Futures Task Force Meeting Summary

Meeting Date: August 15

 New Items:

• Jenny Rose presented on Adult Education Programming
• Jessica Madsen, Kaitlynn Brown, Brandi Comeau, and Jo St Peter presented on key characteristics of thriving elementary schools. Topics included: Strong Teaching, Strong Leadership, Strong Support, and Strong Communities
• Emily Rinchich, Steve Robinson and Randy Lautz shared their task of turning the pros and cons for all 4 scenarios into evidence based statements. 
• Reviewed: Issues in RSU 16 and Cost Drivers to “Fund” “Fix” and “Staff” our schools
• Utilized “Fist to Five” consensus protocol. Building consensus with a group results in a decision that everyone can live with.  Consensus doesn’t mean everyone is enthusiastic or it was your first choice, but it does mean that everyone clearly understands the situation or the problem to be decided, has analyzed all the facts together, and then has jointly developed solutions that represent the whole group’s best thinking about the optimal decision.
• The Task Force reached consensus (using “Fist to Five”) that Scenario 4 will be eliminated. It will be referenced in the final report, including the statements and cost drivers; however it will not be one of the scenarios brought to the School Board.

Scenario 1: Keep 3 hometown elementary schools - fund them, staff them and fix them

Scenario 2: Reduce the number of PreK-6 elementary schools to 2: Combine ESS and MCS, keep PCS as is (fund them, staff them and fix them)

Scenario 3: Reduce the number of PreK-6 elementary schools (fund them, staff them and fix them) to 2 AND reconfigure (example: PreK-2 school and 3-5/6 school)

Scenario 4: Keep 3 elementary schools - (fund them, staff them and fix them) AND reconfigure (example: PreK-1 school, 2-4 school and 3-5/6 school)

• All information is on our website:https://www.rsu16.org/about/futures-task-force

Next meeting is August 29 

Members of the Task Force will hold a workshop with the School Board on August 28 to update the School Board on the information it has collected.

Task Force membership: Todd Sanders, Amy Hediger, Erik Anderson, Shawn Vincent, Jessica Madsen, Kaitlynn Brown, Brandi Comeau, Jenny Rose, Jo St Peter, John Hawley, Jacque Russo, Jennifer Gagnon, D'Arcy Robinson, Steve Robinson, Brittany Hemond, Robert Klar, Terri Arsenault, Tarsha Downing, Randy Lautz, Angela Swenson, Elizabeth Martin, Emily Rinchich, Mary Martin.