JAY – School Committee members voted unanimously Thursday to create five curriculum committee chairperson positions. Those individuals would be paid a $1,500 stipend annually.

Each would oversee a different curriculum: math: English language arts; social studies; science, physical education and health; and world language and visual/performing arts.

The school system didn’t fill the curriculum coordinator’s position when that person left before the start of the school year and decided to return to the curriculum committee method in a scaled-down version of what was previously done years ago.

The standards and curriculum leaders will provide leadership as an active member of the curriculum development teachers within the Jay School Department.

They will also provide leadership in the planning, organizing, direction and control of curriculum that is standards and outcome-based, according to a job description presented by Superintendent Robert Wall.

The curriculum chairs will report to the chairperson of the Staff Development and Curriculum Committee and building principals.

Anyone applying for the positions will be interviewed, Wall said.

Position requirements

Qualities needed include strong communication and organizational skills, knowledge and expertise in supporting and implementing “best practices” in the area of leadership involved.

Each will organize and facilitate prekindergarten through 12 curriculum, facilitate the review of and revisions of existing curriculum among other duties.

“We’re looking to do our leadership through our staff. I think we’re getting good results,” he said.

Other business

In other business, Wall told the School Committee that bleachers near the football field and track need to be either eliminated or replaced.

Deteriorating wooden planks have been taken off one section and the section cordoned off. The bleachers are archaic and do not meet regulations for handicap accessibility, Wall said.

He and Building and Grounds Director Sue Weston recommend buying new bleachers.

For the cost of just repairing and painting the existing bleachers, Weston said, they could get a new set that could be moved to new locations and the banking could be cleaned up.

They will make a formal recommendation regarding bleachers at the November meeting.

In other action, the School Committee:

• approved an educational exchange with St. Georges, Quebec, and a field trip to Salem, Mass.

• approved Marcel Castonguay to fill the position of high and middle school concession coordinator.

• agreed to hire Timothy Schwab as the technology help desk assistant for 17.5 hours a week at a wage of $12 an hour.

• approved Carol Wilder, Weston’s sister, to fill the position of elementary/middle school custodian/bus driver. She works for SAD 36 now.