School Committee reorganizes, looks ahead
Published on May 29th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - School Committee Chairman Marie Christie handed over the gavel on Thursday night as the Committee voted to reorganize itself as it does this time every year. Committee member Daniel Moynihan will now serve as Chairman. Marc Grimaldi will serve as the committee’s new Vice-Chairman.
Subcommittee Assignments
Committee members signed up for subcommittee duties for the coming year on Thursday, and a couple of new subcommittees were added. One of these will look for innovative ways to improve School Committee communication and interaction with various school groups and residents.
This School Committee Enhancement Subcommittee might assign liaisons with PTOs or PTLs for more timely responses to each group’s issues, post meeting agendas for the public to follow at home, and solicit more feedback from student School Committee representatives. Grimaldi and Committee member Cheryl Walsh will sit on this subcommittee.
Another new subcommittee is the Alternative Revenue Enhancement Subcommittee which will be responsible for looking for creative ways to raise much needed revenue for school programs.
Grimaldi said it is the School Committee’s responsibility to the community to at least search out funding sources. The subcommittee will ideally consist of a diverse group of people from the community. According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey, a committee of town department representatives is already in place and works with the Town Planner to seek out various grant opportunities. Casey said he will keep the new subcommittee abreast of these grant efforts. Grimaldi and Walsh will serve on the new subcommittee
Year End Projections
According to Business Manager Michael Musto, the numbers are still fluctuating slightly, but at this point, a $100,000 surplus is still expected when the School Department books close on June 30.
That is the number the School Department has been projecting, and when it is realized, it goes back in the town till. The Finance Board is counting on that money and has already appropriated it for the School Department 2002-2003 budget.
Final numbers will be reported at the School Committee’s meeting in June.
No Customers
Stoneham elementary school principals tried to fill a community need as well as to raise revenue by offering parents before-school child care. But Stoneham parents are apparently all set in that area as only two families responded.
The program was designed to bank off the success of the schools’ after-school child care program which services many students each day. But the before-school program, which was to offer child care between the hours of 6:30 and 8:00 a.m., is not what parents are looking for in the volume needed to sustain it.
No Problem Here
The after-school program looks again to be a success for next year as families have already signed up for 2002-2003. The maximum capacity of the program is 35 students, and if some openings remain, Christie suggested that the program be extended to St. Patrick School students as well.
The School Department is in great shape with regard to busing, School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly said. By mid May, bus routes were established and published (see last week’s Independent). Connelly praised staff member Jill Kennedy for her hard work developing and organizing the routes.
Summer Reading
Assistant Superintendent Casey praised the efforts of both Stoneham Public Library staff and school staff for working together to keep kids reading this summer.
A formal reading list for grades six through 12 has been developed, and the Stoneham Library is making the books available. At the elementary level, reading programs at the school and library have been developed to support one another.
Casey praised Library Director Hugh Williams for his great support of the school reading programs.
Dimmick Recognized
Connelly proudly announced that retiring Program Super-visor of Science, Howard Dimmick, has recently been named a Massachusetts Hall of Fame of Science Educator.
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