DEER ISLE-STONINGTON CSD
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
September 21, 2004

Board Members Present: Jim Adams, Barrett Brewer, Aimee Eaton, Walter Kumiega, Mark Cormier at 6:37 p.m. and Skip Greenlaw at 6:40 p.m.
Staff Members Present: Darlene Allen, Penny Wendell, Catherine Ring, and Robert Webster
Citizens and Guests: Leslie Carr and David Walsh

1. Chairman Walter Kumiega called the meeting to order and declared a quorum at 6:32 p.m.
2. A moment of silence was observed.
3. Citizen’s Comments: None
4. Approval of Agenda Motion by Eaton, second by Brewer, to approve the agenda with the addition of a nomination of a Gifted/Talented Enrichment Teacher. Vote: 4 yes; 0 no.

5. ACTION ITEMS
A. Requests For Unpaid Leave Darlene Allen presented a letter to the school committee requesting six days of unpaid leave that will allow her to join her family on a trip to Europe. Motion by Brewer, second by Eaton, to approve Darlene Allen’s request for six unpaid leave days. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no. Webster explained a request from Torrie Robbins for one unpaid leave day to extend the February vacation for her to travel with her family. Motion by Eaton, second by Brewer, to approve Torrie Robbins’ request for one day of unpaid leave. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no.

B. Support Staff Sick Bank Request Webster presented a request from Diane Atherton for approval of fourteen sick leave days from the sick leave bank. This was the second request from Atherton. Motion by Brewer, second by Adams, to approve Diane Atherton’s request for fourteen sick leave days from the sick leave bank. Vote: 6 yes; 0 no.

C. Educational Technician Nominations Webster nominated Monique White for employment as an educational technician filling Kathy Turner’s temporary vacancy. Motion by Brewer, second by Greenlaw, to approve Monique White’s nomination as an educational technician on a probationary contract at $9.70 per hour. Vote: 6 yes; 0 no.
Webster nominated Tiffany Dauk for employment as an educational technician working in the kindergarten program. Greenlaw and Cormier asked questions about the need for the ed. tech. support given the size of the combined kindergarten classes at 22 students. Motion by Brewer, second by Eaton, to approve Tiffany Dauk’s nomination as a kindergarten educational technician on a probationary contract at $9.70 per hour. Vote: 5 yes; 1 no (Cormier).

D. Administrative Assistant Nomination Webster nominated Cathie Rossignol for employment as an administrative assistant at Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Adams, to approve Cathie Rossignol as an administrative assistant on a probationary contract at $14.05 per hour. Vote: 6 yes; 0 no. Webster informed the school committee of Rossignol’s request for paid health benefits during the six month probationary period. Webster will contact the support staff association prior to school committee consideration of Rossignol’s request.

E. Gifted/Talented Enrichment Teacher Nomination Webster nominated Joan Atkinson for a probationary contract as the four day per week Gifted/Talented Enrichment Teacher. Ring reviewed the nominee’s qualifications and answered questions about the the G/T Enrichment program. Motion by Eaton, second by Brewer, to approve Joan Atkinson for a probationary contract as the G/T Enrichment teacher for four days per week at the M-0 salary step. Vote: 6 yes; 0 no.

6. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. Hiring Policy 3.02 The school committee discussed the applicant screening process, interview committee membership, and the degree of flexibility that principal’s should have in the implementation of the policy. The policy will be a discussion item on the October agenda.

B. MEA Results Ring and Wendell presented the results of the MEA scores for the fourth, eighth and eleventh grades. Elementary student scores showed a trend of improvement moving up toward the state average in most subject areas. The high school students’ scores were among the best in Hancock County and were well above the state average in most subject areas. The school committee commended the Class of 2005 for their outstanding effort on the Maine Educational Assessments last year.

C. Tax Cap Referendum Question #1 Eaton, Kumiega and Webster attended a Maine Municipal Association meeting on September 15 at Ellsworth City Hall. Kumiega reviewed major flaws that have been identified in the proposed tax cap. The school committee discussed ways to inform voters of the consequences to the towns and school system if Question #1 is approved on November 2. Webster reported contacting municipal officials who oppose the tax cap question. The superintendent will develop information for a bulk mailing to citizens, which will be reviewed by the school committee and municipal officers. Eaton raised questions on the appropriate involvement of public employees and elected officials in a referendum campaign. Webster will research the matter and provide answers to the school committee.

Brewer reported that members of the Evergreen Garden Club had done outstanding work weeding the plantings around the school. Kumiega will write a thank you to the garden club for their volunteer work.

Greenlaw reviewed topics that he plans to include in the first school committee newsletter that will be bulk mailed to the island. Board members should e-mail a brief bio to Greenlaw for the newsletter. He will bring a draft to the next school committee meeting.

Webster reported that Sunrise Glass had retrofitted fourteen windows during the day and would be finished with the ground floor windows by Friday. Disruptions have been held to a minimum so far. He thanked Board members for attending the new staff reception on September 9th.

8. Executive Sessions Motion by Greenlaw, second by Brewer, to enter executive session at 8:14 p.m. on a personnel matter [1 M.S.R.A. 405 6(A)] and on contract negotiations between the school committee and the DIS Teachers Association [1 M.S.R.A. 405 (D)]. Vote: 6 yes; 0 no. Participants in the executive sessions were Adams, Brewer, Cormier, Eaton, Greenlaw, Kumiega, Ring, Wendell and Webster. The school committee returned to regular session at 9:23 p.m.

9. Adjournment Motion by Greenlaw, second by Cormier, to adjourn the meeting at 9:23 p.m. Vote: 6 yes; 0 no.


Respectfully,


____________________________
Superintendent