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Superintendent’s Report – October 2017

 

 

 

We are beginning to receive the revenue needed to begin our Hinsdale Elementary School addition/renovation project. We have already deposited $1,800,000 in building aid from the State. In addition an “up to” $450,000 is promised by the State at the completion of our badly needed Hinsdale Elementary School addition/renovation project.  Our Business Administrator is also working on an application for a bond of $1,500,000 to be presented to the bond bank in early November.

 

We expect to complete the project prior the start of the 2018/2019 school year. We have many individuals and groups to thank for this needed facility improvement including the following: our voters at our 2017 District Meeting, Hinsdale School Board, New Hampshire Board of Education, Governor Sununu, New Hampshire Legislature, and the 2016-2017 Hinsdale School District’s Building Improvement Committee. The Building Improvement Committee members included: Jim O’Malley-Chair, Steve Fecto-Vice Chair, James MacDonell, Joe Boggio, Sean Leary, Deb Carrier, Shawn Lee, Courtney Hodge, April Anderson, Kaylah Hemlow, and Tom O’Connor. I would also like to thank the New Hampshire Department of Education Chief Engineer Amy Clark, New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Frank Edleblut, Hinsdale resident Smoky Smith, former State Senator Molly Kelly, current State Senator Jay Kahn, State Representative Mike Abbott, and Hinsdale resident Kathy Bean.

 

The Hinsdale School Board is planning a ground breaking ceremony for the project in the near future.

 

On Thursday, October 3rd, a newly appointed subcommittee of BIC met with our lead architects and our construction manager. We are still working on an exact timeline but the construction team plans to begin clearing the building site and constructing an access road this fall.  The completion date for the addition is scheduled for August 20th of 2018, and the renovation is scheduled to be completed prior the start of the 2018/2019 school year.

 

Our Director of Technology, Deborah Trabucco, intends to tweet project updates through the completion of the project.

 

On October 3rd Hinsdale School District was awarded a Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) formula grant of $15,000.  Our Business Administrator and our Director of Curriculum and Instruction did the complicated work needed to secure these funds.

 

The Hinsdale Administrative Team adopted the following norms for our 2017-2018 meetings. The agreed on norms are as follows:

 

“We will work together as a community that values consensus rather than majority rule.

We will be fully present at the meeting by becoming familiar with materials before we arrive and by being attentive to behaviors which affect physical and mental engagement.

We will invite and welcome the contributions of every member and listen to each other.

We will be involved to our individual level of comfort.  Each of us is responsible for airing disagreements during the meeting rather than carrying those disagreements outside the meeting.

We will operate in a collegial and friendly atmosphere.

We will use humor as appropriate to help us work better together.

We will keep confidential our discussions, comments, and deliberations.

We will be responsible for examining all points of view before a consensus is accepted.

We will be guided by the Hinsdale School District goals.”

 

The Hinsdale School Board recently adopted Board Goals for the 2017-2018 school year. My Superintendent report for the remaining of the 2017-2018 school year will focus on the progress made towards the completion of the 2017-2018 Board Goals. The goals are as follows:

 

 

2017-2018 Hinsdale School Board Goals

 

  1. Curriculum and Instruction
  • Ensure that all students receive guidance regarding post-secondary education or career options.
  • Provide students with educational opportunities and learning based upon the student’s unique needs, interests and learning styles.
  • Maintain continuity in instruction between the school buildings.
  1. Communication
  • Internal
  • Twice yearly school board tours of all school buildings.
  • External
  • Maintain communication to promote a collaborative relationship with the community through a continued commitment to holding a minimum of two forums and maintaining a presence in other committees, boards and community events in town.
  • Improve relationships with town governing bodies.
  1. Culture
  • Promote an atmosphere that supports a forward-thinking, professional learning community.
  • Ensure clear behavioral expectations are communicated and followed up on regularly.
  • Support and promote anti-bullying practices and ensure policies are being followed.
  • Superintendent will spot check the bullying logs and report monthly to the board.
  1. Personnel
  • Support initiatives to recruit and retain professional, high-quality staff that are innovative, dynamic and dedicated to the success of all students.
  • Promote an atmosphere that supports an inclusive, professional learning community.
  1. Financial
  • Search for ways to conduct business in the most efficient and effective manner.
  • Work with the Administration to proactively monitor the fund balance
  • Annual review of eligibility for the free lunch program under the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
  • Maintain ongoing communication with the Budget Committee regarding any potential changes in funding.
  • Receive detailed backup information for the budget.
  • Warrant article to rebuild the maintenance fund.
  • Formulate a written facilities capital improvement plan.
  1. Security
  • Continue to review security audit information and move forward, in a fiscally responsible manner,  to ensure our building are secure and our students are safe.
  • Formulate a written security plan.
  1. Technology
  • Continue to align the district budget to support the 5-year plan of the Future Technology Committee.
  • Formulate a written technology capital improvement plan.

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