Windham Southeast Supervisory Union School Board
Minutes — September 11, 2024
Directors present: Anne Beekman, Kerry Amidon, Tim Maciel, Shaun Murphy, Deborah Stanford
Also present: Mark Speno, Tate Erickson, Brandy Levesque, Brin Tucker
(Zoom attendees as of 5:05 pm at the end of these minutes)
CALL TO ORDER—5:02 p.m. — Anne Beekman
The chair amended the agenda to include Pre-K partnership authorizations.
The board was joined via Zoom by Sandra Cameron, Associate Executive Director of the Vermont School Board Association (VSBA), who gave an overview of the upcoming Superintendent evaluation process. The survey will be sent to the full leadership team, all three boards, and the Superintendent. Participants will be given 2 weeks to answer with additional time given if required by response rates. The goals established at the conclusion of the previous evaluation will be embedded into this survey. When complete, the VSBA will compile a summary of quantitative and qualitative information.
A discussion was had over the idea of including the full staff in the survey. The VSBA usually just includes the level of administration that has the best knowledge of the work and experience of the superintendent but are willing to include others if it is the will of the board.
Based on the board’s discussion with input from the Superintendent and the VSBA, the board had agreement on:
● Anne/Mark will get current goals and email list to the VSBA by September 25th.
○ Anne will share the email list with the board to ensure proper inclusion.
● When the survey is closed, only the board will receive the breakdown of numbers and the summary statements written by the VSBA including all the comments.
○ The VSBA will do their best to “anonymize” the comments and Anne will also review them prior to distribution to the board to ensure anonymity.
● The board will do a “compare and contrast” to ensure that the summary comments provided by the VSBA match the comments received.
● If needed, the board will add addendum comments to the document.
● When this work is concluded, the breakdown of numbers, summary statements and board addendum will be shared with the Superintendent.
○ The Superintendent will not receive the raw or “anonymized” comments from the surveys.
Based on the above work, the VSBA will prepare the final summary document which will be signed by both the Board Chair and Superintendent.
While there will be no staff included in the evaluation this year, the board is unanimously interested in the idea of doing a district wide climate staff survey, but we need to regroup to flesh out the details.
There being no changes made to the Consent Agenda, the board approved the Consent Agenda as presented on a motion by Deborah Stanford with the notice that there is a typography error on the payrolls. The listed date of “June 28th” should be “August 23rd” but all financial data is correct:
Approval of Minutes 8.14.24
Warrant of August 14, 2024
MV Liaison Purchasing Card Pmnt of 7/15/24 $ 513.41
Warrant No. 1026 in the amount of $ 2,100.43
Warrant No. 1027 in the amount of $ 2075.45
Warrant No. 1028 in the amount of $ 1,032,980.30
Warrant No. 1032 in the amount of $ 20,988.51
Warrant No. 1033 in the amount of $ 1,383.24
Warrant No. 1034 in the amount of $ 214,900.45
Total Accounts Payable $ 1,274,941.39
Payrolls August 9, 2024 $ 622,453.51
Warrant of August 28, 2024
Warrant No. 1035 in the amount of $ 1,154.97
Warrant No. 1036 in the amount of $ 61,738.94
Warrant No. 1043 in the amount of $ 60,313.26
Warrant No. 1044 in the amount of $ 300.00
Warrant No. 1045 in the amount of $ 43,028.76
Total Accounts Payable $ 106,535.93
Payrolls June 28, 2024 $ 586,512.96
● Date corrected to be August 23, 2024.
Warrant No. 1024 in the amount of $ 170.14
Warrant No. 1025 in the amount of $ 73,359.72
Total Accounts Payable $ 614,885.51
Payrolls July 26, 2024 $ 586,865.90
PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Melissa McClure of Brattleboro asked about the WSESU’s current training protocols on physical intervention. Tate Erickson, WSESU Director of Special Education detailed our current training is use of non-violent crisis intervention based on Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) programs using de-escalation training. Deborah Stanford added that the Policy Committee had just met previously today around district policy F21 Restraint and Seclusion.
Melissa McClue then discussed the Crisis Prevention Institute’s work on “Reframing Behavoirs” that was rolled out in June via the CPI. Tate will investigate this new offering on behalf of the SU.
FINANCE – None
BOARD REPRESENTATIVES TO CONTRACT NEGOTIATION TEAM
Our renegotiations will start around November and the goal is to be done by the annual meeting or earlier in February if possible. The usual time requirement is 4 pm – 8 pm weekly on a non-board meeting night. The WSESD has voted to have Ruby Macado and Kim Price represent the board and Frank Rucker and Mark Speno will head up the administrative team.
Tim Maciel and Kerry Amidon volunteered to represent the WSESU. Kerry and Mark will take the issue back to the VES board to ensure their inclusion.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
On a motion by Deborah Stanford, the board voted to accept the resignation of Laura Tarleton.
On a motion by Deborah Stanford, the board voted to accept the administration’s recommendation to hire Margo Frank as a Speech Language Pathologist.
Mark gave an update on the new Brattleboro Early Education Center (BEEC) opening at the former Canal Street School. Brandy Levesque offered her endless gratitude on behalf of the entire WSESU to the new bright, cheerful and welcoming space to our Facility Manager Rodney Holland and Custodian Harold Wright and their tireless work to get the space to where it is, much of which is visible and much of which is behind the scenes.
The Superintendent updated the board around the first full administrative meeting held last friday. Agenda copies of the meeting were distributed and Mark walked the board through the details of the event and how it will be used to move the supervisory union forward for the upcoming school year.
Frank Rucker and Mark met recently on Central Office staffing and the need for an additional part time clerical support person due to work loads and an upcoming leave of absence.
NEW BUSINESS
On a motion by Deborah Stanford, the board resumed hiring authority for the board.
On a motion by Deborah Stanford, the board approved the authorization of our Pre-K providers.
On a motion by Shaun Murphy, the board approved the chair sending a voting proxy to VSBIT for the upcoming meeting in October.
The Chair reminded Board members that the yearly calendar was distributed and feedback is welcomed while none has yet as this date has been received and feedback is always welcomed.
OLD BUSINESS
On a motion by Kerry Amidon, the board voted to adopt F41 Policy on Section 504 and ADA
EXECUTIVE SESSION
On a motion by Deborah Stanford, the board voted to enter into Executive Session under
1 V.S.A. § 313 (a)(7) The academic records or suspension or discipline of students and
1 V.S.A. § 313 (a)(1)(A) Contracts inviting Mark Speno and Tate Erickson at 6:27 pm.
The board rose from executive session at 7:01 pm with no action taken.
On a motion by Kerry Amidon, the board voted to adjourn at 7:01 pm.
Note respectfully submitted,
Kerry Amidon, Clerk
