ROCKPORT — The agenda has been set for the Wednesday, Nov. 4 school board meeting for Five Town CSD, which serves Camden Hills Regional High School. 

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. inside the high school’s chorus room. 

The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube, and the public can participate with Zoom or in-person. Questions can be asked via the Zoom chatbox.

AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Adjustments to the Agenda

3. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda

4. Recognitions
a. National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists
• Jonathan McDevitt
• Wyatt Munson
• Elias Porter
• Claire Wyman

5. Minutes
a. Approval of the October 7, 2020 Regular Board Meeting Minutes

6. Nominations (Note: Executive Sessions Possible for Nominations)
a. Bailey Curtis, Sophomore Student Representative to the School Board

7. Program Information during COVID - Shawn Carlson
a. Chorus
b. Band
c. P.E.
8. Winter Sports Update – Jeff Hart

9. Proposal for Early Release Every Wednesday

10. Emergency Authorizations
a. Authorize the Superintendent to use sole procurement procedures due to the emergency situation on any projects that Federal funding would typically require to go out to bid.
b. Authorize the Superintendent to make decisions that supersede policy as needed while we are in an emergency situation during the pandemic.

11. MSMA Attendee report – Marcus Mrowka

12. School Board Chair’s Report – Becky Flanagan
a. Board Leadership Training report
b. Winter Workshop Update

13. Superintendent’s Report – Maria Libby

14. Student Representatives Report – Julianna Day, Oliver Worner

15. Administrative Reports
a. Deb McIntyre, Assistant Superintendent
o Truancy Data
b. Shawn Carlson, CHRHS Principal
c. Valerie Mattes, Director of Student Special Services

16. Standing Committee Reports
a. Joint Curriculum – Next meeting November 23, 3:00 p.m.
b. Joint Personnel – Next meeting November 12, 4:30 p.m.
c. Joint Negotiations – Met November 2.
d. Finance — Met October 21. Meets prior to the board meeting.
• Finance Update – Finance Committee Chair
• 2021-22 Status Quo Budget
e. Personnel – Will meet November 12, 4:30 p.m.
f. Joint Policy — Met October 19. Next meeting December 14, 3:30 p.m.
First Reads
DIE – Audits and Financial Monitoring
GCB – Salary Determination of Professional Staff
IHBAC – Child Find
JLF-Reporting Child Abuse Neglect
JLF-R – Reporting Child Abuse Neglect Administrative Procedure
Reviewed with no or minor revisions
DID – Inventories
EGAD-R Copyright Compliance Administrative Procedure
GAB – Job Descriptions
GBB – Staff Involvement in Decision Making
GBEC – Drug-Free Workplace

17. Ad Hoc Committee Reports
a. Midcoast School of Technology

18. School Advisory Committee Reports
a. DEI Task Force – Met October 28, minutes attached. Next meeting December 9, 7:00 p.m.

19. Future Agenda Items

20. Adjourn

EARLY RELEASE PROPOSAL
By Maria Libby, Superintendent 

After talking with the school principals, who have had their ears to the ground this year listening to teachers whom are experiencing an unprecedented and very challenging instructional model, I am proposing we begin implementing an Early Release Day every Wednesday.

This would give teachers much needed professional time to meet the demands the pandemic and our instructional model has placed upon them. Teaching remote and in-person learners simultaneously requires relearning how to teach effectively and redesigning most lessons, assignments, and strategies. Our teachers have risen to this challenge well, but simply need more time to learn, prepare, and plan. For CRES teachers, who are not doing synchronous remote and in person instruction, the increased technology demands needed to prepare for a hybrid and remote teaching model are likewise time consuming. Having one extended afternoon per week of additional time will make a significant difference in their ability to sustain their work this year. In both schools, this window will also provide time for teachers to connect with students who need extra attention, as both before and after school times have been swallowed up by duties due to extended arrival and dismissal procedures.

We have already received approval from Camden Rockport Schools, and the two districts need to work in concert in order to coordinate transportation.

CHRHS: 12:15pm

Students attending MCST on these days will not have Early Release except on the days that were previously scheduled in the calendar. On those days, the MCST scheduled early release will now be later than at CHRHS by 1 hour, and those students will stay on the MCST schedule for every Wednesday.