Principal Shawn Gallagher updated Southport School Committee members about the formation of a new committee seeking public input on ways for education to reflect community values by committing to a collaboratively created vision. 

So far, Gallagher has recruited Bonita Johnston, Adam Climo, Charlie Britton and Nick Ullo as Vision Committee members. During the Nov. 7 school committee meeting, Gallagher updated the three-person school committee about the new committee's tasks. The first is creating a space to discover what matters most to stakeholders. Second, craft a vision and mission statement reflecting our community's voices, values and uniqueness of the Southport school. Gallagher and Johnson told the school committee a community garden is a likely future project. 

The new committee had its first meeting Nov. 6. Gallagher reported the committee will discuss first drafts of the vision/mission statement Nov. 20. A possible third meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4 discussing second drafts and presenting the new vision/mission to the community. The volunteer group plans on presenting a final draft Jan. 2 for school committee approval.  

In other action, Bob Kahler gave his Superintendent's Report. Southport Central School has 16 students: one kindergartener, three first graders, one second grader, five third graders, no fourth graders, three fifth graders, and two sixth-graders. Fifteen students reside in Southport. One student, a third-grader, is from Boothbay.

Kahler added nine Southport students attend Boothbay Region Elementary School: four 4-year-olds, four middle school students, and one designated as "other." Southport is sending 15 students to Boothbay Region High School: three ninth-graders, two 10th graders, eight 11th graders, and two 12th graders. 

Kahler updated committee members about the Fiscal Year 25 budget schedule. The committee will begin working on a preliminary budget in December, propose a budget in January and, later in the month, present it to the Southport Budget Committee. Southport residents will vote on the budget during the March town meeting.

Kahler reported on likely Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 and Educational Service Center budget schedules. In December, preliminary budgets for both will be created, followed by each of the four AOS 98 school board's review and approval. The AOS 98 and ESC proposals will be voted on at a district annual budget meeting in April. 

Last year, Maine schools were able to use "Blizzard Bags" as a remote day during inclement weather. The bags were filled with educational materials and worksheets. Kahler said Maine Department of Education will no longer recognize days without teacher/student interaction as one of the countable 175 instruction days. "In other words, a remote day must include instruction: So blizzard bags would not count as a day of instruction. I have confirmed this with the DOE and other superintendents," Kahler said. 

The committee had a second reading of 11 policies and adopted the new language. The updated policies include Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity, Harrassment of Students, Harrassment of Employees, School System Committment to Standards for Ethical Behavior, Tobacco Use and Possession, School District Commitment to Learning Results, Public Comment at School Board Meetings, Purchasing and Procurement Staff Code of Conduct, Bomb Threats, and Pest Management in School Facilities.

The committee also had a first reading on eight proposed policies: Staff Involvement in Decision Making, Drug Free Workplace, Instructional Goals and Objectives, School Day, Curriculum Development and Adoption, School Board Powers and Responsibilities, School Properties Disposition, and Chemical Hazards.

The school committee meets next at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5.