POLAND — The approval process for RSU 16’s proposed $19.3 million budget moved forward Monday when the School Committee signed the 2013-2014 budget validation referendum warrants.

Superintendent Mike Wilhelm noted that the committee will receive comments on the proposed budget from residents of Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland at a district budget meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, in the Poland Regional High School auditorium.

In other business, the committee appointed Kim Brant as RSU 16 assistant superintendent. Brant has accepted a two-year contract, effective July 1, 2013.

Brant comes to RSU 16 after serving as principal of Greeley Middle School in Cumberland for the past eight years. In 2012, Brant was named Maine’s “middle school principal of the year.”

“She and Tina (Meserve, recently named RSU 16 superintendent) will complement each other very well. Tina brings excellent central office experience with Kim bringing great school administration experience,” Wilhelm said.

The committee also adopted the district’s first comprehensive strategic plan, which will serve as a blueprint to guide decisions for the next three to five years.

Schools in the three towns had last adopted a strategic plan when they operated under the aegis of School Union 29.

The strategic plan, a 23-page document detailing the district’s goals and objectives, is the product of a six-month process which gathered input from all district stakeholders through interviews, surveys and numerous community meetings.

Efforts to develop the strategic plan were facilitated by Craig Freshley of Good Group Decisions of Brunswick.

Acting on its option under the Maine Laptop Initiative, wherein schools are free to choose to continue with laptops (Apple or Hewlett-Packard) or go to iPads, the committee voted to accept the iPad option for middle- and high-school students.

The committee also extended contracts by two years for school administrators Cari Medd, Arthur Reed, Donald King, Jenny Rose and Susan Prince.

Among the resignations accepted by the committee was that of Suzanne Madden, stepping down after teaching for 42 years at the Minot Consolidated School.