RSU 50 revisits board stipends

    STACYVILLE, Maine — Upon further review, members of the RSU 50 school board will not get a cut in pay for attending meetings.
The board re-visited the issue of stipends during its Aug. 10 meeting at Southern Aroostook Community School. Last month, the board agreed to a reduced stipend of $10 for members and $15 for the chairman, which is the minimum amount for an RSU.
    That move was not without considerable discussion and a close vote. The measure was knotted at 7-7, forcing the group to use its weighted vote system to decide the matter. With the weighted vote, the measure passed 542-336.
At an Aug. 10 meeting, the board decided to rescind its original vote in July and revist the stipend discussion, according to Interim Superintendent John Doe.
“The board agreed to pay themselves $15 for each monthly meeting, which includes regular, special or budget meetings, with the chairman to receive $25.”
No mileage will be paid for travel to board meetings. The motion passed by a vote of 11-1.
In other action, the board set prices for the district’s breakfast and hot lunch programs. Breakfast will cost 50 cents for grades K-6, $1 for grades 7-12; and $1.25 for adults; lunch will cost $1.75 for grades K-6, $2 for grades 7-12 and $4 for adults; and milk will be 30 cents.
In other agenda items, the board:
• Appointed Murray Putnam as Athletic Administrator for Southern Aroostook Community School by a vote of 9-3.
• Appointed Phil Faulkner as Athletic Administrator for Katahdin Middle/High School by a vote of 11-1.
• Approved the following coaching positions for the fall season — Cliff Urquhart, varsity boys soccer at SACS; Tim Toothaker, middle school boys and girls soccer at SACS; Matt Lindsay, varsity boys soccer at Katahdin Middle/High School; Heather Lyons, varsity girls soccer at Katahdin Middle/High School; Eryn Schmidt, middle school boys and girls soccer coach at Katahdin Middle/High School.
• Named Jeff Hardy as the RSU 50 vice chairman.
• Approved the bread bid to Nissan Bakery and the milk bid to Garelick Farms.
• Changed the regular monthly meetings of the RSU school board to the second Monday of each month, starting in October.
The next regular meeting of the RSU 50 board will be Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Katahdin Elementary School.