SAD 1 notes teaching transfers, departures
By Donna DeLong
Special to The Star-Herald
PRESQUE ISLE — The summer months made for a short SAD 1 school board meeting that was held on July 18 at Presque Isle High School. During the brief meeting, several employee transfers were approved as well as bids from several suppliers.
There were four transfer positions reported. Kellie Wood moved from grade 5 to grade 3 in Mapleton at Mapleton Elementary School; Christi Doyen’s grade-four position was eliminated and she has taken a position in Mapleton teaching grade 5; Doreen Archer’s grade-two position was eliminated at Pine Street School and she has taken a position at Zippel School teaching grade 3; and Jay Blackstone transferred from grade 3 in Mapleton to grade 7 at Presque Isle Middle School.
There was one resignation reported. Kevin Kinsey, who taught elementary music in the district has accepted a position elsewhere. There has been one new hire in SAD 1 teaching ranks; Paul Ballerstein, who taught for 10 years in St. Agatha, has been hired to teach high school math at PIHS.
Garelick Farms was awarded the bid for a two-year contract to supply the school district with dairy products. It was also approved that Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. was awarded a one-year contract to supply the school department with bread products. After a brief discussion, there was a motion that because of the lack of competitive bids, the bread and milk bid process would now be handled on the administration level.
It was reported that funding for Healthy Maine Partnership was cut drastically on July 1 due to cuts at the state level. School health coordinators had been funded by regional Healthy Maine Partnerships through the Fund for a Healthy Maine. The money came from Maine’s portion of the 2000 tobacco settlement. The state Legislature this year voted to cut funding to the Healthy Maine Partnerships by one-third, and redirect part of the settlement money to the state’s general fund. This equates to approximately $20,000 in cuts for SAD 1. The full-time position held at SAD 1 for the school health coordinator, who implemented the many different aspects of HMP, has been cut to part-time position, but the district is looking for other places that could supplement the position.
Other school departments in the state have used the school lunch program funding as a means to keep their employees working to continue the important presence in the school district.
The next regular school board meeting will be held Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 5 p.m. in the board conference room at PIHS.
