Work starts on 2021 RSU 68 budget
DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the current academic year nearing the halfway point, RSU 68 district officials have started work on developing the budget for 2020-21.
During a Dec. 10 school board meeting at the SeDoMoCha School, Superintendent Stacy Shorey said the directors have been given budget preparation calendars.
“We will be meeting on the 21st, the administrative team, and we will be meeting on the 28th of January, the finance committee,” Shorey said.
Last spring a $11,784,238 RSU 68 budget for the 2019-20 academic year was approved at the polls by residents of Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec. The amount was up by nearly $225,000 from 2019. The four RSU 68 communities had a combined local assessment of $4,704,087 for 2019-20, approximately $69,500 more than the year before.
In other business, Shorey said RSU 68/Foxcroft Academy School Resource Officer “Officer Pete” Dennis has submitted his resignation effective at the end of the month.
“Officer Pete has been great here, he’s been great with the kids in just a short amount of time,” Shorey said with the resource officer position starting during the previous school year. She said Dover-Foxcroft Police Chief Ryan Reardon has advertised for a successor.
“I know all the staff enjoyed having him around and he was a great fit,” SeDoMoCha Principal Adam Gudroe said.
Middle school winter sports coaches were appointed by the school board: Max Andrews, boys A basketball; Diane Andrews, girls A basketball; Tom Sands, boys B basketball; Karen Snow, girls B basketball; Luis Ayala, wrestling; and Aliza Gerrish, cheering.
“The winter sports season is underway, we have 70 students participating in winter athletics,” Gudroe said, with cheering and basketball in the midst of the seasons and wrestling starting in the new year.
He said the SeDoMoCha Middle School Builders Club Miracle Tree raised more than $9,000 the previous weekend, as those stopping by The Commons at Central Hall could purchase tickets to try to win the tree and accompanying items of their choice contribued by area businesses. “That money will support local Builders Clubs around here and that will help people as well,” Gudroe said.
“We do have an upcoming ski program coming here at SeDoMoCha,” the principal said. Gudore said the Maine Community Foundation will provide funding for the initiative.
“We’re going to be taking all our grade 7 students to Squaw Mountain on six Fridays starting in January,” he said. The pupils can choose to try skiing or snowboarding as they get to experience the outdoor sports north in the Moosehead Lake region.
The school board heard from middle school art teacher Bobbi Tardif who talked about different happenings in her classroom.
She said about 185 students have been able to use the pottery wheel for an entire class period. Six pottery wheels are set up to give the middle-schoolers the opportunity to explore centering, coning up and down and some have opened up their vessels. “This has been a very exciting and to quote my students ‘satisfying’ experience,” Tardif said.
Artwork by eighth-grader Alexia Poire has been chosen for the Maine Excellence in Arts Education Exhibition in Augusta, Tardif said. The piece is on display through the end of April, and an opening reception and celebration is scheduled for March 11 at the Statehouse Hall of Flags.
Tardif said the help of a Walmart grant and collaboration with Monson Arts Artistic Director Stuart Kestenbaum she is working to bring in a pair of artists to visit with students. She said Sarah Doremus is a sculptor and kinetic metalsmith from Deer Isle-Stonington and Amelia Poole is an eco printing artist from Brooksville.
The week before Tardif hosted an open house at the metalworking studio. She said parents, students, sponsors, staff and community members toured the newly completed space and enjoyed light refreshments. Tardif said she wanted to thank literacy teacher Carolyn Clark and her family for donating 72 cupcakes for the open house.