Lowered RSU 68 assessments
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Thanks to an increase in the adjusted state contribution under the Essential Programs and Services funding model, each of the four member towns of RSU 68 will see a decrease in its assessment for the 2015-16 budget. During a school board meeting on Aug. 4 Superintendent Robert Lucy said this increase totals $124,765 and would be divided proportionally between Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec.
Charleston’s assessment would be lowered by a little more than $16,500 to $575,606; Dover-Foxcroft’s share is now over $74,500 less to $2,579,074; Monson will be paying over $16,170 less for a figure of $555,006; and the assessment for Sebec is about $17,500 less at $603,574.
“We are probably one of the few districts that will give money back to taxpayers,” Board Chair Rick Johnston said.
Lucy said he would call officials from the four towns to let them know about the assessments reduced from the totals that were part of the budget passed in the June referendum.
In other business, Lucy said on July 28 lightning hit one of the power sources into the SeDoMoCha School which caused power to be knocked out and for the phone system to be lost even after electricity was restored. “I am confident we will have that up and running for the start of school in a few weeks,” he said, adding he is working with the insurance company on a claim from the lightning damage.
Lucy said the custodial and maintenance staffs have been busy getting the facility ready for the start of school at the end of the month, such as painting classrooms, washing and waxing hallways and laying tile to replace carpet in the band room. He said some of the lines in the parking lot will be painted, and Hardwood Products has donated wood chips for the campus.
Johnston asked Lucy to send these staff members something from the board “for all the work they have done.”
For much of last month and a half, all children 18 and under could enjoy a free lunch on weekdays at SeDoMoCha. “I think this has been very successful again this summer,” Lucy said. He said in 2015 the average was 65 meals served a day, an increase from an average of 40 per day the year before.
The summer lunch program will conclude on Friday, Aug. 14, with the meals served from 11 a.m. to noon.
“We are 22 days away from another school year,” SeDoMoCha Principal Julie Kimball said with classes resuming Wednesday, Aug. 26 and an open house for kindergarten and pre-K on the afternoon of Aug. 24.
“I wanted to do an official welcome to Nate, he’s been in a few meetings with us already and it’s quite apparent he’s going to be a valuable member of our team ,” she said about new Assistant Principal Nathan Dyer. She echoed Lucy’s comments about the custodial and maintenance staff working hard all summer, and said during the next week teachers would be returning to the building to set up their classrooms.
Kimball said she received a call from the manager of Shaw’s in Dover-Foxcroft about the store giving SeDoMoCha a $400 donation, and had a discussion on how the business and school may be work together in the future. “It was solely a $400 donation,” she said with school officials to decide how to use the gifted monies and a formal check presentation likely to take place in mid-September.
The school board made its appointments for the fall middle school athletic season. Ashley Jackins will be athletic director; Gayle Allen will be the field hockey coach with Jessica Ellis as an assistant; David Murray will head boys soccer and Alexis Coleman will lead the girls soccer squad; Tom Sands is the football coach and Seth Sands is the assistant; and Amy Fagan-Cannon is coaching cross country.