JAY — Regional School Unit 73 directors Thursday approved the $107,360 bid from W. C. Cressey and Son Inc. of Kennebunk for an 89-passenger bus.

Funding will come from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
fund under the federal coronavirus relief bill, Transportation Director Jim Shink said.

A bid of $112,000 was submitted by O’Connor GMC Inc. of Augusta, he said.

The district has a 1998 Bluebird bus with 228,851 miles that is badly rusted and not worth fixing, Shink said. He asked about putting selling it by soliciting bids.

Chairman Robert Staples suggested looking into scrapping because it might bring more money than a bid.

The summer feeding program began this week, Food Service Director Laura Lorette said.

“Jim is providing a bus,” Lorette said. “It will be stopping at various stops throughout the community.”

Families can pick up healthy, prepackaged meals Monday through Thursday from 8 to 10 a.m. at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. The district website lists times and other locations for pick up in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls.

Any child 18 years old or younger is eligible for breakfast and lunch. Meals will be packed to go and offered by drive thru or walk up to promote social distancing.

Summer school is scheduled for July 6 to 29. Sessions will be held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Bus routes for summer school are posted on the district’s website. Three buses will pick students up in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. A bus and van will also be used to transport special education students.

In other business, Superintendent Scott Albert said an updated notice regarding mask wearing was sent by district nurses. With the Gov. Janet Mills’ Civil Emergency declaration ending, after June 30 wearing masks will be a recommendation only, he noted.

Keeping students separated at summer school will still be attempted, as will health checks, Albert said.

The district is seeking to hire a fourth nurse so there will be one in each school, Albert said.

“If we come back and COVID is not gone completely, more contact tracing will be needed, etc.,” he said. “It would take the pressure off our nurses who did a fantastic job this past year.”

Grant money could be used to fund the position, it wouldn’t come out of the budget, Albert said.

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