LIVERMORE FALLS — Regional School Unit 73 board members overwhelmingly ratified a two-year contract for the district’s six administrators when they met on Thursday.
Provisions of the contract were not available.
Superintendent Kenneth Healey also distributed the budget books to each of the board members. Among the information he told the board included not filling five vacant positions, and the possible reconfiguration of the district’s two elementary schools.
Currently, pre-k through grade five students attend Jay elementary and Livermore elementary schools.
Under a possible change, all pre-k through grade 2 students would attend Livermore Elementary School and all grades 3-5 would attend Jay Elementary School.
“It’s what’s right for the kids,” he said.
Currently, LES has 423 students enrolled and JES has 343 students. Spruce Mountain Middle School has an enrollment of 327 students, and Spruce Mountain High School has 409.
Another item that Healey will present at the Feb. 25 board meeting is the probability of not filling five vacancies.
In other matters, the resignation for the purpose of retirement at the end of the school year of Adult Education employee Janet Benedetto was accepted. Healey said a portion of the position will be replaced.
In other adult education matters, Adult Education Coordinator Robyn Raymond said between 75 and 100 displaced workers have begun attending classes under her program. The worker displacement is the result of recent lay-offs at Verso Paper Co.
A school board subcommittee will soon be formed to solicit concerns and develop a plan to potentially change the cost funding fomular.
Under the provisions of the cost-sharing formular developed when the Jay School Department and RSU 36 merged in 2011, not only must the board vote in the majority, but also one affirmative vote from a board representative from each of the three towns must agree.
Currently, Jay’s share of the $2.28 million above the state’s funding formular is $1.7 million; Livermore, $303,412; and Livermore Falls, $250,067.
Before it would be enacted, that plan must be approved by a majority of voters in the district, Healey said.
The current budget for 2015-2016 is at $18.6 million.
The board will continue its discussions on the budget and the cutbacks at Verso at its Feb. 25 meeting.
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