As school committee chairman, Heather Sinclair wants to make the Edgecomb school budget language more user friendly. Sinclair is working on a worksheet which explains various terms so the public can better understand where education dollars come from and how they’re spent.

“There is a lot of vocabulary and terminology not well understood by the public. I’m hoping this will clarify the terms,” she said. Sinclair explained a first-draft worksheet proposal during the Nov. 9 committee meeting. The worksheet would be divided into three categories: outgoing cost centers, funding sources, and differences between fixed expenditures and discretionary spending. “The budget is always a big conversation. This will highlight important information and allow residents to better understand the budget process resulting in a better conversation with them.”

Administrators are also preparing the 2021-22 budget. The so ecial education budget and Principal Christina Boursaw’s proposals are due by Dec. 1. School accountants will review those proposals in December, and the school committee will review the proposals in January. 

In other action, Sinclair clarified Edgecomb Eddy School’s coronavirus policy for wearing masks outdoors. In August, the committee allowed for outdoor recess and activities if students wore masks within six feet apart. Sinclair reported the policy centered around two main concerns: Reducing virus transmissions and reducing as many close contacts to meet Center for Disease Control quarantine guidelines. “I think students playing in the Gaga Pit, basketball, 4-Square or tag would all fall into the six-foot guideline. So that’s why the policy was enacted.”

The committee will likely revisit the policy in December after more students become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.

In October, Superintendent Robert Kahler announced Alternative Organizational Structure 98 schools would participate in COVID-19 pool testing, a state program offering voluntary virus group testing. So far, 27 Edgecomb Eddy students have signed up. The program involves a nurse swabbing students’ mouths. The data is placed in a test tube and sent for analysis. If there is a positive test, the entire pool is tested the next day individually to identify the positive case. But Kahler reported the program is being put on hold as AOS 98 and other school districts have trouble finding enough manpower to provide the follow-up test.

“It’s really about manpower. If you can’t do the follow-up then there isn’t much sense in doing the pool testing,” Kahler said. 

Boursaw reported the elementary school would provide free COVID-19 vaccinations on Nov. 10 for students ages 5-11. Thirty-nine students signed up for the vaccination, and Center for Teaching and Learning students would also receive vaccinations at Edgecomb Eddy.

Boursaw reported the school is participating in a new series called “Common Sense Media,” a free daily digital lesson on cyber safety. The program is grade specific, and Boursaw described it as “explaining the do’s and don’ts” of online safety.

Edgecomb Eddy is also providing more mental health support for students. The school is adding another day to guidance counselor Haley Bezon’s current three-day per week schedule. “Mental health issues are becoming a larger issue in the classroom,” Boursaw said. “We want to provide additional mental health and social support to our students. So Haley is working an additional day for a while.”

Edgecomb Eddy is also partnering with Kieve Leadership School to provide a student mentor who will work at the school from Nov. 29 to April 15. 

The committee accepted Linda Talbott’s resignation, effective Nov. 23. She has worked as an educational technician. An executive session was held discussing negotiations for a new labor contract with support staff. The committee took no action after returning to open forum. The committee meets next at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13 in the school cafeteria.