DIXFIELD — Superintendent Craig King presented proposals for two new committees that are intended to advise the board on curriculum and building and grounds matters.
“We have a large district,” he said Tuesday. “These committees would help in decision-making.”
If approved at its Nov. 12 meeting, the school board would have five committees: Finance, Personnel, Policy, plus the new ones named Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, and Buildings and Grounds.
The Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee would monitor curriculum and non-athletic extracurricular components, review and act on recommendations for new courses, annually review the results of mandatory testing and assessments and review policy changes in the area of curriculum. It will regularly report to the full board.
Membership would be comprised of the assistant superintendent, school board chairperson, one high school, one middle school and one elementary school principal, and four school board members. Meetings would be scheduled in the autumn and spring, with additional meetings as needed.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee would review and make recommendations regarding the operation, maintenance, budget and preventative maintenance of the district’s 11 buildings and grounds. It would make recommendations for major capital investments and develop a long-term master plan for all RSU 10 buildings, grounds and facilities.
Membership would be comprised of the director of buildings and grounds, the assistant director of buildings and grounds, the business manager, the school board chairperson, the superintendent and four school board members.
The committee would take an annual tour of all facilities and be apprised of needs for each facility. They would meet and report to the full board as needed.
The director of buildings and grounds is responsible for keeping the committee up to date on any major changes or needs, as well as any major changes in local, state and federal regulations.
In other matters on Monday, King provided the Buckfield Withdrawal Committee and the Sumner Withdrawal Committee with a listing of facts, costs, curricula and other data associated with RSU 10 in comparison with other, similar districts.
Sumner resident and school board member David Lynch was appointed to the Sumner committee.
King said the Buckfield committee requested and received a 90-day extension from the state Department of Education to continue work on a withdrawal and educational plan.
The two towns are considering withdrawing from the district, which includes the towns of Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Hartford, Byron, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.
The board also accepted the resignation of longtime speech coach Brad Conant. He has led Dirigo High School’s debate team to many award-winning competitions, both statewide and nationally. This position will be filled, King said.
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