The Vassalboro School Board’s Dec. 10 meeting featured a virtual presentation by two of the three members of the student and staff wellness team at Vassalboro Community School (VCS).
Counselors Gina Davis and Jamie Routhier explained what they and social worker Megan Simmons do, working with students and their families, other staff members and outside groups. They praised the Colby Cares program, which lets Colby students act as mentors to VCS students, and the cooperation with Mid-Maine Technical Center.
Jamie called the threesome “an amazing team,” and VCS Principal Ira Michaud added, “We couldn’t get by without them.”
Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer shared a multi-subject report, beginning with the welcome news that the Maine Department of Transportation has put up proper signage for the school zone. Vassalboro Police Chief Mark Brown is aware of the posted speed limits, Pfeiffer added.
The superintendent described social media as “the biggest social experiment ever,” without guardrails. He urged everyone listening to watch a 90-minute Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma. It features people who created the various social media platforms warning of the consequences of their inventions, he said.
Board members approved the superintendent’s recommendation for a wage increase for substitute workers in three categories, to bring them to the legal state minimum. Pfeiffer said there might be additional recommended changes after contracts are renegotiated for other personnel.
Pfeiffer, speaking for finance director Paula Pooler, reported that the 2024-25 budget remains on track. He expects the state to set the high-school tuition rate in the next couple weeks, and tuition bills to start arriving soon afterwards.
Board members had planned a workshop session before the Dec. 10 meeting on proposed improvements to the VCS building, with Thomas Seekins, co-president of Portland-based Energy Management Consultants, Inc. (EMC). The workshop was postponed due to weather. It is now scheduled for 4:45 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, before the next board meeting.
Pfeiffer will invite Vassalboro Budget Committee members to hear Seekins’ Jan. 14 presentation. Interested community members are welcome to attend.
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by Mary Grow
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