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Scarborough board schedules educational-technology workshops as statewide phone ban nears; superintendent highlights pre-K expansion and student awards
Summary
The board set an April 30 workshop and May 6 parent forum on educational technology and warned a likely statewide cell-phone ban would require districts to comply within 90 days; Superintendent Diane announced public pre-K expansion to 80 zero-cost slots and highlighted student teams qualifying for national competitions. The board also approved Policy KB and several routine motions.
The Scarborough School Board on April 2 set an April 30 workshop on educational technology and a May 6 parent forum on navigating technology at home, and the chair warned the board that a proposed statewide cell-phone ban in Governor Mills’s supplemental budget ‘‘is moving forward’’ and, if enacted, would give districts 90 days to comply.
"If passed, every district in Maine will have 90 days to comply," the chair said, warning that available state funding for implementation had been reduced and noting the appropriation now totaled roughly $350,000, which the chair characterized as "about $3 and some change per middle school and high school students." Board leaders urged early, broad communication with parents and proposed convening the communications committee to prepare outreach.
Superintendent Diane reported several highlights in her monthly update: district enrollment is stable; the Scarborough High School ACE team qualified as one of nine national finalists and will compete in Washington, D.C., on April 27; a VEX Robotics team qualified for the World Championships; and the district is expanding public pre-K to 80 slots for the coming year as a zero-cost initiative, which the superintendent said would yield a net subsidy of about $500,000 above program cost. Screening will be organized with Shooting Stars and families will receive instructions soon.
On continuing business, the board approved the second reading of Policy KB (complaints against school personnel) by voice vote after staff described the policy as unchanged from first reading. The board also approved the middle-school spring coaches appointments and accepted two donations: $693 from the Hannaford Health School program for Pleasant Hill and gift cards donated by Horsman Insurance for staff-development prizes. All motions were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with unanimous affirmation; no roll-call tallies were read into the record.
Board members emphasized that the coming budget cycle — including a town council first reading that came in at 5.99 percent — will require difficult prioritization for both town and district leaders.
