MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING OF March 17, 2022
A meeting of the Board of Directors was held in person in North Berwick, Maine on March 17, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. with all members attending except Ms. Stanton, Ms. Mallet and Mr. Doiron. Ms. Manley, Ms. Hopper, Ms. Hagenbuch and Ms. Travers were remote, all others were present in person.
Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Hagenbuch to go into executive session for Executive Session 1 MRSA§405(6)(D) Labor Contract Discussions- AFL-CIO. All members voted in favor and the motion passed. In at 6:35 out at 6:37 pm
Ms. Mallett joined the meeting at 6:39 pm
Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Hagenbuch to go into executive session for Executive Session Pursuant to 1M.R.S.A. §405(6)(F) Discussion of Information in Confidential Records. All members voted in favor and the motion passed. In at 6:37 pm. Out at 7:09 pm.
Ms. Stanton joined at 7:00 pm.
Public Input: None at this time.
The board reviewed the minutes from March 3, 2022. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Hagenbuch to approve the minutes as presented. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Student Report: “Since mask mandates have been lifted, I’ve seen a boost in morale from students, teachers, and supporting staff. It’s incredible to see everyone’s smile again and to feel truly connected to each other. My hope is that we can remain unmasked while also staying safe. Also, prom has officially been declared as May 7th. There was a meeting today after school, I unfortunately couldn’t attend but I plan to reach out to Ms Plaistead for more details!”
Donations:
From Atlantic Credit Union for the Access Program, which is a transitional program for students in the Special Education program led by Jessica Dapsis. (The Access Program stands for Accessing Community Connections and Empowering Students To Succeed in Life).
Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Stanton to accept the $2000 donation with gratitude. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Sun Life Assurance Company donated $500 for the Backpack Program. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Stanton to accept the $500 donation for the All members voted in favor and the motion passed. In at 6:37 pm. Out at 6:59 pm.
Student attendance ranged from 85% to 96%.
Staff absences have been significantly reduced. Our cases are also very low.
The Superintendent shared with the board a draft calendar for the 22/23 school year. There was some brief conversation. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Travers to approve the calendar as presented.. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The Superintendent then shared the general overview of the FY23 district school budget.
Employment:
The superintendent shared the resignation of Ms. Melissa Caldwell. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Travers to accept the resignation of Ms Caldwell. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The superintendent shared the retirement of Ms. Amy Mallette , guidance counselor at Noble Middle School. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Travers to accept the retirement of Ms. Mallett with gratitude. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The superintendent shared the retirement of Mr. Bill Fulford , 5th grade teacher at North Berwick Elementary School. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Hagenbuch to accept the retirement of Mr. Fulford with gratitude. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The superintendent shared the retirement of Ms. Nancy Day, an interventionist at the Hanson School in Lebanon. Ms. Travers made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Lovejoy to accept the retirement of Ms. Day with gratitude. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The superintendent shared with the board the list of probationary administrators and asked for them to be approved for another year. Ms. Lovejoy made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Stanton. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Other:
Ms. Hagenbuch asked about the building use and field use and providing clarity. She felt it would alleviate the questions that are coming forward. She also asked about being able to send documentation home to families about things such as scouts, baseball etc. We will provide clarification.
Ms. Denise Van Campen shared that there is a necessary change in the timeline of the budget process for the state of Maine based on information provided by the clerk at the North Berwick Town Offices.
Ms. Stanton asked a question about the statistics that have been shared about reading and math in our schools. We will follow up with the board in a future presentation.
Public Input: None at this time.
Ms. Stanton made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Lovejoy to adjourn the meeting. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Adjourned at 7:49 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Audra Beauvais