Quaboag Regional School Committee notebook

 

By Angela L. Zajac
Turley Publications Correspondent

WARREN - The Quaboag Regional School District, now included in school choice, recently completed its spring term with no pending problems and quite a few exciting initiatives on the slate.

"It's a great time for the schools." Superintendent Brett Kustigian said after the school committee's last meeting.
Two keys of focus include Biotechnology and "going green," (saving money by creating energy in an environmentally friendly manner). 
A Power Purchase agreement has been drawn up to put solar panels on all three of the schools beginning in the fall of this year and a brand new Biotechnology course has been added to the curriculum.
"Biotechnology is where the jobs are now," Kustigian stated, "It's one of the top careers in the state. A unique and exciting facet of this new course will be to aide in the solar panel project."
The committee also voted in favor of collaboration with the Mass. Math and Science Initiative (MMSI), a non-profit organization funded primarily by Exxon/Mobil and the Gates/Dell Foundations to help maintain America's global leadership position in technological innovation.
MMSI promises to increase Advanced Placement (AP) course offerings in math, science and English. This in turn should transform the school culture by encouraging students and teachers to achieve.
One of the ways MMSI does this is with performance-based financial incentives. If a student scores a three or higher on an AP exam, they will be awarded with $100. Extensive free training opportunities will also be provided to the AP teachers by MMSI. 
"Most colleges accept successful completion of AP courses in exchange for credits," Kustigian added.
The Quaboag District has several school choice slots still open for the fall in grades 7-11.
The QRSD School Committee meets on the third Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m., with the next meeting being to be held July 19 in the library of Quaboag Regional High School.