EAST MILLINOCKET – Three school administrators will receive no pay increases next year and will begin paying a portion of their health care costs.

The board’s action came Tuesday after three separate executive sessions held to negotiate the individual contracts of the elementary and high school principals and the guidance director.

The three school administrators will begin paying 10 percent of the cost of their health care plan and the school department will pay 90 percent beginning July 1. The school now pays 100 percent of the costs.

Although the administrators received no pay increases, their contracts were extended by one year.

The contract of Ronnee Johnston, principal of the Opal Myrick Elementary school, will now expire in 2006.

The contract for John Doe, the Schenck High School principal, will now run through 2005. The contract for Eric Steeves, the guidance director, will now run through 2005. A stipulation was added to terminate both men’s contracts if Schenck High School is no longer used as a high school next year.

Earlier, the consensus of the School Board was to send its high school students to Stearns in Millinocket next year through a tuition agreement. The board plans to take official action on the proposal in April.

Don Hendsbee, chairman of the board, said the board took precautionary actions until a final decision was made about sending high school students to Millinocket next year.

Doe and Steeves will receive pink slips on March 1. Hendsbee said state law required school officials to give contractual employees a 90-day notice before terminating their position. “They definitely will be working for us if Schenck operates,” he said.

The East Millinocket and Millinocket school boards will hold a joint workshop at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at the Stearns High School library. The single agenda item calls for a discussion about East Millinocket high school students attending Stearns in the fall of 2003. At 5 p.m., tours of the school will be offered.

Although the public can attend the workshop, public comments will not be taken. School officials said public hearings would be held in both towns in the future.