ELLSWORTH — The Ellsworth Community School District Board is in the planning stages of the creation of a strategic plan and a potential referendum vote in April 2027.

The strategic planning process will take place in January and February, with administrators putting together a group to help create the plan.

“The plan is to have student and staff leaders, administration, local industry leaders, community members, board members, obviously, in this team,” Superintendent Brian Nadeau said at the July 8 meeting. “Some of the deliverables in that process would be an articulated district mission, vision and commitments, long-term district pillars, which are larger ideas, strategic objectives within the pillars and then articulated key measures for organizational help.”

Nadeau laid out the timeline for the process of a spring referendum in 2027. The plan to construct a communication plan in the remaining summer months, form a referendum committee in early fall or late summer, complete a community survey in October and November, engage with the public from November to March and return to the ballot in April 2027.

The district went to a referendum vote in April, which was not approved. Due to the combination of the failed vote and a $1.3 million annual operational referendum expiring with the 2025-26 school year, staff is weighing options for 2027.

“I would suggest having, or at least asking, younger successful alumni to be a part of [the processes],” Board member Charlie Kummer said of both the strategic planning and referendum processes. “This is what our school district produces. We do have a great system here. We do have great teachers that produce well-educated young folks.”

Kummer said there have been a lot of successful students that have walked Ellsworth’s halls, and that positive messaging of what the district contributes may be more impactful than messaging about what the district would lose if a referendum were not approved.

The district will save an estimated $235,000 off budgeted insurance expenses due to negotiations from district staff, according to Board Member Dave Beck’s recap of a Personnel Committee meeting.

Substitute teacher pay ncrease

The board approved an increase in substitute teacher daily pay from $150 to $185.

“We have continued to, for some time now, struggle to fill some substitute positions,” Nadeau said. “We were again falling behind the daily rate to the point where it was noticeable, especially if people were willing to travel between us and our geographic neighbors.”

Additionally, a proposal to create a higher daily rate for former employees in high standing with the district was approved at $220 per day.

“We’ve got some past employees who do an awful lot for us and are excited to do that, and they’re willing to do that. We would like to incentivize that to keep them, and as that pool may grow, to bring them back to help out,” Nadeau said.

Long-term substitute pay will remain at $255.52 per day.

“We have reduced three full-time sub positions over the last couple of years, and some of that is part of this, but we knew that was coming when we made the decisions,” Nadeau said.

Personnel

Resignations: Megan Bechel, Elementary Teaching Assistant; Jessica Tessier, high school math teacher.

Transfer: Logan Benson, from JV boys basketball coach to varsity girls basketball coach.