A Strategic Planning Survey for TRSD

TIMBERLANE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE

Strategic Planning Community Survey

The Strategic Planning Committee of the Timberlane Regional School Board seeks to gain an understanding of the perceptions of stakeholders in our greater educational community. The committee developed a brief community survey that should take only 10 minutes of your time.

The survey can be accessed at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TRSDCommunitySurvey

Survey results will be carefully considered, along with other data, and used to determine the direction and priorities of our school system for the next five years. Please take a few minutes to complete this important survey, and share your thoughts about the “how our schools are doing and where they should be headed.” Paper copies of the survey will be available on May 23rd in each district town’s public library and at the SAU 55 Office located at 30 Greenough Road in Plaistow.

The survey will be available until June 23, 2017. Spread the word about this important survey. Let your voice be heard! Looking Ahead: A community forum will be coming to your town in the Fall of 2017. Strategic Planning Committee Members: Brian Boyle, Dr. Kim Farah, Dr. Roxanne Wilson, Debra Armfield, Ken Henderson, and Christi Michaud.

Education Commissioner Addresses SDGANH

The School District Governance Association of New Hampshire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Concord, NH May 22, 2017 –

New Hampshire Commissioner of Education, Frank Edelblut, was the keynote speaker on Saturday, May 20^th, for the SDGANH’s first annual general meeting.

Commissioner Edelblut’s talk stressed these important objectives:

• Empowering parental choice in education
• Personalizing learning so students progress at their own pace
• Re-enforcing local control in education
• Realizing that proficiency necessarily precedes competency.

“Our members were tremendously impressed with Commissioner Edelblut’s depth of knowledge, his understanding of the challenges in New Hampshire and his creative solutions,” says SDGANH President, Donna Green. “He is a dynamic speaker with an unmistakable passion for improving education for all students in the state and a profound grasp on the ways to do so.”

The AGM was held at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications in Manchester from 9 am to 3 pm.

The School District Governance Association of New Hampshire (SDGA NH) is a resource devoted to educating and empowering elected school district officials so they can effectively assert their lawful authority and be responsive to their electorate.

Contact: Donna Green

President, 603-513-1647

SDGANH.org

SDGAofNH@gmail.com

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Metzler Gets Max Bonus

At their May 17th meeting, SAU55’s board awarded Dr. Metzler a 3% raise and a 4% bonus effective July 1, 2017.  His total compensation increase is approximately $11,000.

Dr. Metzler’s contract limits his bonus to a maximum of 4% of his base salary.

Last year Dr. Metzler was awarded a 3.75% raise and a 4% bonus.

For the 16/17 year, the NH Department of Education lists Dr. Metzler as the second highest paid superintendent in the state, at $161,033.

I will post the minutes for this non-public session as soon as they are available so you can see how your representatives voted on this matter.

In the March election, a citizen petition asked Timberlane voters if they had confidence in Dr. Metzler.  Of 3,371 votes cast on this question, the affirmative won by 261 votes. Sandown was the only town of the district’s four to answer “No” to the question. Sandown has the second largest number of students in the Timberlane district.

The Hampstead and Timberlane School District board members comprise the board of SAU 55. Hampstead has 5 of the 14 votes on the SAU board and pays 23% of the SAU’s total costs.

SAU Board Likely to Decide Metzler’s Raise Tonight

SAU 55’s board will be discussing Superintendent Metzler’s evaluation tonight. Usually at this time the conversation also includes decisions on his raise and bonus.  It is always possible in these discussions that other contractual issues could be opened as well.  The superintendent’s current contract extends to 2022.

The evaluation/raise part of the meeting will be conducted in non-public.  This is permitted by the Right to Know law, but it is not required by the law and it is my firm opinion that superintendent evaluations should be done in public session. If I were writing a contract for a superintendent, that would be one of the stipulations.  The public deserves to know the reasoning behind raises, bonuses, contract extensions and other benefits – and who of their representatives are advancing positions addressed to those issues.  For the same reason, collective bargaining sessions should also be conducted in public.

SAU BOARD MEETING
May 17, 2017
SAU Office
7:00 p.m.
30 Greenough Road
Plaistow, NH 03865
Susan Sherman, Chair
Dr. Earl Metzler, Superintendent
Jason Cipriano, Vice Chair
Dr. Roxanne Wilson, Asst. Superintendent
7:00 pm
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Approval of April 19, 2017 Minutes
5. Ethics Policy
6. Superintendent’s Evaluation
Nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3, II (a) The dismissal, promotion or compensation or disciplining of any public employee and (c) matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person.
7. Additional May Meeting
8. Other Business
9. Adjournment

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For past years’ exciting developments around the superintendent’s evaluation see:

SAU Seals Minutes

SAU extends contract to 2022

 

How SAU 55 Embarrasses Itself

At the first Timberlane Budget Committee meeting last night, Jennifer Caruso, new member from Danville, asked for department level expenditure reports for the year by August 1.  Our fiscal year ends on June 30.  You might think Mrs. Caruso was asking for a the administration to perform the world’s first successful head transplant.

If you believe what was said at this meeting, you could be forgiven for thinking our bookkeeping so uncertain that auditors must go over basic bookkeeping entries in order for SAU 55 to be confident that the department expenditures are ballpark accurate for the year  — months after fiscal year end. The budget committee ended up agreeing to receipt of this information in early September. By then the head would be defrosted.

Mrs. Caruso also wants to determine if departments actually spent the money on what they requested. She even went so far as to ask for justifications for expenditures. She made a motion that department budgets have justifications for how they arrived at their request.  Sandown’s Lee Dube amended the motion to require justifications for new expenditures and all expenditures in excess of $10,000. This motion passed.

It is good to see more of our elected officials beginning to appreciate that SAU 55 works for them and the taxpayers they represent.

Here is the LiveStream of tonight’s meeting:  TRSD Budget Committee Meeting May 8, 2017

 

 

 

Metzler to Study Moving Bus Stop

At least night’s meeting, Superintendent Metzler agreed to discuss moving Sandown’s Lakeview bus stop when the busing schedule is re-examined with the bus service this summer.  Thanks go to the new chairman, Brian Boyle, for bringing this issue up at the meeting and giving it the seriousness it deserved.

The meeting went shortly past midnight and everyone was on their best behavior.  It is refreshing to see meetings conducted fairly and well, and with open discussion.

The board also voted to fill current administrative vacancies from administrative staff without new hiring.  Stayed tuned for an announcement concerning the next Principal for TRMS and a new Assistant Principal for TRHS.