BELLOWS FALLS UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
School Board Meeting
May 10, 2010
Present:
Daniel Axtell, Jack Bryar, Russell Capron, David Clark, Stephen L. Fine, Matthew Guild, Stephen Major, Jan Mitchell-Love, Margaret Perry, Laurie Rowell
Also Present:
Christopher Kibbe, Christopher Hodsden, John Broadley, Windham County Sheriff’s Department, Students and Parents, Howard Weiss-Tisman, Susan Smallheer, Bethany Hall, Priscilla Lambert, FACT-TV
1. Call to Order:
The Chair, David Clark, called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m.
2. Adjustments to Agenda:
Item 7(A), Multi-Year Plan, removed from agenda.
Item 6(A), Unfinished Business – Prom Issue, will follow Item 4, Communications and Public Comment.
3. Consent Items:
There being no objection, the Chair declared that the minutes of April 21, 2010 and April 26, 2010 are accepted as presented.
4. Communications and Public Comments:
Principal Hodsden received a thank-you note from Mary Lou Smith for allowing a recent gymnastics competition to be held at the school, and a letter from Ann Morton, complimenting the staff for their contribution to Senior Projects and noting the valuable experience her son gained from completing the assignment.
Jean Monty asked to be placed on the agenda to discuss personal experiences involving the SRO. Ms. Monty’s concerns were outlined in a letter distributed to the board and attached to these minutes. The Chair thanked Ms. Monty and stated that her letter will be taken under advisement by the board.
5. Unfinished Business:
A. Prom Issue
The board and administration continued their discussion of the suggestion that students participate in breathalizer testing as they enter the prom. Student Council has indicated that they do not support the proposal. Jack Bryar provided the board with evidence of legal precedents as requested.
Bellows Falls Union High School
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May 10, 2010
Parents, community members, and students participating in the discussion along with board members included Cindy Riendeau, Nadine Rowell, Josh Pratt, Hillary Harrington, Eliza Masure, Brian Rowell, Courtney Parker, Joel Love, and Katrina Masure.
A motion made by the Chair to have a receiving line made up of administrators, chaperones, and other officials in a capacity to interact with the prom, and any student going through the receiving line who is suspected of the use of alcohol or legal, or illegal substances, will be subjected to a secondary screening by law enforcement, was withdrawn.
Margaret Perry moved that no breathalyzers be present at the Prom, and if chaperones suspect a problem with a student, that student’s parent be notified to pick up their child, seconded by Jan Mitchell-Love. The motion passed on a vote of six in favor (Axtell, Capron, Guild, Mitchell-Love, Perry, Rowell), one opposed (Major), and two abstentions (Fine, Bryar). The Chair did not vote.
6. Reports:
A. Principal
The Math Team has finished first in placeStateVermont and placed fourth at the Twin State Regionals. BFUHS student Aaron Morton was a first place finisher for Region 5 in a UVM Math Test.
B. Superintendent of Schools
The high school has made AYP in all areas, including graduation rate.
The next financial report should reflect a more accurate picture of where the school is financially. Because of changes in federal guidelines for food service contracts in schools, it will be necessary to go out to bid for the 2010-2011 school year. Action will be taken at the next board meeting to put the contract out to bid, and the Chair asked Stephen Major to form the committee to work on the details.
C. Technical Center Representatives
No report
D. Student Representative
No report
E. WNESU
Minutes enclosed
Bellows Falls Union High School
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May 10, 2010
F. Committees and Special Projects
(1) Instruction and Educational Effectiveness Committee
Jack Bryar updated the board on recent discussions around allowing 8th grade students to test into the high school, and the need to develop a method of evaluation for co-curricular positions.
(3) School Resource Officer Committee
The School Resource Officer Committee is discussing recent incidents at the school and concern about the SRO leaving her post to meet with American Legion officials in Chester about the prom without notifying anyone other than the secretary. Principal Hodsden said that he received e-mails from the Department of Liquor Control that indicate the agency was the driving force behind the Legion’s decision not to allow the prom to be held at their facility. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for May 18, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
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7. Business for Discussion/Action:
A. School Board Retreat
Eight board members attended the retreat, and the Chair feels the meeting was productive.
8. Appointments and/or Resignations:
A. Resignation
Russ Capron moved to approve the resignation of Ron King, and release him of his contract as Special Education/Intensive Services Teacher, effective June 30, 2010. The motion passed on a vote of eight in favor (Guild, Rowell, Perry, Axtell, Major, Bryar, Mitchell-Love, Capron) and one opposed (Fine). The Chair did not vote.
9. Directors’ Comments:
Superintendent Harpster and Laurie Rowell are working on the comparison of wellness policies, and consideration of adopting the Harassment of Students Policy will be included in the next agenda.
Board members interested in serving on the Food Service Committee should contact Stephen Major, and Principal Hodsden will put out an announcement soliciting student involvement.
Bellows Falls Union High School
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May 10, 2010
The Chair thanked all those involved in the discussion about the upcoming Junior Prom.
10. Date of Next Scheduled Meeting:
The Chair set the date of the next meeting for May 24, 2010.
11. Executive Session:
Margaret Perry moved to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing a personnel matter and a contract matter, and invited the administration and Joel Love to attend. The motion passed unanimously.
The Chair returned the board to open session at 9:37 p.m. The appeal of the findings of the administration about personnel by Joel Love was tabled to the next meeting.
12. Adjournment:
There being no further business to come before the meeting and no objection, the Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Mitchell-Love, Clerk
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