SAD 70 to check funding options

HODGDON — School officials in SAD 70 will look into district financing options at the request of town officials in New Limerick to see if it is possible to make the district’s funding formula more equitable.

Superintendent Terry Comeau told the board of directors Monday night that town officials in New Limerick had asked him to explore the possibility that something could be done to equalize municipal costs of education throughout the district.

Town officials were concerned about the fact that New Limerick paid almost $4,500 for each of its 83 students in 1989-90. The town paid 39 percent of the district’s total budget, but had only 11 percent of the students.

Other towns in the district, their student populations and school costs per pupil were: Amity, 35 students, $1,444; Cary Plantation, 40 students, $1,049; Haynesville, 45 students, $1,060; Hodgdon, 298 students, $736; Linneus, 178 students, $862; and Ludlow, 76 students, $903.

The Louisiana Pacific Corp. waferboard mill is located in New Limerick. As a result, that town has a greater property valuation than the other towns. Since the SAD 70 financing formula is based on 100 percent property valuation, the town must pay a larger share of the school costs. However, a large portion of that cost is paid by LP as part of its local tax obligation.

Comeau said he had met with town officials at their request and had agreed to work with the state to see what options were available.

The directors asked the superintendent to report on the possible development of a policy to govern the use of snowmobiles for students going to and from school.

Joseph Dahl, principal at the Hodgdon Middle School, said that a request had been made by seven or eight pupils at the school that they be allowed to use snowmobiles as a transportation option.

Comeau said that there were dangers in allowing the use of snowmobiles for transportation purposes, but he also said that the rural nature of the district provided it with an opportunity to make use of a unique transportation option.

Woodrow Dunphy, principal at Hodgdon High School, said a few students there used snowmobiles to go to and from school. Because there was no district policy on snowmobiles, he treated the issue the same as for automobiles. The use of automobiles was restricted to juniors and seniors who had parental permission for such use.

Board member Mary Boucher said she was opposed to the idea because she said seventh- and eighth-grade pupils were too young to be using snowmobiles to travel to school.

Thomas and Gail Mailman were at the meeting to discuss plans for an apple orchard to be planted on school property in memory of their daughter who was killed last year in a car accident. The board approved their request to proceed with soil tests and other related work to be able to order the trees in time for spring planting.