Greetings families,
The monthly board meeting was held on Monday, May 15th. There was a follow-up discussion to a parent's concern about parent access to the elementary school in April. Parents, teachers, and administrators were able to share perspectives about the existing policy in the student/parent handbook. The discussion highlighted that parents are always welcome to make advance arrangements to visit the school as long as safety protocols are followed. The current policy ensures safety and minimal classroom disruptions while welcoming parent volunteers when classroom opportunity arrives. Parents are encouraged to meet with respective building principals and Superintendent Price if they have more questions or concerns about this procedure.
Committee news and staff reporting were minimal. All enjoyed the efforts of the PTA and board to celebrate staff during teacher appreciation week. Thank you to all those who donated their time, food, money, and energy to make it possible! The negotiations committee continues to meet with the classified staff to agree on their contracts. The building committee remains informed on the process of receiving and reviewing bids for a parking lot expansion at Lakeside. The goal is to complete the project by the start of school next fall. More information about that project will likely be reviewed at the June board meeting.
An Ad Hoc committee was created to review parent and staff survey results on May 30th at 1:30 in the Middle School Conference room. A synopsis of the results is expected to be given to the entire board at the regular monthly meeting scheduled for June 19th at 6 PM. The board then approved the consent agenda to continue the partnerships with county special education
cooperatives and the local health consortium that provides health insurance for the district staff. We also offer our gratitude and best wishes for Mrs. Banks and Mrs. Arndt as they leave the district. A special thank you to Dee for her many years of dedication to the students. May your retirement be full of beautiful adventures and well-earned relaxation!
As we plan for next fall, we are excited to welcome Mr. Espinosa and Ms. Webb to the teaching staff at Somers Middle School.
Expenditures were approved.
Trustees Kendall Massie (3-year term), Bill Metzler (3-year term), and Cortnie Brooks (1-year term) took their oaths of office under the direction of County Superintendent Cal Ketchum. The new board elected Jesica Swanson as chairperson and Kim Eisenlohr vice chairperson for
the upcoming year. Committee assignments were approved, and the meeting adjourned at 6:45.
We hope you participated in Thursday's Family Fun and Art Night at Lakeside. The SMS play, Mary Poppins, has two more shows this weekend. In addition, there are many exciting end-of-year activities and celebrations as we wind down the academic year, so keep an eye on the Friday emails.
The board will continue to meet throughout the summer, and those meeting dates and subsequent summary reports can be found on the website each month. We hope you have a wonderful summer break and look forward to a fantastic year ahead.
Sincerely,
Jesica Swanson
jesica.swanson@somersdist29.org