SALEM – SAD 58 directors unanimously voted Thursday to appoint English language arts teacher Marco Aliberti as teaching principal.

He will succeed Brenda Stevens, who has been appointed principal at Mt. Abram High School for next year.

Aliberti thanked the board for its consideration and said he is looking forward to the opportunity.

The Maine Department of Education is asking SAD 58 to consider sending more students to the new Foster Applied Technology Center once it is completed. In a letter to SAD 58, it was noted that the state Board of Education and the state Department of Education were in the final design and approval phases for a new and expanded Mt. Blue High School and vocational center in Farmington.

“We have always believed that this project represented an opportunity for all high school students in the area,” wrote State Board of Education Construction Committee Chairwoman Jean Gulliver. “Given changes in population, tax bases, and the economy, we are strongly committed to making this high school serve the needs of students throughout your region and thereby strengthen the regional economy.”

“The state board has a vision for education in the area, and they are trying to promote this vision,” SAD 58 Superintendent Quenten Clark said.

Several school board members thought the state board was pressuring SAD 58 to send a certain quota of students to the technology center. Director Mary Jane Thorndike asked if the vocational programs would still be available to SAD 58 students if the state correspondence were ignored. Clark assured her they would be.

Clark explained that this year’s proposed budget is $10,132,326, compared to last year’s $9,833,262. The increase is due mostly to accounting changes the state is making the district do as opposed to new expenditures.

“We haven’t cut any teachers,” Clark said. “We haven’t consolidated any classes. We haven’t cut any coaches or sports.”

Instead, the district will shift staff to fill positions. Mt. Abram Applied Technology teacher Steve Yates is retiring, and part of his position will be filled by an instructor at the school while a part-time hire will teach wood technology courses. The part-time Mt. Abram librarian will be replaced by a teacher.

Several of the Mt. Abram staff agreed to serve as a part-time librarian while teaching fewer courses, Clark said.

Gary Perlson is retiring as adult and community education director. Elementary art teacher Steve Mitman will take over some of his duties while teaching art half time at Strong Elementary School and receiving a teacher’s salary for his combined work.

Art instructor Adam Masterman will assume the art teaching duties at Stratton Elementary School and cover some of Mitman’s duties in Strong.

The school district needs new buses, and Clark said that if two were purchased, enough extra subsidy would be received to get one for next year. He said he wanted to have the purchase of an extra bus paid for with money left in the oil account. The board approved.

The next board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 28 at Mt. Abram High School.