By Bethany Zell
Special to the Aroostook Republican
CARIBOU — The superintendent of schools officially announced his intentions to retire next summer during a regular board meeting of Eastern Aroostook RSU 39 last week.
Also during the Dec. 4 meeting, representatives from the Hilltop Playground Committee updated school board members on plans to expand the playground at the local elementary school
Superintendent Frank McElwain reported the resignation of Caribou Middle School Head Cook, Diane Jackson, and that the district had hired David King as volunteer Destination Imagination assistant coach for Limestone Community School and Brenden Wood as the new assistant wrestling coach at Caribou High School.
He also noted that RSU 39 director John Sjostedt was appointed to serve as a representative to the Presque Isle Regional Technology Center. Updates from administrators at the Learning Center, Caribou Technology Center (see related article) and Caribou High School were also heard.
The preliminary results from a survey conducted regarding the existing harvest break were reviewed by the board. At this time, data from the local farming community are still being collected, but Superintendent McElwain was pleased to share some of the input provided by parents, students and teachers.
When asked whether they wanted to see the harvest break continue, parents and teachers had a dramatically differing viewpoint from the students. Both the parents and staff were in favor of eliminating the harvest break while 90 percent of the students surveyed said that they wanted the long-standing harvest recess tradition to continue.
Parents and staff were also divided on whether to incorporate a common calendar that would allow all K-12 students to have a one-week harvest break.
“It is important that we also consider the feedback from the farmers and we plan to follow up with them by phone, if necessary, so that we can make an informed decision on this matter,” said McElwain.
The board will review the farmers’ data at the next meeting and proceed from there.
Two executive sessions concluded the meeting, one to discuss employee negotiations and the other to consider the re-election of the Superintendent of Schools. Right before the meeting adjourned, a motion was made and carried to accept McElwain’s resignation effective July 31, 2014.
“I announced my plans to retire at this particular meeting to allow the board ample time to find the best candidate to take my place as superintendent,” shared McElwain during a post-meeting interview.
The next meeting of the RSU 39 Board of Education will be Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at the superintendent’s office.
