“South Whidbey school staff will be headed east this summer to take part in math-related seminars.On Tuesday the school board approved a proposal to send Intermediate School Principal Doug Hale and teachers Pam Muncey and Kathy Stanley to Chicago for the Math Trailblazers Summer Institute, sponsored by the publishers of the Trailblazers curriculum recently adopted by the South Whidbey school.All three of the attendees from South Whidbey will be leaders in the adoption of Trailblazers next fall, Hale said in a letter to the board. The trip Aug. 6-9 will cost an estimated $3,082 and be paid for with an Eisenhower grant received by the school district.Going even farther east will be the South Whidbey contingent to a math conference titled Considering New Curricula. This conference will be July 11-13 in Charlotte, N.C. Attending will be Mike Johnson, high school principal, high school teachers Tim Durbin, David Nelson and Andy Davis, and the new assistant superintendent, Dan Blanton. Total cost is estimated at $4,762.School board members Jim Adsley and Barbara Schneeman expressed some reservations about the Charlotte conference because there will be no middle school representation. Schneeman said she was a little disappointed that such representation was missing because of concerns over the math transition plan from middle school to high school.Adsley added that math continuity from primary school to intermediate school to middle school is good, but the high school piece was missing. However, Greg Willis, middle school principal, and Mike Johnson, high school principal, assured the board members that transition issues will be at the forefront both before and after the conference. We’re keenly aware of the need, Willis said. We didn’t have anyone from the middle school who could attend this conference.The trips were approved unanimously, although board member Bob Riggs left before the vote. Bob is not opposed, said Adsley. He’s not feeling well. “