Windham – Windham Board of Education (BOE) met for their regularly scheduled meeting with board members Darryl McGuire, Melissa Roubic, Danny Burns, Bill Hickman, with Treasurer Dawn Altman, and Superintendent Gregg Isler also in attendance. Board member Terrie Altiere was excused to attend a family funeral.
Melissa Roubic gave the legislative report on what’s changing at the state level in education. Some of the new proposals at the state level are HB136 is designed to allow folks to have a choice in private schools or public schools with tax dollars going to private institutions if one chooses. She also mentioned a proposed idea from Senator Tom Sawyer who is trying to eliminate open enrollment in Ohio. This has yet to become a bill; right now it is just a proposal. Roubic also stated that it is unclear how the passage or failure of Issue Two will affect local schools budgets.
Superintendent Gregg Isler stated the they have temporarily suspended building use permits until they get a change to figure out a schedule. Due to the change in start and end times at Katherine Thomas (KT) Elementary the custodians are not always there in the evenings. The custodians are shifted to the other building when they are finished at KT. He also reported that The district received letters of commendation from the Governor’s office for the high and junior high schools’ improvement to effective rating.
The special education report given by David Root, Root stated the district has 181 students receiving special services with 12 of the students attending Maplewood Career Center and 15 students in another district under the open enrollment program. The district has 25% of its students enrolled in special services while the state average is 14.6%.
The elementary school report: the new backboards are installed with break a-way hoops. The fall Entertainment Book fundraiser was a bust, but the school is considering a frozen food fundraiser for later this year.
The maintenance report was given by supervisor Craig Alderman. The buses are holding up well and Alderman expects the Ohio Highway Patrol to do a spot inspection soon, which he doesn’t expect to have any problems. The buildings are having the usual problems which they are continuing to battle.
Treasurer Dawn Altman gave the five year financial forecast for the district; as long as things remain steady the district should remain solvent until 2014. Currently they have a three-year wage freeze, with employees contributions to insurance premiums to increase to 15% over the next few years..
In other BOE Business the board approved the following supplemental contracts: to Iris Heller as Junior High girl’s basketball coach, Roger Eakins as junior class advisor and prom advisor, Annette Black and Brenda Britt as Educational aides, and boy’s assistant basket ball coach William Pozsgal. Saturday school monitors were approved to receive a rate of $22.82/ hour. Those monitors are Stacey Best, Nancy Cline, Dougle Hankins, and Alysia Tinker.
Lastly, the board approved the two students under the open enrollment program.
The BOE meets regularly each month on the fourth Thursday at 7pm in room 121 at the high school. November’s meeting has been changed due to the Thanksgiving Holiday to Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 7pm.
