By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
The RSU 39 Board of Education met on Jan. 5, for its annual reorganization meeting combined with addressing regular meeting agenda items. Historically, the first meeting of a new year calls for formal elections of the president and vice president of the education board and appointments (by the chair) of members to standing committees.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barbara Scott
January 5, marked the first meeting of the new year for board members of the Eastern Aroostook Regional School Unit 39, at which time the annual board reorganization duties were completed, prior to addressing agenda business items. RSU 39 board members are, from left: Kent Forbes, vice chairman; Cliff Rhome, Scott Willey, Dale Gordon, chairwoman; Michelle Albert, Lynn McNeal, David Strainge and Frank McElwain, RSU 39 superintendent of schools.
Following a nomination by Scott Willey, 2010 chair, Dale Gordon was elected as chairwoman of the board and Kent Forbes was elected to serve as vice chairman.
Gordon announced the following appointments of board members to various standing committees. These appointments include the following. Fianance: Kent Forbes, Michelle Albert and David Strainge; Curriculum: Dale Gordon, Michelle Albert and Lynn McNeal; Policies: David Strainge, Michelle Albert and Dale Gordon; Negotiations: Kent Forbes, Dale Gordon and Lynn McNeal; and Facilities: Scott Willey, David Strainge and Cliff Rhome.
At the previous meeting of the RSU 39 board on Dec. 15, in executive session Frank McElwain was re-elected by the board members to continue serving as RSU 39 superintendent. The board of education panel also voted to approve a 2 percent salary increase regarding the position of superintendent.
The RSU board members voted their approval of an apprenticeship program for Caribou High School vocational students. Mark Jones, principal at CHS, informed the group that in previous years, there had been a program of this type but the funding had expired over the years.
The apprenticeship opportunities for senior students will be determined on an individual basis and all participating students must follow the approved guidelines concerning their regular school classes, their grades as well as maintaining a log providing documentation of work done during their apprenticeship.
Prior to approving this program, board members discussed possible problem areas including, how the school would know if the student is actually at the workplace, what feedback from the both the student and the workplace would be provided and whether the individual apprenticeships would be relevant to the future field of work for the student.
Jones stated that in the previous years of the program, two or three students were participants in the program each year.
Although within the guidelines of the program, students must notify the school when the apprenticeship work is terminated and the student must return to full school schedule when this occurs, it was recommended by the board that should a student not appear at the place of business for two days, it would be best if the guidelines included that the employer would also contact the school with this information.
In compliance with the conditions of this program, the student shall be released only during the final or last two periods of the regular school day to participate in the apprenticeship program and that student will receive no credit (toward completion of mandatory classes necessary for graduation) but they may be paid by the employer.
In other business McElwain informed the board members that James “Chico” Hernandez had recently been hired as wrestling coach for the Caribou Middle School team. McElwain also stated that the new wood-chip boiler, to be installed at the Caribou High School, was on schedule to be delivered on site, later this week. Work which began at the end of the 2009-10 school year, has been mostly completed in regard to this changeover in heating systems and construction for housing the boiler is also complete with only an exterior wall being left open for the installation.
McElwain also informed the panel of energy conservation work being completed at the Limestone Community School/MSSM. According to the superintendent the lighting replacements and weatherization in the MSSM area is near completion. The lights for the LCS gymnasium were delayed but should arrive in the near future and the pool cover is to be installed during February vacation. McElwain also informed the board members that communications regarding the purchase and installation of a wood-chip boiler at LCS are continuing. In order to determine the levels of ledge in the area of where a chip-bin would be constructed, McElwain stated that workers would be boring at the site this week. Results of this work and more information pertaining to refining the energy contract and upgrades should be available at the next RSU 39 meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 19.
During administrators updates school board members and attending principals and other staff were informed by Leland Caron, principal at the Limestone Community School that he had been notified by officials at the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., Commission on Public Secondary Schools, that the decennial evaluation report from a recent visit to Limestone Community School, it was voted to award the school continued accreditation in the New England Associations of Schools and Colleges.
The LCS was commended in 13 areas of operations including the degree to which the teachers and school board believe the mission represents the community’s fundamental values and beliefs about student learning. The commission also stated their approval of another 17 areas of education.
In the letter from the commission, those officials expressed concerns regarding the school’s adherence to the Standard on Curriculum. Given these concerns, the Commission voted to place the school on warning for the Standards on Curriculum. As a result of these concerns school officials must submit a Special Progress Report by Sept. 1, 2011, indicating how the specific recommendations have been addressed.
Consistent with Commission policies, the school’s warning status will not be removed until it has been demonstrated that all evaluation report recommendations related to the indicated Standards areas of concern have been satisfactorily addressed. All accredited schools must submit a required two-year progress report, with LCS due on Oct. 1, 2012.
