BOWDOINHAM — The School Administrative District 75 board of directors will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at Bowdoinham Community School.

Among other items, a budget report and budget process overview are scheduled.

First, the board plans to discuss four policy changes. The board will consider adopting the proposed Student/ Parent Fundraising Activities policy. Superintendent Brad Smith said SAD 75 officials last reviewed the policy in 1980.

“I think the main emphasis that came up,” Smith said about proposed changes, “is that we want to make sure that any fundraising done in conjunction with a school or school organization has the approval of the school administrator. I think we want to be more aware of how many fundraising events are going on across the district, because they potentially keep impacting the same people.”

Smith said the proposed policy change also aims to minimize the impact, if any, that fundraising would have on the instructional day. There is a considerable level of fundraising at the high school level, Smith said, adding that as the operating budget becomes tighter and tighter, people associated with the school system will seek out more funding sources.

The school board also will consider adopting a policy regarding staff gifts and solicitations. Smith said this proposed policy would clarify language relative to preventing unwanted solicitation directed at staff and students while at the same time striving to ensure that SAD 75 continues to support humanitarian efforts that gain administrative approval ahead of time, Smith said.

The board also will look to eliminate a policy related to Harpswell elementary student placement, because it is no longer needed now that the two elementary schools in Harpswell have been consolidated.

School board members also will consider approving a revised teacher retirement incentive process timeline. The new proposal would set a date at which teachers could give a preliminary indication of their intent to retire, then a second date at which they must confirm their intentions.

This would help school officials better plan around how many teachers may potentially retire and the budget implications, Smith said.

In other business, the school board will take up the following agenda items:

— Approval of proposed changes to the bylaws of the Mt. Ararat High School Boosters.

— Presentation by Ben Volk about his Eagle Scout project.

— Presentation on the Fiscal Year 2011 audit from Kyle Eddy of MacDonald Page.

— Consideration of accepting a Rural Utilities Service grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The district is the managing agent for a $467,873 federal grant to provide equipment and training for 26 different sites around Maine — including five in SAD 75 — as part of a collaborative distance learning initiative. Smith said the district’s auditors raised no issues with the district being the managing agency.

— Consider a request by Kerry Gallivan, technology director, to reduce his position for the balance of the year to 0.85 full-time equivalent.

— Consider approval of two budget revision requests to transfer funds in excess of $5,000 from one budget line to another within the same cost center.

The board is scheduled to meet in executive session to discuss a student matter before hearing committee reports, and a report from Smith including a legislative update.

Prior to the regular board meeting, the Policy Committee will meet at 5 p.m. also at the Bowdoinham Community School. It will discuss revisions to the school board’s voting method, Smith said.

The school board uses a system that distributes 1,000 votes through the four member towns based on the U.S. Census meaning every representative has a weighted vote. The votes have to be adjusted every 10 years based on the census.

Smith said the district just looked at the census and adjusted the policy accordingly as stipulated by law, adding it doesn’t significantly change anything.

The Policy Committee also plans to take a first look at its policy on international exchange students, Smith said.

dmoore@timesrecord.com