MINOT – Union 29 Director of Operations Gordon Murray Tuesday night presented the school committee with a few suggestions for sprucing up appearances around the entrance to the Minot Consolidated School.

First on the agenda is clearing the debris left over from wood cutting operations and key to that, Murray pointed out, is determining what voters at March town meeting intended when they directed that the matter be addressed.

While discussions didn’t resolve the question of whether, or how much of, the $10,000 from the sale of the timber that was on the land could be used, all parties agreed that the area from Shaw Hill Road back to the greenhouse should be clear of debris and should be seeded with something like a summer rye to prevent erosion.

Stump removal was not addressed as that would lead to a number of complications, including location of the proper stump dump.

Selectman Steve French reported that he had spoken with Norman Gurschick about having members of Minot’s Boy Scout Troop 139 help out. French said there was a good possibility that the troop could spend a weekend camping out at the site, raking up small piles and carefully tending small fires.

The committee appointed Chris Woodford to serve as its liaison with Murray and French and to oversee the work.

Murray also reported that the final tests on the water from the new school well have been completed and the result shows that arsenic and radon levels are within limits that are acceptable and that the gross alpha particle levels are also acceptable. He noted, however, that environmental authorities likely will come out with new acceptable levels within the next two years that would require the school to install a filtering system in order to meet new standards in these areas.

Murray said that as far as he knows, the state has agreed to set aside the $55,000 that will be needed for the filtration system.

Committee member Steve Holbrook reported that he had spoken with Road Manager Arlan Saunders about fixing the trenches in the driveway and parking lot caused by laying a waterline to the new well. Holbrook noted that the driveway is a mess, with several levels of asphalt and much in need of a fixing. Holbrook said that Saunders estimated that he could correct the situation with about $500 worth of cold mix.

The committee accepted with deep regret resignations from the school guidance counselor Mary Beth Koletsky and special education teacher Lori Hibbard.

The resignations sparked a heated response from about a dozen teachers and community members who expressed concern over the loss of the two staff members.

Lisa Bridgham expressed dismay with the turnover in social workers/counselors that the school has historically had.

Sharon Lariviere agreed.

The committee took under advisement a request from Principal Don Bilodeau to change the school’s grading system from a quarterly to a trimester format.

Superintendent Nina Schlikin noted that the Poland Community School and the Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls have adopted the trimester format.

The committee agreed to hold a workshop at 6 p.m. on May 10 to discuss the change to a trimester format.

Upon learning that Minot resident Carolyn Hricko, a senior at Poland Regional High School, had been named to receive the Maine Principals Association award, the committee directed that a letter of congratulations be sent to Hricko.