PARIS — The School Administrative District 17 board of directors tabled a motion Monday night to approve the first reading of a new policy that details the duties of school resource officers.

The Policy Committee requested the delay until it can meet again.

Superintendent Rick Colpitts said the committee has no objection to the policy but it needs a quorum to approve a recommendation to the full board before the policy is implemented.

In October, a majority of SAD 17 directors agreed to move forward with a plan to place a school resource officer in the Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway. The position will be paid with a $125,000 grant the Norway Police Department received from the Office of Community Oriented Police Services, or COPS, in the U.S. Department of Justice.

Oxford Hills Comprehensive High and Oxford Hills Middle schools, both in Paris, have a school resource officer. The policy applies to those two schools and the Rowe school.

All school policies get two readings before a vote it taken. Once the policy is adopted it’s expected the board will sign a memorandum of understanding, in effect agreeing to the use of the COPS grant.

In other matters, the directors received an update from Oxford Hills Technical School Director Shawn Lambert on activities during the past year.

Lambert told directors the school has received a $47,000 grant from the state to institute a plumbing program next year, and it’s hired a new instructor for the diversified program this school year. The school increased its student enrollment, has a new website and is constantly seeking grants to improve the 19 programs offered at the technical school.

Colpitts also acknowledged longtime SAD 17 Director Don Gouin of Norway, who recently received a letter from President Barack Obama congratulating him on his 62 years in local education.

“The most important thing to me in the last 62 years is the friendships I have made,” Gouin said.

Board members also discussed the need to address ongoing bus mechanical problems that are being caused, in part, because the four mechanics are also bus drivers. Director Barry Patrie of Waterford suggested looking into contracting transportation service, while others suggested hiring mechanics for two shifts so repairs can be made during the evening when the buses are not on routes.

Operations Committee Chairman Lewis Williams of Hebron said the committee will continue discussing how to resolve the issues.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link