Business manager accepting early retirement
Lisbon’s business manager Laurie Maher will be accepting early retirement this school year.
Maher has worked for Lisbon schools for 18 years and Springville Schools for two years in a business role.
She noted as business manager she has attended more than 400 school board meetings in her career.
“It’s been a wonderful career at Lisbon, it’s just time to start thinking about retirement,” Maher said.
She said she had originally envisioned staying with the district until her daughter had graduated in 2014, but has loved the job so she stuck on for another ten years.
Board member John Prasil thanked Laurie for her service and guidance.
“You’ve always been willing to sit with new board members and teach us about the challenges of school financing and what we have control over,” Prasil said.
Maher was the only staff member who took the early retirement option.
Lisbon Early Childcare Center West fully accredited
The Lisbon Early Childcare Center West was fully accredited from the Department of Human Services in late January.
Superintendent Autumn Pino praised the work of Kelly Brown and Bre Ties for the work on getting that important licensure for the center.
Pino said that full licensure will allow the school to improve to 24 more slots for childcare over the next few months.
“That’s amounting to us finally getting to some of the families who are on our waiting list about our availability,” Pino said. “We’re expanding with confidence and steadily, which is good.”
Pino said that final amount could be higher, as they have an indoor recreation space that could be turned into another room in the childcare area, but that room has been beneficial to leave as is a gym space, especially during the winter months.
With LECC West catering to families with mostly younger children, it has opened more slots at LECC next to the school.
Pino complimented the school board for their ability to pursue this childcare option beginning last year.
March 27 set for budget hearing
The first hearing for the Lisbon School district will be held Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m.
Business manager Laurie Maher said this is the first time the district has had to have two consecutive hearings on the budget, and communication will be made by the county about the hearings by the county.
“I just don’t know if we’ll have anyone present at the hearing or any questions we need to address,” Maher said. “My presentation usually takes close to half an hour.”
The board will have a joint meeting with Lisbon City Hall at 7 p.m. that evening as well.
The board, like many city entities, needs to publicize their budget hearings to the county by mid-March, and the soonest hearings can be held this year is March 15.
The school needs to hold two budget hearings, and will have the first March 27, with a subsequent hearing to happen at the regular board meeting Thursday, April 10.
Advocacy day, school board learning sessions good experiences
Lisbon school board members were encouraged by recent advocacy opportunities and learning opportunities for the district.
Board members were able to take part in the advocacy day at the hill for schools in the past week.
“That was a great day at the capitol for us to know what was being discussed and explored and the impact some of that legislation is going to have for all schools,” said board member Robyn Richey. “I’m really glad I went.”
Board president Jen Caspers said that it was empowering to be collectively at the capitol on the same day.
“If I go again next year, I’d take more time to seek out our local legislators to express opinions on current legislation,” Caspers said. “I appreciate the lobbyists and what they had to say, but it was great to have a realistic view for schools on what we are seeing.”
Caspers said that the advocacy day did have an impact this year, with the bill on area education agencies showing changes from the outpouring of advocacy from people across the state.
“That bill as we know it from how it was originally presented is dead and is being rewritten,” said superintendent Autumn Pino.
Board members John Baker and Richey were also able to take part in education at Clear Creek-Amana in late January.
“That was a great informational process as a new board member on some of the dos and donts,” Baker said. “We’re not here to oversee day to day operations at the board, just oversight for the district.”