By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Financial manager Karen Nadeau presented the end-of-year 2012-13 financial report at the Eastern Aroostook RSU 39 school board meeting held on Sept. 4 at the Superintendent’s Office in Caribou.
Nadeau reported that the general revenue fund for the district came in at $32,000 less than budgeted. According to Nadeau, this is the first time this has happened in her career as financial manager. Last year’s fund was $100,000 more than budgeted.
According to Nadeau, the main reasons behind the shortfall were tuition for elementary and secondary levels in Caribou and secondary in Limestone was down $124,000, the curtailment the state imposed on schools last year, and a major glitch in a software system, along with some convoluted guidance from DHHS, that resulted in $185,000 in overpayment from the MaineCare system, which was caught in an audit.
Nadeau explained that other schools in the state incurred the same problem with MaineCare and the RSU has put the matter in their attorney’s hands with hopes of bringing the final overpayment figure down closer to $40,000.
“The second reason is really our case,” RSU 39 Superintendent Frank McElwain explained. “They were providing guidance that we were following and then saying, ‘No, let’s do it this way instead.’ In good faith efforts, we were penalized.”
McElwain reiterated Nadeau’s point that tuition continues to decline and that in order to make up for the lost revenue, serious adjustments have to be made to expenses.
“Which means next year we’re concerned about it and early on we’re going to have to take a hard look at the district and be prepared to make some tough choices before we get into the throes of the budget next spring. So this is kind of a foreshadowing of things to come,” McElwain said.
After Nadeau’s report, McElwain advised the board of the following staff changes:
Resignations — Joe Zubrick as Caribou High School drama adviser; Wanda Theriault as world languages curriculum leader; Paula Gorence as Hilltop ed tech; and Krista Cyr as cheerleading coach from Caribou Middle School.
Transfers — Jen Poitras from first grade to kindergarten teacher at Limestone Community School; Emily Rosser from first grade at LCS to first grade at Hilltop Elementary; and Karen Conroy from kindergarten to Title I teacher at Hilltop.
New hires — Dan Fishman as world languages adviser; Eric McGough as varsity baseball coach for LCS; Heidi Marshall as playground aide at Hilltop; Holly Hancock as class adviser for LCS; Ken Hixon as National Honor Society adviser for LCS; Aubri Cummings as an ed tech at Teague Park Elementary School; Marie Beckum as a volunteer assistant cross country coach for CHS; Dave Wakana as a volunteer boys soccer coach at CHS; and Chris Bell as a volunteer assistant girls soccer coach at CHS.
Resignations — Kristi Pelkey as an ed tech at CHS.
McElwain nominated Emily Keaton for the position of pre-K and Title 1 teacher at LCS. Keaton is a graduate of Caribou High School and the University of Maine at Presque Isle. She did her student teaching in a first grade class in Presque Isle. The board unanimously approved Keaton’s nomination.
The superintendent continued his report by advising the board that some old soccer uniforms at LCS were donated to the Limestone recreation department. He also advised that Dr. Dan Harrigan, who acts as the RSU physician, once again returned his $500 stipend and is providing his services on a voluntary basis. McElwain concluded his report by explaining that two RSU employees, Fred Patterson and Brian Pelletier, won the state level competition for bus drivers and will be competing on a national level.
McElwain also clarified that board member Dale Gordon’s term on the board will not be up this year, as Gordon previously thought, and that her term actually doesn’t end for another year. Board member Lynn McNeal’s term will be concluding this year, and the board will be in need of a replacement for him.
The meeting concluded with updates from the administrators for Caribou High School, the Caribou Tech Center and the Learning Center on what has been happening at the schools so far this year.
The next school board meeting will be held Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Superintendent’s Office.
