RUMFORD — The cost of having a school resource officer for Regional School Unit 10 would be about $185,000 for three years, including a grant of $125,000, directors were told on March 12.
Superintendent Deborah Alden gave the board financial information from Rumford Police Chief Stacy Carter, who told her the three-year grant of $125,000 would require a four-year commitment, and an application for it must be submitted by July.
“Although it would be primarily looking at (Mountain Valley High School), he knows that I would want the person to be thinking about (all of our school buildings),” Alden said.
The cost to the district for a resource officer for three years would be $19,972 per year with the three-year grant, but the fourth year the district would pay 75 percent of the cost, or $51,361.
No decision was made, but the board will probably discuss the position at its next meeting March 26, Alden said.
In other business, the board voted not to proceed with the second part of a Maine Department of Education application for a regional service center.
“I just don’t have a lot of good reasons to share with you that it’s a good thing. The issue that I have is that we’re supposed to be able to show how doing this is going to save us money, and I can’t show that,” Alden said.
In November, RSU 10 joined with five other districts to apply for Part 1 of the Maine Department of Education’s regional service centers: Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, Telstar Regional High School in Bethel, Dirigo High School in Dixfield, Mt. Abram High School in Salem, and Rangeley Lakes Regional School in Rangeley.
Alden said the district purchases many items in bulk along with other districts, such as food, fuel and paper. She said RSU 10 was still waiting to hear how the other district boards were voting because only two districts are needed to form an regional service center.
The board voted to regionalize the day treatment special education program at Pennacook Learning Center in Rumford to include more students. The Maine State Department of Education is in the process of approving the program, Superintendent Alden said.
The board has received the following resignations and retirements: Catherine Stickney is retiring effective the last day of this school year, Rebecca Perez is retiring effective June 29, and Shawn White is resigning effective March 23.
James Drapeau has been hired as a part-time interim bus driver for the Rumford-Mexico area.
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