SAD 70 mulls AOS withdrawal

Bob McDaniel
Superintendent resigns post
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HODGDON — The fate of AOS 48, a consolidated school district featuring SAD 70, SAD 14, Orient and Bancroft, appears to be up in the air now that one of the groups is considering pulling out.
    The SAD 70 school board gave a consensus vote of 11-1 Tuesday evening to explore the option of leaving AOS 48. Board member Meg Scott opposed. The vote is not to officially withdraw from the AOS — only to begin looking at the options.
    Complicating the matter, Robert McDaniel, who was hired as the superintendent of AOS 48, tendered his resignation in October. That resignation goes into effect June 30, at the end of the current school year.
    “I just don’t feel that I am doing a very good job for either school district trying to manage both offices,” McDaniel said. “I feel that there just is not enough time to devote the attention necessary for either school district.”
    SAD 70 (Hodgdon, Amity, New Limerick, Linneus, Ludlow, Haynesville and Cary), SAD 14 (Danforth), Orient and Bancroft formed an Alternative Organization Structure (AOS) back in January, 2011. At the time the AOS was formed, the state was punishing all small school districts that did not consolidate in some manner with a monetary penalty.
    By not consolidating, SAD 14 was penalized $23,000 in its 2010-11 fiscal budget, while SAD 70 was penalized $93,000 for not conforming to the state’s consolidation wishes. Those districts were told the penalties would increase each year as long as they remained as stand-alone districts.
    The state has since abolished penalizing school districts for not consolidating and many school districts around the state that formed unions are now mulling the benefits of staying in their consolidated districts or reverting back.
    Before the merger, McDaniel was the fulltime superintendent for SAD 70, while SAD 14 employed a part-time superintendent. McDaniel has been with SAD 70 for the past eight years.
    Several board members asked McDaniel if he would be willing to revert back to being SAD 70s superintendent if the district were to withdraw from the AOS. McDaniel told the board he would not answer that question because he did not want to be the driving force in having SAD 70 pull out of its AOS with Danforth, Orient and Bancroft.
    “They (SAD 70’s school board) have to decide what is best for their district,” he said. “It’s not about any one individual.”
    “I can’t vote for an AOS that costs our district more money for a part-time superintendent and special ed director,” said board member David Stevens.
    “It’s not even so much about the money as it is the time lost with our superintendent,” said Maureen Friel.
    Under the AOS plan, only the central offices were consolidated. SADs 70 and 14 kept their separate school boards and have control over all aspects of their schools, including curriculums. An 11-member AOS board, comprised of members from each area, was created for the sole purpose of governing the combined central office. That board includes seven members from SAD 70, two from SAD 14 and one each from Bancroft and Orient.
    Separate superintendent’s offices, with staffs, were retained by each school district for an introductory period of two years. That two-year period expires at the end of the current school year. Because it is the larger school district, SAD 70 pays the bulk (76 percent) of the administrative expenses, including salaries for the superintendent and special education director.
    McDaniel was hired as the superintendent for the AOS and has since split his time between the two offices. McDaniel now spends three days in Hodgdon and two days in Danforth. Special Education Director Cynthia McNutt also shares her time between the two school systems.
    Last month, SAD 70 board members learned their district was not exactly saving anything by being in the AOS. The board reviewed material from SAD 70 Business Manager Sue Hawkes which stated belonging to the AOS actually cost SAD 70 $29,394 more in the 2012-13 school year.
    In order to leave an AOS, McDaniel said a decision had to be made 60 days prior to the start of the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2013.
    A public hearing and referendum would also need to be held to dissolve the AOS.That decision comes in the form of an official school board vote, which is something that has not happened for either district.
    A public hearing on the withdrawal would be held, followed by a public referendum for the towns in that district. A simple majority vote is all that is needed for the measure to pass.
    “The only reason either district formed an AOS in the first place is because of the penalties,” McDaniel said. 
    If SAD 70 decides to withdraw, both school districts would then have to hire a superintendent and special education director.
    The AOS school board meets Dec. 3, while SAD 70 holds its next regular meeting on Dec. 10.