The Probus Club of Aroostook held their monthly meeting on Nov. 18 in the Reed Commons Building at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle.
Dave Maxcy, president, introduced the guest speaker, Terry Sandusky, a longtime member of the SAD 1 school board.
Sandusky gave information on how school board decisions are made, school board functions, and the roles of all board members. The school board is a legislative body required to follow all federal and state laws and mandates.
SAD 1’s board has 17 members and nine member votes are needed to constitute a majority on all issues. Members are paid a small stipend for attendance at meetings. Community interest is the biggest reason for participating in this most important school body.
Seventy eight percent of expenditures goes toward the salaries for the large number of working employees in SAD 1, Sandusky said.
Because of the recent federal school grant money due to the COVID-19 pandemic, major health renovations were able to be made to the high school, especially. These improvements will extend the age of the high school for at least 15 to 20 years.
Additionally, all the schools In SAD 1 now all have a school nurse. COVID status results are given at every meeting, along with mask and distancing requirements, he said.
The soccer field at the middle school is being used fully, and is even being rented out to other communities for sports events with great success.
Every three years decisions are made on whether to keep the annual fall potato harvest recess, Sandusky said.
He told the club that the Presque Isle Regional Career and Technical Center has a new name. Beginning on Jan. 1, the facility will be known as the Presque Isle Tech Center. It serves high school students in all nearby communities.
More than 20 different courses are offered in the technical areas and dual credits are available toward college credits. As many as 39 college credit hours can be earned. Fees may be $45 dollars per credit hour for some course studies, as opposed to college fees for the same credits up to $375 per credit hour. There are presently 168 students enrolled in the technical courses.
In other business, Janet Snow gave a reading on attitude by well known author Charles Swindoll.
The next Probus meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 16.
