RSU 9 director wants transparency

FARMINGTON — RSU 9 Director Craig Stickney of Chesterville said Tuesday night he was disturbed by the lack of transparency within the school district and cited several examples.

Stickney noted that in early April there was an incident involving the boys’ lacrosse team in which two students were suspended. The school board didn’t find out about it until late May.

Stickney said also that he had voted with the school board in favor of the Success and Innovation Center at Mt. Blue High School because he thought it would be extremely beneficial to students. However, no financial statements were received about grants for the program and how they were being used, he said.

In another instance, Stickney said, a deal was made to have Chinese students attend Mt. Blue High School in 2017-18 as part of an international student program. The problem, he said, was a contract was signed without proper documentation.

Most recently, Stickney received a phone call from one of the parents living in the school district who said they had been asked to provide housing for a Chinese student six days before that student arrived.

“As a board member, I’d like to know when things are happening around here, but we don’t,” he said.

Stickney suggested that Superintendent Thomas Ward seek employment elsewhere because he had no confidence in Ward’s leadership.

“I would remind you, Mr. Stickney, that we have an evaluation process,” Ward said. “If you do not like the way I do my job, there is an evaluation form for that.”

He added that “not one cent of taxpayer money” was being spent on any of the issues that Stickney brought up.

Ward added that the weighted voting system Stickney had protested in the past was legal according to the opinion of Drummond Woodsum, RSU 9’s law firm. Stickney said weighted voting may be legal, but RSU 9 should look at getting another law firm that’s less expensive.

“My opinion is that Tom Ward has given a lot of himself to this district,” Wilton Director Cherieann Harrison said. “He has the schools’ best interests in mind and the kids’ best interests in mind.”

In other business, Assistant Superintendent Leanne Condon announced her resignation effective Aug. 18 to take a position as director of curriculum, instruction and assessment in RSU 10 in Rumford. Even though Condon starts work in RSU 10 on Aug. 14, she said she would finish up her work in RSU 9 concurrently thanks to a superintendents’ agreement.

Condon started working as a teacher in RSU 9 in 1997. From 2008 to 2010, she worked in RSU 52 in Turner, then came back to work as RSU 9 curriculum coordinator and assistant superintendent.

“It has been a pleasure to work in RSU 9,” she told the board of directors. “It is a very difficult decision to leave.”

Directors also:

• Approved a timeline for setting the 2017-18 school budget. A second attempt to pass it failed Aug. 3. The board will meet Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Mt. Blue High School to set the budget and will hold the annual budget meeting at the high school Sept. 5.

A referendum will take place in the school district’s towns on Sept. 12. Those towns are Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.

• Welcomed new directors Lidie Robbins of Vienna and Jeff Harris of New Sharon.

bmatulaitis@sunmediagroup.net