Georgia Board of School Directors
October 21, 2008 at Georgia School Gymnasium
Special Meeting (Community Budget Forum) at 6:00 PM
MINUTES
A community member asked about the bus to BFA St. Albans. He called Superintendent and Terricel transportation to ask what it would take to get the high school bus back. The cost would be $25,000/year for 30 kids. Right now parents are having to carpool and leave the house early and get to work late. It is very inconvenient and a community member proposed starting the bus service again.
Doug Bergstrom explained BFA St. Albans going from private to public school. If a bus is provided for St. Albans, then we must provide busing to ALL high schools that children choose.
A community member asked if Georgia has ever considered building its own high school and take all tuition money it currently pays out and put it towards high school.
A community member asked if the school would be moving to a one bus run (one bus run in the morning and two bus runs in the afternoon – one for when school gets out and one more run for afterschool activities). The school is bidding for a double bus run and a single bus run. The concern is for small children riding with the older children and the need for bus monitors to watch the children. A bus driver from the community expressed that he drives a long route and others are short routes. Doug stated that they will be evaluating bus routes. There was a concern voiced about finding bus drivers and taking away routes - bus drivers will have a hard time sustaining on a smaller income.
There was a discussion of full day kindergarten. There is a need to give parents the options of full day or half day. If parents choose half day they would like to pick up children without disrupting other children and missing out on special classes and events with the classroom. Half days for kindergarten were very rushed for the students and the earlier we can start the education for children, the better. One parent noted that they sent their child to full-day kindergarten when it was not offered at GEMS.
There was discussion on speed bumps by the school.
Participants:
Flora Hurteau fhurteau@gemsvt.org 527-0963
Doug Bergstrom dbergstrom@gemsvt.org 527-3298
Jennifer Petrie jpetrie@gemsvt.org 527-6344
Casey Hager chager@gemsvt.org 999-8298
Kosha Patel kpatel@fnwsu.org 527-8362
Kathy Liskosky kliskowsky@fnwsu.org 527-5376
Karen Eppley rkmc@comcast.net 524-9686
Christine Orellana orellanatether@comcast.net 524-3812
Joni Bates jataib@hotmail.com 524-7390
Jennifer Uttecht horvas@earthlink.net 527-3741
Tisa Lemery tisal@howardcenter.org 527-9964
Laura Dattilio ldattilio@surfglobal.net 849-9369
Chris Messineo messineocj@comcast.net 527-5009
Rebecca Fitzgerald rebecca@ricelumber.com 893-4593
Tara Dattilio zuzu381@netzero.com 893-1380
Tom & Monica Radford radzoo@comcast.net 893-7671
Marlene Wry 5wrys@comcast.net 524-4390
Holly Knight hjknight1@yahoo.com 782-8152
Jan Schultz jfs4kids@comcsat.net 527-2108
Carolyn Branagan cbranagan@comcast.net 527-7694
George Rond af6706@comcast.net 524-5078
Matthew Crepeau crepsuematt@comcast.net 527-9887
Nancy Buhant 524-6651
Ed Brehant 524-6651
Tanya Moore tanyabvt75@aol.com 893-8171
Julie Brown jbrown@bsdvt.org 524-9745
Amy Rider wjrider@sover.net 524-3634
Kathy Considine
Gary Gilbert jeffjim@together.net 849-6333
Paul Lambert paullam@jtlink.net 524-5177
April Pettengill bapetten@yahoo.com 849-9873
Stephanie Munson jszmsmunson@comcast.net 524-2243
Fredd Grimm 524-6374
Heather Grimm firemom25@comcast.net 524-6374
Laura Martin got3kids88@aol.com
Cathy Campbell rcsoup@comcast.net 524-0319
Jason Hibbard jthibb@hotmail.com 598-0070