Based on opinions that the current school accreditation system hasn’t kept pace with advances in education and does not warrant the extra expense, the RSU 39 school board decided Wednesday evening not to seek that endorsement for Caribou High School and the Limestone Community School.
The board also approved the donation of a retired bus to a Caribou Boy Scout troop, garnering gratitude from the Scoutmaster.
Members discussed the accreditation issue at some length, with input from Superintendent Susan White, CHS Principal Mark Jones and others in attendance, before voting 5-1 in favor of discontinuing the two schools’ memberships in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Jones noted the district-wide preparation for moving to proficiency-based learning is what is at the forefront right now, and the expenses and time incurred by the accreditation process simply aren’t feasible.
“NEASC is not compatible with moving toward proficiency-based education, which is going to consume us,” he explained. “With the high level of changes due to proficiency-based education, the additional expenses and work will be impossible to accomplish.
“Yes, I do see value in accreditation, but with all the other work we just can’t do it,” Jones added.
Board member John Sjostedt said he had learned advanced-placement courses would not be impacted by discontinuing NEASC membership. “I really want this proficiency-based education, so if I have to choose, I’ll choose that,” he said.
Member Dale Gordon described seeing both sides of accreditation, and earlier would have supported the NEASC’s goals, but now doesn’t think they’ve been able to move forward at the same rate education has grown.
“Some of their requirements are dinosaurs,” she said. “I think the money can be better spent for something else. I used to be a supporter, but now I don’t feel they’re up to the current educational standards.”
Board member Kent Forbes weighed in, calling the accreditation process “antiquated.”
“I don’t think you get anything for it now,” he said, “and I think we should discontinue it for both schools.
While Sjostedt at first favored discontinuing NEASC membership for LCS, but not CHS, Forbes suggested treating both schools the same would be fair, so it did not appear that one school was “favored” over the other.
White said much thought has been given to whether non-accreditation would negatively impact students’ prospective college admissions; however, the procedures and expenses outweigh the benefits, particularly with the move toward learning based on proficiency.
She said the district may choose other ways to recognize educational standards. “There are other options out there,” she said. “This accreditation process is not reflective of our education today, so there probably will be a ‘plan B.’”
In later business, the group heard public comment from Vaughn Keaton, Scoutmaster of Caribou’s Boy Scout Troop 184, who explained the troop’s current bus is now rusted out and hardly roadworthy.
He told the board the troop uses a bus to travel to such events as National Jamborees, which have been held across the U.S. and Canada in the past, and in 2017 will be held in West Virginia. These outings are extremely educational for the Scouts, he said, noting good Scouts become good community members.
“Our troop holds over 50 Eagle Scouts, and there are five more coming up,” he said. “It’s one of the strongest troops in The County.
“Eagle Scouts are not only a feather in the cap for the troop, but a feather in the cap of the whole community,” Keaton said. “Please consider letting us have this bus.”
There was little debate about whether to provide the bus to the troop, but members wondered if state regulations allowed for donating it outright or whether it would need to be sold for $1.
Forbes said he wanted to make sure the district was meeting its obligation to the state. “They furnish the buses, so we want to make sure we’re within the law,” he said.
White said it would be within state law to donate the vehicle, and explained the threshold of $5,000 is where laws governing school property distribution come into play. While the bus would suit the Scouts’ needs, she said she had been assured that its actual worth was below $5,000.
Board members considered the donation-vs.-sale question and in the end moved to sell the retired bus to Troop 184 for the price of $1.
“Congratulations,” board chair Clifford Rhome told Keaton.
“Would you like the dollar now?” Keaton quipped. He expressed his appreciation to the board for the decision.
Other public comment came from parent Vic Nouhan, who had concerns about the fall harvest break being imposed on students across the district. Describing himself as the father of a “high-needs” child, he noted his child has difficulty transitioning from summer vacation time, to a short school session, then another vacation time, before school starts again.
“If so few individuals are partaking in harvest work, why isn’t the work-release program being made available to them?” he asked.
Nouhan said the harvest break also interferes with family visits; he hails from New Jersey and his wife from Ohio, and family gatherings are often held in mid- to late August; hence when school starts in August to accommodate the harvest break it makes attending these events difficult.
“I understand there’s tradition, but when the tradition is made to be across the board, I have questions,” he added. “Are you going to reconsider? Because I am not on board with this.”
Rhome explained that while the school board is not obligated to respond to take action on public comments unless there is a specific agenda item, the public was invited when discussion was held on the harvest break. He told Nouhan that at some point the issue would be revisited.
Other business included:
Board member Michelle Albert volunteered as delegate, and Rhome as alternate, to the Delegate Assembly of the Maine School Boards Association.
Assistant Superintendent Lois Brewer updated the group on progress in moving toward a proficiency-based education model.
White related four new hires in the district: James McLeary as night custodian at the Teague Park School; Lynn Hebert, part-time custodian at the Learning Center; Rebecca West, LCS girls’ varsity basketball coach; and Beth Boone, grade 2 curriculum leader at the Hilltop School.
Jones reported successful CHS teachers’ workshops and successful sports activities for cross-country, soccer and golf teams, as well as a successful “Drive for Your School” event sponsored recently by a local automobile dealer.
Caribou Vocational and Technical Center Director Ralph Conroy reported on door replacement in the facility, as well as an upcoming staff excursion to tour the vocational center in Bangor, the largest in the state. He expressed appreciation for the opportunity to garner beneficial information to bring back to the area.
The meeting adjourned with members voting to go into executive session to discuss a student matter.
