RSU 26 board approves SRF grants, awards OMS entry contract and calls budget validation referendum

RSU 26’s school board on April 14 unanimously approved two school-revolving renovation fund (SRF) authorizations for projects at Omsted Middle School and voted to award the OMS entry contract to the low bidder.

The chair moved to add two SRF items to the evening’s agenda and then asked the board to approve a motion authorizing $502,057 in SRF loan-forgiveness grant financing for the OMS entry project. The motion, presented by the chair and explained by Superintendent Meredith, passed on a recorded vote of 5–0.

The board then authorized $588,807 in SRF loan-forgiveness grant financing for renovation of OMS restrooms, again voting 5–0 to approve the motion as presented.

Superintendent Meredith described the SRF process as a standard, prepaid loan arrangement with the state bond bank and said the district will work with bond counsel and its attorney to complete required documents. “This matches the process we’ve done for our other SRFs,” she said, adding the district will pay its share up front and receive the reimbursement later.

After the SRF votes, the board considered three bids for the OMS entry project. Superintendent Meredith recommended awarding the contract to Hardy Construction, the low bidder, and asked the board to authorize the superintendent to issue the notice of award and to spend construction contingency funds up to the board-approved construction allowance. The board approved the motion to award the contract and to authorize spending not to exceed $691,688, with the motion carrying 5–0.

In other business, the board approved routine warrants — regular warrant 22, payroll warrant 22, payroll deductions 22 and capital improvement warrant 31 — and voted to call and approve the warrants necessary to hold a budget meeting and a budget-validation referendum, a statutory step the chair described as committing the district to an election. The chair’s budget call motion was approved 5–0.

The superintendent also reported personnel matters: she said the district received a resignation from high-school math teacher Ethan Gahab and that the administration will post the vacancy and convene hiring committees for the ASA principal and an ASSA special-education teacher vacancy. She announced the last day of school for students is currently forecast as Thursday, June 11.

The board approved a slate of co-curricular nominations, including the appointment of Richard Jacobson as boys varsity basketball coach and Mackenzie Shaw for an OMS volleyball trial role. All personnel motions recorded in the meeting carried on unanimous votes.

Before adjourning to two executive sessions, the chair noted the policy subcommittee will meet next week to discuss proposed AI guidelines. The board voted to enter executive session under 1 MRSA §405(6)(E) for labor negotiations; the roll call vote to enter executive session was recorded as 5–0. No further votes were expected after the executive sessions.

The board’s next regular meeting was set for Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m.