The state will test the indoor air quality of Sippican School to find the source of what could be exacerbating the allergies of some teachers and possibly some students, as previously discussed by the Marion School Committee and Marion Teachers Association and Health and Safety Committee member Nicole Boussy on February 3.

Results of testing conducted by the school district’s Facilities Department in January reported air quality levels within the normal range; however, teachers insist further testing should be done.

During the March 2 meeting of the Marion School Committee, Facilities Director Gene Jones said a full air quality assessment has been scheduled for March 11. A team will arrive to take air quality samples throughout the school and the roof to test the ventilation system, as well as mold, mildew, and moisture levels, along with the presence of pests.

“And when they come through, they don’t [take a] break,” said Jones. “They just go through. There’s no lunch break, no coffee break … they’ll go through the entire school.”

Jones anticipates a two-week time period to receive a report on the state’s findings.

In other matters, Superintendent Doug White presented an updated draft of the 2016/2017 school year calendar, which shifts a few half-days around to address concerns over a long stretch of time from March through April vacation without a single break. The Good Friday school day on April 14, 2017, which falls on the last day of school before the spring break, remains unchanged.

“In looking at it, there’s three out of four school committees and four out of five buildings and the administration are all advocating for the 14^th (Good Friday) off for a whole host of reasons,” said School Committee member Christine Winters. “There’s more an overwhelming consensus that it’s probably not the best day for education in the district … and I hope we can come together as a joint [school committee] … and there’s an open conversation about it.”

School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini said she hopes the district could move past the Good Friday issue finally.

“I’m definitely in the camp of ‘I really wish that we could move on from spending a lot of time talking about Good Friday and I haven’t made any qualms about that,’” said Marcolini. “That being said, I think that there’s enough data from all the different stakeholders that the discussion does not need to be had again, whether we want to have it or not.”

School Committee member Michelle Ouellette said the fact that Good Friday falls on the day before vacation adds to the concern.

Committee member Kate Houdelette said, “I also think that once this is done, then we’re done. Next year, in two years it’s not going to fall before the vacation and we spend more time discussing this one day than the kids go to school.”

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for April 6 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

Looking over the printed spreadsheets and draft budget summaries, the Marion Finance Committee on March 2 saw some progress in closing in on the half million-dollar shortfall in the fiscal year 2017 budget.

Since the committee’s last meeting, the deficit had decreased somewhat due to a withdrawal from the town’s overlay account (municipal cash reserve). Chairman Alan Minard said $100,000 of the overlay account has been added to the town’s operating budget to bring the balance of that account down to $200,000 and lowering the budget down to about the same.

“So you can see that things have improved,” said Minard. “Now we’re about $198,000 on the hook at this point, which is still far too much in the hole for this time of the year.”

State aid numbers have yet to be released and Minard said the Assessor’s Office still could allow for an additional $25,000 from the overlay account.

Minard mentioned utilizing some free cash as well while keeping that sum low so as not to affect the town’s AAA bond rating.

“We can breathe a little easier because things have gotten a bit better,” said Minard, “but we still have work to do.”

Also during the meeting, the committee talked briefly about providing the school district with a final approved number for its FY17 budget, which is much anticipated according to Finance Committee member Karen Kevelson who attended the school budget subcommittee meeting earlier in the day.

Kevelson said the school district is anxiously waiting for budget approval but, as Kevelson explained, the district was disappointed when Kevelson had no number to give them as of yet.

“I was thrown into the lion’s den,” said Kevelson who attended the school meeting alone.

Last month, Kevelson harshly criticized the Sippican School FY17 budget, which prompted several defensive letters to the editor in local news publications by school committee members and the community.

“It was awful,” said Kevelson. “All the cold stares….” She said they are eager to hear a number knowing that they will have to make adjustments based on that number.

The Finance Committee gives the final amount; however, as Minard pointed out, it does not suggest where cuts should be made or how to spend the money.

The FY17 Sippican School budget is up $396,000 at this point, totaling $6,031,000, according to Minard.

Minard said the use of circuit breaker funds (reimbursement from the state for unexpected high costs in special education) for the special education budget is still up in the air. The SpEd budget increased 11.3 percent this year, and Minard said he is hoping the school will offset the SpEd budget with some circuit breaker money, a practice school administrators are hoping to avoid.

“If we can get some relief on the special education, we can be more generous on the regular day,” Minard said.

The committee motioned to grant Minard authority to issue an approved amount to the schools once he receives the remaining information he needs to form one.

The next meeting of the Marion Finance Committee is scheduled for March 9 at 6:30 pm at 13 Atlantis Drive.

By Jean Perry