Hello Somers–Lakeside families, staff, and community,
Here’s a friendly recap of our recent school board meeting. Thank you to everyone who joined in person and online. We opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and moved efficiently through a full agenda focused on readiness for the new school year.
Highlights at a Glance
New Trustee Seated: Dr. Chelsey Spence was appointed and sworn in to fill the remaining term of a vacant trustee seat—welcome, Dr. Spence!
Final Budget Adopted: The board approved the 2024–25 budget. Thanks to increased taxable value across the district and state support, local mills decrease ~7% while we maintain services and address needs.
Adult Education—Community Input Coming: We’ll survey the community this fall about potential Adult Ed offerings (e.g., trades, CPR/First Aid, restorative practices, quilting/cooking, adult rec). Discussion returns in December.
Facilities & Safety: Approved an eyewash station for the shop and a mop sink in the annex to improve safety and workflow. Continued electrical refresh at Lakeside is underway (new outlets/GFCIs, circuit mapping).
Coaching & Staffing: Fall coaching slate approved; custodian hired for Lakeside; paraprofessional interviews set; posting for a Special Education teacher at the elementary is live.
Operations: We’ll pause outside cleaning services at Somers and cover with internal overtime while we continue hiring; we’ll also emphasize student end-of-day room tidy routines (great life skills).
Summer Meals: Our nutrition team served 4,000+ meals in July—an amazing lift for local kids. Huge thanks to our food services staff!
People & Governance
Welcome, Trustee Spence! Dr. Chelsey Spence (local physician, fire board member, Somers parent) was unanimously appointed and sworn in. We’re grateful for her willingness to serve.
Meeting cadence & training: Regular meetings remain at 6:00 PM (third Mondays). Board training with MTSBA is Tuesday, August 27 at 6:00 PM (local/virtual logistics forthcoming). We will avoid conflicts with no-school Oct 20 and confirm Dec 15 as the December meeting date.
Committee schedule (recurring focus):
Finance & Federal Programs: September & March
Facilities & Grounds: August & February
Discipline & Public Relations: October & April (PR committee will meet ad hoc soon to build the annual PR calendar)
Curriculum & Extracurricular: November & May
Policy: December & June
Finance & Budget
Consent agenda approved (minutes, warrants/payroll, voided checks, journal entries). We reclassified several items to their proper funds (e.g., MSGI, Titles I & V, and prior superintendent payout) to keep each fund in compliance. Our “interlocal” and project funds work like a prudent rainy-day reserve and performed exactly as intended.
Final Budget adopted (2024–25):
General Fund: ~$4.26M (reflects standard inflationary adjustments and the state STARs Act tied to teacher compensation).
Transportation & Tuition: Right-sized to cover known needs and special education services; we’ll continue to watch out-of-district flows.
What this means locally: With district taxable value up, required mills are down while programs are maintained—an encouraging trend for taxpayers and schools alike.
Structural housekeeping:
Updated our interlocal agreement (lets us safely house reserves in-district).
Created/re-established Fund 182 to properly track interlocal dollars.
Trustees’ Financial Summary (TFS): We’ll bring the finalized TFS for approval at the Aug 27 session.
Teaching, Learning & Student Support
Elementary: Staff-led showcase of effective classroom practices as part of our welcome-back days.
Restorative Practices at the Middle School: Superintendent Ator (a certified RP trainer) will provide circles training to strengthen relationships, reduce conflict, and support a positive climate.
Negotiations & Staff Readiness: Routine start-of-year briefings and union meetings are underway; principals are focused on smooth first-day experiences.
Staffing & Activities
Fall Coaches Approved: Volleyball and Football (including head coach Chase, former MSU player) are set; volunteer balance remains mindful of Title IX.
Custodian Hired (Lakeside): Michael Brovold joins the Lakeside team.
Openings: Paraprofessional interviews are scheduled; we are hiring a Special Education Teacher (Lakeside) due to a late resignation. Please share with qualified candidates!
Facilities & Operations
Approved an eyewash station for the shop (~$2.7K)
Approve a mop sink in the annex of Somers (~$3.5K) with careful placement to avoid impacts on adjacent technology space
Lakeside electrical refresh: Replacing aged outlets, adding GFCIs where appropriate, and labeling circuits so staff can balance loads (think coffee pots + microwaves at the same time).
Lower lot lights/cameras: After review of costs vs. benefits (~$20K lighting, ~$12K cameras), the board did not move forward at this time.
Cleaning coverage: We’ll not renew the outside cleaning contract; instead, we will cover with internal overtime under the joint discretion of the superintendent and principal while actively recruiting a custodian.
Enrollment & Transfers of Out-of-district approvals: Enrollment is up modestly; a few entries still awaiting paperwork/grade notation. Future lists will flag “new vs. returning” for clarity.
Welcome to our new families!
Dates & Next Steps
First Day of School: Monday, September 2 (watch for building-level welcome-back communications).
Board Training & TFS Approval: Tue, Aug 27 at 6:00 PM.
Community Survey (Adult Ed): By December, we’ll collect your input on courses you’d like to see.
Thank You
A special shout-out to our Nutrition Services team for serving 4,000+ meals in July—an incredible contribution to student well-being. And thank you to our business office for shepherding a complex August close while keeping the board fully informed.
As always, we appreciate your partnership and feedback. If you have questions about the budget, adult education ideas, or anything else for the betterment of our schools, please reach out.
Warmly,
Chance Barrett
On behalf of the Somers/Lakeside School Board