The Town of Webb Union Free School District Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, February 5 at 6:30 p.m., where it took the following action (these are not the board’s official minutes).

Public Forum: General Education Work Experience Program was the topic of discussion. Several parents and a student addressed the board regarding the program and future course offerings. A Community member expressed his support of the educational program currently offered and its need to be funded fully for our students even during tough budget years.

The Board of Education took the following action:

• Approved the Minutes of January 22, 2013 regular meeting.

• Approved the Warrants and Claims.

• Appointed the following:

Therá Levi as Substitute Cafeteria Worker at $9/hour.

Therá Levi as Substitute Cleaner at $9/hour.

Therá Levi as Substitute Teacher Aide at $9.75/hour.

Nicole Sieczkowski as Substitute Teacher at $70/day.

Nicole Sieczkowski as Substitute Teacher Aide at $9.75/hour.

• Approved the Committee on Special Education Recommendations.

• Accepted the resignation of Caitlyn Goodwin as teacher aide effective March 1, 2013.

• The Educational Technology Teacher position is abolished effective June 24, 2013.

• Appointed Mallory Sullivan as Long Term Substitute effective February 5 – June 24, 2013.

Special Topics: 

The Board discussed the 2013-2014 Budget. Preliminary expenses and revenues were discussed.

Principal’s Report: 

• Please support our Band students and Mr. Clark as the Jr./Stage Band performs on Wednesday, 2/6 and Senior Band performs on Thursday, 2/7 both at 7 p.m.

• The January Regents week was successful with three (3) more students passing regents exams that they had previously failed.

• The first round of teacher observations has been completed this year.

• PARP – Parents As Reading Partners kicked off with an assembly on Friday, February 1st for grades K-5 led by Judy Ehrensbeck and Kirsten Down. We are encouraging everyone to read with their children for 15 minutes every day during PARP.

• Twenty-five (25) weeks of this school year concludes on Friday, February 15th-students are reminded of the Webb Way challenge to earn Spirit Week points for their grade by raising their class averages.

• DynaVox training took place on Tuesday, 2/5 @1-3 p.m. in our CSE office under the direction of Ms. Starring for our professionals working with kindergarten and first graders. Thank you to Mary for setting this up and to the trainer, Kevin Kensey for traveling to us.

Superintendent’s Report included the topics:

• Two more avenues for communication between the school and the community have opened up. Town of Webb UFSD has a Facebook presence and a Twitter feed. Both have been identified and addressed on the webpage and in a letter that was included in the February newsletter. As of the time I am writing this we have 136 followers on Facebook and 6 on Twitter.

• A letter was sent home to get information to the public, in light of the coverage we already received in the Utica OD, regarding the aide cut that has been proposed next year and some of the challenges TOWUFSD may be facing in regards to the funding we are receiving vs. our belief in the program we offer our students.

• Thank you for a great first year. It has been a challenging but exciting year. I look forward to meeting the needs of our students well into the future here at the Town of Webb.

• The teachers unit has officially opened negotiations according to contract and we will be setting meeting dates soon to begin this process.

• Three snow days remain on the calendar. It is only February but the give back days for those snow days were stated on the approved district calendar if they aren’t used for snow or emergency days. They are scheduled to be given back on the Monday after graduation and the Thursday and Friday before Memorial Day. One of these days satisfy the 13th holiday of our contracts and memos.

• The Town of Webb Fire District has written us in regards to turning some of the parking directly behind the gymnasium entrance on Park Avenue into no parking areas to allow for emergency vehicle parking if a situation arose where they needed to stage at the school. I will speak to the Fire District regarding this and an alternative we believe may be more appropriate in terms of location.

• Anne Thornton came in to meet with me regarding the desire of Camp Gorham/Rochester YMCA to become more involved with the community and offer services and activities to our students specifically. Legal council will be contacted for clarification.

• We have been approached by a seasonal community member that has reviewed our Biomass Heating Study completed by Yellow Wood Associated, Inc. and would like to investigate other opportunities to secure funding for a project.

• Teen Assessment Project (TAP) Survey – Herkimer County conducts every 4 years using data from 7th, 9th & 11th grades students. It is the youth’s perspective on family, peers, school and community. Parents/Guardians have the right to have their student opt out.

• The electrical wire for Park Avenue Parking lot lights was damaged during a project last year will be repaired when the weather permits.

• The Liaison Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 12, 2013.

• Received draft 2 of the BOCES Instructional calendar and when it is finalized the TOWUFSD will formulate the 2013-2014 instructional calendar. Spring break will return to April for the 2013-2014 school year.

• Lobby Day is March 5th in Albany and I would like to attend if contacts/appointments can be secured.

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The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the library.

*Once minutes are approved they can be found at www.towschool.org