Schools transfer money to buy laptops

The School Committee handled the following business during its meeting Thursday, April 16:

· Voted 4-0 to transfer $35,400 from professional salaries to purchase Netbooks — small portable laptop computers designed for web-based applications — and ancillary computer hardware for all four elementary schools.

Under the plan, approximately 25 Netbooks will be distributed to each elementary school, according to Superintendent of Schools Richard Langlois.

* The School Committee also approved a request from Langlois to transfer $55,00 from professional salaries to buy two vans for student transportation.

Langlois said the vans would be used for athletic events and other student-based activities. Bringing the vehicles online will actually reduce transportation costs for the school district, he added.

“We want to save dollars by investing dollars,” Langlois explained.

By cutting back on line items such as contracted services and realizing savings on special education costs, Langlois reported he managed to free up $13,662 to upgrade the outdated classroom equipment and furniture at the High School.

Committee members unanimously supported the superintendent’s transfer request to buy new desks, chairs and other furniture for high school students.

· The committee voted 4-0 to approve High School Spanish teacher Gabriel Valerio’s request for a field trip to Peru in February 2010.

· Langlois informed the committee he hired Judy Eldridge as the School Department’s human resources manager. She starts her new job on May 1. Earlier this year committee members added the position of human resources manager to the school district’s organizational chart.

· Langlois reported that Belmonte Middle School teacher Myra Monto’s submission for the Jordan Fundamentals Innovation Grant has been chosen as a finalist.

The grant seeks $5,000 to purchase new books as part of an effort to restore the library at Belmonte. A plan is also in the works to improve technology and furniture at the library, according to Langlois.

The district will find out in June if it is a recipient of the grant, Langlois said.

· The superintendent praised High School teacher Laurie Golan for coordinating another successful Shadow Day initiative this month.

Golan places students with mentors throughout the community for a day to provide them an understanding of what different professions are all about.

· School Committee member Rick Doucette credited Langlois with putting together an excellent budget presentation in front of an estimated 20 Town Meeting members on April 7.

“The Town Meeting members were amazed at the level of detail and the quality of the presentation,” Doucette said.

Langlois said the objective was to provide town officials with a deeper level of understanding about the budgetary pressures facing the school district.

· After April vacation a screening committee will take up the task of filling the Belmonte Middle School assistant principal post currently held by Linda Gaieski, Langlois said.

Gaieski is retiring at the end of June following a lengthy career as an educator in the school district.

· Langlois reported that all student/parent handbooks are being revised to include mandated policy and procedure to fulfill district obligations and legal responsibilities.

The goal is to make the handbooks as comprehensive as possible in part to cut down on the number of notices that need to be sent home to parents annually, Langlois said.