JAY — Thursday, Regional School Unit 73 Directors voted unanimously to postpone scheduled 2020-21 budget meetings until after the COVID-19 state of emergency has been lifted.
The district budget meeting was scheduled for Thursday, April 9. District referendum voting was to occur Tuesday, April 28 in the towns of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls.
Area school districts announced March 15 that schools would be closed through March 30 due to COVID-19 concerns. On March 20 school closures were extended to at least April 27.
Superintendent Scott Albert said there are no known cases in the district, although Franklin and Androscoggin counties each had one case as of Thursday.
School board members met in two rooms at Spruce Mountain Middle School to meet Governor Janet Mills’ mandate of no public meetings with more than 10 people. The meeting was live-streamed.
Albert said he should know in a week or two if the school closure will be extended further.
“Essential employees, including food service, bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, central office and administrative staff, are continuing to work in school buildings, all others by choice,” he said. “That doesn’t mean work can’t be done from home. There are no groups of more than 10 and we’re keeping social distancing.”
Albert said expectations have been emailed to staff and food service will continue as long as possible.
“The goal is to serve meals Tuesday through Friday of April vacation,” he said. “Soon we may not get food deliveries. If we don’t, we can’t serve food.
“We’ll go as long as we can.”
Albert also said that Spruce Mountain High School Principal TJ Plourde would be meeting with others regarding prom and graduation, which may be in July.
“We want to have as much normalcy as possible,” he said. “Whether that happens in the regular school year or not, we don’t know yet. We’re open to doing things to hold the celebrations they’ve earned.”
In other business, the board approved the 2020-21 school year calendar. The first day of school will be Aug. 31, last student day if no snow days are needed June 9 and graduation June 13. Seven additional snow make-up days through June 18 are also included.
Albert said one change will be two workshop days March 18 and 19. The workshop day at the end of the year was eliminated.
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