DIXFIELD – SAD 21 Superintendent Thomas Ward briefed selectmen Monday on the status of a proposed merger with neighboring Peru School Department.
Faced with possible pressure from the state to merge with SAD 43, Ward said SAD 21 would rather merge with Peru to preserve the current status quo.
“We’re trying to look at what we have and preserve that,” Ward said. “But we need to keep an open mind about whether the merger with Peru can preserve that. Hopefully, the right thing will happen, but we’re going to go slow.”
Selectmen also hired Peggy Malley as librarian of Ludden Memorial Library. She has been assistant librarian the past three years.
Selectmen could not decide what her work week should be.
Town Manager Nanci Allard hired Malley to work 32 hours week. But Selectmen Eugene Skibitsky and Sandra Buchanan strenuously objected, saying that at last June’s town meeting, voters told selectmen they wanted the library director to work a 40-hour week.
“We’ve been down this road before and we need to follow the wishes of the town meeting voters,” Buchanan said.
Allard said she was trying to save the town money by going with a 32-hour week, noting that part-time assistants could be used efficiently for the remaining eight hours.
Skibitsky and Buchanan held their ground. Because two selectmen, Montell Kennedy and Stephen Donahue, were absent, Chairman Hugh Daley opted to table the work week decision until a full board could be present.
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