• Debate, cheerleading, golf, soccer and Destination Imagination will have to wait another year to receive any more funding from the Groton School District. This was the conclusion the school board reached after looking over the budget and reviewing the fund balance of each program.
• "We are still below the 2011-2012 State funding levels," Groton Superintendent Laura Schuster said. "We'll be sitting better after another year, and hopefully the legislature gives more funding to education in the future."
• Each of the programs will receive a little extra funding, about $800 each, curtsey of the Class of 2012. The graduating class left the money in their account to the four cut programs.
• The board reviewed the proposed lease agreement for the Groton Soccer Complex with the City of Groton. The agreement calls for the school to lease the complex for one dollar each year, renewed each year for up to 15 years. The city and the school will split the cost of maintenance. There was some disagreement over the wording of who is responsible for any damage done to the complex that the board would like changed to reflect responsible when in use by the school as the summer recreational program will also be using the complex. The agreement was tabled until the wording can be worked out with the city.
• Approval was given to start the first part of a three year plan to transition from laptops to Ipads. The first stage will put Ipads in the hands of the teachers and on carts in the two schools. If all goes well, the second stage will go into effect in two years, when students will start to receive the Ipads.
• Final approval was also given to extend the school day next year by 12 minutes. School will start at 8:30 and dismiss at 3:30. The board also made a decision on the final day of the 2012-2013 school year. Due to the number of snow days, late starts and early dismissals, the final day of school for the students will be May 21. Students will be dismissed after lunch and the teachers will finish out the day.
• As the snow is still melting, leaks in the roof of the 1968 addition to the high school are still causing problems. The school is working with the roofing company and HKG to solve the problems, but any repairs or even final solutions will have to wait until all the snow is gone.
• The new Federal Guidelines for the School Lunch Program has been in the news quite a bit this last year. Those guidelines are still causing some programs as many students to like the lunch and are not eating at school. The lower numbers are resulting in lower revenue. The lunch program two years ago had a cash balance of $34,737 in March. Last year the balance was $41, 007. This year the balance is only $19,958.
• While the numbers are dropping, the cost of food is not. The board may have to