SAD 41 awaiting state numbers for apportionment committee
MILO — A committee consisting of people from the SAD 41 school board, select boards from three district towns and residents representing Brownville, LaGrange and Milo will examine the number of directors for the SAD 41 board via an apportionment committee.
Before the group can begin work, it will need a go-ahead from the state as well as the latest U.S. Census numbers used by the Maine Department of Education.
As populations shift, multi-town school boards occasionally examine the groups’ makeup to ensure fair and proportional representation.
“We have not heard back. W e probably will at the beginning of the year,” Superintendent Michael Wright said during a school board meeting at the Penquis Valley School on Dec. 7.
After first discussing the concept in October, the board voted to proceed with the formation of the apportionment committee last month.
The SAD 41 Board of Directors is made up of 10 members with five from Milo, three from Brownville and two from LaGrange.
Before the community deorganized for the 2019-20 fiscal year, Atkinson had a pair of seats on the school board. The number of directors is based on population which, per the 2020 Census, are 2,251, 1,139 and 635, respectively.
The apportionment committee may determine how many board members there are from each town based on a certain number per 1,000 residents.
“The ultimate thing that might change is that the committee might decide how many representatives there are from each town,” Wright said in November. “The percentages might change or the number of representatives might change.”
Previously the superintendent said if the board is too large, then the issue of having a quorum arises. A half decade ago, SAD 41 had to reschedule some of its regular board meetings when a quorum could not be verified during the day of the evening session.
Board votes are weighted, but over the years the majority of school actions have been decided by majorities or near majorities, and tabulations beyond a show of hands were rare.
In other business, Wright said air system upgrades will be made at Milo and Brownville elementary schools starting in the spring using the Revolving Renovation Fund and COVID-19 relief monies, respectively.
A June 182-131 referendum vote approved an approximate $935,000 project for the Milo Elementary School upgrades. The project will be funded in large part through the Maine Department of Education’s Revolving Renovation Fund.
Under the program, 70 percent of costs are forgiven and SAD 41 would pay back 30 percent interest-free over 10 years (a $670,000/$280,000 split). This would equal about $28,000 annually to be paid by the district for a decade, and would be built into future budgets.
COVID-19 funds cannot be used toward Revolving Renovation Fund contributions.
SAD 41 has utilized the school Revolving Renovation Fund in years past. In 2017, SAD 41 residents approved an approximate $474,000 loan for a sprinkler system and elevator at Penquis Valley.
With the first ranking periods at Penquis Valley now complete, Principal Tina Dumond said 13 middle school students had perfect attendance over the opening trimester. Twenty-two high school students were present for each and every day of quarter No. 1 — the perfect attendance honorees also had no tardies.
When asked, Dumond said several years ago the middle school switched to trimesters from quarters. She said the adjustment was made to put the schedule more in line with those at the elementary schools, which had formerly housed fifth grade.