RSU 23 board approves memorandum on teachers' collective bargaining agreement

The RSU 23 board voted unanimously March 10 to approve a memorandum of agreement related to the district's teachers' collective bargaining agreement, according to the board minutes.

The motion to approve the memorandum was made by Michelle Violette and seconded by Jerome Plante; the minutes state the motion was "voted unanimously." The minutes do not record a roll-call tally by name.

The approval came late in a meeting that included committee updates. Negotiations committee chair Michelle Violette told the board that talks have begun on contracts for noninstructional and educational support staff and that ground rules are in place as talks proceed. The policy committee review is recorded as having reviewed five technology policies and flagged an update to the district's lockdown policy for further review. The facilities committee reported it had met with both Harriman Associates and Oak Point to clarify competing proposals; the committee is weighing whether a K–8 or K–12 configuration would better serve the community.

The minutes list Peter Flaherty among those present at the meeting but record a Flaherty (identified in the policy update as "Flaherty") as providing the policy report; the minutes use both "Peter" and "Mike" in different places, creating an internal naming inconsistency in the text of the minutes.

The board adjourned at 6:59 p.m. on a motion by Michelle Violette, seconded by Stuart Hogan.

What happens next: The minutes indicate ongoing committee work on negotiations, policy review and facilities planning; the collective-bargaining memorandum approved March 10 will be part of the district's personnel and labor records.