Odessa-Montour school board 6/9/11

    Meeting:  The Odessa-Montour school board met Thursday, June 9, for 45 minutes.
    Attendance:  Damita Chamberlain was the only board member absent.  There were 15 members of the public in the audience.
    Action:  The board accepted a $200 donation from the Cargill Community Scholarship Program to support the Odessa-Montour High School.
    • Superintendent Jim Frame’s contract was extended through June 30, 2016.
    Discussion without action:  H.A. Hanlon Principal Sara Fontana and B.C. Cate Principal Chris Williams spoke to the board about student reading performance.  Fontana said the goal for this year was to improve the number of children reaching the fluency benchmark by five percent.  She added that kindergarten to first grader did meet or surpass the goal, while second graders decreased by a few points.  Williams said the third to sixth grade teachers had the same goal, and showed double digit increases in students reaching the benchmark.
    • Board member Scott Westervelt asked about the generator and if it was running now.  Frame said it was operating May 21 as scheduled, but it still needs to be completed by the manufacturer before New York State Electric and Gas approves it for continued use.
    • Middle, high school Principal Greg Conlon reported the seventh and eighth grade math and English language arts test results have been sent to the state.  He added the Regents exams will be given this week.
    • Sixth grade teacher Stan Mathews told the board students visited three different dairy farms in Schuyler County recently: Hoffman, Sgrecci, and Bergen.
    • Odessa-Montour Sports Boosters member Vicki Kron presented the board with mugs in appreciation of the new concession stands and the electronic sign.
   Appointments/resignations:  Third grade teacher Kathy Jividen was transferred to kindergarten.  Jim Nolan was hired to replace her in the third grade.
    • The board eliminated two part-time, nine-month cleaner positions, effective July 1, 2011.
    Upcoming meetings:  The next school board meeting is Tuesday, July 5, at 7 p.m.