BRUNSWICK

After withdrawing its initial proposal and submitting a second that would have cost an additional $28,000, a Vermontbased consulting company now has decided not to work with school board members at all.

In a Sept. 10 letter to superintendant of schools Paul Perzanoski, Marty Jacobs, president of Systems in Sync, based in East Thetford, Vt., informed the board that she believed “it is in both our interest and the district’s best interest to terminate this work.”

Five weeks ago, the company — one of only a few that replied to the board’s request for proposals — was tapped to help the Brunswick School Board devise a strategic planning process, in preparation for a spring 2013 referendum on facilities upgrades. Jacobs initially appeared before the board during its Aug. 8 meeting to present a lengthy, multi-phase process that she said would help “organize” the board’s vision.

Board members were underwhelmed, and the presentation did not go smoothly.

At-Large member Michelle Small, in particular, questioned several of the presentation’s key planks and worried that the process would be neither transparent nor an effective use of district money.

In a subsequent letter to the board, dated Aug. 20, Jacobs stated concerns that the board was “not ready to take on strategic planning succesfully.” She recommended the board postpone strategic planning and work instead on “building board readiness and capacity.”

The alternative proposal carried a price tag of $28,215, in addition to the $50,000 already allocated for the planning process.

Board members accepted the proposals’ withdrawal Wednesday without reaction.

Also Wednesday, board members entered into an executive session to discuss “personnel matters.” They returned 30 minutes later but adjourned without taking action and declined to discuss the executive session or the reason for it.

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