RSU 9 approves more nonunion raises

FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors, in a weighted vote, approved raises for some nonunion employees Tuesday, Superintendent Tom Ward said Wednesday.

The average of the raises is 2 percent, he said.

The vote included accepting the Contract Resolution Committee’s recommendations on compensation.

Among the employees included are the school psychologist and business manager, social workers, technology technicians and occupational and physical therapists.

The contracts are from July 1, 2016, to June 30.

The superintendent and Leanne Condon, assistant superintendent/director of curriculum, chose not to receive raises, Ward said.

Voting in favor of the raises were Tami Labul and Scott Erb, both of Farmington; Angela LeClair, Keith Swett, and Cherieann Harrison, all of Wilton; Chairwoman Jennifer Zweig Hebert of Starks; Vice Chairwoman Betsey Hyde of Temple; Jennifer Pooler of New Sharon; and Helen Wilkey of Vienna.

Opposed were Craig Stickney of Chesterville, Robert Patterson of Industry and Ryan Morgan of Farmington, Ward said.

Absent were Nancy Crosby of Weld, Richard Hargreaves of New Vineyard and Doug Dunlap of Farmington. Iris Silverstein of Farmington was at the meeting but had to leave before the executive session when the raises were discussed.

The board approved raises for nonunion nutritional staff and nonunion Central Office staff on Jan. 31. Those groups did not include administrators.

In other business, Ward announced the retirements of Debbie Farley, art teacher at Mt. Blue Campus; Lawrence Loring, fourth-grade teacher at Cascade Brook School; and Patricia Blanchard, education technician III at Mallett School.

The retirements are effective at the end of the school year.

Mt. Blue Campus is losing both of its art teachers, Ward said. The retirement of campus art teacher Roger Bisaillon was announced on Jan. 31.

“We will miss them all,” Ward said of those retiring.

NOTE – The story was changed since it was initially published to reflect the correct names of who opposed the contract vote. The information was incorrectly submitted to the Sun Journal.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net