[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6115094,"mediaKeyId","2739884-7e92d8205df51b42ca97da9a3a97e9eb","parentId",2739884,"title","RSU 05 budget debate centers on proposed ESOL cut, assistant principals and middle‑school staffing","audioSeconds",5066,"startMs",689000,"endMs",5755000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2739884-7e92d8205df51b42ca97da9a3a97e9eb&start=689&end=5755","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2739884-7e92d8205df51b42ca97da9a3a97e9eb/thumbnail_689000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6115094/Maine/RSU-05-budget-debate-centers-on-proposed-ESOL-cut-assistant-principals-and-middleschool-staffing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115094-8b10e42f41e45dd834dae6bf15574967/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144860&Signature=iKHv6pmU939rZrbYtQEGRL0MzSu0Alw30ep18DPHxQPcT4ZFZkJ-Ewmg2xAhfVwvDb5sN~FRYn6G43jZolPcz55SebjN1b22FqFvTu086J0YBCbx2MB8G~fT4ZMYeZIf8cmupPOGhQpd71Oyu5NquSClEqmRQhJVmEnfjjaUixzVPS-6m5UGSeIilnxmgIIH80MO~J0Oj~tUyWcAAiB2IaPUF48qMkCK4wXyYm6oxJvs~z1i~20OtdP8pWYthYvJ-SZcbEUQcI7G5KyMX5DgRaHcpjV-xsdmBV~~zQ3Nq~1bCFopdRQh6mamFDkchbeTv2gwKOwbw4fKnw8C-xC5OQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","RSU 05","date","2025-03-20T03:07:02Z","article","RSU 05 school board members spent much of their March 19 meeting reviewing budget options and hearing public comment on proposed staffing cuts, with multilingual education (ESOL), assistant principals at elementary schools and several fractional middle‑school teaching positions drawing the most attention.

Public comment opened the discussion. Student speaker Rosa Fuma urged the board to keep a multilingual teacher at the high school, telling the board the multilingual program \"is a lifeline\" for students and families and describing the teacher as \"an advocate, a guide, and a constant source of support.\" Several Moore Street School staff — including teacher Bethany Howard and literacy specialist Melissa Gadbois — described how a full‑time assistant principal has supported special‑education programming, teacher evaluations and behavior interventions. Howard said an assistant principal \"is justified at Moore Street, and I do not support the removal of an assistant principal from our budget.\" ESOL staff and counselors also addressed the board: Freeport High School ESOL teacher Jill Hyland warned a 0.5 reduction in ESOL staffing would make it impossible to provide current levels of direct ESOL instruction and family support, and counselor Liz Pearson asked the board to consider a smaller reduction if cuts were necessary.

Administrators presented the district’s budget rationale and a set of specific options for reductions and restorations. Key figures presented at the meeting included: $146,330 estimated wages and benefits for a full assistant principal position; $295,800 proposed to move from undesignated fund balance into Article 1 reserves to cover Title I‑funded wages and benefits; $618,517 proposed into Article 2 reserves to cover local entitlement costs and out‑of‑district placements; and a $6,000 local increase to fund specific life‑safety items in the capital article. The superintendent noted the district lost 87 students between the 2023 and 2024 counts and said state subsidy decreased by about $207,000 as a result.

District presenters described options for middle‑school schedules and staffing that would preserve science and STEM time while changing how some unified arts and wellness offerings are delivered. Durham Community School and Freeport Middle School principals explained possible schedule models that shift instructional blocks and use alternation of double‑period science blocks to preserve lab time. The middle‑school administrators said several fractional positions (for example, 0.25 or 0.5 FTE roles) had been proposed for reduction and argued those fractional posts were used for differentiation, RTI/MTSS support and day‑to‑day coverage.

Board members conducted informal straw polls and a series of deliberations rather than taking a formal budget vote. In the course of deliberations the board indicated support in a straw poll for preserving the high‑school ESOL position at full time rather than cutting it to 0.5 FTE; that result was described in the meeting transcript as a board decision reached by poll, not a formal adopted budget. Members also discussed adding back one full teacher equivalent at the middle‑school staffing line (either as a single full teacher or several fractional positions equaling one FTE) and the trade‑offs that choice would have for the district’s year‑over‑year expenditure percentage. The board did not adopt a final budget at the March 19 meeting; the district’s timeline shows a final budget adoption vote is scheduled for next week and a printed taxpayer brochure would be mailed if a final number is set on schedule.

Administrators also noted contingency and reserve options: last year the district used about $900,000 of undesignated fund balance; for the upcoming budget staff proposed using roughly $1,068,000 (which includes funds for a vehicle replacement plan). The superintendent said Title I and other federal funding sources have fluctuated and that moving specified sums into reserve accounts could protect staffing if federal funds were reduced.

What’s next: the board left the budget open for further deliberation at next week’s meeting. Administrators were asked to produce a small set of follow‑up numbers (tax‑impact estimates under several alternative scenarios and detail on the proposed wellness curriculum and unified‑arts schedules) to help the board finalize a recommended budget before publication of the taxpayer brochure and the district’s annual budget meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-03-19 Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At the March 19 RSU 05 board meeting parents, teachers and students urged the board to retain ESOL and assistant‑principal positions while board members and administrators debated reserve moves, staffing tradeoffs and how several fractional teacher positions at the middle school could be reorganized.","taxTitle","RSU 05, School Districts, Maine","taxId",38829,"location","Maine","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6115099,"RSU 05 board approves hiring of Erica Mazzeo as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment",241,349000,590000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2739884-7e92d8205df51b42ca97da9a3a97e9eb&start=349&end=590","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2739884-7e92d8205df51b42ca97da9a3a97e9eb/thumbnail_349000.jpg","/articles/6115099/Maine/RSU-05-board-approves-hiring-of-Erica-Mazzeo-as-assistant-superintendent-for-curriculum-instruction-and-assessment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115099-b6facee63cc49760909f5d217fc2404c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144860&Signature=PlH~7X9Gy8p02MG8sJ52VRDu0SUhvLoJC3xZSNAPiI4WMXdGAgzPcbtky31Yfo3Z52oS~NIy1iGfSRuPH-c-zLPQyUk5QzpfqpiYd9e3~kGFlaGLE4qR44iVZr2vU1s3J3bE5-S-kzsDcaywnx4x42zp4EXiFcGfhf1LYtlLfQUUhnVZU~NcMaz-KrDCaT47puOca1FvZB~qyL6nbuJuzYQOLEcE59Y8i0WnrQe~1lm43BmhtuCRIcdws~Vg85x67BLn~neIzfeRAi7vXMTODSU2RbwGAqviQtlxO-2FA9QHU9EIxEi8hWhJBbVZUR3dkcFRj8ckEd8h8nAC5smXBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The RSU 05 school board on March 19 approved the appointment of Erica Mazzeo as assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the 2025–26 school year.

Mazzeo was presented to the board after a multi‑week search and interview process that included a selection committee made up of board members, community members, principals, directors and teachers, district officials said. The board voted on the employment motion after the candidate presentation; the vote was recorded as unanimous with no opposition.

Mazzeo’s résumé presented to the board lists a bachelor’s degree in parks management from the University of North Carolina, a master’s in international education from Framingham State College, an advanced certificate in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine and current doctoral study in educational leadership at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The materials shown to the board also say she holds certification as a curriculum director and as a superintendent of schools.

According to the district summary, Mazzeo’s professional experience includes English language arts classroom teaching overseas and in the U.S., leadership roles in international schools in Poland and elsewhere, and director of curriculum, instruction and assessment roles in Maine districts including RSU 4 (Ellsworth), Falmouth and RSU 57 (Wiscasset). The presentation to the board cited references describing her as “profoundly intelligent,” “extremely organized” and “well respected” by teachers.

The board’s formal action on employment concluded the public portion of the personnel item. The district indicated the new assistant superintendent will begin work for the 2025–26 school year; no additional onboarding details or a start date were specified at the meeting.

The board will consider the remaining personnel and budget items at follow‑up meetings this month.","At its March 19 meeting the RSU 05 school board approved the employment of Erica Mazzeo as assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the 2025–26 school year. Her hiring follows a multi‑stakeholder search and unanimous board vote.","actionData","errors"]

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RSU 05 budget debate centers on proposed ESOL cut, assistant principals and middle‑school staffing

RSU 05 board approves hiring of Erica Mazzeo as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment