School system about to take pop quiz
Published on November 2nd, 2005
Up to their eyeballs in paperwork, administration and staff members of the Stoneham School System are working feverishly to ready themselves for a Department of Education (DOE) audit, a time-consuming and costly regulation which School Committee Chairman Marie Christie has termed "another unfunded mandate."
According to Assistant Superintendent Joseph Casey, reporting the School Committee last Wednesday, the DOE performs a number of these audits on various school districts each year. Specifically, the DOE looks at how well a system provides for and complies with regulations in the areas of Special Education, English Language Learners, Title I, Civil Rights, Safe and Drug-free Schools, and School Nutrition and Health.
"They look at how we deliver service and how we are in compliance with federal mandates."
Last week, school administrators sent off "a file cabinet worth of documentation" to the DOE for its preliminary review. Representatives from the state education department are expected on site at the end of November to conducting many interviews with administrators, program coordinators, and other staff.
The School Department will announce the DOE's visit in a formal public notice. It is expected that the DOE will take three days to review assessment of students, student identification and placement, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, and the impact of budget shortfalls on programs. Representative will also look at Stoneham's school facilities.
A preliminary report will be sent to Stoneham within a month of the DOE's visit. Stoneham will have 30-45 days to respond to this prior to a final report. Many hours have already been allocated to this endeavor with more expected. The state provides a small grant of $4,500, which covers only a small portion of the cost of preparing for and participating in the audit.
Academic Excellence Award
High School Senior Stella Barth is this year's recipient of the Superintendent's Award for Academic Excellence. Barth received her award from Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly, at last week's School Committee meeting with her parents by her side.
Each year, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendent's gives each of the state's superintendents the honor of bestowing this award on a member of the senior class who has shown academic excellence by holding the highest grade point average at the end of his or her junior year. The award is presented at the beginning of senior year so that the deserving recipient can make mention of the prestigious award on college applications.
Barth's choices for college next fall include Harvard, Brown, Holy Cross and Connecticut College.
High School Bleachers
The bleachers at the Stoneham High football field will be empty this Thanksgiving as Stoneham plays its big game at Reading. While an away game on Thanksgiving is not unusual, the bleachers, which are sporting new structural reinforcements, will not be able to accommodate the Melrose-Wakefield football teams as those towns requested.
Superintendent Connelly initially offered Melrose use of the Stoneham field while construction is taking place at the Melrose complex, but Town Building Inspector Cheryl Noble has overridden that decision. The Stoneham bleachers currently hold a temporary occupancy permit until decking is replaced. A permanent occupancy permit is expected once this work is completed. Still, Noble cited the larger than average crowd that shows up on this popular football day as at risk until the decking is replaced. On Monday, Town Meeting approved a warrant article that calls for $125,000 to complete this work.
Connelly said he completely understands the Building Inspector's decision and has rescinded the offer.
Mold at Colonial Park School
In response to a parent's recent complaint of possible mold in the Colonial Park School, the School Building Committee appropriated $2,000 for an air quality test to be performed. The work was done two weeks ago and the School Department will share those results once they are received.
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