MOUNT VERNON — Friday’s meeting of the Mount Vernon school board started off with a summary of educational provisions in HB 1, the state’s budget bill.
Superintendent Steve Short talked briefly about newly required items such as all-day kindergarten, and whether the state is providing the funding to implement the provisions. The financial piece has still not been finalized and the fiscal impact on the school district not yet determined.
The board then entered into an extensive discussion about how to best use federal stimulus dollars. Since the funds are earmarked for special education or at-risk students, the board reviewed recommendations from administrators and teachers for additional instructional materials, staffing readjustments and programs for professional development. The entire focus was to develop and implement strategies which will help increase student achievement and meet requirements of No Child Left Behind legislation.
Lori Beach, coordinator of gifted, enrichment and federal programs, and Gary Chapman, director of teaching and learning, were on hand to give details of proposed materials and answer questions from the board. The suggested strategies are research-based and encourage data-driven interventions.
Regarding certified personnel, the board retroactively hired Denise Brandon as a summer school teacher and advanced high school orchestra director Anthony Springer on the salary scale due to verification of experience. For the 2009-10 school year, the board employed David Pastiva as a 25-hour-per-week tutor, added to the substitute teacher list, and approved a number of supplemental and extra-service contracts. It also hired Jeremy Hess as freshman football coach and Sarah Walsh as freshman volleyball coach for the 2009-10 school year.
Concerning classified personnel, the board added to the substitute list and approved extra-service stipends for Brenda Beale and Patricia Metcalf, retroactive to Aug. 5, for kindergarten registration; and for Rita Smith for the Yellow Jacket Kickoff Aug. 13. It also approved a list of inclusion assistants for the 2009-10 school year as well as student advocates, and adopted a job description for a Title I behavior support aide for Dan Emmett Elementary.
Prior to adjournment, the board went into executive session to discuss personnel. No further action was taken.
