Schools

An 'A' for Hughes, New Rules for Dances, Digital Devices at The Park

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools board of education give nod to a pilot program for students to use phones , other digital devices, at PCEP.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools' interim superintendent Jeremy Hughes' met or exceeded the school board's expectations more often than not over the past six months.

School board member Dianne Gonzalez summarized Hughes' evaluation during the board's meeting on Tuesday. She said his lowest score was 92 percent. What amounted to a glowing review included a mild criticism. Gonzalez said the board would like to see more of a "sense of urgency" in cases of behavioral complaints about the high school students on the part of parents or teachers. She went on to praise him for helping the board negotiate a tricky budget — at one point the district faced a potential deficit of nearly $12 million.

Hughes noted in his report to the board that the district now has close to $12 million in its rainy day fund, thanks to employee benefit cuts, and an unexpected influx of $2 million more than anticipated from the state. Hughes said state standards call for districts to maintain enough cash reserve to pay for two consecutive payrolls — which together would total about $10 million.

In other business, board members:

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  • Agreed to transfer its agreement to lease baseball fiefs to Rotary Club of Plymouth AM Foundation to the organization created by the Rotary Club to handle the sports field, which allows children with disabilities to play baseball. Club president Deb Madonna said she appreciated the district's support but noted that the change was merely administrative. "Thank you very much for working with us ... we just wanted to do our due diligence," she said.
  • Listened to presentations on special education by a team of district administrators; a review of the district's highlights by outgoing board president John Jackson and an initial report on a recently completed survey of area residents as to how district facilities should be used. A representative from the accounting firm Plante Moran, David Wells, is working with the district on facilities' use. He told the board that about 2,800 people answered the survey. Hughes said Plante Moran will present further info at the board's Jan. 24 meeting -- and he expects to continue gathering parent input on this. One of the issues raised is how a change in building use would affect transportation for kids.
  • Approved a pilot program — to run next semester at the three-high-school complex known as The Park — to allow high school students permission to access their digital devices, such as smart phones and iPads, between classes or during lunch breaks.
  • Reviewed the dance committee's suggestions for reducing inappropriate behavior at school-sanctioned dances, including robocalls to parents; more supervision/chaperones at dances, having students sign good-behavior contracts; hiring DJs who will stop the music if the kids dance inappropriately; issuing tips on appropriate dance moves; starting a poster campaign and using such slogans as "Dance like your grandmother is watching. Board member Adrienne Davis suggested using Facebook or Twitter to reinforce the messages to students.

Each of the departing school board members, Steven Sneideman, Dianne Gonzalez, John Jackson and Nancy Eggenberger, spoke up to thank their families, friends and school officials for support over the years. For details on those remarks, see Canton Patch's Facebook page.


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