York School Committee
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Marilyn Zotos, Chair (2011)
Tim Fitzgerald, Vice-Chair (2012)
Mary Jane Merrill, Member (2010)
John T. D'Aquila, Member (2012)
Laurie Coffenberry, Member (2010)
ADMINISTRATION
Henry Scipione, Ed.D., Superintendent
James Amoroso, Assistant to Superintendent
Maryann Minard, Ph.D., Curriculum Coordinator
Jean Beetz, Director of Special Education
Gregg Martin, Director of Information Technology Services
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Welcome
The School Committee welcomes you to our meeting. We appreciate visitors from the public and trust your attendance will be beneficial to both you and us We feel it is very important for interested persons to know about the workings of our school system and for us to be aware of what is important to the community of York .† You are invited to participate in the meeting in accordance with the policy and rules established by the board.
Mission :
The mission of York Schools is to educate, inspire and challenge all learners to be ethical citizens who will make a difference in a changing and complex world
Vision:
As the tides of the ocean and the strength of the mountain shape our community, the York Schoolsí commitment to educational excellence and individual achievement shapes the future of each student.
School Board Duties and Responsibilities
Maine State law charges school boards with the responsibility to "manage the schools".îThis is done essentially by selecting a superintendent and providing him/her with the authority and direction. It is not the duty of the board to operate the schools but to see that they are well operated.
The board concerns itself primarily with broad questions of policy rather than with administrative details. The application of policies is an administrative task to be performed by the superintendent and his/her staff, who shall be held responsible for the effective administration and supervision of the entire school system.
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 pursuant to specific instructions of the board.
Board Meetings
The York School Committee meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the York Public Library. Agendas are prepared by the Superintendent and Board Chair, are published at least three weekdays in advance of each meeting and are posted in the Superintendentís Office, at each school, York Town Hall , the local cable network, and in area newspapers
Standard Board Agenda
- Call to order
- Comments from the public
- Approval of minutes
- Approval of bills & payrolls
- Communications
- Upcoming meetings/events
- AdministratorsíReports
- Old & Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Adjournment
Executive Sessions
In accordance with the Freedom of Access ("Right-to-Know") law, board meetings are held in public. The board may go into private or executive session, upon vote of 3/5 of the members present for consideration of certain matters specified in the law (such as personnel, student suspension/expulsion, contracts to be negotiated, collective bargaining, legal advice or pending litigation). No final action may be taken in executive session.
Public Participation Policy
Meetings of the board are open in the sense that they are held in public session. This does not mean they are public meetings in the same sense as a "town meeting." There is no statutory requirement in Maine that the public be permitted to speak at board meetings. However, we welcome comments and concerns related to the matters under consideration by the board, within the guidelines listed below.
The chair will provide an opportunity for public comment at the outset of consideration of each major agenda item. The following "ground rules" will be followed:
- The number of speakers and the time each speaks may be limited.
- In the case of a large audience, speakers may be asked to sign up before the meeting so they may be called on most expediently.
- Anyone with a legitimate interest in the boardís business may speak.† Employees or employee groups will not be permitted to discuss matters for which other, more appropriate forums are provided.
- All speakers are asked to identify themselves.†
- Gossip, defamatory comments, or abusive or vulgar language will not be permitted.
- Speakers must address all comments and questions to the chair.†
- Comments will be heard and considered.† Generally, the board does not discuss or act on an item not on the agenda.
- No complaints or allegations will be allowed in public concerning any staff member or any person connected to the school system.
- Speakers are asked not to be repetitious of comments already made to the board, in the interests of most efficient use of time.†
- The primary purpose of the meeting is for the board to conduct its business as charged by law.† Spontaneous discussion, as well as disorder and disruption, prevent the board from doing its work and will not be permitted.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Affirmative Action/Nondiscrimination
It is the policy of this school system not to discriminate in educational programs, activities or employment practices on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, age, or handicapping conditions under the provisions of Titles VI and IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, Section 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 Superintendentís Office. The Affirmative Action Officer is James Amoroso (363-3403)
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