SALEM –- School directors heard some of the grim realities that are in store for the district in years ahead. State subsidy cutbacks, declining enrollment and soaring valuation is a combination of indicators that suggest that the way MSAD #58 educates its students is in need of change.

Before that discussion began, Superintendent Quenten Clark updated the board on the school immunization clinics held at each of the five district schools.

Overall the clinics were highly successful and Clark detailed the outstanding organizational performance of the district nurses.

“The kids whose parents didn’t show up did better than the kids of parents who did,” Clark said mentioning only a few kids were scared or cried during the immunization process.

Directors Judy Dill, Kim Jordan and Ann Schwink spoke recognizing the nurses for the commendable job they did in organizing these events. “They really should be commended for all that they’ve done,” Dill said.

“It really was a huge community project,” Schwink added.

At Mt. Abram, 169 out of 188 students received the swine flu vaccine. A list distributed by Clark showed 107 of 111 in Kingfield; 99 of 111 in Phillips; 55 of 66 in Stratton; and 130 of 138 in Strong all received H1N1 shots. A large majority also opted for the seasonal flu vaccine as well.

Clark said he received a letter of request to name the soccer field after Art Potter a longtime teacher, coach and mentor at Mt. Abram.

Clark asked the board their feelings on the subject. At the same time Chairman Mike Pond wanted to hear from the public and what they thought.

The issue gets a little complicated because the old baseball field, now moved, was named after another great contributor.

“What does the public want to do,” Pond asked.

Shane Morgan, a 1984 MTA graduate said he started an online support group via Facebook to get the soccer field named. “There are over 150 people in the group right now. They range from alumni that played for Art Potter as well as parents, friends, kid that didn’t play soccer for Coach Potter and even kids that never played sports but knew him as a great teacher, mentor and friend,” Morgan wrote.

Members asked that a representative attend their next meeting.

Clark announced that Becky Sweeney was retiring after the school year. Sweeney is a longtime teacher currently working in Strong and has filled a variety of positions over the years.

Clark went on to say he received many emails from the Department of Education.

On Friday, Governor John E. Baldacci ordered a curtailment and announced that state agencies need to cut $63.1 million from the current fiscal year.

Early estimates suggest State revenues for fiscal years 2010-2011 could be under budget by $400 million or more, an official statement said. Future curtailments will most likely happen to balance the state budget as required by law.

“Today’s curtailment is another step to reduce State spending,” Baldacci said in government news brief. “In December, I will submit budget revisions to the Legislature that will make the additional cuts necessary to keep the budget balanced, as required by Maine’s Constitution and law,” Baldacci explained. “I will not support increased taxes to close the budget gap.”

Clark estimated that his district will get hit this year with about a $95,000 loss in state revenue in this round. “We are going to loose a significant amount of money shortly. I think we can absorb that –-quite frankly I planned on it so I think we’ll be okay,” Clark explained.

If another significant curtailment comes this year, Clark said they’ll find a way to get by.

“The bigger problem is what are we going to do next year and even bigger problem is what are we going to do the year after. We are looking at decreasing enrollment… we are looking at the smallest kindergarten ever. Valuation is up, enrollment is down. All the indicators that you look at for state subsidy are not going in the right direction, they’re all going in the wrong direction,” Clark explained.

What’s troubling is the stimulus money that they are currently receiving is going to run out soon. The superintendent described that period as a “cliff.”

“Things are not good and they are going to get a lot worse,” he said.

Pond asked Clark what ideas he had to adjust the district to allow for the economic downturn.

Shifting children to reduce costs and gain efficiencies will be discussed over the next few months.

Moving the sixth, seventh and eighth grades from Stratton to Kingfield was a first “obvious” choice to consider, Clark said. If the enrollment does not change next year from this November, Stratton has 37 students in grades six through eight. Kingfield will have 52.

If nothing changed, there would be 26 sixth graders, 31 in seventh and 32 in eighth at the Kingfield Elementary School. This would potentially free up money in teacher salaries, coaching positions and make the curriculum more balanced. However, it would leave the Stratton school as a K-5 institution with 49 students, which could create further discussion as a target for closure.

“I think it’s important to keep elementary schools open in each town, but keeping Stratton open with incredibly small numbers will get harder and harder to justify,” Clark said.

“Maybe I’m wrong and somehow it will all work out, but we need to start talking about things like this.”

Clark also threw out ideas like making Kingfield the district-wide middle school and leaving Stratton open. Perhaps splitting up all the grades between schools might be a viable option. Meaning one school is a district wide K-2 school with around 160 students, another would serve all the third through fifth graders and so on.

I think we have to start talking about these things publicly, because if we wait until May and bring it to the public it will be chaotic, Clark said.

Alternative ideas, with Mt. Abram projected to loose about 80 kids next year from a year ago, is to send all 7th and eighth graders there to maintain and justify faculty and staff.

This can become very disruptive,” Clark said. “Look no further then New Portland,” he said. MSAD #74’s creation of a middle school presumably led to the closing of the Central Elementary School in New Portland, or sped up the process.

Clark concluded by saying that they need to find efficiency through the challenging times ahead, while at the same time try to find that balance of keeping schools in each of the communities open.

Director Alan Morse wanted to be sure that discussions also led to possibilities of multi-age or multi-grade learning. This concept is used currently in the district and in the past. Meaning, he wanted to discuss cost saving measures such as combining first and second grades under one teacher, third and fourth, etc.

“Consolidation has been a huge distraction for us, in thinking about what we really ought to be doing,” Clark said. Meaning, before the governor’s announcement of the reorganization law a couple of years ago, board members were beginning discussions like the one engaged in that night.

Clark and Pond both reiterated that they are not taking a position on any one cost savings measure and stressed the importance of community involvement in discussions and decisions.

In other business, Pond initiated a discussion which led to the usage of two-way low frequency radios in the district.

Stratton personnel wrote and received a grant for 21 radios which they use throughout their school. Pond wanted these radios to be split between all district schools. Each radio is valued around $350.

After discussion, the school board backed him in splitting the radios up between all schools.

Under action items, the board agreed to again join the Maine Small School Coalition and the Reorganization Law Improvement Coalition which is a lobbying group help districts like MSAD #58. Members also approved most all school emergency plans after they were reviewed by directors.