Volunteer to be considered as a
      member of a Mayfield Community Advisory Committee 

February 8, 2011

Dear Mayfield Central School District Resident:

The Mayfield Central School Board of Education invites you to volunteer to be considered as a member of a special 15 member Mayfield Community Advisory Committee.

As you have likely heard, Mayfield Central School District has joined with the Northville school district to complete a merger feasibility study, which can begin after the state approves a grant to help fund it. The goal of the study is to answer the question:

Would the merger of the two districts provide greater educational
opportunities for our students and, at the same time, be more efficient?

To help answer the question and to ensure that the voices of all of our residents, taxpayers and stakeholders are heard throughout the study process, each district is creating a Community Advisory Committee. These two combined committees will meet no less than eight times from March 28, through June 30, 2011. Meetings will normally be held 6:30-9 p.m. at a mutually convenient site. Between meetings, committee members will review various study documents and e-mail or fax their ideas and insights to the study consultant team.

Specifically, the Community Advisory Committee will:

• Listen to presentations and discussions, provide input about the data, and offer analysis during the study process;
• Advise the consultants on issues related to the study;
• Help keep district residents informed with accurate information about the study; and
• Promote three-way communication between school district officials and personnel, district residents, and the SES Study Team consultants.

The Board of Education will select no more than 15 committee members from the total pool of volunteers. Not all volunteers will be chosen. Members of the committee will be announced at the March 15 Mayfield Board of Education meeting. The board’s objective is to create a committee made up of a representative cross-section of Mayfield residents (i.e. pre-school children parents, retired seniors, business persons, support staff, secondary students, etc.). The board will announce the members of the Community Advisory Committee to our community and encourage the community to communicate with you during the study. A successful committee member:

• Listens to all sides of an issue and respects the opinions of others.
• Represents a ‘constituency’ within the respective district.
• Speaks comfortably and accurately sharing ideas and information with fellow community members.
• Sees a 'big picture,' yet can appreciate and understand details of the school district’s main mission to serve students effectively and with quality as defined by the community.
• Believes in transparency of the study work, data and process.
• Has the willingness and ability to commit the necessary time to attend all (most) meetings in a timely manner and to contribute to the work of the Committee and study.
• Has demonstrated prior interest and involvement in some aspect of the school district and/or community.
• Is a resident of the Mayfield school district.
• Is willing to be accessible to community members to help communicate about the work of the Committee and the study process.
• Understands the process of consensus and is willing to work with others to identify and then support a consensus recommendation.
• Understands and accepts that recommendations of the Committee are advisory in nature to the Boards of Education and to the communities of the districts.

If you wish to be considered as a member of the Community Advisory Committee, please attend a brief informational meeting on Tuesday, February 15th at 6:30pm in the upper library of the high school. We will discuss the above criteria and answer any questions you may have about being a member of the committee. Thank you for your willingness to serve our school and our community in this ambitious study.

Sincerely,



Paul G. Williamsen
Superintendent of Schools