CARIBOU, Maine — The Eastern Aroostook RSU 39 watched presentations for the school system’s technology plan and the city of Caribou’s comprehensive plan during their meeting held at the Superintendent’s Office on May 15.
The public comments section of the meeting began with Richard Ezzy, vice president of County Physical Therapy, thanking the board for allowing CPT to submit a bid to provide the RSU with an athletic training contract proposal.
Later on in the meeting, the board reviewed the two bids received for the five-year training contract: one from CPT for $44,500 and one from Cary Medical Center, who had been providing the service for the past five years, for $94,000.
After discussion of the difference in services, the board approved CPT’s bid unanimously with member Dale Gordon recusing herself due to her employment connection with Cary Medical Center.
Caribou citizen Paul Camping also took advantage of the public comments section of the meeting to address the board regarding his disappointment with and concerns over the proposed 2013-14 school budget for the RSU.
Saying he believed formation of the budget was shrouded in secrecy with no involvement from the community, Camping outlined what information he felt was being kept from the public, including teacher salaries and the reasoning behind low performance scores for the RSU schools. Camping concluded his comments by challenging the board to adjust the budget to bring expenditures down so that taxpayers will not see the proposed 5 percent increase.
Camping’s comments were not addressed until the end of the meeting when board members Gordon and Lynn McNeal both took exception to the insinuation that there was some sort of dishonesty involved in the budget process.
“I think I’ve served on this board for 13 years, even longer than Mr. McElwain. Without exception, it’s been a real honor and I’ve been impressed with the dedication of each member of this board in terms of listening to the citizens of their communities,” Gordon said. “Interest in the transparency of what we do, whether it be looking through the budget for every single possible way that we can save money while still provide our children with the best education possible — I really bring that up because I think in some ways often that understanding does not exist in the general public. And I just want to add my testimony that in my experience, I have, without exception, been honored to serve with the dedicated people that I have served with for this period of time,” Gordon continued. “So if anybody has any doubt about corruption or anything else that has been insinuated, I take exception.”
“It’s easy to cut,” McNeal added. “It’s very hard to maintain a standard under the terms that we’re living in today. Those are the reasons we ask for what we do. The budget that we ask for, we have been cutting and sweating, ‘What are the ramifications if we do this or that?’ It may not appear that way, but it has been. As Dale said, I take exception to insinuations of impropriety and dishonesty. Those are unwarranted due to your lack of understanding of what we do. You’re getting a flavor of what education is about. It’s not what it was when you were sitting there once upon a time in the classroom. The world has changed. And I’ve watched it for 40 years in my own career, and now I’m watching it through my grandkids and my kids also.”
Public comments were followed by a three-year technology plan presented by Michael Gardiner, director of technology, and Lois Brewer, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Brewer explained that the technology plan needs to be updated every three years in order to receive E-rate funds from the Library Funding Association, which is overseen by the FCC. The plan needed to be submitted by June 30.
Gardiner and Brewer outlined the six main focuses of the plan: new equipment, staff access to training and support, technical support for staff, student access to hardware, the partnership between community and parents and the RSU such as the school union’s website and electronic progress report cards, and moving toward a system of proficiency-based education.
Caribou Assistant City Manager Tony Mazzucco then gave a presentation regarding Caribou’s efforts to update its comprehensive plan. Mazzucco explained the purpose of the plan, which is to guide the growth and development of the community, its history and the different components such as land use authority and environmental protection.
According to Mazzucco, the first comprehensive plan was first put together in 1958 and at that time had a 20-year timeframe. The plan has since changed to a 10-year term, with the last one being formulated in 2004. Mazzucco explained that process of putting a plan in place can take a year, so the planning board will begin working on it now to have it ready for 2014.
Mazzucco will be giving his presentation to several different local organizations. He has also scheduled information sessions to be held at City Council Chambers on Thursday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, June 5, at 6:30 p.m.; Monday, June 10, at 6 p.m.; and Friday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. A community visioning session will be held on Saturday, June 29 at 10 a.m. at the Caribou Wellness Center in order to gather input from the community to help the planning board.
The board also unanimously approved job descriptions for FFA and DECA advisers and authorized the Warrant to Call Regional School Unit 39 Budget Meeting and the Notice of Amounts Adopted at the Budget Meeting.
Superintendent Frank McElwain advised the board of resignations he accepted from Cassandra Ouellette as an ed tech at Hilltop Elementary School, Emily O’Neal as boys’ mid-level soccer coach at Limestone Community School and Ryan Deprey as girls’ mid-level soccer coach at Caribou Middle School. McElwain also advised of the transfer of Jenn Poitras from Title 1 teacher at LCS to grade-one teacher at Hilltop and Gillian Sleeper from pre-K to kindergarten teacher at Hilltop.
The meeting concluded with the showing of a New Brunswick-produced video explaining the importance of learner-centered standards based education and administrator updates from Caribou High School, Caribou Technology Center and the Learning Center about current events taking place at those schools.
The next RSU meeting will be a public budget meeting held at Caribou Middle School on Wednesday, May 29, at 7 p.m.
