By Melissa Fales
Reporter
Social networking policy approved
At their Feb. 16 meeting, members of the school committee unanimously approved the social networking policy presented by Policy Subcommittee Chairman Danielle Souza. Souza said school counsel had approved the policy with a few suggested revisions. Committee member Brian Winslow questioned whether the committee should be endorsing the use of social networking. Committee member Aaron Sawabi said he didn’t see the policy as an endorsement. “We understand this is going on, so these are some ground rules we want to implement,” he said. Souza said she had surveyed the teachers and found that approximately half of them were currently using social networking. “It makes sense to have some guidelines for them,” she said. Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach called the policy “like a code of conduct” and said it expressed the district’s expectation that teachers will use social networking tools appropriately.
Committee discusses building user fee policy
Souza suggested amending the building use policy so groups requesting a waiver of the $50 user fee must appear before the committee to explain why. Souza said asking groups to make the requests in person was consistent with the committee’s goal to get more people into the building. Desjardins said it would also give the committee the opportunity to ask the groups questions.
Beach passed on a fee waiver request from First Student. The company used a room at the high school for a one-hour meeting during the school day Feb. 10. Beach said the company was prepared to pay for the room if the committee did not approve the waiver. Beach reminded the committee that the district has a partnership with First Student and noted that from time to time, the bus company has generously provided additional services at no cost to the district. Sawabi said since there were no associated costs with the use of the room in this case, he was in favor of waiving the fee. “We’re not doing this to make money,” he said.
Winslow took issue with waiving the fee for for-profit groups. “Every penny counts in this district,” he said. Winslow also worried it would set a bad precedent if the district began waiving fees for for-profit groups. “That $50 can turn into a couple hundred dollars,” he said.
Desjardins said the main purpose for instituting a user fee was to recoup costs when the town was planning to charge the district for water. That never happened. Desjardins went on to say he thought the building was the best marketing tool the district had. “This is an exceptional school building,” he said. “When we can get people in here without it costing us anything, it can only be beneficial to the district.”
Souza asked Beach to find out how much the district has made on the user fees so far. Winslow said the district should try to make money with the fees if possible. Sawabi said if the district wanted to make money by renting out the building, they would have to come up with a new policy. “The current policy is only about cost recovery,” he said.
The committee agreed to table the decision on waiving the fee for First Student until after an upcoming budget meeting. They will also decide whether or not to revisit the user fee policy.
Committee discusses promotional items
Ware Junior/Senior High School Assistant Principal Cory Rogers displayed promotional items with a “Ware Indians” message on them as well as advertisements for a local business. He showed the committee a water bottle with one business’s logo on it and a seat pad with another. He said promotional companies donated several hundred of these items to the high school for distribution after contracting with the local businesses to produce the items. The school played no role in creating the products.
Beach noted neither one of the local businesses participated in the district’s marketing drive by purchasing banners for Veterans Stadium. Souza balked at the idea of giving these businesses “free advertising” when they did not support the district’s advertising efforts. Beach said she would double check with school counsel, but that she was fairly sure the district could do whatever they wanted with the items, including sell them for a profit. Beach said she would send the businesses a letter announcing the district’s intent to sell the products.
Beach also announced the district has received royalty checks totaling approximately $120 from outside vendors who have sold items with the Ware Indians logo on them. “We will continue to get the checks unless we say we don’t want them,” said Beach. She added that if the district wanted to stop outside vendors from producing items with the Ware Indians logo on them, the district would have to copyright the logo. Beach said school counsel has recommended against spending the money for a copyright and has suggested the district continue to accept the royalty checks. “That’s $120 we didn’t have last month going into the general fund,” said Beach.
Lt. Governor, Secretary of Education to participate in Community Reading Day
Beach announced that Lt. Governor Timothy P. Murray and Secretary of Education Paul Reville will be reading to students at SMK and WMS during Community Reading Day March 2.
Ware Reader Forum 