FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors learned Tuesday that a program to help students with their behavior will not be available as intended for the 2018-19 school year.

In a phone interview following the meeting, Superintendent Tina Meserve said changes were made to Pathways for All Learners due to staffing.

The program addresses regular education students in kindergarten through fifth grade who show significant behavioral problems, Meserve said. In May, voters approved spending $461,403 to implement the program.

“PAL was designed to have two programs. One for students in K-2 and one for students in 3-5,” Meserve noted.

The program was to employ a board certified behavioral analyst, social worker, teachers and education technicians.

Last month, directors voted to offer the program only to kindergarten through second grade students because staffing vacancies were not filled.

Meserve said finding a teacher for the program has continued to be challenging and the plan is to offer the program in regular classrooms this year.

In other matters, Meserve said results of air-quality tests at Cascade Brook School were expected to be returned in the coming days.

The testing was ordered following the discovery of Aspergillus and Penicillium mold in the physical education office and two storage areas. Atlantic Environmental Contractors of Lewiston has been hired to clean the space, which could take several weeks.

dmenear@thefranklinjournal.com

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