Board Members: John Schmeltzer, Lisa Ransom, Jay Pilliod, and Matt Strassberg

School Administrators: Roberta Barone and Bob McNamara

Chuck Abare was absent

The meeting was called to order at 6:10 by John Schmeltzer, Board Chair

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

On a motion by John, seconded by Jay, the Board voted to approve the minutes of the April 1, 2008 meeting.

Bob has been meeting with parent groups from various schools in WWSU to discuss early release days. The meeting with parents from Moretown is scheduled for Monday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. He is interested in hearing feedback on the current practice and other cost effective suggestions to minimize impacts to families.

Bob also discussed the 2008 Accountability Report that was recently issued pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act. Moretown has met its yearly progress goals.

Bob continues to screen candidates for the WWSU business manager position.

A summary of the responses from the parent survey will be sent to each home and it will also be placed on the school website.

There will be an opening for a teacher in the 5/6 grades. Moretown is looking for a teacher with a strong background in math. A search committee is being formed that will include a parent representative, a teacher, a board member, and Roberta.

Roberta and Duane Pierson from Harwood researched placing video cameras on the school buses. The cost is $1500 per bus. As a pilot project, Harwood and Moretown would split the cost of one camera. On a motion by Lisa, seconded by John, the Board authorized the expenditure of $750 to pay half the cost for one camera.

Roberta reported about the revisions to a teacher contract that was signed. On a motion by Matt, seconded by John, the Board also approved a side letter as amended regarding clarification of a teacher’s category.

The Board went into executive session at 7:50 and resumed the public meeting at 8:05.

The Board discussed options for the performance of the clerk’s duties. John agreed to contact former clerk and Board member Amy Bolger to create written procedures. The other Board members in attendance agreed to rotate acting as the clerk.

On a motion by Jay, and seconded by Lisa, the Board approved the following Board orders: #69 for $31,645.66, #70 for $18,000.27, #71 and #73 for $31,722.32, #72 and #74 for $17,761.64, #75 for $357,798.48, and #76 for $4,138.79.

The Deeryard Easement was signed.

The calendar has been approved with 180 days of school ending on a full day of school on June 19^th.

Jay met with Greg Wagner to discuss and prioritize potential capital improvement projects, Thus far, only the upgrade to the electrical system has been approved. Attached is a draft spread sheet that lists the potential projects. The Board discussed several potential projects that are high priority such as fixing roof leaks, getting the building shell tight, remedying insulation deficiencies in the old building, and addressing ice build up around the fire escape. The Board decided to ask for bids on some of the projects to get a better sense of the costs before taking further action. The Board also will look into consulting with a structural engineer to assess the load capacity of the roof.

The PTN is working with a landscape architect on a plan for the playground. The Board discussed the need for a conceptual plan for the parking lot and area surrounding the school. On a motion by Lisa, seconded by John, the Board approved spending up to $1500 for a conceptual landscaping plan.

On a motion by John and seconded by Matt, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

Matt Strassberg, rotating board clerk