TOPSHAM
School Administrative District 75 is preparing to provide special-education services to a newly formed charter school within the district.
The SAD 75 Board of Directors discussed a contract Thursday with the new Harpswell Coastal Academy that Patrick Moore, SAD 75’s director of special services, said is worth “$20,000-plus.”
It is a suggested one-year contract, he said.
Moore said there are nine students attending SAD 75 now and three from other school districts who require special-education services.
Harpswell Coastal Academy is responsible for providing a “free, appropriate public education to all of the students there,” Moore said.
“We are being contracted to provide some of the specialeducation services that they decide need to be provided that they’re unable to,” SAD 75 Superintendent Brad Smith said. “They will have their own special education staff and they will be responsible for providing special educations to their students.”
The contract will be discussed at a future meeting.
The board also voted unanimously Thursday to appoint Chris Lajoie to the post of Mt. Ararat High School assistant principal. Lajoie is currently assistant principal at Woodside Elementary School.
The board also voted to again enter a contract with St. John’s School in Brunswick to continue providing lunches to the school next school year.
The board took several votes Thursday to honor retiring teachers, including longtime Mt. Ararat High School teachers Claudette Brassil and Rick Bartlett.
Brassil, an English teacher, started at Mt. Ararat High School in 1974. Bartlett, who taught social studies, sociology and psychology, also coached varsity golf, softball and girl’s basketball.
Another retiring longtime teacher is Mt. Ararat High School graduate Michael Estes, a Bowdoin Central School teacher who started at West Harpswell School in 1975.
Other retiring staff recognized Thursday included Katherine Babbitt, specialeducation technician at Mt. Ararat schools; David Cowing, high school special educator; David LeClerc, groundskeeper; Phoebe Fraser, middle school education technician; Ruth Horwitch, middle school education technician; Ian Mackenzie, high school guidance councilor; Jackie Merrill, bus driver for Harpswell; Deborah Patterson, Woodside Elementary School speech and language teacher; Kevin Ridge, Williams-Cone School fifth-grade teacher; Leon Smith, sixth-grade math and social studies teacher; Deborah Smith, Harpswell Community School third-grade teacher; Shirley Timblin, middle school custodian; and Doreen Young, Bowdoinham Community School first-grade teacher.
The board also formally accepted the resignation of Mt. Ararat High School Principal Craig King.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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