GOOD NEWS - AND THINGS TO PONDER

The "Good News" is:

The ice on the pond (western end at least down toward the cove and Rooks Landing) was totally gone by 4PM on Saturday. It looked to be clear water all the way across to the Holden side. No idea how far down toward the eastern end (by the dam locks) it may be clear, but it looks to be pretty much so as far as the eye can see. There may be some "slushy ice" over toward the far southeastern coves, but, if so, it should be gone tomorrow considering the temperatures.

The loons were singing this morning around 7:30 while there was still plenty of shale ice up here in the western cove. One thing I noticed this year though has been the absence of the red fox. First time in three years I haven't seen her. Perhaps the construction next door spooked her off. Sad, though.

Clifton held its Town Meeting today. Seems to me this is also the day those folks will be electing their new School Board member. Sure hopes she knows something about budgets, finance, business management or something related to those fields. That way the School Board Chair can appoint her to the Budget and Finance Committee and replace one of the THREE members (as in all three) from Holden. When Therese Anderson was elected Chair of the School Board, she could no longer serve as a member on any committee. (FYI, The Chair serve as Ex Officio on all committees but does not have a vote. Since There were only two Board members to choose from - Don Varnum and Chris Fickett, and Fickett hasn't shown up for any meetings for over two months, Varnum was the only choice. That meant all three were from Holden - Sylvia Ellis, Mario Teisl - the Chair, and the Varnum.)

Now, those things to Ponder - and of course they relate to the situation with the School Board and the upcoming Budget and what will (and won't) be proposed at this coming Monday's School Board meeting - 6:30pm.

With no disrespect to Dave Anderson, principal at the Holden School and the heir apparent for the Interim Superintendent's position (hand-picked by the out-going Ray Hart)...

The SAD 63 School Board has known for a long time that Hart's contract was expiring June 30, 2010. Heck, the man can hardly open any meeting without announcing how many (few) days he has left before he can finally be retired again and resume playing golf down around his home in Stockton Springs. Additionally, the School Board knew last year that the Business Manager's contract was expiring June 30, 2010, as well, because she wanted to hold onto that three-year contract instead of the offered multi-year "new contract" because any new contract wouldn't have that infamous Bonus Clause that Hart says he eliminated.....

So, with all of the 12 months of notice, why didn't the School Board activate a Personnel Committee months ago for the purpose of advertising and recruiting applications for an Interim Superintendent AND a Business Manager in what would have been an open and forth-right manner? This writer knows there have been Board members stating the Business manager's position would elicit qualified applicants for a compensation package at the $50,000. range. And the current individual could have applied and competed if she were willing to accept the position at that level of compensation.

The district had plenty of indications for months it would not be consolidating with ANY partners by July 1, what with the do-nothing position of the former Chairman and then the not-too-surprising actions of Dedham and Orrington, followed by the traditional non-responsive position of the Commissioner. So why did the Board decide to do nothing about recruiting for an Interim Superintendent and Business Manager on their own? Are the members of the School Board incapable of making decisions without the directions (dictates) of Hart?

Hart appears to be hand-picking Dave Anderson as his successor. True, Anderson has (apparently) agreed to do the job for only $15,000 for the year. What a bargain when Hart states he received $45,000 (and thinks he was worth more). Hart's contract was for $200./day - $600./week for three days a week plus various expenses. However, Anderson has stated he has certain "requirements." He believes the principal should maintain a presence in his school (and for which he will be paid $75,000./year). Seems reasonable and responsible - from the principal point of view. So - to that end, the School Board is going to be asked to approve moving the Central Office (the office of the Superintendent) from Holbrook Middle School to Holden School.

Regardless of whether the moving of Central Office costs nothing (because the district will utilize district staff to move the equipment and furniture, etc.) or the various amounts that have been cited in and out of various meetings (from $49,000 to $79,000 which was mentioned at the Eddington Selectmen's meeting March 16th), the question of "WHY" should still be asked. The superintendent is still responsible for visiting and checking in on ALL three schools in the district as past of the duties of the position. So why not keep the Central Office at Holbrook which is where the Superintendent will need to check in anyway? If the Superintendent's secretary is still located at Holbrook (and that position is to be retained), why can't she communicate as needed with Anderson via phone or email or skype at his Holden office during those times when he is at Holden. This is an Interim position, isn't it? And he is still going to be required to attend meetings away from the Holden School. The position of Interim Superintendent will have duties and responsibilities that the Board and the district has a right to expect to be fulfilled - regardless of the compensation paid.

Perhaps the reason the School Board (under the influence of Hart) didn't activate a Personnel Committee - search committee - was to do so would have begged the obvious issue of the Business Manager position. A position which is over-paid and has a part-time assistant as it is. It's not as though other district staff report the individual in question regularly reports to work at 8am and works until 5pm.... (Or maybe when one receives a compensation equal to two of the three principals and has better health benefits than the principals one isn't expected to put in a 40 hour work week.) The fact is, there are a lot of people well qualified to do the job who would be more than eager to apply for the position at $50,000, with a more reasonable benefits package. And the district could save $25,000.

So, if everything is supposedly "ON THE TABLE" for consideration in order to reduce the budget deficit, and when teacher positions and educational programs are on the chopping block - why is one position sacro-sanct? $25,000 is the equivalent to at least one teacher position maybe. A cost-saving certainly when we're being told there will be an $800,000 to $500,000 shortfall this year and EVERYONE is going to have to feel some of the pain - make sacrifices...

The Bottom Line Question here is: Does the School Board run the School Board or does Hart? The taxpayers and voters elected the School Board - not Hart. If the members of the Board can't be depended upon to do what's right, can the taxpayers really believe anything the Board tells them at the May 17 Public Hearing? Based on the "discussion" between Kevin Mills and Hart at the March 8 joint committee meeting (see the previous positing), this writer thinks the taxpayers and voters need to be prepared to carefully consider who to trust. Ethics seems to be in short commodity these days.