SAD 29 adopts school calendar

Harvest recess to stay for at least another year
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — With classes rapidly winding to a close, the SAD 29 school board has finally approved a calendar for the 2011-12 year.
    Directors unanimously approved the calendar, which will continue the tradition of a harvest break, at its Monday night meeting.
    As presented, the 2011-12 school year will commence on Aug. 31 for the first student day, one full week later than the current school calendar. The final day of school, provided there are no days added on due to inclement weather, will be June 13. This year, there were several snow days that extended the school year by four days to June 16.
    Harvest recess will be held Sept. 26-30 for all students, with an additional “optional” week available for those high school students who are working in the field and have a proven track record of strong grades.
    In February, the school board spent considerable time discussing the harvest recess, weighing the options of continuing the fall tradition or ceasing it as many other school districts have done. SAD 29 and SAD 70 are the only two districts in southern Aroostook County that still recess for harvest.
    “The calendar is in tune with the rest of the region,” Interim Superintendent Ray Freve said.
    The board also agreed to join the Maine School Management Agency’s pool for unemployment insurance coverage. In the past, the district has been a direct payer of unemployment benefits, which was cost effective when there were no layoffs.
    However, with several positions proposed for elimination in the school budget, the district was facing a deficit scenario in its unemployment fund unless other arrangements were made.
    Monday’s gathering marked Freve’s final official school board meeting with SAD 29. New superintendent Mike Hammer takes over on July 1.
    “This is Ray’s last board meeting with us,” board chairman Liz Anderson said. “Personally, working with you has been really great. You are a unique fellow, who came into a unique situation. You came in like a cowboy. It’s a difficult position, but I am very pleased that we chose you and you chose us. You have been very helpful to myself and others.”
    Freve expressed his gratitude to the board for the opportunity to work with the district and gave his thoughts on where the district stands.
    “I think you are heading in the right direction,” he said. “I have served with many boards over the years. You have a bright future and are better off financially than many other districts in the state.”
    In other agenda items, SAD 29 directors:
    • Approved first-year contract renewals for the following teachers: Heather Alexander, Ellen Anderstrom, Katalin Grooms, Lynn Brown, Jason Anderson and Robert Richardson.
    • Accepted second-year contract renewals for Michael Hutchinson, Veronica Holyoke, Harmony Beaton and Susan Pierce.
    • Approved the following winter coaching nominations: Shawn Graham, varsity girls basketball; Mark Faulkingham, junior varsity girls basketball; Wendall Harvey, junior varsity boys basketball; Julie Dunn and Shari Good, co-varsity cheering coaches; Ben Drew, eighth-grade girls basketball; and Ray Mailman, seventh-grade boys basketball. The varsity boys basketball position is going to be re-advertised at the request of the search committee, Freve said.
    • Set June 15 as the date to hold its district budget meeting. That meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Houlton Southside School.
    • Set June 28 as the date for the district budget referendum.
    The next regular meeting of the SAD 29 school board will be July 11, at 6 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Conference room.