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School Committee - Meeting March 13, 2025

Updated 5 days ago

School Committee

Chapters

Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance (00:00:25)
Agenda Adjustments (00:00:42)
Recognitions (00:00:47)
Roll Call (00:10:55)
Approval of Minutes (00:11:29)
Reports (00:11:52)
Public Comment (00:23:27)
Unfinished Business (00:23:34)
a. Second Reading of the 2025-2026 School Calendar

By State Law, our academic calendar must align with that of 6 other school districts (each of which sends their high school Career and Technical students to PATHS; Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Gray-New-Gloucester, Cumberland/North Yarmouth, and Falmouth), with no more than 5 dissimilar days in total among those 7 units. The proposed school calendar complies with that law. Also – the new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the YEA requires two early-release days for PreK-8 students so teachers can prepare for and hold Parent-Teacher Conferences. Those dates are included on this calendar.
Unfinished Business (00:24:24)
b. Second Reading of the FY26 School Budget

The superintendent’s proposed budget has been reviewed by the Finance Committee and has been the subject of two workshops at the School Committee level. The budget will now be deliberated on by the School Committee to determine what level of funding will be proposed to the Town Council. The School Committee will adopt a proposed budget at this meeting. Budget materials have been provided in hard copy to School Committee members and may be accessed online at our District Budget page: https://www.yarmouthschools.org/page/budget. The superintendent’s budget narrative is included as Addendum II of this agenda packet.
New Business (01:36:45)
a. Appointment of Superintendent of Schools

We recommend the extension of a continuing contract for Andrew Dolloff, Ph.D. as the Superintendent of Schools for the Yarmouth School Department for the 2025-2026 year.
New Business (01:37:19)
b. Appointment of Administrative Personnel

The following district-wide administrators are veteran team members who have been evaluated by the superintendent and are recommended for renewal of their continuing contracts for the coming school year. 1. Shanna Crofton, Director of Teaching and Learning 2. Bruce Bickford, Director of Facilities 3. Blair Currier, Director of School Nutrition 4. Christopher Storer, Director of Transportation 5. Michael Arsenault, Director of Technology 6 6. Zak Harding, Director of Business Services 7. Shar Mahoney, Director of Instructional Support
New Business (01:37:59)
c. Consider re-election of YAA Administrators

c. Consider re-election of YAA Administrators Each year, veteran administrators are appointed to continuing contracts for the ensuing year(s). Administrators are evaluated by the superintendent and provided clear directions on opportunities for improvement. Each of these individuals has been evaluated annually and has responded well to constructive criticism. The deadline by which a continuing contract administrator must be notified of non-renewal is March 1. We recommend the extension of the following continuing contracts for administrators through June 30, 2026. Ryan Gleason, Principal, Yarmouth Elementary School Molly Kilpatrick, Assistant Principal, Yarmouth Elementary School Amanda Lewis, Principal, Harrison Middle School Sean Thomas McDowell, Assistant Principal, Harrison Middle School Patrick Hartnett, Principal, Yarmouth High School Amy Bongard, Assistant Principal, Yarmouth High School Sarah Holmes, Athletic Director Probationary administrators are provided a two-year contract, after which time they may be placed on continuing contract at the recommendation of the superintendent and approval by the School Committee. Kelli Rogers, Principal of William H. Rowe School, will complete the second year of her probationary contract on June 30, 2025. We recommend that she be placed on a continuing contract through June 30, 2026.
New Business (01:39:16)
d. Consideration of Commitment to Indigenous Studies.

As per our discussion at previous meetings, the Mission Committee is recommending adoption of a statement indicating the District’s commitment to Indigenous Studies. The following proposal was developed by the administration and vetted by the Mission Committee. Recognition: The Yarmouth School Department recognizes our responsibility to honor the heritage of Maine’s Wabanaki tribes and the people who came before them and to ensure 7 that our students develop a deep understanding of Maine's Indigenous peoples – their history, culture, contributions, and contemporary presence in our state. Commitment: We hereby commit to: 1. Curriculum Review, Revision and Implementation 1. Maintain a comprehensive, culturally responsive curriculum that meaningfully incorporates Wabanaki studies across all grade levels 2. Strive to use educational materials that accurately represent Wabanaki perspectives, histories, and contemporary experiences 3. Regularly review and update the curriculum with input from Wabanaki educators and cultural knowledge-keepers 2. Professional Development 1. Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for educators to deepen their understanding of Wabanaki history, culture, and contemporary issues 2. Support teachers in developing the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively teach Wabanaki studies 3. Create opportunities for staff to learn directly from Wabanaki educators and community members 3. Community Engagement 1. Build and maintain respectful relationships with Wabanaki communities and organizations 2. Create meaningful opportunities for Wabanaki voices to be heard within our school community 3. Collaborate with Wabanaki educators and culture bearers to enhance our educational programming 4. Resource Allocation 1. Dedicate appropriate financial and human resources to support Wabanaki studies initiatives 2. Invest in authentic educational materials and resources developed by or in collaboration with the Wabanaki people 3. Support the acquisition of culturally relevant materials for our school libraries and classrooms 5. Assessment and Accountability 1. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our Wabanaki studies programming 2. Seek channels of communication with the Wabanaki community to receive feedback and guidance 3. Make necessary adjustments to better serve our educational goals and community relationships
Adjournment (01:43:18)