RUMFORD – Superintendent Jim Hodgkin welcomed six new or returning SAD 43 board members Monday night.
David Walton, guidance counselor at Meroby Elementary School, described a plan to launch a communitywide grief support group for children.
“This is an idea I’ve had for several years. It is not a reaction to past events. The proposal is to grow a resource in the community by training volunteers and establishing support groups on an as-needed basis,” he said.
The estimated $6,500 needed to train volunteers, some of whom will then train others, will likely come from tobacco settlement money or from the district’s suicide prevention grant.
Although the program will be hosted by the school district, it will not be a school program, said Walton. The first group of volunteers to be trained by the Center for Grieving Children in Portland will likely come from the district, but the overall goal is to get other members of the community, such as clergy, social workers, and others, involved in support groups, he said. Training is planned for October. Nine school employees have volunteered.
The board also settled a one-year contract for the district’s seven administrators. The combined increase of salary, health and dental insurance came to just over 4 percent. Other components of the newly ratified contract include 100 percent district-paid dental insurance for a single subscriber, and 70 percent district-paid for a single-subscriber health care plan. A retirement stipend option was included for administrators who retire after serving in the district for 30 years, with at least 15 as administrators. New administrators will be able to transfer unused sick leave from his or her previous employer.
Frank DiConzo of Rumford was the only totally new director to join the board. Tammy MacDonald of Mexico and David McKivergan of Rumford had served several years ago before taking a break, then running again, unopposed or as write-ins, for a seat. Mexico’s Betty Barrett and Peter Zanoni ran unopposed and were re-elected, as did Rumford’s Linda Westleigh. One open seat remains to represent Mexico.
Westleigh was elected chairwoman. She had served as vice chairwoman until Monday. She replaces Arthur Boivin, who did not run for re-election. Rumford representative Michael Papsadora was elected vice chairman.
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