The HUUSD School Board met in person (with an option for remote participation) Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
The meeting began with public comment. Brian Dalla Mura offered some comments regarding seclusion and restraint in schools.
Board Reports:
- Student Report: Naomi introduced herself as one of the new student representatives. Jeswin, Maise, and Naomi reported on recent Harwood activities and answered questions from Board members.
- Superintendent: Dr. Mike provided information about the Central Vermont Career Center and an upcoming event there.
Topics for discussion:
- The majority of the meeting was dedicated to a presentation by building principals Meg McDonough (HUHS), Kaiya Korb (Waitsfield Elementary), and Celia Guggemos (Fayston Elementary) regarding intradistrict school choice (IDC). The HUUSD administrative team is recommending some changes to procedures they believe will make the IDC process work better for both the administration and families.
- Lisa Estler presented information regarding education funding and outlined some factors affecting budget planning for the coming year.
- Student representatives Maise Franke and Jeswin Antony explained that they would advocate for student reps to have a non-weighted vote in any board decisions, and the board expressed support for the idea.
- There was a short discussion about creating a protocol for a way in which we could formally celebrate students who achieve in various arenas.
- The board discussed respiratory and airborne diseases and decided to review for adoption the policy available from the VSBA.
The Board took action on the following:
- Approved a motion to approve Dr. Mike’s annual goals, which will focus on academics, budget, community relations, and facilities.
- Approved a motion to appoint Board members Lisa Mason, Jake Pitman, and Kim Laidlaw to the Superintendent Evaluation TImeline Committee.
- Approved a motion to approve $78,600 from the maintenance reserve fund for architecture and engineering work for construction documents from TruexCullins for the Waitsfield kitchen.
- Approved a motion to appoint Laura Titus as Treasurer for the remainder of the fiscal year and pay the prorated stipend.
As always, the Board welcomes feedback from our community. One of the easiest ways to share your thoughts is to send an email to [email protected], which will go to every Board member. There is also time at every Board meeting for public comment. Alternately, reach out to one of your neighbors who is on the School Board and share your thoughts in a personal email or phone call (see a list of Board members and contact information at https://tinyurl.com/523wtrnj).
The Board’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. Community members may attend in person in the Harwood library or remotely via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/386460007#success), or watch it broadcast live on YouTube (http://tinyurl.com/huwebapp-youtube-live). Agendas and other related documents are available at huusd.org.