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Superintendent: district selects EMC firm; state budget brings phone ban deadline, bus swing-arm funds and teacher-pay phase-in
Summary
The superintendent announced selection of a Portland firm (EMC) from the RFQ to help with projects and grant-seeking, and summarized state supplemental budget items that include a bell-to-bell cell-phone ban to be in effect by Aug. 1, bus swing-arm funds and a phased increase in minimum teacher pay to $50,000 by 2029.
The RSU 18 superintendent updated the board on a range of operational and instructional items, including selection of a vendor from a recent RFQ and several statewide policy and funding changes that could affect local operations.
Vendor selection and RFQ: the superintendent said the district selected EMC, a Portland-based firm, from two finalists to assist with project design, energy savings and grant finding. The superintendent described the firm as one that "does work...they come in, they help you design projects, they look for energy savings, they have a full department for looking for grant funding." Board members who participated in the interviews said both finalists presented strongly but supported selecting EMC.
School programming and curriculum: the educational programming committee reported that Messki Middle School proposes adopting an online supplemental math resource (referred to in committee materials as Edge Gems) beginning next year; teachers have used the resource this year and say it is not a consumable textbook but an online suite teachers can print from and students can access via Google Classroom. The committee also highlighted a pilot in-school suspension approach to preserve student instructional time and a renaming of chemistry courses to address external perception issues when students apply to further education.
State supplemental budget implications: the superintendent said the governors supplemental budget designates funds to implement a bell-to-bell cell-phone ban in schools that must be in effect by Aug. 1, though no state guidance had yet been issued. The budget also included money to install swing arms on buses; district transportation staff are reviewing procurement and allocation models. The superintendent said the supplemental budget phases in a minimum teacher salary of $50,000 by 2029 and that district leaders are tracking guidance and planning next steps.
Board members asked clarifying questions and thanked staff for work on curriculum and the RFQ process.
