MEETING MATTERS
ASHBURNHAM-WESTMINSTER REGIONAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, JAN. 8, 2008
Compiled by Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Reporter

Top Story:

The School Committee voted unanimously to approve girls' and boys' lacrosse as club sports for this year.

The committee approved the move after confirming the club teams would be completely self-funded this year and it would not automatically be approved for funding next year.

"Approval for one year doesn't necessarily mean approval the next year," School Committee Chairman David Christianson said.

The subcommittee appointed to review the request to create club lacrosse teams gave an unanimous recommendation to grant the request. The subcommittee also received positive recommendations from Superintendent of Schools Michael Zapantis and Athletic Director David LaRoche.

The school committee was approached by a group of residents during the fall to ask for permission to create the club sport.

In Other Business:

• Zapantis announced that the nomination papers are available for the seats on the regional school committee through the Superintendent's Office at the side of Oakmont Regional High School.

There are two seats available for residents of Ashburnham and two seats available for residents from Westminster. The nomination papers are due on March 3 to the Superintendent's Office.

David Christianson Jr. and B. Ellen Holmes hold the seats up for re-election from Ashburnham, while Leonard Beaton and Jody Tata hold the seats that are up for re-election from Westminster.

• The committee voted unanimously to dedicate the Oakmont baseball field the Dennis Driscoll Baseball Park.

• Zapantis announced that he is proposing a new position that would replace the part-time curriculum coordinators at the secondary level as part of the upcoming budget.

The part-time curriculum coordinators represented different departments and were eliminated as part of the budget cuts after the override failed.

He said the person would deal with all curriculum issues from grades five through 12.

"It's a very different approach," he said. "It does same dollars. … This individual will be working with teams of teachers."

Zapantis will present the full 2009 fiscal year budget at the committee's next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 15. to the Town Meeting voters.