Union 60 consists of five towns: Greenville, Willimantic, Shirley, Beaver Cove and Kingsbury Plantation. Greenville, because of its size, is entitled to the most total votes (1,623) and votes-per-person (325) on the weighted ballot system. Shirley, for example, has 183 votes and 37 votes per member; Willimantic has 135 and 45, Beaver Cove has 91 and 30 and Kingsbury Plantation, which doesn't have any students enrolled in Union 60, has nine total and three per member.

The sticking point, however, is whether all members have to show up at board meetings to have their town's entire vote recorded. Outgoing Union 60 Superintendent William Folsom brought up the scenario of only two out of three Beaver Cove directors showing up for a meeting. With the town entitled to 91 votes, Folsom asked if two directors who attend board meetings "are entitled to 45 and 46 votes respectively or just 30 per person?"

The superintendent pointed out that opinions on weighted votes "vary from board chair to board chair and from attorney general to attorney general." But the general consensus was that an individual school committee, like Beaver Cove or Willimantic, can convene and authorize one person to cast all votes on the town's behalf. After some more explanations and a brief debate, the measure passed unanimously.

One aspect of Union 60 meetings will still be governed by the one-person, one-vote rule, however, and that's the establishment of a quorum. Ironically, at last week's session only 10 out of 19 members showed up, the bare minimum needed to conduct business.

In other business at last week's Union 60 meeting, the Board of Directors said farewell to Folsom, who's resignation was effective June 30, and later voted to rehire him on a per-diem basis for a few days in July.

Folsom's successor, Steven Pound, started July 1, but still needs to complete two classes in order to receive his Maine superintendent's certificate. "Legally, he can't sign documents like warrants and purchase orders until he gets his certificate," explained Richard Gould, chairman of the Greenville School Committee.

Pound has spent most of his academic career in Canada and was the executive director of the associated alumni at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia when he was hired as Union 60 superintendent.

So Folsom agreed to work on an as-needed basis at $288 per day until the end of the month when Pound's academic requirements are completed. Directors estimated that Folsom may only need to spend six or seven days in the office. "It's to your advantage to load up my days," said Folsom. "If there's a meeting that night and I need to be there from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., I'll do it."

In the annual reorganization of the board, Chasse was elected chairman and Boyd Kronholm was elected as vice-chairman. Both have served on the Greenville School Committee for two years.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Moosehead Messenger and is used here with permission."