DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 board learned Monday night that four Dirigo High School students are now attending a virtual charter high school.

Superintendent Craig King said the district will receive the state subsidy for the students, but then the district must send a check for that amount to the virtual academy as part of the students’ tuition. The total amount is about $25,000.

He said the loss of the subsidy will be addressed by the board’s Finance Committee over the next few months.

“People have choices now, even in rural Maine,” he said of the options students have for completing their secondary education. “This changes the whole dynamic.”

He said the original bill addressing charter and private schools presented to the Maine State Legislature had originally included parochial and other private schools as well as charter schools.

In other matters, the board filled several positions that remained vacant when the school year began last week.

Marie Russell will teach French at Mountain Valley High School; Bryanne Glover will teach special education at Mountain Valley Middle School; and Diane Brown is the new art teacher for grades kindergarten through 12 in the two Buckfield/Hartford/Sumner schools.

The resignation of special education teacher at Hartford-Sumner Elementary School, Julianne Eastman, was accepted.

Still to be filled are several special education teaching positions, including two at MVHS.

The board also approved increasing a half-time math position at MVMS to a full-time position.

The board awarded the contract for financing three new school buses for three years to Kennebec Savings Bank at an annual rate of 1.99 percent. The total cost for the buses came in at $261,600. The state will reimburse the district at a later date.

King said the total enrollment, at 2,664, is down slightly from last year.

“Most rural districts are tapering off, but for a very rural district, there is some stability,” he said of RSU 10.

The official enrollment will be submitted to the Maine Department of Education in October.

King also informed the board that the town of Byron has developed a contract to withdraw from RSU 10. The document has been sent to the district’s attorneys, Drummond Woodsum, for review. King said the small town plans to hold a final withdrawal vote during the November election. If residents decide to withdraw, then students would be tuitioned to RSU 10.

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