$798,000 grant to provide more services at Pennacook Learning Center

MEXICO — A $798,000 grant from the Maine Department of Education will allow Regional School Unit 10 to regionalize services with the Pennacook Learning Center, Superintendent Deborah Alden said Tuesday.

Special Education Director Clarissa Fish wrote the grant to retrofit the building so accommodate more people and regionalize services and do some intensive training with the staff, she said.

Six other school districts have committed to using the center for their students with behavioral needs: RSU 73 in Jay, RSU 78 in Rangeley, RSU 9 in Farmington, RSU 58 in Phillips, School Administrative District 44 in Bethel and RSU 56 in Dixfield.

“Spurwink has agreed to partner with us on this and they would help us provide training and services for kids,” Alden said.

Spurwink, in Portland, provides behavioral health and education services for children, adults and families.

The University of Maine and the Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services would also provide services at the center, Alden said.

Other improvements made this year at the center were an additional part-time behavioral clinician and a third psychologist for RSU 10 schools. Alden said the board is proposing to keep all three psychologist positions, even though student numbers are lower for next year.

In other business, Jim Dorr, a teacher at Mountain Valley High School, questioned the board Monday about how the storm day school closures would be handled.

“The later we go into June, the less productive our kids become,” Dorr said. “I’m asking the board and the superintendent to look at ways we can make up some of that time — now — when it’s much more beneficial educationally than trying to do it (later) in June. There is no air conditioning in any of the buildings and the classrooms are hot.”

Alden said that as of Tuesday, if no changes are made, school will be held until June 21.

“I really don’t want to go past Friday (June) 23,” she said. “But if we could do several weeks of an additional hour (of school) to make up two or three days, that would be helpful as well.”

Also of note, Kevin Kaulback has resigned from the Region 9 School of Applied Technology board. He was one of RSU 10’s representatives on the Region 9 board.

Rumford resident Craig Zurhorst has expressed interest in the position and the RSU 10 board will vote March 27 on this position and the RSU 10 budget, Alden said.

In new business, Kathy Sutton, a retired RSU 10 staff member from Roxbury, joined the RSU 10 board Monday, succeeding Denise Cross, whose term expired.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

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