School to work on strategic plan
School Superintendent Tom Jefferson told the school board at its meeting last week that he needs one or two more community members to join a school strategic planning task force that is being organized. The school department had hoped the task force could get off the ground last year, but postponed the project when the teachers started working to rule last year so teachers could eventually be included in the planning process. The goal of the task force is to “craft a strategic vision for the school district that will chart a pathway for progress over the next three to five years,” according to a document Jefferson handed out.
The task force includes representatives from the Finance Committee, Board of Selectmen, teachers, school administrators, parents, community members, and the school board. School board members Will Verbits and Virginia Justicz volunteered to be on it, with board Chairwoman Willie Wickman serving as an ex-officio task force member. The task force plans to hire a consultant, Jonathan Costa, to help guide the planning process. The schools will use $8,000 in grant money from the Waters Foundation to pay the costs involved, Jefferson said.
Pay and benefits
The school board voted at its meeting last week to give its nonunion workers 3 percent cost-of-living raises, and to have these workers pay for 25 percent of their health insurance costs, with 75 percent paid by the town. The board agreed to these amounts to keep its nonunion workers’ pay increases and benefits in line with other town nonunion workers. Previously, such school workers had paid for 30 percent of their insurance and had been scheduled to receive only 2 percent raises. However, the Personnel Committee recommended that all town and school nonunion workers should have the larger increases, to keep nonunion workers’ pay increases and benefits in line with what the unions have negotiated. School Superintendent Tom Jefferson told the school board the higher cost-of-living increases would add about $25,700 to the school budget this year; the insurance adjustment will not affect the school budget, because those costs are paid by the town.
