The Community School District unanimously approved a $20 increase in educational technician substitute pay at their Sept. 9 meeting. The move raised the rate from $130 a day to $150 a day, which largely matches the rate for substitute teachers.  

The district is having difficulties staffing ed tech substitute roles, according to chair Jenn Whitney and Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler. They said people prefer to fill the teacher substitute roles, and the increase will help fill positions. Comparable rates for neighboring schools range from $130 to $160 per day, according to Whitney. 

In other business, Finance Director Kathleen Pearce said the district expects around a $362,000 surplus from the last fiscal year. However, she said exact figures may change because they are estimates based on unaudited projections. “As long as the auditors don’t make too many adjustments, which I don’t expect they will, this will go directly to the undesignated fund balance,” Pearce said.  

Whitney said the surplus is an asset and a testament to adhering to last year’s budget freeze, and why it was put in place.  

Kahler reported Maine Municipal Bond Bank approved the district’s application for their fall sale. He said the $1.6 million bond will cover the remaining balances for work as part of the district’s priority repair project. He also said it will pay off an around $500,000 bond anticipation note from a local bank earlier this year, which allowed the school to begin repairs over the summer. 

School administrators gave their first updates for the new school year. High school principal Tricia Campbell reported the school’s new program to have students store phones and other devices in locked pouches is underway and largely successful. She said most students are working with the new requirements despite some expected pushback.  

“We’re hearing them interact, they’re laughing and they are talking,” she said. “They have been embracing it to the best of their ability, and, I have to say, I've been impressed.”   

The board also discussed ongoing efforts to review district policies, with special interest on how policies relate to the committee, the board of trustees, and both boards. During a special meeting Aug. 29, the committee created a CSD policy review subcommittee. The group will run parallel to efforts by the board of trustees, and the two boards are expected to compare findings at a later stage.  

Committee member Tory Paxson said the subcommittee, which she is part of, had their first meeting last week. According to her, writing of policies “clearly” falls under the committee’s purview, but there are policies that directly affect the trustees. She said the board of trustees are a valuable asset to the district but questioned whether it is appropriate to have a joint subcommittee or for the trustees to vote on policies. Instead, she proposed having one or two trustee liaisons to the board.