RUMFORD – The SAD 43 board on Monday unanimously extended the superintendent’s contract for one year. They also expelled two middle school students.
Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said Tuesday that his contract was extended through June 30, 2008. During last year’s contract negotiations, a salary of $90,000 was set for school year 2006-2007, up from $86,000 for the current school year.
He said he did not want to negotiate his salary for 2007-2008 until next December.
“With 2006-2007 already decided, I don’t want to lock myself in now,” he said.
Following two closed sessions totaling nearly an hour and a half, the board voted to expel one middle school girl and one middle school boy for terrorizing.
Although Hodgkin declined to provide specifics, he did say that the incident did not involve weapons. It also occurred off school grounds.
“Our priority is to protect the safety of students and staff. The students exhibited threatening behavior toward the students and staff,” Hodgkin said. “They violated our policy.”
He said, too, that he wants people to know that if students engage in such behavior, they can be expelled.
The two expulsions are the first in the district for this school year.
All board members, except Chairwoman Linda Westleigh, voted to expel the boy. She abstained, Hodgkin said, because she had advance information on the case. She also abstained from voting to expel the girl for the same reason.
In that case, Mexico representative Peter Zanoni voted not to expel.
Board members Randy Canwell and Frances DeFilipp were absent.
Hodgkin said the parents of the students can petition the board for readmittance when they believe their children have made progress.
In other matters, the resignation of Mark Touchette, who has represented the town of Roxbury for several years, was accepted. Touchette was recently elected selectman in the town. He cannot serve on both boards because it is a conflict of interest.
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