PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MINUTES WILL NOT BE FINAL UNTIL
THE BOARD HAS APPROVED THEM AT ITS NEXT MEETING.
The Board of Directors of Maine School Administrative
District No. 75 held a regular meeting
at Bowdoinham Community School on
The following Directors were present: Joanne Rogers, Chair; Maryane
Burns; Dorothy “Dee” Carrier; Edward M. Cook, III; Caroline Eliot; Dorothy Gardner;
Stephen K. Harris; Robert W. Hill; David A. Johnson; Jane Meisenbach;
Andrea Najarian; Jeffrey Rowe; Jeffrey Steinert; and Kim Totten.
Absent was Tasha Cornish, student
representative to the Board of Directors.
The student representative seat previously held by Jared Libby remains
vacant.
1. Call to order
The meeting was called to order
by Chairman Rogers at
2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
The Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag was recited by those present.
3. To
consider action relative to additions or adjustments to the agenda and to ask
for comments from the audience
Agenda adjustments were noted,
as follows:
(add to 3.1 –
Recognitions & acknowledgements)
√ Moe
St. Pierre & School Lunch Program – recipient of a $5,000 grant from
the Maine Dairy & Nutrition Program
3.1 RECOGNITIONS &
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
√ Welcome
from Diane Stahl, Principal of
√ MBNA
– donation of school supplies for Topsham elementary schools
√ Moment
of silence – Chairman Rogers noted the recent death of Bowdoinham resident Brian
Dau, who last year completed a teaching internship at
Bowdoinham Community School. A moment
of silence was observed in his memory.
√ Moe
St. Pierre & School Lunch Program – Mr. St. Pierre and the School Lunch
Program are recipients of a $5,000 grant to implement the “new look of milk,”
via new packaging.
4. To
take action relative to accepting as printed the minutes of the
It was moved by Mrs. Carrier,
seconded by Mrs. Gardner, and VOTED (933
yeas, 0 nays, 67 abstentions, and 67 absent) to accept as
printed the minutes of the
Voting yea were Ms. Burns, Mrs.
Carrier, Mr. Cook, Ms. Eliot, Mrs. Gardner, Mr. Harris, Mr. Hill, Ms. Najarian, Mrs. Rogers, Mr. Rowe, Mr. Steinert,
and Mrs. Totten.
There were no nay votes.
Abstaining from voting was Mr.
Johnson.
Absent when the vote was taken was Mrs.
Meisenbach, wh0 had not yet arrived.
5. OLD BUSINESS:
… Mrs. Meisenbach
arrived at
5.1 To
discuss and recommend proposed legislation to address the State cost-sharing
formula as it affects M.S.A.D. No. 75
Roger Fenn,
aide to Senator Beth Edmunds, was present to assist Board members in this
effort. Legislators Charlie Crosby and
Leila Percy were also present. Any
legislation proposed needs to have a title, and Mr. Fenn
has staff to provide that. Mr. Fenn stated it is the legislators’ intent to follow the
lead of the Board of Directors in proposing any legislation.
Ms. Percy asked whether there had
been discussion of combining efforts with other districts suffering as
Harpswell (in not receiving 100% special education funding). Superintendent Wilhelm indicated that S.A.D.
No. 32, S.A.D. No. 72, and the Flanders Bay/Schoodic
CSD are interested and that he has been in contact with the Superintendents of
two of those school districts.
Board members generally agreed
that an inequity does exist, in that Harpswell’s special education costs are
not paid at 100%.
It was noted by Mr. Crosby that
Commissioner Gendron has stated she wants districts
to stay together. Superintendent Wilhelm
stated that
It was moved by Mr. Harris,
seconded by Mrs. Gardner, and VOTED
(unanimously) that we (the Board) propose legislation that will cure the
anomaly and make us (the District) whole in the matter of special education
payment to Harpswell (whatever Harpswell would receive).
Mr. Crosby indicated that efforts
will be taken to keeping the language of legislation as open as possible so
that other school systems could join the effort.
5.2 To
undertake a second reading and to consider approval of the Chemical Hazards and
Family Care Leave policies
It was moved by Mr. Johnson,
seconded by Mrs. Carrier, and VOTED
(unanimously) to accept the second reading and approve the Chemical Hazards
and Family Care Leave policies.
5.3
To consider membership on Board sub-committees
A refined list will be generated
and distributed.
5.4 To
authorize the expenditure of $8,067.53 from contingency to provide the match
for the video surveillance grant
Business Manager Ron Lavender
noted that since sufficient funding is available in capital accounts, it is not
necessary to access the contingency account.
It was moved by Mrs. Carrier,
seconded by Mr. Steinert, and VOTED (unanimously) to authorize the expenditure of $8,067.53 from
capital maintenance to provide the match for the video surveillance grant.
6. NEW BUSINESS:
6.1 To
consider needs at Bowdoin Central School to address class size equity
Superintendent Wilhelm prefaced
the circumstances leading to the placement of this item on the agenda.
Bowdoin Central School Principal
George Jenkins indicated that he had asked the fifth grade teachers they they preferred adding an additional classroom teacher or
hiring an educational technician. He
said that the teachers had expressed a preference for hiring an educational
technician.
Business Manager Ron Lavender
indicated that approximately $23,000 would be needed to support the hiring of
an educational technician.
Ms. Eliot indicated she brought up
this item when she saw fifth grade classes in other schools with less than the
Board-prescribed maximum, while Bowdoin Central’s fifth grade has twice the
number of students as other schools’ fifth grade classes. She feels this situation would not exist if
the District had the ability to reallocate resources. It was pointed out that it is difficult
during the summer months to project enrollments so as to reallocate resources
before the year begins.
Ms. Eliot asked whether it would
be practical to consider adding resources more academic in nature (as in
literacy support). Mr. Hill added that
he would be interested in looking at the possible reallocation of other
district resources rather than hiring additional staff. Mr. Jenkins indicated such a move might be
difficult to implement, stating that existing services would have to be taken
from one school to add to another.
Mrs. Rogers sought and received
consensus from the Board that it was the wish of the Board to not take any
action on this item until the October 6th meeting.
6.2 To
revise the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 budget to support a Jobs for Graduates staff
position at Mt. Ararat High School, previously approved by the Board, using
funds from the contract services account established in the budget to pay for
Jobs for Maine Graduates {amount to be moved will be $14,277 (correction
noted), which will cover $11,712 for salary and $2,565 for employee
benefits}
It was moved by Mrs. Carrier,
seconded by Mrs. Gardner, and VOTED
(unanimously) to revise the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 budget to support a Jobs
for Graduates staff position at Mt. Ararat High School, previously approved by
the Board, using funds from the contract services account established in the
budget to pay for Jobs for Maine Graduates {amount to be moved will be $14,277 (correction
noted), which will cover $11,712 for salary and $2,565 for employee
benefits}.
7. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
7.1
Cost-sharing
committee – Mr. Johnson stated that the committee had an interesting discussion at its September 21 meeting,
indicating that representatives of all four towns agreed that inequity exists
in the Harpswell situation. He said that
action taken earlier this evening will go a long way toward addressing that
inequity and devising a solution to it.
7.2 MVR 10 Cooperative Board – Mr. Cook reported on the September 21st
meeting, telling the Board of the project being undertaken by the Masonry class
to make improvements to the entrance of Mt. Ararat High School. The school is also involved in a Habitat for
Humanity project to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.
8. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT:
8.1
MSMA
Fall Conference – A last call was issued for
Board members to indicate interest in attending the Maine School Management
Fall Conference.
8.2 Learning Results Assessment – Superintendent Wilhelm informed the Board of the
State’s September 28th audit of the District’s efforts toward
implementation of the Learning Results.
Teachers and principals are being asked to complete a survey, the
results of which will be forwarded to the State team.
8.3 Board goals – Superintendent Wilhelm noted that on the document forwarded to Board
members, the Board’s goals have been organized according to the outcomes
expected.
8.4
Comprehensive
Planning Committee – Superintendent Wilhelm
reported on the meeting of the Board’s Comprehensive Planning Committee prior
to tonight’s Board meeting. The
Committee is charged with analyzing the class size student-teacher ratios and
will meet again after a couple of Board meetings. Before the budget process is underway, the
Committee would like to have authorized a process for making staffing
adjustments as necessary.
8.5
AYP –
Superintendent Wilhelm noted that all elementary
schools and the middle school made Adequate Yearly Progress and that the high
school did not make AYP (in the sub-categories of special education and
disadvantaged students). A plan will be
developed to get the high school “off the list.” The high school is not a Title I-qualified
school, so there is no threat of federal sanctions.
Ms.
Eliot noted the progress made by the middle school, evidenced by the fact that
the school made AYP. She feels that the
new schedule and extra work in math have “paid off.”
8.6
Business
Manager Ron Lavender asked that the Facilities Committee meet briefly after
tonight’s meeting to set a date and time for a meeting of the Committee.
8.7
The Policy
Committee will meet prior to the next Board meeting.
9.
ADJOURNMENT
– The meeting was adjourned at
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