getting into the building has been well received by parents, who feel the school is more secure than before.
“This week we picked up three students,” Milo Elementary Principal Julie Royal said, with two in kindergarten and the other in grade 5. “We are up to 29 now in pre-K,” she added, saying the total enrollment is now approximately 280.
Superintendent Michael Wright gave each board member a copy of the 2012 fiscal year audit. He said the finance committee is scheduled to meet with auditor James W. Wadman on Sept. 10 to discuss the audit contents.
“The first day we had a really good session with the staff on coaching,” Wright said, mentioning a workshop generated a great deal of discussion on the topic and how teachers can assist each other.
“We will be starting our supervision and evaluation group again,” he said, with the goal being to bring the plan for the ensuing academic year to teachers and the school board by January. “I think it’s always going to be a work in progress,” Wright said, with the supervision and evaluation plan covering topics such as coaching, peer evaluations, teachers having their own portfolios and more.
Wright presented the directors with a letter from Milo representative Terrie Zelkan, who wrote due to circumstances beyond her control she would be resigning immediately.
“I assume the Milo selectmen will be appointing someone,” Wright said. Zelkan, who held one of Milo’s five seats on the SAD 41 school board, was serving a term through 2014.
Wright said one of the more difficult aspects of his job is superintendents’ agreements, in which students are able to attend school in another district or vice-versa. “What I really don’t like about it is it’s such a subjective thing,” he said. “It’s a tough thing and every single one is different.”
The criteria for superintendents’ agreements are what is deemed to be the student’s best interest, and Wright said this can be interpreted in different ways. He also said a superintendent may turn down a request, but the family can then appeal to the Department of Education (DOE). Wright said this happened recently with several requests, and the DOE rulings mean that SAD 41 has lost a few students.