Director positions made part-time at SAD 1
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Facing a loss in state aid and a decrease in federal funds, SAD 1 is having to think outside the box as it fills two positions that are presently being held by the same individual.
Though retiring in June, directors last Wednesday night hired Larry Fox to serve as the Adult Education director, which now becomes a part-time position. Meanwhile, longtime basketball coach and physical education teacher Tim Prescott will instruct part-time and serve as the director of the Presque Isle Regional Career and Technical Center, which also becomes a part-time post.
“We’re making both the Career and Technical Education director and the Adult Education director both part-time positions,” said Superintendent Gehrig Johnson. “Tim will teach in the morning and do the CTE work in the afternoon, and Larry won’t be working in any other capacity but Adult Education.”
Prescott, who has a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Maine at Orono, has 28 years of experience, while Fox, who has a master’s degree in public administration from UMO, has 24 years of experience. Both positions have a salary of $30,000.
In addition, Rebecca Shea was hired as a speech language pathologist.
Also at the March 28 board meeting, directors unanimously approved the 2012-13 school calendar.
According to Ellen Schneider, assistant superintendent, the most significant change to the calendar involves Thanksgiving.
“Next year we’ll be having parent-teacher conferences the week of Thanksgiving and students will be released at noon Nov. 19 and 20,” she said. “School will release at noon Nov. 21, and the official Thanksgiving break will be Nov. 22-23.
“This year, we had conferences the week before Thanksgiving, and then with the holiday, we ended up with two weeks that were shortened,” said Schneider. “By moving conferences to Thanksgiving week — for teaching and learning purposes — we think we’ll get more bang for our buck.”
The first student day of school for pre-K-8 will be Thursday, Sept. 6, and Monday, Aug. 20 for students at Presque Isle High School, which will be closed for three weeks for potato harvest.
Four transfers were announced for next year. Casey Johnson will be going from sixth grade math and science at Presque Isle Middle School to grade six English and social studies at PIMS, Nancy Watson will be going from sixth grade math and science at PIMS to pre-K, Sharlet Bishop will be going from grade two at Pine Street Elementary School to sixth-grade math and science at PIMS, and Christi Doyen will be going from grade four at Mapleton Elementary School to grade six math and science at the middle school.
Upcoming dates regarding the 2012-13 budget were also announced. A workshop will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 4 at the board conference room at Presque Isle High School. If needed, another budget workshop will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 11 with the board’s regular monthly meeting to follow. Approval of the budget and warrant articles will be held at that time.
The board will again meet Wednesday, May 9 at 6 p.m. with the district budget meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. The budget validation referendum will be held Tuesday, May 15.
