DEER ISLE-STONINGTON CSD
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
February 24, 2005
Board Members Present: Mark Cormier, Aimee Eaton, Jim Adams,
Walter Kumiega and Skip Greenlaw
Board Member Absent: Barrett Brewer
Staff Members Present: Robert Webster
Citizens and Guests: Isaac Kestenbaum
1. Chairman Walter Kumiega called the meeting to order and declared a quorum at 6:05 p.m.
2. A moment of silence was observed.
3. Citizen’s Comments Isaac Kestenbaum introduced himself as the new correspondent from the Penobscot Bay Press who will be covering school committee meetings and other school news.
4. Approval of Agenda
Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to approve the agenda with the addition
of a superintendent’s report as item 7A. and deletion of action item 6A.
non-renewal of a continuing contract. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no.
Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to take up the public items out of order prior to the executive sessions. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no.
6. ACTION ITEM
A. Non Renewal of a Continuing Contract
The item was removed from the agenda.B. March Meeting Date
Greenlaw suggested that holding the regular meeting the day after elections on March 7th is not good practice as newly elected school committee members have no chance for any orientation to school committee work. The consensus was to meet on March 1 as scheduled; but to delay the presentation of Draft #1 of the 2005-06 school budget proposal to a special meeting on Thursday, March 10, which is already scheduled as a budget work session. There was no motion.
7. Superintendent’s Report
Webster distributed a copy of a proposal from Apple Computer on the Power School
student information system as a substitute for the LunchBytes program. Jim Adams
reported, as the CSD representative on the Union 76 committee looking into options,
that this would do much more for the schools than the LunchBytes program proposed
in the Union 76 budget. Webster will set up a School Union 76 meeting for all
three school committees and arrange for Jim Verdi, the Apple representative,
to attend that meeting for a presentation on the program. Webster reviewed the
amendment to the transportation contract with First Student reducing the cost
of the contract by $130,841.00 as a result of cutting the bus fleet from seven
to six buses. The new bus routes will not be implemented on the day after February
vacation. This will happen once information on new bus routes is sent to parents.
Webster reviewed a letter from the Maine Dept. of Education notifying the school
district that students in fourth, eighth and eleventh grades made adequate yearly
progress (AYP) in 2004. Webster shared a map provided by Maine Municipal Assoc.
that showed an analysis of the towns that could see property tax reductions
from LD #1, towns that would not see any change in property taxes and towns
that would likely see property tax increases as a result of LD #1. Most of the
towns benefitting were in southern and central Maine.
5. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion by Greenlaw, second by Adams, to enter executive session at 6:30 p.m.
on a personnel matter pursuant to 1 MRSA §(405)(6)(A)(E). Vote: 5 yes;
0 no. Participants were Cormier, Adams, Eaton, Kumiega, Greenlaw and Webster.
The school committee returned to regular session at 7:03 p.m.
7. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion by Cormier, second by Eaton, to enter executive session at 7:03 p.m.
on a student matter pursuant to 1 MRSA § (405)(6)(B), 1 MRSA § 6001
and 20 U.S.C. §1232g 34 C.F.R. Part 99. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no. Participants
were Cormier, Adams, Eaton, Kumiega, Greenlaw and Webster. The school committee
returned to regular session at 7:26 p.m.
8. Adjournment
Motion by Greenlaw, second by Adams, to adjourn the meeting at 7:26 p.m.
Vote: 5 yes; 0 no.
Respectfully Submitted,Robert Webster
Superintendent of Schools