Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent
After more than two years of hard work, 18 directors were sworn in as part of the new Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District, at a meeting in the Teagle Library at Woodstock Union High School/Middle School on Monday evening.
Most were very optimistic about the opportunities they believe the consolidation will provide for the children.
Vermont Agency of Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe had asked State Senator Alison Clarkson to officiate, as she could not attend. Clarkson’s first job was to swear in the 18 representatives – two from each of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret and Reading, and six from Woodstock.
Clarkson then assisted in the directors’ election of Perrin Worrell, a director from Bridgewater, as temporary moderator. With Superintendent Mary Beth Banios’ help, Worrell orchestrated the election of Bridgewater’s Justin Shipman as permanent moderator, and Reading’s Tim Bishop as permanent clerk.
The first contested election inspired discussion over the position of permanent treasurer – both Richard Seaman, business manager for the Windsor Central Supervisory Union, and Calista Brennan, Clerk in Reading, were nominated. Discussion ensued over whether Brennan, who was absent from the meeting, or Seaman, who lives in New Hampshire and is not a resident voter in the new consolidated school district, could be elected,
and the vote was tabled until the next Board meeting.
New officers’ compensation brought more discussion. Paige Hiller, a Woodstock director, said historically, the clerk and moderator have not been compensated – only the treasurer is given a stipend as officer. The directors voted to set the moderator’s and clerk’s compensation at “zero,” and to table the Treasurer’s stipend decision until the next meeting.
“The only task for the treasurer before July 1,” Seaman commented, “would be to set up the list of accounts and file for tax identification numbers anyway.”
Compensation as directors was also set at “zero,” as compensation would be part of the 2018-2019 consolidated school budget sent to voters in March.
At left, Superintendent Mary Beth Banios is shown at Monday's meeting. Right, Sen. Alison Clarkson performs the swearing-in of the board members of the new WCMUUSD. Curt Peterson Photos
The group moved on to its first official Board meeting. Paige Hiller was elected chair, Jennifer Iannantuoni was elected vice-chair, and Tim Bishop was elected clerk. Rayna Bishop, Tim’s wife, volunteered to be uncompensated recording secretary until July.
Monthly meetings will take place after the regular WCSU meetings on the second Monday of each month, as most of the WCMUUSD directors also serve on the WCSU Board and would be present anyway.
The Board designated The Vermont Standard and The Mountain Times as their official newspapersof- record. Directors may repost notices anywhere else they think appropriate.
A name change was suggested to make talking about the consolidated district easier. Windsor Central School District, Windsor Central Unified District, and Windsor Central Unified School District were suggested. Everyone agreed a name change is a good idea, but the discussion was tabled for later consideration.
Dan French, professor at St. Michael’s College and a consultant, will make a presentation called, “We’ve Merged – Now What?”
at a special meeting to be arranged. The WCSU has money funding for the program, Banios said.
As for budgets, each local district will produce its individual budget, Hiller explained, and the WCMUUSD Board will combine those budgets into one unified submission for voters in all the participating towns.
A “Special Meeting” was then convened to discuss a proposal made by the Pittsfield School District to the WCSU – they wanted to know if the WCMUUSD would entertain a “3 by 1” arrangement with them. In this arrangement Pittsfield would remain an independent school district, but would cooperate with the WCMUUSD for purchasing and policy.
Iannantuoni pointed out that Pittsfield has no actual school and merely pays tuition wherever students go, and that all but one or two of their students attend Woodstock schools – about 100 in all. But the town does not want to give up “school choice.”
The directors haven’t received a written proposal from Pittsfield, and no one from Pittsfield was present to discuss the issue. They asked Banios to let Pittsfield know the WCMUUSD “would welcome a written proposal and would act on it as quickly as possible to assist in their meeting state deadlines.”
No comments:
Post a Comment