BUCKFIELD – Buckfield Jr.-Sr. High School Principal Donald Reiter and director of student services Dottie Kingston were given 1 percent raises after SAD 39 directors gave them favorable reviews Wednesday night.
The annual job evaluations were done in executive sessions and lasted about 40 minutes each. Reiter is paid $66,625.
The principal listed several changes he has initiated at the school. One gives failing grades to students who do not complete required work in two weeks after report cards are issued. Students are also only allowed three unexcused absences per trimester before losing credit for the class. Students who have not met the required number of credits will not graduate.
Board Chairman Colleen Bullechs thanked Reiter for “holding the line.”
Kingston reported the gifted-and-talented program was close to getting final approval from the state, and the guidelines booklet was nearly finished.
No actions were taken on other evaluations.
Mike Webber, guidance counselor for the high school, gave a presentation on the MELMAC Education Foundation grant of $10,000 the school has received. Most of the money is spent on expenses for student visits to college fairs. Juniors and seniors also are able to take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Aptitude Test for free.
Webber reports that the percentage of students going on to college after graduation has increased with the special emphasis on college enrollment due to the funds from MELMAC.
The board approved hiring Ethan Wright for secondary music education, Megan Andrews Wright for elementary music education, Beth Bly as an education technician and Matthew Anderson for part-time English teacher and the high school.
The board approved accepting a grant of $7,000 from the Holland-Damon-Maxim Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5986 in Canton for scholastic achievement. The money will be placed into a certificate of deposit until the fund grows enough to make grants.
The board was informed by Superintendent Rick Colpitts of a Lee Pettengill Memorial Music Scholarship fund of $1,301.62, and funds have been received for a Nelson Judd Memorial Grant. Judd, a longtime elementary school teacher, died suddenly last year.
Comments are no longer available on this story