BERNE — Following a re-organizational meeting that included community members earlier this month, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education met Monday night to discuss proposed board goals for the 2017-18 school year.

The drafted goals were presented by newly elected board member Helen Lounsbury, based on what district Superintendent Timothy Mundell had compiled of discussions at the reorganizational meeting held on July 6, in which community members were invited to participate in a group forum.  

Goals discussed included means of ensuring students were technologically literate, by encouraging responsible use of devices like smart phones, tablets, and laptops.

“A lot of the schools are becoming what they call ‘Google schools,’” said Lounsbury, a retired teacher and former board member, explaining that these districts receive equipment from the company to be used by students and staff.

Mundell said BKW will be rewriting its policy so that such devices are no longer forbidden, but instead are taught to be used responsibly by students in all grade levels.

“That needs to be done yesterday,” said board President Matthew Tedeschi, urging Mundell to prioritize the policy change.

A second goal emphasizes the use of community “stakeholders,” those who are invested in BKW in some way. Lounsbury suggested holding meetings among these people three times a year and inviting local representatives, as well as holding forums to discuss job opportunities alongside business owners.

Tedeschi noted that this is already being done through Junior Achievement, which runs programs designed to show students how to get jobs.

Board member Nathan Elble, the board’s new vice president, noted that state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara brings students to his office through the New Visions program.

Mundell noted that a new staff member who is certified to run Work-Based Learning programs would help students explore area careers as well.

A suggestion by Lounsbury that the agenda be required to be posted well-in advance of Monday meetings was debated heavily, with Teschi, Mundell, and board Clerk Denise Robinson arguing that the agenda is currently posted Thursday as it is required to be finished by Wednesday and, if posted earlier, it couldn’t include last-minute agenda items. Lounsbury replied that a living document could be drafted well in advance and changed over time up to the day of the meeting, but eventually conceded.

“I will let this go for the list, but I will not let this go overall,” she said.

Lounsbury also suggested updating the board handbook, which is provided by the New York State School Boards Association, to be tailored to BKW, to which at first Tedeschi objected.

“Why recreate the wheel?” he asked, but then conceded.

“Well, since you’re conceding, I’m conceding,” he told Lounsbury.

Another goal focuses on using student achievement as a measure for student performance, which would use multiple “pathways to success,” as well as new programs such as peer mediation in the secondary school. Mundell said, as part of this goal, he’d like to convene with members of the Switzkill Farm Board in Berne in order to arrange a writing retreat for students to be hosted there.

A final goal, maintaining financial stability, had some points debated. Lounsbury had written a board goal to “carefully monitor the debt schedule,” to which Tedeschi and Business Manager Sarah Blood objected.

“It’s implying it’s not being done now,” said Blood, who said a yearly audit monitors the debt schedule along with other financial health in the district.

Lounsbury said people had come forward concerned about the debt schedule due to the upcoming bond that will be used to fund a capital project.

The wording was changed to say, “continue to maintain the fiscal health,” rather than “carefully monitor the debt schedule.”

With the changes from the meeting included, as well as some additions from Mundell, the board goals are expected to be voted on at the following Board of Education meeting on Monday, July 31.