DIXFIELD — Superintendent Craig King told the Regional School Unit 10 board Monday night that finding enough bus drivers has been difficult.

“We need to do something about bus drivers,” he said. “We have two permanent positions” open.

To curtail overtime and get new drivers, he is checking with educational technicians planning to retire to see if they would be willing to be trained as bus drivers, he said.

King said the search for a new principal for Meroby Elementary School in Mexico is about to begin.

Longtime Principal Melanie Chasse left the district in August to become assistant superintendent in Regional School Unit 16 in Poland.

King said a survey will be sent to school board members, Meroby staff and parents. The answers will provide a foundation for screening applications.

“We hope by after February vacation to have a replacement,” he said.

Also Monday, Brenda Gross of Hanover was appointed as a special education teacher at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford. She has served the district in various capacities since 2003-04.

William Lane was approved as a special education teacher for Dirigo High School in Dixfield.

King told the board that the Negotiation Committee will soon begin work on new contracts for teachers, educational technicians and central office staff. The contracts expire on June 30, 2016.

Appointed to represent the school board on the Region 9 School of Applied Technology board was Roxbury representative Denise Cross.

Carthage board member Ronnie Hutchinson told the board that the next withdrawal meeting of representatives from Peru, Carthage, Canton and Dixfield is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Dixfield high school. The towns previously made up SAD 21 and are considering leaving RSU 10.

King said the Maine Department of Education has granted the towns an extension to Feb. 2 to submit a withdrawal plan.

The town of Byron, which is also taking steps to possibly withdraw from RSU 10, has recently submitted a proposal for educating its students to the RSU 10 board. King said the district’s lawyer, Richard Spencer, is writing a counterproposal.

The other district towns include Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Rumford, Mexico and Roxbury.

A moment of silence in memory of former Dirigo High School teacher and former Mountain Valley High School Principal Bruce Lindberg was held before the meeting.

The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14.

Copy the Story Link