Dear members of our six town community,
At our last meeting on June 27, 2018, the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Board took action on the eleven (11) items below:
We approved multiple board warrants.
We approved technology purchases as requested by Director of Operations and Finance.
We approved the use of Waterbury-Duxbury Maintenance Reserve funds for sidewalk repair and grading at Thatcher Brook Primary School.
We accepted and signed the resolution for Borrowing based on anticipated taxes from Union bank.
We conditionally accepted a proposal from local solar company Aegis on behalf of local businessman TJ Kingsbury. The proposal was provided in the board package in written form, but representatives from Aegis also presented in person, and entails the district entering into an agreement to group net meter with Kingsbury and receive net metering credits from the production associated with the anticipated Kingsbury solar array. The district will then pay Kingsbury for the credits we receive at a 12% discount. The approval is conditional upon legal review and more detailed projections.
We accepted the building-based leadership written report.
We accepted a proposal for engagement consultants Sue MacCormack and Matt Leighninger to support the board's efforts to train community engagement, including additional "kick off" meetings with various stakeholder groups to listen to needs and concerns and clarify expectations.
We accepted the report of engagement-related capabilities made by building leaders (and thanked them for the work they did to prepare it).
We authorized the superintendent to act as an agent of the board and sign the contract for the engagement consultants.
We asked the project committee to develop a detailed project plan related to the Harwood bond work and present it to the board at the August 8 meeting. The project plan will include milestones, decision points, dates and a timeline and should also include communications and engagement activities.
We agreed to continue our meeting schedule into next year, which is the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month, and will begin again on August 8. We also acknowledged the likelihood of needing to add additional meetings in between in recognition of the work needed to be done.
At this meeting, we also discussed the superintendent report including information on enrollment and procedures, heard committee updates, and started to talk about how the budget process will go in the fall - including what information we need from the administration and ideas for communications and community engagement.
Although there will continue to be committee meetings, the full board will not meet again until Wednesday August 8, from 6-9:30 pm, at the Harwood Union High School Library. The August 22 meeting is reserved for a board retreat special agenda and is expected to be longer and held in a different location.
It is our hope to send updates and previews of each HUUSD Board meeting in the future. You can visit wwsu.org for board agendas and full minutes, and watch past meetings at https://mrvtv.com/category/school-board-meetings/
Thank you for your continued support and engagement.
Respectfully,
The HUUSD Board
Christine Sullivan (Waitsfield) *Chair
Caitlin Hollister (Waterbury) *Vice Chair
Alycia Biondo (Warren)
Jill Ellis (Fayston)
Gabe Gilman (Moretown)
Peter Langella (Moretown)
Garett MacCurtain (Duxbury)
Maureen McCracken (Waterbury)
Theresa Membrino (Fayston)
Melissa Phillips (Waterbury)
Torrey Smith (Duxbury)
Alexandra Thomsen (Waterbury)
Rosemarie White (Warren)
Rob Williams (Waitsfield)