RSU 39 received a clean bill of financial health, and the district opened a number of bids for its state-funded capital improvement project, school board members learned during Wednesday’s meeting at the Caribou Learning Center.
Sheri Ciszewski of Felch and Company presented the audit report. “The report for fiscal year 2014 covered the period of July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014,” RSU 39 Business Manager Mark Bouchard said. “The audit resulted in an ‘unmodified opinion,’ which translates to a ‘clean’ audit with no findings.”
Bouchard said RSU 39 is audited to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, government entities, including school districts, must follow these principles to provide unbiased and consistent financial information.
The school board voted unanimously to accept Ciszewski’s report as presented.
Although the exact nature of the capital improvement project remains unknown at this time, district officials are happy about the number of responses to their request for bids. The building committee, which met Dec. 2, received bid packets from seven different architectural/engineering firms. “All have been involved with school construction or renovation throughout the state of Maine, so we are pleased that experienced firms are interested in us,” Superintendent Susan White said Friday.
“At this time we don’t know what the project will be — renovation or new construction,” she explained. “The architect will help us, along with the Department of Education, to determine exactly what our needs are and what kind of capital improvement project will best meet those needs.”
The building committee will now review the submissions individually and will meet again Jan. 7. “Once we have selected a firm to work with, we will be able to move forward in partnership with them to really evaluate our needs and the status of our buildings in order to define the scope of the project,” White added. “This is a very exciting time for our district and our community.”
White told board members of two new hires at Limestone Community School. Holly Hancock is the new National Honor Society adviser, and Pierre Huntress is the class adviser for the Class of 2018. Also approved were two volunteer assistant coaches at Caribou High School: Robert Jandreau, wrestling, and Darren Newbegin, swim team.
In other business:
• Responding to a request from the SAD1 Technology Center, Board Chair Clifford Rhome appointed Kent Forbes to represent RSU 39 at the Presque Isle center’s next advisory board meeting on Jan. 8.
• Board member Dale Gordon, referring to an accident in southern Maine, complimented the district’s commitment to providing Caribou Regional Technology Center students with safe equipment.
• The board heard updates on recent activities from administrators at the Hilltop and Teague Park elementary schools, Caribou Middle School and Limestone Community School.
• LCS Principal Travis Barnes provided an update on a workshop attended by administrators on the ongoing proficiency-based education initiative.
• The board voted to enter executive session to discuss employee negotiations, and after 40 minutes voted to adjourn.
The next session is scheduled for Dec. 17 at Hilltop School, with a tour at 6 p.m. and the meeting following at 7 p.m.
