PARIS — SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts told the board of directors Monday that the blue-ribbon commission on education met Monday in Augusta and has sent back the draft report to the Legislature and Gov, Paul LePage for “significant revisions.”

Colpitts is a member of the Commission to Reform Public Education Funding and Improve Student Performance in Maine.

The 15-member commission was created by the Legislature in 2015 and charged with identifying solutions to lower the cost of education and improve student performance.

The five-page report and a 15-page addendum was phase one of a two-phase process. During this phase, the commission identified a series of recommendations for reforming Maine’s education system, but recommendations would necessitate additional education funding.

“Nothing will happen this year,” Colpitts said, because the state budget process is already underway.

While Colpitts did not go into detail about what revisions are anticipated, the draft report’s overall goal is “to improve student achievement and eliminate the income achievement gap between economically disadvantaged and advantaged students through a system of education reforms and cost efficiencies.”

To achieve that goal, the commission says multiple objectives and strategies are required, as well as regional solutions where possible and appropriate.

In its current draft, the commission outlined the following four objectives and strategies with recommendations to achieve each:

• Classroom instruction improvement at all grade levels;

• All students graduating on time with a high school level of proficiency by expanding access to high-quality educational opportunities;

• All children enrolled in kindergarten being proficient readers by the end of third grade; and

• Greater efficiency achieved in the use of resources.

Colpitts said the commission is expected to meet in about a week to continue its discussions.

The second phase of the report will provide detailed plans, including cost analysis.

Also on Monday, directors unanimously approved a one-year extension of Colpitts’ contract. The action followed an executive session to conduct an evaluation. The board is required by state law to review the superintendent’s performance each year and to decide whether to extend his or her contract. He is currently paid an annual salary of $111,661.

In other news, the board:

* Voted to approve the nomination of Tina Christophersen as adult education director to replace Clyde Clark, who retired late last year.

* Voted to create a district technology secretary using about $13,000 of money already in this year’s budget. The position will replace a more-costly full-time technology secretary position that was vacated at the end of the 2015-16 school year. The duties of the position will be more secretarial in nature than the previous position, which provided more technical support.

* Approved a field trip to Boston in March for grades four, five and six at Hebron Station School. 

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net