READFIELD -- The School Union 42 Board of Directors Tuesday night handed a one-year contract extension to Maranacook-area schools Superintendent Rich Abramson.

The extension comes seven months before Maranacook expects to consolidate into a regional district with schools in Winthrop and Fayette -- a move that would throw Abramson's status as superintendent into question. Maranacook schools serve students from Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield and Wayne.

The board's move sets June 2011 as the expiration date for Abramson's contract. He currently earns $100,000 a year as the district's top administrator.

The board was legally required to consider a contract extension this month -- the December of the academic year before the contract was due to expire, according to Abramson.

"It's not to tie any board's hands," Abramson said of the Union 42 board's Tuesday vote.

Board members said the extension was a show of support for Abramson as the school system moves forward with the district merger to comply with Maine's school district consolidation mandate.

The law is an effort to reduce the number of Maine school districts -- and the number of superintendents -- from 290 to 80. There are approximately 130 superintendents in the state, according to the Maine Department of Education. "It is a very bumpy road ahead with consolidation," said Holly Stevenson, chairwoman of the Union 42 board. "Rich has certainly shown his leadership in that process."

Extending Abramson's contract to 2011 guarantees him employment with the district at least two years after the July 1, 2009, merger date. But the school board for a consolidated district is under no obligation to choose Abramson as its superintendent. Abramson also has no obligation to apply for the job.

Fayette Superintendent Briane Coulthard has said he plans to retire at the end of the academic year. And Winthrop Superintendent Stephen Cottrell's contract expires at the end of the school year.

Voters in the six towns whose schools are slated to merge will weigh in on the merger in a referendum vote on Jan. 27, 2009. If they approve the reorganization, voters would then elect a new board whose first task would be to hire a superintendent.

Stevenson said board members reviewed information from the Maine School Management Association that showed the majority of superintendents in the state have contracts that stretch beyond 2011.

"There's a majority of superintendents (with contracts) beyond what we gave to Rich," she said. "We tried to be prudent in extending it one year."

Steve Hayes, a Readfield board member, described the extension as "a vote of confidence" in Abramson's performance as Maranacook superintendent.

"We have great confidence that Rich will be a top candidate for any superintendent's job," Hayes said.

The vote in favor of the extension could be a message of encouragement to Abramson from the board to apply to become the regional district's superintendent, Abramson said. "I think they...felt (rejecting a contract extension) would be sending a wrong message to the community," he said. "But it's not to guarantee I'm superintendent (of the new district)."

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, Ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com