School Committee Thanks Town Meeting Voters, Hears From School Principals

7:30 p.m. to 7:37 p.m. (Start to 7:30) – Dan Bush and Patti Mason of the Westford Rotary Club’s discuss their work providing dictionaries to Westford children as well as other Rotary initiatives.

7:37 p.m. to 7:43 p.m. (7:39 to 13:05)    School Committee member Erica Kohl asks questions on the Bridge Program at Westford Academy, a program that helps students transitioning from serious head injuries, as well as a question on what she says was an error in enrollment figures not corrected.

Superintendent Bill Olsen clarifies on the confusion about the issue.

7:43 p.m. to 7:44 p.m. (13:05 to 14:27) Westford School Committee chairman David Keele thanks the town for funding new windows at the Robinson and Day Schools and a new drainage project outside the Millennium School during Town Meeting. “The town has consistently helped Westford schools, even during difficult towns.”

He says both projects will come in 40 percent less than projected in terms of their budget.

7:44 p.m. to 7:48 p.m. (14:27 to 18:05) School Committee member Arthur Benoit asks about impacts of these construction projects (specifically the windows), Olsen elaborates, saying that much of the construction will occur during non-school hours. The windows will be done before the end of December 2014 and the Millennium project will be concluded during the summer.

7:48 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. (18:05 to 20:42)   Superintendent Olsen echoes Keele’s thanks to voters on the passed warrant articles and the Rotary, gives an update on the Abbot School store, a new walking club at the Abbot School, new flowers outside the Day School and other updates.

7:50 p.m. to 7:56 p.m. (20:42 to 26:32) Assistant Town Manager John Mangiaratti discusses the town’s energy reduction plan, the final step to Westford becoming designated as a Green Community under the state’s Green Communities program. A motion recommending that Mangiaratti pursue the item was approved unanimously.

7:56 p.m. to 8:03 p.m. (26:32 to 33:46) Keele talks about Wastewater Treatment Facilities at schools in town. He elaborates that the department did not have the expertise, so they went to the town for help. Olsen says that the money will come from the School Department budget, Mangiaratti speaks more on the issue and takes questions from several members from the board and discusses a memorandum of understanding between both sides.

A contract for the amount of $157,487.28 was approved unanimously.

8:03 p.m. to 8:12 p.m.  (33:46 to 42:57)  Crisafulli School principal Sharon Kennelly and Abbot School principal Vito Umbro discuss their plans on school improvement

8:12 p.m. to 8:22 p.m.  (42:57 to 52:15) School Committee member Tom Clay asks Umbro on an MCAS score deficit at Abbot against Crisafulli and the Day School, particularly regarding fifth graders. Kohl has follow up questions relating to staffing, scheduling and literacy specialists at the Abbot School and Crisafulli School.