North Providence School Committee approves Johnson School District’s request to join Northwest Consortium and clears several administrative items

The North Providence School Committee on March 25 reconvened its open meeting after an executive session and approved a slate of administrative items, including a request from the Johnson School District to join the Northwest Schools Consortium.

Superintendent Mr. Gojo recommended the committee approve Johnson’s request, saying Johnson’s school committee had already approved joining and that "two thirds of the Northwest communities need to have it approved by their respective school committees to allow Johnson to, join." The committee moved, seconded and approved the request by voice vote.

Mr. Gojo also asked the committee to expand the district’s payment-account option, described in meeting materials as the "my scribe box" account (the transcript alternately transcribes the name as "my school box"). He said the finance director had outlined the process and that the one-time cost would cover iPads the district would need to support the system, calling the cost "a minimal amount." The committee approved the expansion by voice vote; the exact cost and vote tallies were not specified in the record.

Under new business the committee approved a block motion covering policies and protocols (items a–e): the homeless policy, a safety-committee policy and protocol, a service-animals policy, and service-animals protocols. The superintendent requested the approvals be handled together; members approved them by voice vote.

The committee also approved the removal of obsolete textbooks from North Providence High School as listed in the materials provided to members, approved routine bills, and approved a motion regarding use of district property. In each case members voiced "Aye" and the chair declared the motions carried; the record does not provide individual vote counts.

Chair Dr. Pilano noted there was no correspondence and that no members of the public had signed up for public comment. With no further business, members moved to adjourn and the meeting concluded.

The meeting record supplied no dollar figures beyond the superintendent’s characterization of the iPad expense as minimal, and it did not provide roll-call tallies for the votes. The committee’s approvals were recorded as voice votes that the chair announced as carried.