Staff Writer
The Eastern Aroostook RSU Board of Education met Feb.17 for a regular meeting at the superintendent’s office in Caribou. The first item of business resulted in the board members voting unanimously to adopt five policies including: Harassment and Sexual Harassment of Students; Harassment and Sexual Harassment of School Employees; Recruiting and Hiring of Administrative Staff Administrative Procedure; Lau Plan and Student Use of Cellular Telephones and Other Electronic Devices.
Regarding the Lau Plan, “the Eastern Aroostook RSU 39 recognizes that a portion of the incoming school population may be of a bilingual origin and has thus developed its educational program with the intention of meting the diverse needs of the population. It is with the intention of assuring an equal educational opportunity for all students and an attempt to identify and eliminate language barriers that impede equal participation by our students in our instructional programs that we have developed this Lau plan. The School department affirms that limited English proficiency (LEP) is not considered a handicapping condition.”
The policy, in part, states, “The legal basis for our plan is the landmark 1974 U.S. Supreme Court decision Lau vs. Nicholas. The U.S. Supreme Court stated that school systems must take action to see that limited English proficient national origin minority students are able to benefit from an education instructed in English.
In order to be in compliance with federal and state law, schools systems must identify all students whose primary language is other than English, who have or may have difficulty performing ordinary class work in English and who cannot learn or achieve on parity with their English dominant peers. Such limited English Proficient (LEP) students must be placed in a specifically designed language support program.
The Student Use of Cellular Telephones and other electronic devices policy states: “The Board recognizes that many students possess cellular telephones and Other Electronic Devices. These devices may not be used in any manner that disrupts the educational process, is illegal, or violates Board policies and/or school rules. Eastern Aroostook RSU 39 is not responsible for damage, loss or theft of such devices. The Superintendent is authorized to develop any school rules necessary to implement this policy.”
During the Feb.17 meeting Mark Jones, Caribou High School principal, presented to the board an alternative to the attendance incentive program. The attendance incentive program includes students who are passing for the year and for the fourth quarter and have not been suspended for any reason and have no unexcused absences may opt out of taking final exams in their respective classes.
As a result of this year’s H1N1 concerns where students were encouraged to stay at home if they were ill, the new policy changes the focus from attendance to the student’s academic performance. The new finals incentive policy states: Any student who:
• Is passing for the year and for the fourth quarter;
• Has not been suspended for any reason;
• Has no unexcused absences;
• Has taken the NEWA test and has for both the fall and spring test in the current school year met or exceeded growth prediction in language and reading will qualify to opt out of finals in English, social studies, health and foreign languages. In Math, the student will qualify to opt our of finals in math and science; in all three NWEA tests will qualify to opt out of all finals.
As an alternative to NWEA scores, students will qualify to opt out of finals in individual classes if they have an “A” average for the year in that class. Students who take an AP (advanced placement) exam in any class will not be required to take a final in that class.
The NEWA tests are assessment exams given through the school years projecting the growth/goals determined for a student to reach. Although the NEWA tests have no ties to a student’s grades and are not used for college entrance they show the level of progress. Jones also noted that some students who don’t take the assessment exams seriously would come to realize the assessment test as a validation for opting out of finals. The NEWA test results/projected goals are based on academic growth of individual students.
“Some high achieving students, who meet or excel their potential growth levels, don’t take the testing seriously but this new plan provides incentives for both the highest level of students and others who find learning more challenging. Our students must learn they must be invested in school,” said Jones.
Board members agreed that the plan is designed to keep students doing what they are supposed to be doing. Frank McElwain, RSU39 superintendent stated, “Now that we’re over the pandemic it’s time to take a different curve — that of using the assessment tools we have available.”
Qualifying CHS students will still have the option to take a final exam and if their score improves their overall grade, it will be used; if their testing score on a final does not improve the grade, it will not be considered. The RSU 39 board members approved the new policy with the stipulation that if problems arose, staff and administrators at the high school would not delay in approaching the board for necessary changes.
Superintendent McElwain informed the board on issues regarding the RSU revenue position and expense /cost centers citing the current cash flow available was equal to $1.5 million compared to $2 million if the school system was still connected to municipal funds. McElwain highlighted that expenditures within the RSU showed more than 50 percent of the expected funds coming in at the half-year revenue mark with and less than 50 percent expenditures going out.
McElwain stated that although the federal funds were questionable, they were seeing some revenue come in from that source equal to approximately $20,000 from the quarter million expected
The new RSU budget is still in process but with an anticipated state shortfall projected to be $638,000, a gap of nearly $1 million actively needs to be closed.
McElwain said there would definitely be position cuts within the RSU 39 (either full- or part-time) and the school system would see programs reduced or eliminated.
Once the proposed budget has been completed voters from Caribou, Limestone and Stockholm will vote to approve the cost centers that make up the $20 million RSU budget and then vote by secret ballot at the polls in the three individual communities to accept or reject the budget in its entirety.
The next meeting of the RSU 39 board of education will be held Wednesday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the superintendent’s office on South Maine St. During the March 3 meeting, a public hearing will be held allowing area farmers, parents and other citizens to address the board regarding their thoughts and concerns pertaining to the possible revision of the harvest recess. This is a public hearing and the results of earlier harvest recess surveys completed by farmers, parents and students will be discussed.
