WOODLAND, Maine — The Woodland School board held their regular monthly meeting on Monday, Dec. 8 at the Woodland School library to discuss a number of agenda items, including the news that all Title 1 and Local Entitlement grants have recently been approved for the 2014-15 school year.
During Superintendent Karla Michaud’s report, she explained that four grants have recently been approved and will soon be allocated in the Union 122 2014-15 school budget.
The four grants include a Title 1A grant in the amount of $86,670, a Title IIA grant in the amount of $17,756, a Local Entitlement grant for special education in the amount of $64,683 for Woodland and a Local Entitlement grant for pre-school in Woodland in the amount of $1,236. Michaud also pointed out that the Local Entitlement grant in the amount of $64,683 is designated for special education at the Woodland school, but the funds will also be allocated for various other needs at the school and are not strictly confined for use in the special education department.
The Woodland school board also approved the decision to reconstruct the custodian’s schedule at the school, which will now see a custodian working in the school’s building for approximately an hour each month. There were some concerns on whether or not this would be enough time for the custodian to complete all necessary duties, especially during the winter months, but the board appeared confident that with the help of staff members who willingly pitch in to aid the custodian, this would likely be a non-issue. The board agreed that this would be the plan for the near future and if any problems were to arise, they would review the custodian’s schedule and change it accordingly.
Superintendent Michaud informed the board that the new security camera that the board recently voted to approve has now been installed and is working well. The board recently made the decision to update the school’s security by purchasing the camera for the front entrance, and so far there have been no issues.
The board also reviewed the bids for school bus No. 99, which they advertised for sale in October. The board received five bids ranging from $800 to $2,050, the latter of which was made by Smith’s Farms Inc. Their bid for $2,050 was accepted by the school board.
Woodland Principal Susie Schloeman provided the board with an update on the school’s happenings during her report, outlining some of the various events and activities that have taken place at the school throughout the month of November.
Schloeman addressed the Hunter’s Breakfast that took place on Nov. 1 at the school and explained that the money raised during the breakfast will go toward the purchasing of textbooks, minus $200, which was given to a Woodland student who has recently been out of school due to a surgical procedure.
Schloeman announced that a number of Woodland students were selected to the All Aroostook Band after tryouts in Houlton on Nov. 8. The All Aroostook members include Grade 6 students Keith Bray (trumpet) and Hannah Landeen (bass clarinet), as well as Grade 8 students Julia Dahlgren (clarinet) and Hollie McDougal (flute).
Lastly, Schloeman informed the board that the school’s enrollment has now changed from 126 to 121 students. This change was due to a family of three moving to Mars Hill, a family of one moving to Caribou, a family with four children who recently enrolled three of the four in Washburn and two new students from southern Maine who recently enrolled in Woodland.
The next Woodland school board meeting will be held on Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodland School library.
