MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING OF September 21, 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 Lebanon, Maine on September 21, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. with all members attending except Ms. Basko, Ms. Whalen and Mr. Doiron.
Ms. Wheeler made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Tabor to enter executive session for the readmittance of a student. All members voted in favor and the motion passed. In at 7:03 pm Out at 7:26 pm.
Ms. Janousek made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Travers to readmit the student under consideration. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The board took a short recess of about 45 minutes to have a tour of the Lebanon Elementary and Hanson school facilities. Board members met with the Lebanon Elementary and Hanson School administrative team, Heather LaFrance and Lori Lodge, as well as facilities director, Kevin Moore. The board thanked the administrators for their time and input and were appreciative of the information provided through the tour.
There were 17 in the audience.
Ms. Neubert 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 August 24th meeting. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Ms. Janousek made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Travers to accept the minutes of the September 7th meeting. There are not enough members who were present at the September 7 meeting to fully vote on the minutes at this point so the minutes of September 7, 2023 will be tabled until the meeting of October 6, 2023.
Board of Director Norms
The board reviewed the current board norms at the September 7th board meeting and these norms were brought back this evening and agreed upon. No vote was necessary.
Data Review:
The Superintendent shared an overview of the past five years of state testing and how MSAD 60 performed. The information provided is from 2019-2023. The caveat is that the state has revamped its test for ELA and Math multiple times in the past 10 years. The 2019 data is from EmpowerME, a former state test. The 2020 data was not collected due to the Covid Pandemic. The 2021 and 2022 data is from the NWEA MAP testing (this is the North West Educational Assessment which is a nation wide normed test measuring growth in math and reading). There are two solid years of data utilizing the MAP testing. The final year (2023) is a revamped test that includes both the NWEA MAP test as well as a specific number of grade level questions. The data from the 2023 school year will not be released until the end of this calendar year. This information was taken from the state website here: ESSA Dashboard https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard
Employment:
No new teacher hires
Transportation: We are adequately staffed for getting students to and from school, but not necessarily for athletic runs. We are still hiring spare and activity run drivers. Call 207 676 2856 for more information.
Other:
The Superintendent shared with the board the updated LES existing Facility Assessment and Evaluation. It provides an overview of the necessary work to bring the Lebanon Elementary School up to code.
Public Input:
None at this time.
Adjournment:
Ms Janousek made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Travers to adjourn the meeting. All members voted in favor and the motion passed.
Adjourned at 8:33 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Audra Beauvais