The Board of Directors for School Administrative District No. 52 took several formal actions at its March 13 meeting, approving routine personnel and policy updates and choosing to postpone a final vote on the 2025–26 school calendar so staff can increase communication with families.

Approved items
- Social Security payroll "gross‑up": The board authorized the district to cover the retroactive payroll tax liability identified for employees whose earlier payments had not been processed through payroll. Administration told the board legal counsel recommended a gross‑up approach so affected employees receive a net, tax‑neutral correction; staff estimated the additional FY25 district cost at roughly $3,771. The motion to follow legal counsel’s recommendation carried.
- Job description — Secondary school principal: The board approved an updated job description for secondary‑school principals after a brief discussion; the change consolidated language and clarified duties.
- Volunteer policy (IJOC): The board approved a revised school‑volunteers policy (IJOC), clearing a second reading and adoption after committee review. That policy requires volunteers to meet background‑check and training requirements; a small number of board members abstained in the final vote.
- Deletion of GDA (volunteer coaches policy): Because the new IJOC policy replaces older language, the board voted to delete the prior GDA policy on volunteer coaches.

Postponed vote: FY26 calendar and Wednesday early release
Board members discussed a proposed FY26 calendar that would remove most current monthly half days and replace them with a weekly one‑hour early release on Wednesdays. Administration said the change is intended to provide consistent professional planning time for teachers and to support curriculum rollout. Several board members and attendees requested clearer outreach to families before the board finalized the calendar; concerns centered on childcare and routine disruption. After discussion the board voted to postpone final approval to the next workshop to allow administration to produce a focused communication package for families and to provide scheduling details showing exactly how the one‑hour weekly release would affect class periods.

Why this matters
The social‑security correction shores up payroll compliance and addresses a legal risk identified by counsel. The volunteer policy and job‑description updates clarify expectations for staff and community volunteers. The calendar change — which the board postponed — is significant because it changes the rhythm of the school week for students, staff and families and is likely to prompt additional community discussion before a final vote.

What the board asked administration to do
- Prepare a concise, targeted communication to families (email and district Facebook post, and an optional recorded message) describing the proposed FY26 calendar change and its impact on daily schedules; administrations expects to post and send the outreach before the next board meeting on March 20.
- Provide a detailed explanation of how the weekly one‑hour release will be scheduled (how classroom blocks would be shortened or reorganized and how other classes and prep time would be affected).

Ending
Board members said they want to balance teacher planning needs, curriculum implementation and community convenience; they delayed the calendar vote to give families more time and to let administration answer specific scheduling questions in writing and on the record.