Board OKs 15 motions during busy meeting
By Karen Cresta, Correspondent, The Times
EAST MARLBOROUGH – The Board of Education held their regular meeting on Tuesday night. The board had a very productive meeting approving more than 15 items up for vote but took time to acknowledge the students and community for a day of service on Martin Luther King (MLK) Day.
Samantha Seidenberger, a senior at Unionville High School (UHS) presented her monthly student report to the board. She emphasized the high numbers of students who volunteered in many capacities to give back to the community on MLK Day.
Seidenberger proudly reported, “As a district, we prepared for MLK Day and we wanted a day on and not a day off. We have always had a high turn-out of students who come to the schools and volunteer on MLK Day. I walked into the high school and there were students going in all different directions and to all different sites. It was really amazing to see how we came together as a community. I was amazed at what we were able to accomplish.”
Carolyn Daniels, a board member and Communications chair, thanked organizers and volunteers and congratulated everyone that came out such as staff, administrators, teachers and students to help with the growing list of opportunities available each year.
“It is an honor to represent our community and children throughout all of the schools,” Daniels stated.
Kathy Do, a board member and Curriculum, Education and Technology chair, who was in attendance at the meeting for Kennett Area Human Resources Committee earlier Tuesday, cited the impressive amount of food the Kennett Square Food Cupboard received as part of the MLK initiatives. She indicated that the food at the cupboard and the programs that will be enhanced at United Way and La Communidad will reap the benefits for months to come.
“Folks made a real and lasting difference,” she stated.
Tim Hoffman, principal of Charles F. Patton Middle School (CFPMS), took the opportunity to brief the board on middle school happenings as a host for this month’s meeting. He said he was “proud to be a principal here” and that the “kids and staff are phenomenal.”
In other district initiatives, Do encouraged students, parents and teachers to complete a homework study that superintendent, John Sanville, sent out via e-mail to the entire district. The feedback from the survey will be collected and will directly impact homework policies in the year to come.
Sanville indicated that January was declared “School Director Recognition Month.” He thanked the board for their hard work and for their advocacy for the students and community.
Jeff Hellrung provided an update on the Center for Arts and Technology and the tentative agreement for a 29 million dollar project to update and renovate the campus is in progress.
The board was all in favor to approve nine financial items for October and November 2014 that included the Construction Project Reports at UHS and Fields Renovation Project Budget and the 10-year Capital Plan Project Budget Reports. They also approved the two facility items that included the electricity bid for July through June 2015 and the purchase of a new maintenance vehicle for $36,888.35.
The motion carried to purchase heating oil, unleaded gas and propane as a joint bid with the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) for the best pricing. In addition, the board authorized the administration to work with Public Financial Management, Inc. as the financial advisor to refinance bonds to save the district approximately $800,000. The final number will be available in February.
The 2015-2016 school – calendar received final approval as well as numerous personnel and school policy changes. All board documents can be viewed at www.ucfsd.org.
