DEER ISLE – STONINGTON CSD SCHOOL COMMITTEE

“Launching life long learners and responsible citizens able to keep our island community vital.”

 

SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

May 10, 2006

 

 

Board Members Present: Walter Kumiega, Skip Greenlaw, Aimee Eaton, Mark Cormier

     and Jim Adams at 6:38 p.m.  

Board Member Absent: Joseph Babbitt

Staff Present: Catherine Ring, Penny Wendell, Judith Hotchkiss, Barbara Grindle and Robert Webster

Citizens & Guests Present: Brenda Haskell

 

1.       Call to Order/Quorum

Chair Kumiega opened the meeting and declared a quorum at 6:35 p.m.

 

2.   Moment of Silence

A moment of silence was observed.

 

3.   Citizen’s Comments

There were no citizen comments

 

4.   Approval of the Agenda

Motion by Eaton, second by Greenlaw, to approve the agenda with the addition of a discussion item on corrections to the Graduation Requirements Policy 4.12. Vote: 4 Yes; 0 No.

 

5.  EXECUTIVE SESSION

Motion by Eaton, second by Cormier, to enter executive session at 6:36 p.m. for review of probationary teacher evaluations pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. § 405(6)(A). Vote: 5 Yes; 0 No. Eaton, Cormier, Kumiega, Greenlaw, Adams, and Webster participated in the executive session. Ring, Wendell, Grindle and Hotchkiss each attended that portion of the executive session pertaining to the individual evaluations. The school committee returned to regular session at 7:05 p.m.

 

6. ACTION ITEM

A.     Personnel Nominations

1.       Webster recommended approval of a continuing contract for part-time school nurse Barbara Grindle. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to approve a continuing contract for Barbara Grindle for the 2006-07 contract year. Vote: 5 Yes; 0 No.

  

2.       Webster recommended approval of a probationary contract for foreign language teacher Judith Hotchkiss. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to approve a continuing contract for Judith Hotchkiss for the 2006-07 contract year. Vote: 5 Yes; 0 No.  

 

3.       Webster recommended approval of an extension of Gil Lacroix’s second year probationary contract until December 8, 2006. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to approve an extension of Gil Lacroix’s second year probationary contract to December 8, 2006. Vote: 5 Yes; 0 No.

 

4.       Webster recommended employment of Scott Seile as assistant varsity baseball coach for the 2006 season. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to employ Scott Seile as assistant varsity baseball coach. Vote: 5 Yes; 0 No.

  

5.       Webster recommended approval of an employment agreement for April Coombs as Coordinator of Volunteers and After School Activities for 2006-07 at a wage of $12.30 per hour. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Eaton, to approve the superintendent’s recommendation to employ April Coombs as Coordinator of Volunteers and After School Activities. Vote: 5 Yes; 0 No.  

 

            B.  Request for Paid Sick Leave Days

Webster recommended approval of Gil Lacroix’s request for an additional 16 paid sick leave days for the remainder of the 2005-06 school year. Motion by Greenlaw, second by Adams, to approve Lacroix’s request for an additional 16 paid sick leave days. Vote: 3 yes; 2 no (Cormier, Eaton).

 

            C. Ballfield Lease Agreement

Greenlaw questioned the wording in the lease agreement that limited school use of the field to a half hour before and after games. No one knew the reasoning for this language. Kumiega commented that it had never been a problem in the past and that the amicable arrangement would likely continue in the future. Motion by Eaton, second by Cormier, to approve the two year lease agreement with the town of Deer Isle as presented for the use of the softball field across Route 15 from the high school. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no.

 

7.  DISCUSSION ITEMS

A. Spelling Instruction

      Webster reported inviting teachers to participate in the discussion. Ring distributed copies of a memo written by Linda Weed explaining the writing process. She also reported on discussions with the faculty on summer reading program planning and invited school committee members to attend the next meeting on May 18th.  Greenlaw provided copies of questions that he had asked about spelling and language arts instruction as well as copies of answers to those questions from Wendell. There was an extended discussion of language arts instruction.

 

B. Reach Advisory Group Bylaws

                 Adams noted several changes in the Reach Advisory Group bylaws. Cormier expressed concern that the bylaws seemed to reduce the authority of the group in its work with the auditorium director. Greenlaw pointed out that a quorum of three in a group of up to twenty members was not good practice. Greenlaw requested a discussion with the Reach Advisory Group so that a better understanding of the relationship and communication between the Reach Advisory Group, school staff and the school committee could be clarified. Nelson Monteith and members of the advisory group will be attending the June meeting.

 

C. Graduation Requirements Policy 4.12

                 Eaton identified several passages from the newly revised Policy 4.12 that were obsolete or unclear. After discussion it was agreed that this editing should be done prior to distribution of the already approved policy without further action by the Board.

 

8.  Adjournment

Motion by Cormier, second by Eaton, to adjourn the meeting at 8:44 p.m. Vote: 5 yes; 0 no.

 

      Respectfully Submitted,

 

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Superintendent of Schools