Board: Mechanic Falls School Committee

Met: Tuesday night

Medicaid cuts

Issue: Recent changes in the federal Medicaid program will cut revenue currently supporting local special education programs.

The scoop: Union 29 Special Education Director Barbara Hasenfus told the School Committee members that unless the recently passed law is amended the Mechanic Falls special education program will lose about $45,000 next year.

Husenfus said the outlook for Minot and Poland is much bleaker as both towns have students placed in out-of-district treatment facilities, which Mechanic Falls does not.

Hasenfus said unless the treatment services are eliminated, their costs will shift to local taxpayers.

Up next: Hasenfus urged School Committee members to contact members of the Maine Congressional delegation, alerting them to the burden that will be placed on local taxpayers.

Attendance policy

The scoop: A parent questioned the Elm Street School’s policy that excludes students who are absent on a given day from participating in any extracurricular activities scheduled for that day. The parent suggested the school principal be allowed to use discretion when dealing with instances where a student might be absent, for example, because of an appointment for a medical test.

Up next: The committee agreed to find out how other districts handle similar situations.

Prekindergarten program

Issue: A proposal was made for beginning a preschool program for 4-year-olds in conjunction with the existing 18-student Tri-Town Head Start program, and with Child Development Services.

The scoop: The program would serve a total of 36 students, with six additional students each from Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland.

The program is not included in the Minot School Committee’s budget that will be voted on at Minot’s town meeting March 1.

Elm Street School Principal Mary Martin said the program requires support from all three towns, therefore, the proposal to begin the preschool program in September will be dropped.

Music festival

Scoop: Principal Martin reported that four students recently had participated in the two-day Capitol District II music festival at the Yarmouth Middle School. The four members of the school’s band, selected through competitive auditions, were David Dean, Jacob Littlefield, Staci Piirainen and Emma Turton.

Retirement

The scoop: The School Committee accepted the resignation Deborah Williams, first and second grade teacher at Elm Street School the past 11 years, effective at the end of the school year. She is retiring.

– By Winslow Durgin