PARIS — The Oxford Hills School District board of directors was told Monday night that federal funding for another fifth-grade teacher at Paris Elementary School has been withdrawn.

“We got a ‘Dear John’ letter,” Finance Committee Chairman Barry Patrie told fellow directors.

Patrie said the money was taken back because SAD 17 is ineligible for a rural school grant because its population is over 20,000.

On Oct. 17, directors unanimously approved creating another fifth-grade teaching position to reduce class sizes to an average of 22 students.

On Monday, on the recommendation of the Finance Committee, the board voted to use about $35,000 from the Contingency Fund, which leaves about $355,000 in it. It also unanimously appointed Benjamin Torrey to the fifth-grade teaching job.

Superintendent Rick Colpitts told directors he eventually hopes to find money in the budget to fund the position, but he needed quick access to funds to get the teacher in the classroom.

He said he hopes to address the issue of losing access to certain federal grants because of the district’s 23,000 population — 3,000 more than allowed under the Rural School Grant program — with the state’s congressional delegation when he goes to Washington, D.C., Nov. 14-19 to represent Maine as Superintendent of the Year.

Colpitts will attend the American Association of School Administrators Superintendent of the Year Conference where he and education leaders from across the country will discuss the Every Student Succeeds Act that was signed by President Barack Obama on Dec. 10, 2015. It essentially returns decision-making for education back to local educators, parents and communities.

The Maine School Management Association announced last December that Colpitts was selected as Maine’s Superintendent of the Year by his colleagues. The award recognizes his work in supporting teachers and administrators to help all students achieve, according to the MSMA.

Colpitts also announced Monday that the State Board of Education will hold its Nov. 9 meeting at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and workshops will begin at 9 a.m. High school students will provide entertainment, a tour and lunch for the state board. The public is welcome to attend the meeting in the Forum.

In other business, directors unanimously appointed Catherine Emery as district technology integrator/coach, Deidre Cutter as literacy interventionist at Paris Elementary School, and Shellie Paradis as food service manager at Waterford Elementary School.

Directors also accepted an anonymous $2,000 donation for the Instrument Loaner program at Oxford Elementary School.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link