OXFORD – The SAD 17 Board of Directors on Monday unanimously approved a plan that will employ Assistant Superintendent Rick Colpitts full-time starting July 1.

Presently, Colpitts works as assistant superintendent three days in SAD 17 and two days as superintendent in SAD 39 in Buckfield.

SAD 39 recently merged with SADs 43 in Rumford and 21 in Dixfield to form the Western Foothills School District, or Regional School Unit 10. Colpitts, of Peru, did not apply to be superintendent of the new district.

As part of his responsibilities, Colpitts will now be responsible for the McKinney/Vento Act Implementation for Homeless Youth, a federal law under the No Child Left Behind legislation that deals with educating homeless youth.

The restructuring plan allows the Board of Directors to have an experienced person in place when Eastman retires, but does not mean that Colpitts will automatically assume the superintendent’s post. The Board of Directors must still decide what direction it will take to replace Eastman.

“You have Rick no matter what the board decides,” Eastman said.

According to Eastman, Colpitts’ salary of about $82,000 will remain the same but there will be no money from SAD 39 to support his position after July 1.

There will be shifts in the responsibilities of Colpitts and other central office staffing amounting to $35,000 in savings. Of that amount there will be a net savings of $10,000 in local funds, according to Eastman.

Other changes include Business Manager Cathy Fanjoy, who will assume additional responsibilities in reporting for all Recovery Act funds and entitlement grants, reducing her local salary by $8,300. Curriculum Director Kathy Elkins will have more oversight of the entitlement programs such as Title 1. Part of her salary will now be paid for by the grants, reducing $17,000 from the district budget.

The Personnel Committee approved Eastman’s recommendation, said Mary Pietroski, chairman of the Personnel Committee.

“I’m confident the plan will work for three to five years,” Eastman said.