RUMFORD — The RSU 10 board received official notification Monday night that Byron has received state approval to form a withdrawal committee.
Superintendent Craig King said acting Department of Education Commissioner James Rier sent a letter advising of authorization for Byron to select a panel to consider leaving RSU 10.
King and business manager Mary Dailey met with Byron selectmen in November to explain the expenses and other information that dictate the amount per child the town must pay.
Byron Selectman Anne Simmons-Edmunds said a major reason for beginning the withdrawal process is the town pays more per student than other towns in the district.
The district includes Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.
Another notification to the board Monday, King said, was a letter from the administrative and educational technicians requesting negotiations for a new contract. Their current two-year contracts expire June 30.
Dirigo High School seniors Jesse Hutchinson and Isiah Brown made a presentation on the use of iPads in RSU 10 schools. Most of the laptop computers were replaced at the beginning of the school year.
King said students have a new “learning curve” and most are adapting. The students explained how the iPads are used in class and at home.
Also, the board approved an overnight team-building trip to Bryant Pond for Mountain Valley Middle School seventh-graders for late spring.
In other matters, King reported:
* The Finance Committee will present a timeline for the development of the proposed 2014-15 budget at the first board meeting in January, set for Jan. 13 in the community room of Dirigo High School. The current budget is $36.5 million.
* The newly established Buildings and Grounds Committee is preparing to tour all district buildings as part of the budget-development process.
* Tanya Doyen, a school nutrition employee at Hartford-Sumner Elementary School, has resigned.
Before the meeting Monday night, students at the Pennacook Learning Center served a spaghetti and meatball supper to the school board.
There will be a half-day of classes Dec. 20, the last day before the holiday break. Classes will resume Jan. 2.
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