MSAD 60 School Board
BOARD MEETINGS – Meetings are at 7:00 p.m. at Noble High School, typically on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Meeting locations will be posted in the agenda, but are usually held in either the Library or Lecture Hall.
Some of the winter/spring meetings will be State of the School meetings (held at individual schools); it will be noted where they are being held on the agenda.
Specific agendas are posted the Tuesday prior to the meeting, or when they become available.
Current Members
North Berwick Representatives
Lauren Janousek
lauren.janousek@msad60.org
Joshua Tabor
Kathleen Stanton Whalen
Berwick Representatives
Elva Lovejoy
Margaret Wheeler
Alison Herlihy
Lebanon Representatives
Nancy Neubert- Board Chair
Jeridene Basko
Nancy Sewell
Mission Statement
Our mission is to foster a life-long
love of learning, develop responsible
decision-makers, teach the essential
skills necessary to meet the
demands of a changing world, and
develop caring and contributing
members of a multicultural world.
What is the role of the Board of Directors? What is the role of the Superintendent?
Under Maine law, every school district is run by a Board of Directors. The Board is empowered and charged with setting the policies for the district, setting the budget for the district, and hiring a Superintendent to implement the Board’s policies and run the day-to-day operations of the schools. Together, the Board and Superintendent oversee the mission, vision, and values of the district.
The Board functions like the Board of Directors of a corporation, setting the educational goals of the district and evaluating the progress of the district and the performance of the Superintendent. The Superintendent functions like the chief executive officer or president of a corporation, making sure the schools are running properly and making satisfactory progress toward achieving the goals set by the Board. The Board evaluates the Superintendent’s performance each year; if the Board is dissatisfied with the Superintendent’s performance, then the Board can fire the Superintendent.
Only the Superintendent reports to the Board. All school staff, including the teachers, ultimately report to the Superintendent. Only the Superintendent can initiate the hiring and firing of staff; the Board can only review and approve or disapprove the Superintendent’s actions. Only the Superintendent can decide to delay or cancel school, assign duties to teachers and staff, and direct the maintenance of the school facilities; the Board does not make any of these operational decisions. The Board sets the policies and monitors the performance of the Superintendent.
Members of the Board have authority only when acting as a Board legally in session. The Board shall not be bound in any way by an action or statement of an individual member except when such statement or action is in pursuance of specific instructions from the Board.
Role of the Board
Public Concerns & Complaints
Parents, students or other citizens with complaints or concerns regarding any aspect of MSAD #60 or an employee thereof shall be encouraged to seek a resolution at the lowest possible level. The only exceptions are complaints that concern School Board actions or operations. Such complaints should be addressed to the Board Chair. At all levels of the complaint process, school employees are required to inform the person making the complaint of his/her right to appeal a decision. Some decisions however, may not be applied to different levels (i.e. class /team placement). If the complaint cannot be resolved at the lowest level, the person initiating the complaint may appeal the decision to the next level (i.e., Supervisor of Buildings, Grounds & Transportation, Principal, Special Education Director, Assistant Superintendent). This guide shall not be utilized by employees for matters or grievances relating to any term or condition of their employment. Such matters shall be addressed through established channels for grievances.
The Board of Directors desires to hear the viewpoints of the District’s citizens, and therefore, typically provides a Public Input item on its agenda for this purpose. To enable the public to make statements to the Board in an orderly and efficient manner, the Board has adopted the following rules for Public Input:
-
Public Input is the only time provided in the agenda when members of the public may speak before the Board, subject to the limitations herein and the Chairperson’s authority over the meeting. The Chairperson may, at his or her sole discretion, allow a member of the public to speak outside of Public Input.
-
If a group wishes to be heard under Public Input, it must be represented by a spokesperson. The Chairperson can decide if anyone else can speak for the group.
-
When recognized by the Chairperson, the speaker will stand, give his/her name, and state the reason for speaking. The recognized person will then have five minutes in which to make a statement to the Board. The statement must be factual to the best knowledge of the speaker, to the point, and delivered in an orderly and respectful manner. Public Input is not for debate with Board of Directors.
-
The Chairperson will decide whether a statement is appropriate for Public Input. The Chairperson has the power to withdraw recognition of a speaker, if the Chairperson determines a statement is inappropriate for Public Input.
-
Statements concerning subject matter that falls under the law regarding Executive Sessions (for example, matters involving personnel, contract negotiations, or that could cause public embarrassment for an individual or group) cannot be made during Public Input. Such statements must first be brought to the Chairperson or Superintendent privately.
Public Participation Policy
It is the policy of this school system not to discriminate in educational programs, activities, or employment practices based on race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or handicapping conditions under the provisions of Title VI and IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, Sections 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Individuals with Disability Education Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The Affirmative Action Plan, as approved by the Board and submitted to the Commissioner of Education, is on file in the Superintendent’s Office.
The Affirmative Action Officer is Susan S. Austin, Assistant Superintendent. Tel: 676-2234.
Affirmative Action/Nondiscrimination
