School Committee Elects Page as Chair

Former School Committee Chair Richard Welch and Vice Chair Kimberly Page switched jobs Tuesday evening. It took three motions, rather than the nine required for the original Dec. 6 . Welch had after an uncomfortable six months as chairman.

With Melvoid Benson and Richard Welch absent, Larry Ceresi nominated Page as chair and Welch as vice chair in one motion. William Mudge asked that the decision be split into two votes, and Ceresi’s motion was defeated. Page was then nominated chair and elected with all five votes. Welch was endorsed with a separate three-to-two vote.

For the first time in several meetings, the committee addressed its entire agenda, which included several items aimed at standardizing school instruction.

Superintendent Phil Thornton said the Rhode Island Department of Education is moving forward with a plan to use one new evaluation process for all teachers in the state. He said he expects North Kingstown’s teachers to be evaluated with this new “tool” next year. So beginning this summer, teachers will receive training on what the evaluators are looking for.

The school system also is moving forward with a new policy to align its grading “benchmarks” with state requirements and to make them more standard at the middle and high school levels. “Having consistently applied grading practices that accurately report student learning is the next logical step in improving the clarity of
our expectations, our alignment to the state curriculum, and the effectiveness
of our instruction,” the policy stated.

And the school committee approved a new coaching policy that will “set the criteria
for selection, evaluation, compensation, dismissal and a code of ethics for each sports coach.” The policy requires coaches to complete specific training and to undergo annual evaluations by the athletic director.

The committee approved the consent agenda except for an item that was withdrawn by the school staff. Repair and repainting of the canopy at the Davisville Middle School will receive further study.

The committee approved the staff plan to withdraw money from the fund balance to cover the shortfall in the food service budget. School staff have proposed raising some school meal prices, which have not been changed since 2004. Food Service Director Patricia Crawley made a brief presentation on restaurant meals available for $2, the price of an elementary school lunch.

At the request of a citizen who lives near the shuttered Davisville Elementary School, Thornton explained that a June meeting scheduled to discuss the future of the school building, which would have included nearby residents, was cancelled because he could not gather a quorum of school committee members.

For now, Thornton said, part of the building is rented for school staff. Renting more of the building will require more utility use, he pointed out. And while the school committee has said it will not rent the building for purposes that would have a negative impact on the neighborhood, there is no clear policy on what renters would be acceptable. The committee agreed to try to reschedule a special meeting to discuss the school in August and to invite residents.

The meeting adjourned around 9:30 p.m.