At the February 12 School Committee meeting, Assistant Superintendent Christopher Record reported on the district’s combined effort with other Town departments and community groups to develop a detailed action plan to address addiction and opioid misuse. This plan, funded by the State to serve as a pilot project for all communities, “can’t just sit on the shelf,” said Record. “It requires town leadership” to keep it moving forward in Gorham.
For the district’s part, Record noted, among other things, their request for a health counselor in next year’s budget for the Gorham Middle School, where there is a serious gap in this support during a vulnerable time in a young person’s life. He also implored the Committee to stay involved with the implementation of this action plan with meetings that are about more “than just the budget.” Chair Stewart McCallister voiced his support.
On the topic of budgets, Superintendent Heather Perry sounded a somewhat optimistic note on a $900,000 increase in state aid for Gorham based on the Governor’s Proposed Supplemental Budget. She stressed, however, that this increase must still be approved by the legislature and noted that the increase won’t even cover known staff salary and insurance cost increases for the upcoming school year. That said, it’s potentially “good news for Gorham.”
The Committee voted unanimously to send the Town Council a memo recommending doubling the threshold needed for capital improvement projects to go to referendum. The current $250,000 threshold hasn’t accounted for inflationary costs since it was originally set more than 28 years ago. As a result, annual reinvestments in capital renovations or renewals are requiring a referendum, which causes delays and adds significant legal and administrative fees.
Committee member Darryl Wright noted that intent of this language in the charter is still critically important to assure transparency and taxpayer involvement regarding new capital improvements, but simply needs to be adjusted for inflation. A project costing $250,000 28 years ago, he pointed out, would cost $445,554.17 today, which is why they are recommending a doubling of the threshold to $500,000.
In other actions, the Committee approved the 2020/21 school calendar with school starting for all students on September 1 and ending on June 17. Daily start and stop times will remain the same as this year.