WASHBURN, Maine — The MSAD 45 board of directors is starting the search for a superintendent and other administrators in anticipation of a possible end to a shared services contract with MSAD 1.
The MSAD 45 board of directors representing the communities of Washburn, Wade, and Perham met Tuesday, Feb. 11, and approved moving ahead with advertising for the positions of superintendent, principal, special education director, athletic director and information technology professional.
Since the 2016-2017 school year, MSAD 1 has provided superintendent and business administration services to MSAD 45 for about $63,000 annually. Since that first year, the districts also have added IT and special education services to the contract, which includes a provision for either district to withdraw with 90 days notice.
Neither district has voted to end the contract, but MSAD 45 board members in Washburn want to prepare for the possibility, said board member Beverly Knowles.
“Most probably, the shared services contract that we have with SAD 1 will end June 30,” Knowles said. “If that happens, as of July 1, we need to be set and ready to go. That requires that we are in need of filling certain positions.”
MSAD 45 board chair Ryan Rackliffe, from left, MSAD 1 assistant superintendent Clint Deschene, and MSAD 45 board members Jan Grieco and Beverly Knowles, listen to discussion at an MSAD 45 board meeting Feb. 11, 2019. (Anthony Brino)
The board approved advertising for the positions and agreed that they would build funds for them into the next budget. All told, the salaries for those positions would run more than $300,000, not including benefits, Knowles said.
“We’re going to have to make a decision,” Knowles said. “What kind of school district do we want to be? Do we want to be one that educates students and gets them ready for the world, and has the qualified staff that gets them ready to do the job?”
The MSAD 45 board also voted to pay former MSAD 1 superintendent Brian Carpenter $3,500 for serving as athletic director for MSAD 45 while overseeing administrative work for the district under the contract.
Although the MSAD 1 superintendent isn’t meant to be paid extra under the shared services contract, Carpenter was certified as an athletic director and took on duties to oversee MSAD 45 athletics, board members said in voting to honor an agreement for the $3,500 payment. The board then voted to appoint high school administrative assistant Crystal Hobbs as interim athletic director for the remainder of the school year, with a stipend that will total $6,000 for work that includes her assisting with athletics management during 2018.
The board members also voted to place the issue of harvest break on the agenda for the March meeting, when they will consider a new policy where only the high school would break for two weeks.
Currently, the entire district breaks for two weeks, and the board’s policy committee was charged with developing a policy that would end the harvest break while creating a way for students to work harvest with excused absences.
However, the policy committee learned from the Maine Department of Education that such a policy would create a number of problems, including the issue of chronic absenteeism, said Knowles.
“Students who would be working would be counted absent and just making up class work would not allow us to change their absent days,” Knowles said.
The board will vote on the proposal for a two week high school harvest break at the next meeting, scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at the Washburn District Elementary School.
