The Moose delivers to PES, Malden

PRINCETON — Unlike the state, the local Moose lodge has made a positive impact on funding for the Princeton Elementary School (PES) District for the second year in a row.

Presenting the proceeds from their sold-out, ‘80s-themed trivia night, lodge members carried a large check for $10,640.77 to Monday’s PES Board meeting to benefit the special education department.

Last year’s inaugural trivia night attracted 19 teams and raised $8,700. This year’s event featured 30 teams.

“In the state, we rank dead last for school funding; but at Princeton Elementary, with support like this from our community, we rank absolutely first place,” Superintendent Tim Smith said. “To donate more than $19,000 in just two years is amazing.”

The Moose also delivered a check for $726 to Malden Grade School for their programming. The money was the proceeds from the Moose’s 50/50 drawing.

State funding

As of Monday, Smith reported, the state owes the PES District $663,753 in mandated funding. He said the district has received only one of the four required payments from the state.

He also said while the district’s cost-cutting measures have greatly helped, only so much can be done without revenue. Despite this, Smith said, he expects the district to come in under budget for the year.

Because of the state’s sustained inability to fund schools up to promised levels, Smith said he was hopeful of receiving just one of the owed payments, saying it would lessen the need to draw from the working cash fund. The possibility of receiving all the payments wasn’t raised.

K-8 facility

Board member Steve Bouslog reported the building committee has decided to reconvene the Master Planning Committee to review the plans for the proposed kindergarten through eighth-grade facility at the Jefferson Elementary School site, which had an initial estimate of more than $60 million.

The committee will be working to find ways to lower the costs, explore financing, review the current buildings and discuss other options.

Student handbooks

The board approved three changes to next year’s student handbooks presented by Jefferson Elementary Principal J.D. Orwig.

After a previous discussion with a disciplinary advisory committee, Orwig recommended the addition of language pertaining to the inappropriate use of wearable electronic communication devices.

Another change recommended and approved was to the procedures and options regarding homelessness.

The third change was specifically for Jefferson Elementary. Orwig said a policy regarding vehicle safety during student pick-up was already in place, but not yet included in the handbook.

New curriculum

The board approved a new, six-year English and Language Arts curriculum from publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt at a cost of $151,549. It will cover all grades and is payable over two fiscal years.

Smith announced the district had just received a Rural Education Initiative grant for $24,000, which will be applied toward the new program. He also said he hoped to receive the grant for the next two years, which would cover approximately half the cost of the updated program.

The Amazing Race

Teachers David Gray and Cindy Colmone, inspired by a similar program at Putnam County Junior High, reported on the success of their three-day World War II lesson based on the format of “The Amazing Race” television game show.

The eighth-grade students were divided into 30 teams of five, and had to solve various puzzles and complete physical challenges in order to win the race.

The challenges covered the entire curriculum and included special visits from local World War II veterans Harold Steele and Roger Swan.

Gray and Colmone said one of the highlights of the experience was the students forging new bonds with classmates they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to know.

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