lMINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING OF November 16, 2023
Current Board Members-
North Berwick- Lauren Janousek, Kate Whalen, Joshua Tabor
Berwick- Travis Doiron, Elva Lovejoy, Peg Wheeler
Lebanon- Victoria Travers, Jeridene Basko, Nancy Neubert
A meeting of the Board of Directors was held in person in Berwick, Maine on November 16, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. with all members attending except Victoria Travers and Travis Doiron.
Ms. Wheeler made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Neubert to enter into Executive Session Pursuant to 1M.R.S.A. §405(6)(B) Readmission of a Student. All members voted in favor and the motion passed. In at 6:35 pm. Out at 6:51 pm.
Ms. Neubert made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Tabor to reinstate the student under consideration. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The board took a short recess of about 30 minutes to have a tour of Vivian E. Hussey Elementary School facilities. Board members met with the Hussey School administrators Tina Harding and Mike Roberts. They gave the tour of the building's strengths and needs. The board thanked all of the administration for their time and input and were appreciative of the information provided through the tour.
There were 12 in the audience.
Ms. Wheeler made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Whalen Stanton to table the Second Reading of Policy JICK. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Ms. Nancy Neubert, the vice chair read the public input statement.
Public Input: None at this time
Minutes:
Ms. Janousek made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Tabor to accept the minutes of the November 2, 2023 meeting as amended. All members voted in favor except Ms. Wheeler who abstained and the motion passed.
Financial Summary:
Ms. Denise Van Campen shared with the board the financial summary for the General Fund as of 10/31/23. She noted that areas that she is continuing to focus on are electricity and transportation for athletics.
Second Reading of Policy JICK:
Tabled.
Employment:
No new teacher hires
Resignation: Superintendent Beauvais brought forward the resignation of Brigette Van Hook, a Special Education Teacher at Noble Middle School. Ms. Wheeler made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Neubert to accept the resignation of Ms. Van Hook. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Superintendent Beauvais brought forward the resignation of Brenda Lafrance, Excel Teacher at Eric Knowlton School. Ms. Wheeler made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Janousek to accept the resignation of Ms. Lafrance. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Superintendent Update:
The Superintendent shared with the board an overview of testing that is administered in the district. She gave a brief overview of the Test Name, Grade(s), Main Purpose of the testing, When and Results. Achievement Data - Final
Mr. Tabor spoke specifically about achievement testing that compares students across the grade levels and across the norms of the state and nation. He asked that we look into achievement testing and what might be useful for our district. Other board members discussed the impact of additional testing time and what benefits that might provide. More information specific to achievement testing will be researched and provided at a future meeting for the board to discuss more thoroughly.
Classroom breaks: The Superintendent shared information regarding the laws that govern Restraint and Seclusion. She gave an overview of how classroom breaks are utilized and gave information about average duration of time out of the classroom. The majority of classroom breaks were completed in less than 5-10 minutes. She shared the statistics from last year and current year to date.
Other:
Berwick Parade is December 2, 2023 1:30 pm
North Berwick Parade is November 26, 2023 4 pm
Ms. Basko asked about the bullying situation at the high school. She noted that there were tik tok videos that seem to target Noble students. The Superintendent shared that we are aware and are addressing those concerns as they arise. At this time, there are up to 8 or 9 iterations of that site. Each time that one is discovered, it’s reported and taken down. And then another pops up. We will continue to be vigilant about it. The social media piece is a growing problem and we are gathering a community group to discuss this and many other concerns that are impacting the towns and the schools. Wednesday, November 29th at 8 am in the high school library.
The district took part in a grant application for a potential SRO for our Lebanon schools. Next meeting, Dec. 7th, Sheriff William King will come to present on the topic and discuss with the board if they support the grant now that it has been awarded. There is a cost to the district.
Ms Janousek shared that the PTOs across the districts are doing a cereal drive to collect for the MSAD 60 BackPack Program.
And she thanked the Hussey School admin for the building tour and their time and expertise. .
Public Input:
Ms. Rouillard of North Berwick, asked that we also be sure to include Snap Chat with the media review.
Ms. Holly Dupuis of Berwick shared her questions regarding the Classroom Breaks and if the data continued
A North Berwick resident asked about policies where teachers could feel supported or where policies could be consistently followed based on certain families, etc. He noted that there is wasted time for students who disrupt other students' education. Do parents get contacted each time? The administration replied: Yes they do. Every time.
Adjournment:
Ms. Janousek made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Wheeler to adjourn the meeting. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Adjourned at 8:31 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Audra Beauvais