Alva Review-Courier -

The Freedom School Board of Education, at its meeting Monday evening, learned that the school's project of completely updating the English, math, science and history curricula, including textbooks, is nearly complete. The board, with all members present, voted to approve purchasing new science curricula using 515 grant funds of $48,540.09.

This would update the science textbooks for elementary through eighth grade classes. Science is the last of the four subject areas the school has used grant money to purchase up-to-date teaching materials. Already, the school has updated its math, English and history curricula. One more purchase is left to make: that of the high school's biology textbooks. Principal Michelle Shelite is researching the best textbook to purchase.

Personnel Matters: Hirings, Resignation

The board adjourned to an executive session to discuss “employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or resignation of individual salaried officer(s) or employee(s).”

Later, the board voted to employ the following certified career employees: Sara Bowman, Grace Contreraz, Teresa Kennedy, Bretta Matthews, Shelly Province, Marlo Smith, and Katie Strehl; and temporary certified employees Ethan Kennedy and Samantha Wilson.

They also voted to employ support personnel Brenda Daughhetee (custodian), Dalene Dauphin (driver and aide), Patricia Dauphin (encumbrance clerk, secretary, child nutrition custodian and board minutes clerk), and Bryan Davey (maintenance director).

Rhonda Harris' resignation was also received and accepted. Her letter was read aloud to the board; her last day will be May 14.

Long Consent Agenda

However, the first order of business at the meeting, as customary, was the consent agenda, which includes many items that the board votes on as one. They can ask to discuss or omit specific items within the consent agenda before giving approval if they choose.

This month the consent agenda contained the usual past meeting minutes, treasurer's report, encumbrances and warrants for the general, building and child nutrition funds, and activity fund expenditures.

This month's consent agenda also contained other less common (but generally still routine) items, such as renewing the OSSBA membership ($1,225) and the OSSBA policy maintenance subscription service ($750); and amending the 2020-21 school calendar due to snow days. This last item has to do with the number of hours of education Freedom Schools is providing – they are required to provide 1080 hours of education in the school year, but – as the letter to the state department of education says, after adjusting for the Feb. 8 and 9 snow days, “Freedom Schools still has a total of 1,134 hours” in its school year – 154 more hours than the state requires. The board voted to return to the 1080 hours.

Also on the consent agenda were a resolution involving the activity fund accounts necessitated by the recent audit (the printed agenda gave no further details); an item merely described as “Adjunct Instructor of Margaret Woodard-Smith for Biology II;” a payment of $146 to Patricia Dauphin to repair an underpayment of her 2019-2020 contract (another item noted on the recent audit); and setting up an activity fund account and regulations for Miss Freedom.

Other Board Business

The board also approved the following:

• continuing its membership with OSSBA Employment Services at a cost of $147.

• contracting with Alcohol and Drug Testig Inc. for employee DOT and student substance tests.

• contracting with Gabbart Communications for the school's website. The upgrade website would provide a number of added benefits, including being able to mass notify parents via text message. The cost is $1,714.50.

• moving the June special board meeting to June 7 at 7 a.m.