SAD 29 revisits curriculum coordinator position

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Six months after cutting a curriculum coordinator position, the SAD 29 school board is being asked to consider bringing the position back.
    Superintendent Mike Hammer asked the board to reconsider funding the post, at least on a part-time basis for next year, during Monday night’s regular meeting.
    During last year’s budget process, the school board eliminated the Title I/Curriculum Coordinator job — a post that was held by Dawn Dougan. That move freed up nearly $90,000, which the board later used a portion of to bring back other positions it had cut.
    At that time, the board asked the administration to absorb the duties of the Title I/Curriculum Coordinator. Six months later, Hammer said he would like the board to consider bringing the curriculum coordinator back for the 2012-13 budget. He stated the position was needed to help alleviate the increased workload and could also be a benefit for the school district for planning for the future.
    Board member Tammy Goestch asked where the money for bringing back the position would come from. Hammer stated it would most likely need to be funded with local dollars.
    Board member Fred Grant expressed concerns with adding a position without a clear definition or job description.
    “It sounds like this is a position that needs to happen, but I would like some more information first,” Grant said.
    He suggested the superintendent bring back details on what the person’s job responsibilities would be; what the position would accomplish for a three-year period; and how the curriculum would be different under such a person.
    No action was taken on Hammer’s request.
    The issue of the district using the town’s municipal garage to store its busses was discussed by Hammer. The superintendent informed the school board that he had met with Houlton Town Manager Doug Hazlett and the two agreed upon a 10 percent increase in the amount the school district pays to lease space.
    SAD 29 has stored its busses at the municipal garage on the Bangor Road for decades and had a month-to-month lease with the school district in the amount of $5,200 to use a portion of the municipal garage to park some of its busses inside, and to also use a portion of the workspace.
    In other agenda items, the board requested more information from the superintendent before it would agree to allow the Houlton Police Department to place a “Community Resource Officer” in the district’s schools.
    The Houlton Police Department recently created the new position and named officer Steve Nason to the post. Nason has been with the department for six years and has been the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer for the past four years. There would be no cost to the school district to have the CRO in its schools.
    Spending time in the schools would be just one function for Nason. He will also work with senior citizens, businesses, coordinate the department’s Citizen’s Police Academy among other duties.
Special board meeting
    At a special meeting Jan. 4, the school board unanimously voted to expel an SAD 29 student for violating school policy and Maine Statute for trafficking in scheduled drugs. Due to student’s rights policies, Hammer was not able to elaborate on the incident which led to the expulsion.
    The board also officially named Tiffany Karnes as the new Houlton Southside School principal. She replaces Jason Tarr who resigned in December. Karnes was in the middle of her first year as the Wellington Elementary School principal.
    Cindy Peterson was also named as Karnes’ replacement at Wellington.
    The next regular meeting of the SAD 29 board of directors will be Monday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. in the superintendent’s conference room.