School Board Briefs

One resignation ana two eaves of absence for public school teachers were approved by the Board of Education last night. Mrs. Sandra Riggs, a cindergarten teacher at Dixboro School, will resign April 19. Mrs. Georgia Boyse, thirdgrade teacher at Pittsfield School, and Mrs. Barbara Platsis, science teacher at Forsythe Junior High, were granted eaves of absence, o o A capsule edueational presentation on the Office of Pupil Personnel was given to the trustees last night. Dr. Hazel Turner, director of the Office of Pupil Personnel, explained ;hat the program provides a variety of specialized personnel who aid the classroom teachers n developing programs for ;hose pupils unable to make effective use of the general school setting. o o Authorization was given for the administration to apply for federal funds which reimburse school districts for its pupils whose parents are "federallyconnected." These include children of U. S. servicemen and of parents who work on federally-owned properties, such as the Veterans' Hospital. Ivan Bare, Coördinator of grant programs, explained the procedure to the trustees. If the application is approved, the reimburseiment funds would go into general operating budget, he said. o o Formal action was taken last Inight to confirm the disability of a former classroom teacher. o o A gift of $130 f rom the Burns Park Parent-Teacher Organization for use at the school was accepted by the trustees. _s k A suggestion by Trustee Franjes Felbeck that the Board of Education go on record against the bilí now pending in the Michigan Legislature w h i c h I would give financial assistance to the parents of children at-1 ending non-public schools will appear on next week's agenda. The trustees were given copies of the bill last night, for their study during the week. o o A decisión on the Recreation Advisory Board's request that inancial assistance be given by ;he school board to help remodel a Burns Park barn for junior iheater and senior citizens' activities will be gjven next week. The decisión has been delayed, pending an opinión from the joard's legal counsel, o o Ann Arbor Teachers' Association President Donald Newsted called to the board's attention the figures in a report given earlier in the evening, which stated that the average class size in kindergarten through second grade is 22.7, and in third through sixth grades is 25.1. This is considerably higher, he said, than earlier figures given by the administration. o o Acting Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr., reported that he still las no formal recommendation on the hiring of a administrative assistant for community relations- a position authorized by the board last fall. He hinted, however, that some "interim" arrangements might have to be made until next fall, when a full-time person might be able to be hired. o o All nine trustees attended the seven hours of briefing, regular and executive sessions last night.