Donajkowski
ALPENA The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education censured former Trustee Steven Donajkowski on Monday because of sexualized comments he posted to Facebook about Vice President Kamala Harris.
Donajkowski resigned ahead of the board of education meeting on Monday.
The comment Donajkowski made on the Alpena Betterment’s Facebook page–a private group the public can request to join– was in response to a special a local restaurant was offering as part of an event for the Alpena Democratic Party held last week.
Donajkowski on Monday declined comment.
The resolution to censure Donajkowski states the board completely, without reservation, disavows the Feb. 5 Facebook post and comments made by him. A censure is a formal reprimand of a board member by the board.
Feb 15, 2021
∫ The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education’s Property Committee recommends the board award an asbestos abatement contract to Total Environmental for the district’s asbestos abatement projects in the amount of $198,200.
The district will be doing asbestos abatement at Hinks, Besser, Ella White, Sanborn, and Wilson elementaries, the former Sunset Elementary School, and Central Office as part of the $33.9 million property tax voters approved in March. The majority of the asbestos abatement will be completed in the boiler rooms of the schools.
Total Environment is the lowest bidder for the project and is recommended over three other contractors who submitted bids for the project.
Recent actions by boards of education in Northeast Michigan.
∫ The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education voted six-to-one to join the lawsuit against the vaping company Juul and other vaping manufacturers for marketing electronic cigarettes to students.
Trustee Eric Lawson cast the dissenting vote, saying he wanted more information on the lawsuit. He said the lawsuit casted a wide net, and he wanted to know which other companies were being sued because he was afraid they may be suing manufacturers who haven’t done anything wrong.
Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Meaghan Gauthier said disciplining students caught with vaping devices involves a lot of administrative costs.
cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Luke Gerhart, project manager at Wolgast Corp., looks at plans for Alpena Public Schools’ upcoming bond projects.
ALPENA Renovations at Besser, Lincoln, and Wilson elementary schools are scheduled to begin in June.
The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education on Monday awarded a little over $1.3 million in contracts so renovations at the schools can begin, part of a $33.9 million bond proposal passed by voters in March.
Luke Gerhart, project manager at Wolgast Corp., told the board contractors will prepare for the work “almost immediately,” getting the preliminary work completed before construction begins in June.
cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Alpena Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Meaghan Gauthier on Monday addresses the board of education about a newly proposed project based learning course.
ALPENA The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education will allow the development of a newly proposed history course to continue and will make a final determination at a future date about whether students will be able take the class next year.
The Perspectives of Democracy course was proposed to the board’s Curriculum and Finance Committee earlier this month, where two of the committee’s three members had concerns with the course.