The CSD School Committee has a full agenda for its Wednesday, April 9 meeting: Adopt the proposed 2014-2015 budget, adopt the 2014-2015 school calendar, and discuss class schedule changes at Boothbay Region High School (BRHS).

The proposed budget for the next school year is $9,311,932.11 with an assessment to the towns of $7,888,558. The school committee will also be voting on the adoption of the adult education budget for 2014-2015 of $37,300. The adult ed budget is always voted on separately as dictated by the charter.

Other voting will be on continuing teacher contracts and second year probationary contracts; the meal service agreement between the CSD and Edgecomb School Committee: elementary student lunch will go from $2.55 to $2.60, breakfast from $1.35 to $1.40; milk will go from $.40 to $.50. At the high school, lunch will go from $2.80 to $2.85 with breakfast pricing remaining the same at $1.50.

Class schedule presentation

Classes at Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) may revert back to 80 minutes each, four per day. At least that's what's being discussed. BRHS Principal Dan Welch and Jennifer Burns will present the changes for discussion. Students were informed of the proposed changes on April 4.

Welch said a survey among teachers and students had been completed on the subject and that 130 surveys, whose results were “all over the map,” had been returned.

The changes have caused concern for those students, and their families, who have already put their high school career plans into motion for graduation. During the public participation segment of the meeting, students present will be invited to express their concerns and opinions to the school committee and administrators.

At the last March meeting, the school committee learned Welch, AOS 98 Superintendent of Schools Eileen King, Burns, and Assistant Superintendent Shawn Carlson have been considering bringing some of the high school's STEM (science-technology-engineering-mathematics) programming to the middle school at Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES).

There are, however, a few hurdles. First, the schedules would have to be aligned. Welch said that right now, the rotational schedule at the high school does not line up with the middle school at all making it impossible to share resources.

Discussion topics presented were: how could resources (teachers and curriculum) be shared? Could some of the STEM classes, and others, come to the middle school?

“One of my frustrations has been knowing there might be someone at the high school who might have some time to offer some things to the middle school, but their schedule doesn't allow for it,” said King. “We have teachers with tremendous talents to offer our kids.”

The April 9 school committee meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the BRHS library. The public is invited to attend.