Odessa-Montour school board 5/10/12

    Meeting:  The Odessa-Montour school board met Thursday, May 10, for one hour and 20 minutes.
    Attendance:  All board members were present.  There were 15 members of the public in the audience.
    Action:  The board adopted a new textbook for grades pre-kindergarten to sixth called “Math in Focus, the Singapore Approach.”  Academic Intervention Services math teacher Rich Paradisin presented on the Singapore math teaching method.  He explained it blends two opposite approaches to teaching: understanding the material first and repetitive usage until learned.  Paradisin said the Singapore method utilizes graphics to solve problems and is used through all of the elementary grade levels.
    • The board approved cafeteria supply bids for food and equipment through GST BOCES.  The board then also approved to participate in the cooperative purchasing service through Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES for custodial equipment, fuel, and paper.
    Discussion without action:  Superintendent Jim Frame reported that the costs for the Central Southern Tier Healthcare Plan will be increasing.  He explained that the program has received less funding.  Frame said employees will share in the cost by making an additional monthly payment this year.  He added this will be a hardship for some people, but it is crucial to maintain the healthcare plan.
     • Business Manager Greg Dale told the school board the district needs to remove some money from the Employee Benefits Accrued Liability Reserve (EBALR) fund.  The New York State Comptroller’s Office has told Odessa-Montour that the $661,853 in that fund is too much.  Dale said the district will propose moving $370,000 to the employee retirement fund and $191,853 to the unemployment fund, leaving $100,000 in EBALR.  The board will vote in this next month.
    • Teacher Chris Wood reported on the work he has done on the district’s concussion management plan.  Schools are now required to have a plan in place to diagnose, treat, and evaluate student athletes with concussions.  He explained that any student with a concussion is not allowed to return to play until a certain number of days have passed.  The student is then eased back into full participation.
     Appointments/resignations:  The board approved two teachers for tenure: Holly Campbell (English) and Sadye Halpin (family and consumer science).
    Upcoming meetings:  The next school board meeting is Thursday, May 24, at 6 p.m.