SAD 29 School Board meets

    The monthly meeting of the SAD 29 school board was held March 9 at Houlton High School. The meeting included a presentation made by Adult Education director, Otis Smith and his assistant, Bernadette Farrar. They presented a Power Point program entitled, Maine’s Link to a Prosperous Future. The program highlighted the many areas the adult program offers students to direct them in the various paths to a successful career.
CUTTING THE BUDGET — Even with promised funding for the next school year, administrators are still being asked to cut their requests by 10 percent. Meeting with SAD 29 supertindent, Steve Fitzpatrick, standing, are seated from left, Marty Bouchard, Houlton High School principal, Candy Crane, Houlton Elementary School principal, Jason Tarr, Southside principal and Nancy Wright, Wellington School principal in Monticello. The administrators met in the recently renovated superintendent’s office complex.
   Smith noted that the center had experienced 120,958 course enrollments. They partner with several community entities such as the Maine Career Center, Literacy Volunteers, Carlton Project, College Transitions, Region Two professional development opportunities, Family Literacy and post secondary education.
    Candy Crane, principal of Houlton Elementary School reported that the Reading First grant is in its third year and that applications for a fourth and fifth year of funding are available to schools making progress. There are plans to apply for additional funding. Both Houlton Elementary School and Wellington School in Monticello participate in this grant.
    The Reading First program is designed to teach five essential reading components with a goal to accelerate students in reading in grades K-3. The program provides identified readers with intervention that is documented and changed as needed. The program is a national effort to improve reading during critical learning years. The five essential components are, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The reading workshop framework is based on, whole group instruction, small group instruction, targeted one-on-one and independent student practice.
    Literacy coaches work with students, assess students and make recommendations for student programming. They provide professional development opportunities for teachers, collaborate with peers and team-teach. They also develop and recommend interventions and work with the community, parents and train volunteer readers to read aloud to students.
    Testing is done three times a year using the Dibels evaluation method. The data recorded places Houlton above the state’s progress at all grade levels.
    Crane said that as a result of the grant the staff at the elementary schools is engaged in mandatory graduate course work paid for by the grant. The commitment and effort put forth by staff to complete the course work is significant.
    Literacy coaches Janet Wilcox Murakami and Sarah Estabrook gave a Power Point presentation about the program and Sally Cole, intervention specialist shared program data with the board.
    Superintendent Steve Fitzpatrick explained how the program could be used to assist special needs children. The program implements a response intervention or RTI. This component has been identified by the federal government for use in special education.
    Assistant superintendent, Dawn Dugan also explained what it means to be at benchmark and how to move students into intervention to ultimately reach a benchmark.
    Fitzpatrick noted that special education referrals have been down since the implementation of the program. He also complimented the district’s Title One staff for contributing to the success of the intervention program.
    Other topics on the agenda for the evening included: a letter from Houlton Town Manager, Doug Hazlett explaining a variety of scenarios resulting in the loss of tax revenue; the superintendent’s financial report stating that the district is in excellent shape financially and that curtailed money was being reauthorized or reissued upon receipt of the federal stimulus package. The superintendent had informed schools in the district to cut costs by 10 percent; the state had accepted the district’s alternate plan for regionalization; and informed the board about a meeting held with New England Energy Solution about wood chip boilers.
    Chairman Brian McGuire asked for a vote on all spring coaching positions. The motion was passed unanimously.
    Fitzpatrick asked the board to consider early retirement incentive packages for district employees. Following a discussion it was decided to accept 10 early retirements and use seniority as the basis for acceptance. This would be a one-time offer.
    Fitzpatrick said that a bullying policy has been reviewed because of a reported instance of cyber bullying. Upon review, it was determined that the current policy does have latitude to address any kind of bullying. The board accepted the policy as read.
    A request from high school science teacher Jean Maunder for a one-time unpaid leave of absence for five days was granted.
    A motion to approve asbestos removal RFP from County Abatement was accepted; a motion to enter into contract with Armstrong Engineering for the forthcoming mechanical engineering plumbing renovation project for the Performing Arts Center was also passed.
    A new fire-alarm system upgrade by an RFP bid of $17,500 from Swallow Electric was approved.
    The board also voted to enter into a contract with Design Group Collaborative for construction administration/theater design for the auditorium renovations.
    The board then entered into executive session for related employment issues specific to the superintendent.
    The next school board meeting will be Monday, April 6 at the superintendent’s conference room at Houlton High School.