Staff Writer

With worries behind them in regard to this year’s budget with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 replenishing the $27 million curtailment to the state’s current education budget, the new board members of Regional School Union 21, encompassing Maine School Administrative District 71 and Arundel, are focusing on planning next year’s budget. 

RSU 21 Interim Superintendent Patrick Manuel began Monday’s presentation by outlining the district’s budget priorities. He said the district’s academic priorities include language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign language and technology education. 

Health, physical education, art, music, drama, industrial arts and business technology are second priorities within schools and may see cuts if the budget needs to be reduced, Manuel said. Current Arundel Superintendent “Bump” Hadley agreed with Manuel’s priority assessment as the school districts merge.

“Existing in our school community is the philosophy that any impact having to cut the budget would not be put on the backs of Mildred L. Day and K through five students. We’d like to maintain the program we currently have,” Hadley said. 

“MSAD 71 is the bigger district, but we welcome Arundel and want to work together,” Manuel said. 

Kennebunk Elementary School Principal Sara Zito presented the priorities for the new district elementary schools, including Consolidated School in Kennebunkport, Sea Road School in Kennebunk and Mildred L. Day School in Arundel. 

“We’ve taken the five-year plan we developed and dove-tailed the four schools together into one plan. Our priorities and goals are similar, but there are significant challenges ahead that will require a cooperative spirit and sense of community,” Zito said. 

She said the elementary schools’ priorities include focusing on building the capacity for instruction, supporting staff through professional development and providing equitable opportunities for all children at the elementary level. 

Middle School of the Kennebunks Principal Jeff Rodman said the school’s budget priorities are aligned with the requirements of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle School Years Program, which are met across eight subject areas [language arts, humanities, technology, math, arts, sciences, physical education and secondary language] through the five areas of professional development [approaches to learning, environment, health and social education, community and service and human ingenuity]. 

At the high school level, Principal Peter Dawson said he wants to find the “delicate balance” between growing the IB program and maintaining the breadth of offerings for the entire student body. 

“With these budget times we face, I’m hoping to hang on to what we already have. I do see things we need and want to improve, so is there a way of siphoning off things we don’t need?” Dawson asked. 

Director of Special Education Susan Mulsow echoed similar priorities mentioned by each school principal, and said she wants to continue delivering quality services and programs to each special needs student. 

District Director of Information Technologies Jason Saltmarsh said his top priority is to have district emails set up and ready for the official July 1 consolidation, and then he hopes to work on technology equity for staff and students within the district. 

“The district email for MSAD 71 is central to district communication. The sooner we have good communication between all schools it will feel more comfortable. It will feel as if we’re one unit,” Saltmarsh said. 

With general priorities in place, Manuel said the new board  will continue to discuss the upcoming budget throughout March.