MEETING OF THE
MONTPELIER BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS May 20, 2015 MINUTES Minutes Approved: June 3, 2015 Present Board: Sue Aldrich, Michele Braun, Steve Hingtgen, Ken Jones, Tina Muncy, Carol Paquetet, Lowell VanDerlip Administration: Superintendent Brian Ricca, Principal Pamela Arnold Student: Theresa Noonan, Alex Stetter Public: Bridget Asay, Emma Bay-Hansen, Greg Hebert, Alissa Matthews, Jen Matthews, Nathan Suter, and others Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. Adjust/Review Agenda Addition of a facilities budget adjustment to the consent agenda per Superintendent Ricca’s memo. Public Comments Emma Bay-Hansen told the Board she was still very concerned about the class size policy and hoped to see movement from the policy committee tonight. MSMS Student Presentation The Board enjoyed presentations by members of Main Street Middle School’s sixth grade class in regard to their community unit and by the Executive Committee of Crafters Edge. Discussion with MSMS Principal Pamela Arnold Principal Arnold gave a PowerPoint presentation celebrating the 2014-2015 school year. Events and activities featured in the presentation demonstrated students’ mastery of transferable skills. Discussion with MHS English Teacher Sarah Squier Regarding Follow-Up on Irish Humanities Field Trip A small contingent of the Irish Humanities students reported on their recent trip to Ireland. The students shared their favorite parts of the trip and connected their learning in the classroom to their learning on the trip. Photographs were shared. The students thanked Ms. Squier for the incredible effort and passion she brings to the table in not only teaching the class, but in also taking students on this trip. Follow-Up Discussion from Community Forum Passed over. Discussion Regarding Val Gardner’s Visit to the Board Passed over. Discussion of Class Size Committee Charge Mrs. Aldrich started the conversation by saying she was not sure the Board needs to change its particular class size policy as it currently stands. Ms. Muncy would like to know if the policy has been followed as written and how it worked before agreeing to make any changes. Superintendent Ricca replied that in some instances yes and in some instances no and gave the reasons therefore. He stated that the District is within the policy at the elementary school as currently written, with some interpretation and discord around the use of averages for clusters. Ms. Muncy requested that the parents in attendance for this discussion be allowed to speak. Mrs. Aldrich replied by saying that she really wanted to stay on point and have board discussion, but was open to hearing how other board members felt. Mr. Hingtgen said he did not want to dismiss the parents given it was a fairly large group concerned about this issue and he felt they needed to be incorporated. Mr. VanDerlip agreed, saying he thought the Board needed to hear from the parents and community members in attendance before possibly taking any action on this matter. Mrs. Braun said she was open to hearing from the parents provided comments were limited and ended by 9 o’clock. Several parents spoke in support of a new class size policy that is both clear and directive and urged board members for an education focused decision-making process and charge. Following public comment, Mr. Jones said he believed a fairly significant discussion about class size policy and application was owed and warranted. Mr. Hingtgen offered that the charge drafted by Mr. Jones was good and he would support it. He does have some concerns about the cluster language, but believes that could be clarified. Mr. Hingtgen went on to say that any policy the Board creates needs to be a clear document that reflects the values of the community. Mrs. Braun said she has no problems with the current class size policy, adding that it does have flexibility for the administration to use discretion. She went on to say that she believes the decision made about the number of teachers for next year’s third grade class at UES was the result of discretion allowed under the current policy. She believes the teacher problem and the class size policy are two issues that need to be separated and she does not think the Board should try to solve the teacher problem by messing with the policy. Ms. Muncy agreed, saying it is not the policy she is concerned about but rather nobody was clear about the decision that was made. Mr. Hingtgen sees the problem as the policy being not particularly clear and believes the Board cleaning it up to make it more restrictive would lead to fewer conflicts in the community. Mrs. Aldrich believes the Board has been addressing the issue whether or not it goes ahead with setting up a committee. Mrs. Braun expressed concerns about people’s expectations of the committee. Mr. VanDerlip acknowledged a commitment to the community to address the class size policy issue but expressed uncertainty about the specific follow through. Two ideas were floated – a committee with a charge drafted by Mr. Jones, or asking the administration to review and update the current policy to address concerns about clarity and implementation for the Board to then use, adapt or throw out. Mr. Jones wants a group discussion to address specificity around this issue. The availability of research in regard to small class size was discussed. Following further discussion, Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Ms. Muncy, to charge the Administrative Team with reviewing the current class size policy and recommending to the Board changes in language for the purpose of clarifying the policy. Any changes or lack of changes to the policy are to be supported based on educational research for educational outcomes and published in advance of a community meeting. A timeline for September was established. Motion carried unanimously. Update on Lease for the Mountaineers Passed over. Action Item Approve Annual Calendar of Board Meeting Dates Mr. Jones moved, seconded by Mr. VanDerlip, acceptance of the proposed meeting dates for 2015-2016 as presented. Mr. Hingtgen asked a clarifying question in regard to the Board’s meeting calendar versus its work calendar. Mr. VanDerlip confirmed that the essence of the work calendar is to guide and keep track of certain items the Board needs to take care of. Ms. Muncy inquired in regard to the superintendent evaluation process and requested paper on previous evaluations for the next meeting on June 3rd. Following discussion, the motion carried unanimously. Consent Agenda Minutes of May 6, 2015 Warrants Teacher Contracts Facilities Budget Adjustment Co-Curricular Contracts Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Mr. Jones, to approve the consent agenda including minutes of the May 6, 2015 regular meeting, Warrants 57, 58 and 59 dated May 21, 2015 in the amounts of $859,111.18, $28,078.56 and $3,311.75 respectively, the recommendation to offer teaching contracts to Joseph Carroll (Latin – MHS), Kasandra Howe (math – MHS/MSMS), CharlesDaniel Sheffy (English – MHS), Eileen Wildman (science – MHS), Daniel Maguire (Humanities – MSMS) and Hannah Barden (ELL – UES), a facilities budget adjustment in the amount of $8,950 to cover salary and benefits for an additional custodian/maintenance worker for the District for the months of May and June 2015, and co-curricular contracts (see listing). Motion carried unanimously. Announcements/Review Meeting (+/∆) Executive Session Mrs. Braun moved that the Board find that discussing contract negotiations in open session would put the Board at a substantial disadvantage. Mr. VanDerlip seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 9:50 p.m. Mrs. Braun moved that the Board enter into Executive Session in accordance with 1 VSA §313 to discuss contract negotiations. Mr. Hingtgen seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 9:50 p.m. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to leave Executive Session at 10:15 p.m. Contract Negotiations Adjournment On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 10:15 p.m. Heather Michaud Recorder Co-curricular Appointments MEETING OF THE
MONTPELIER BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS May 6, 2015 MINUTES Minutes Approved: May 20, 2015 Present Board: Sue Aldrich, Michele Braun, Steve Hingtgen, Tina Muncy, Lowell VanDerlip Administration: Superintendent Brian Ricca, Principal Chris Hennessey, Director of Support Services Mary Lundeen Student: Alex Stetter Absent: Ken Jones, Theresa Noonan, Carol Paquette Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m. Adjust/Review Agenda The class size committee charge agenda item will be moved to the next meeting due to the absence of two board members who desire to be part of that discussion. The follow-up discussion in regard to the meeting with the Boosters will be moved upward on the agenda. Public Comments Montpelier resident Richard Sheir weighed in on the class size policy matter and recommended a consultancy rather than a committee to examine the issue. UES Student Presentation Miss Jennings and members of the Jumping Beans jump rope team demonstrated their routines. UES Jump Rope for Heart has raised almost $9,000 for the American Heart Association. Mr. Hingtgen commented that the UES physical education program is awesome and thanked UES physical education teachers Miss Jennings and Mr. Riby-Williams for their energy and enthusiasm. Three members of Mrs. Pierce’s fifth grade class showcased one of their writing pieces from this year. Mr. VanDerlip complimented the students on their voice, organization, and choice of vocabulary. Follow-Up Discussion Regarding Meeting with the Boosters Mrs. Aldrich reported that the meeting with the Boosters quickly transitioned from fundraising in general to fundraising for the auditorium project at the high school. The Boosters group indicated at this point they are basically tired and fundraising through them for the auditorium project would be tricky. They did, however, recommend a full-blown campaign rather than a piecemeal approach since those efforts have apparently generated the most success in the past. Paul Gambill who attended the meeting promised that the space could be a continual revenue source if the District had a state-of-the-art facility. A suggestion was made to allow the State to use the mud lot for parking in exchange for them renovating the auditorium and then transitioning to a rental arrangement once the renovation money is paid off. Mr. VanDerlip inquired as to legal restrictions for fundraising for capital improvement projects. The relationship between the Boosters and the District was discussed. Discussion with UES Principal Chris Hennessey Principal Hennesey gave a PowerPoint presentation reflecting on the 2014-2015 school year. Highlights of the presentation included the Veterans Day march, UES’ 75th birthday and winter carnival, the third grade puppet residency, the walking school bus, bingo, the Scripps spelling bee, storykeepers, and the UES playground project. Mr. Hingtgen recommended building the walking school bus as a test study. He also requested to hear more about the technical work being done around academics next time around. Discussion with Director of Support Services Mary Lundeen Mrs. Lundeen and District special educators Pat Collier and Carrie Cook shared information on the new reading programs adopted this year, as well as student data demonstrating progress utilizing the new programs. Follow-Up Discussion from Community Forum Passed over. Discussion Regarding Val Gardner’s Visit to the Board Passed over. Discussion Regarding Transportation Policy Recommendation from the Leadership Team Given the fact that the transportation policy is not being enforced as currently written, the Leadership Team proposed the following recommendation to the Board. Beginning in 2015-2016, enforce the policy as it is currently written. This will mean that some students currently riding the bus will no longer be able to ride the bus. Those notifications will go out before the end of the school year. In the fall, the Leadership Team and the bus company will review and analyze ridership for “bad weather” routes, anticipating the increases that may take place. In addition, the Leadership Team will report back to the Board in time for FY17 budget conversations and make further recommendations for the policy. Mr. Hingtgen expressed hope for the notifications regarding rider ineligibility to be provided in a very relationship building way. A request was made for the report back to be delivered in October. Mr. Hingtgen noted the need to explicitly consider and address the walking school bus component in the transportation policy conversations. Following discussion, there was consensus to accept the Leadership Team’s recommendation in regard to the transportation policy and proceed as outlined. Discussion of Class Size Committee Charge Rescheduled to May 20th meeting. Action Item Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Mr. Hingtgen, to approve the contract for the incoming MHS principal as recommended by the administration. Motion carried unanimously. Approve MHS Principal Contract Consent Agenda Minutes of April 14, 2015 Warrants Resignations Tom Cate Gary Griffith Trees-ah Elder Teacher Contracts Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Mr. Hingtgen, to approve the consent agenda including minutes of the April 14 2015 special meeting, Warrants 55 and 56 dated May 7, 2015 in the amounts of $604,768.26 and $19,239.80 respectively, teacher resignations, and the recommendation to offer teaching contracts to Erin Davey (special educator – MSMS), Sarah Loveless (CBL – MHS) and Samantha Funk (music – UES). Mr. Hingtgen requested a future discussion regarding the sustainability of part-time positions long-term. Motion carried unanimously. Announcements/Review Meeting (+/∆) Adjournment On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 9:32 p.m. Heather Michaud Recorder SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
MONTPELIER BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS April 14, 2015 MINUTES Minutes Approved: May 6, 2015 Present Board: Sue Aldrich, Michele Braun, Steve Hingtgen, Ken Jones, Tina Muncy, Carol Paquette, Lowell VanDerlip Administration: Superintendent Brian Ricca, Director of Curriculum & Technology Michael Martin Student: Theresa Noonan Public: Bridget Asay, Beth Bingham, Katy Chabot, Kristin Darcy, Marita Frey, Paul Gambill, Steven Gold, Jane Kast, David Markow, Jackson Markow, Lila Markow, Lyn Munno, Charles Phillips, Meredith Stetter, Betsy Strobell, Nathan Suter, Joy Worland, and others Absent: Alex Stetter Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. Adjust/Review Agenda Addition of an action item and addition of two items to the consent agenda. Public Comments Nathan Suter inquired and Superintendent Ricca responded in regard to the current status of negotiations with the Montpelier Education Association and the Montpelier Educational Support Staff Association. Visit with Finalist for MHS Principal Position The finalist gave a short presentation and then responded to questions from the Board and others in attendance. Visit with Michael Martin, Director of Curriculum & Technology Mr. Martin gave a PowerPoint presentation in regard to proficiency based learning and personalized learning plans. Discuss Class Size Policy and Next Steps Superintendent Ricca presented an alternative proposal for dealing with the class size policy. Rather than establishing a committee as previously agreed upon, he recommended a superintendent study group made up of one teacher and one parent from each school and himself. This would allow for much more efficient use of everyone's time and still provide opportunity for community input. There was discussion in regard to community values, academic research, committee makeup and public involvement. Mr. Jones and Mr. Hingtgen noted the need for a charge to guide this work regardless of whether a committee or a study group. Mr. VanDerlip moved that the Board follow the process outlined by Superintendent Ricca and asked that the Board generate a charge. Mr. Jones will draft a charge for review at the next meeting. A suggestion was made for a two-tiered process, i.e., a quick tweak of the current policy to make it more useful, followed by a longer process examining the bigger issues and a new policy. There was consensus to table further discussion and decision on this matter until after the draft charge is reviewed at the next meeting. Follow-up Discussion Regarding Meeting with the Boosters Passed over. Discuss Val Gardner’s Visit to the Board Passed over. Action Item Approve Use of $75,000 from FY15 Fund Balance Mr. Hingtgen moved, seconded by Mr. VanDerlip, to approve use of $75,000 from the FY15 fund balance for the purchase and installation of new network switches. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Agenda Minutes of March 18, 2015 Warrants Resignations Mary Redmond Gabi Davis Anne Giroux Brooke Pearson Unpaid Leave of Absence Request Financial Report Recreation Department Fund Balance Request Field Trips Irish Humanities – April 17-28 MHS Scholars’ Bowl to Chicago, Illinois – May29-31 French 5 to Montreal – May 15 Co-Curricular Contracts Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Ms. Paquette, to approve the consent agenda including minutes of the March 18, 2015 regular meeting, Warrants 51 and 52 dated April 9, 2015 in the amounts of $586,120.12 and $8,771.39 respectively, Warrants 53 and 54 dated April 23, 2015 in the amounts of $861,581.74 and $24,713.72 respectively, teacher resignations, an unpaid leave of absence request, the FY15 third quarter financial report, use of $5,300 from the Recreation Department's fund balance to pay for a capital needs assessment of the building on Barre Street and all buildings and structures under its supervision, three field trips, and co-curricular contracts (see listing). Motion carried unanimously. Announcements/Review Meeting (+/∆) Executive Session Mrs. Braun moved that the Board find that discussing contract negotiations in open session would put the Board at a substantial disadvantage. Mr. Jones seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 10:01 p.m. Mr. Jones moved that the Board enter into Executive Session in accordance with 1 VSA §313 to discuss contract negotiations. Mrs. Braun seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 10:01 p.m. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to leave Executive Session at 10:45 p.m. Contract Negotiations Action Taken None. Adjournment On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 10:45 p.m. Heather Michaud Recorder Co-curricular Appointments MEETING OF THE
MONTPELIER BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS March 18, 2015 MINUTES Minutes Approved: April 14, 2015 Present Board: Sue Aldrich, Michele Braun, Steve Hingtgen Ken Jones, Tina Muncy, Carol Paquette, Lowell VanDerlip Administration: Superintendent Brian Ricca, Director of Facilities Thom Wood Students: Theresa Noonan, Alex Stetter Public: Anne Fraser, Bill Fraser, Nathan Suter, Anne Watson Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. Adjust/Review Agenda Addition of a teacher contract to the Consent Agenda. Also, the amount of the requested Special Education Line Item Transfer in the Consent Agenda was adjusted from $18,939.25 to $25,812.78. Public Comments None. Student Presentation Members of Cailin O’Hara’s Honor Choir class performed two numbers for the Board. Discuss Solar Panels for MPS MHS science teacher Anne Watson and her physics students have been exploring ideas for reducing the energy demand for the school and making it more renewable. There are currently tax incentive programs encouraging the use of renewable electricity, both at the federal and state level. Ms. Watson and physics student Alex Stetter presented the Board with a student-led initiative to issue an RFP to solicit proposals for a net metering solar agreement. In addition, Director of Facilities Thom Wood explained that there is also a consortium of school districts and supervisory unions putting together a collective RFP for a net metering solar agreement. Mr. Wood provided information as to the District’s energy consumption. Over the last five years the District has reduced its energy consumption by 25% and is continuing to look at opportunities to reduce even further. Superintendent Ricca reminded the Board that the purpose of this discussion was to gauge interest on the possibility of pursuing: (1) the stand alone RFP developed by Ms. Watson and her class specific to the needs of the District; (2) the collective RFP developed by the consortium of school districts and supervisory unions; or (3) both RFPs simultaneously. Mr. Jones reminded board members that an RFP does not obligate the District to any specific relationship, but rather simply poses the questions. Discussion regarding renewable energy credits, siting, and timelines ensued. Following that discussion, the overall sentiment and the recommendation from Mr. Wood was to pursue both RFPs simultaneously. Ms. Watson will continue to work with Superintendent Ricca on the process going forward. Follow-up Discussion Regarding Fundraising Superintendent Ricca asked the Board for guidance on how to proceed in order to keep this item from losing momentum. Mrs. Aldrich suggested that it might be a good idea for a few board members to meet with the Boosters and then report back to the full Board. Mr. Jones suggested the possibility of a coalescence of the various musical and theatrical groups in Montpelier to better understand their needs and wants, and to also explore the possibility of them playing a significant role in a foundation or fundraising effort. Mrs. Aldrich volunteered to approach Lost Nation Theater. Mr. Jones and Mrs. Aldrich will meet with the Boosters. Mrs. Aldrich will let Superintendent Ricca know when that meeting is going to occur so that it can be properly warned. Mrs. Braun has spoken with and obtained information from Green Mountain Youth Symphony. Updates will be provided as conversations occur. Review and Discuss “Gold Policies” The history and purpose behind the gold policies was reviewed. There was consensus that there was no need to look at any of the gold policies individually since there were no concerns about any of them at this time. Superintendent Ricca will explore the process for removing these policies from the superintendent limitations policies and including them as part of the District’s local and mandated policies so that they are easily identifiable and accessible. The Board also discussed the path for dealing with the class size policy. Mr. VanDerlip suggested the drafting of a charge to guide the process and Mr. Jones offered to do that work. Following further discussion, it was decided that discussion of the proposed charge, as well as discussion as to what the committee will look like, will be warned as an agenda item for the April 1st meeting. The agenda for the April 14th meeting will include setting the committee, possibly amending the charge, and obtaining opinions and perspectives on class size from members of the public, board members, etc. to share with the committee as a starting point for their work on the policy. Review Superintendent Limitations Policy 2.8 – Communication and Support to the Board Mr. Jones highlighted item #2, specifically putting the District’s work in the context of the state and national discussion. He explained his reasons for being particularly interested in this were because he really wanted to talk more about education, in part because it was a foundation for the ends, but also because it helped when talking about things like the budget. He cited the Common Core as an example. Mrs. Aldrich said it seemed Mr. Jones was asking for the periodic discussions with the principals to be enriched. Mr. Jones said he appreciated the leadership role taken by the District in developing some of its own stuff, but that putting its work within the context of the national discussion would really allow the District to talk about its schools. Ms. Muncy suggested an educational presentation at board meetings similar to how the student presentations are done. Mr. VanDerlip reminded board members that embedded within the Board’s annual calendar are reports from principals and reports on ends policies which provide the context for having educational discussions. Mrs. Braun pointed out that those repots do not go out to state and national trends. Mr. VanDerlip replied that they could, citing the opportunity to push the conversation in that direction when previewing ends reports with Superintendent Ricca if that is what the Board thinks would be helpful. Mrs. Aldrich said she sees the information coming from the principals. Mr. Hingtgen said he was looking forward to the next budget. He believes having evidence that is as objective and quantifiable as possible on each end and having it related to peers and national and state scenes is important in order to justify value in the District. He said value is what the District is trying to provide and it needs to be able to demonstrate that beyond a shadow of a doubt. This requires a lot of homework and lot of numbers and the more it can get, the better. Superintendent Ricca said he remembered board members not being particularly excited about state and national numbers in the past when he reported on end #1 and expressed a desire to hear more about growth from year to year. He acknowledged that the next report will need to be a balance between the type of information that is now being asked for (the dry information) and what has been provided in the past (what the District is actually doing) in order to provide board members with the good information they are seeking. Superintendent Ricca will also solicit feedback on items board members want to hear about in advance of future principal visits in an attempt to flush out some of this information. Appoint Board Representative(s) to MEA Bargaining Committee Superintendent Ricca asked for volunteers to finish current contract negotiations with the Montpelier Education Association given the fact that the two prior representatives (Mrs. Bean and Mr. Phillips) are no longer on the Board and in light of a proposed mediation date of July 8, 2015. There was discussion as to whether the request for a representative was for just current negotiations or current and subsequent negotiations. Superintendent Ricca confirmed that it was just for current negotiations and that a similar request would be made when the next round of negotiations occurs. Following discussion, Mr. Jones volunteered for the task. Action Item Superintendent Ricca thanked Superintendent Nancy Thomas of Washington Northeast Supervisory Union and Superintendent Bill Kimball of Washington Central Supervisory for their collaboration efforts on the proposed calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. Superintendent Ricca said he was very proud of the calendar he was presenting as it represented a positive step in the direction of uniformity (only three days off) among the three supervisory unions and school districts so as to provide students with the most opportunities. Changes from 2014-2015 were reviewed. Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Mrs. Braun, to approve the calendar for the 2015-2016 school year as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Approve 2015-2016 School Calendar Consent Agenda Minutes of March 4, 2015 Warrants Teacher Contract Unpaid Leave of Absence Requests Special Education Line Item Transfer Systems Manager Line Item Transfer Mrs. Braun moved, seconded by Mr. VanDerlip, to approve the consent agenda including minutes of the March 4, 2015 regular meeting, Warrants 48, 49 and 50 dated March 26, 2015 in the amounts of $824,064.75, $23,749.59 and $20,326.71 respectively, the recommendation to offer a teaching contract to Andreah Ustianov (special education – UES), two unpaid leave of absence requests, a line item transfer in the amount of $25,812.78 from tuition to supplies in the special education budget, and a line item transfer in the amount of $7,981.06 from travel to contracted services in the systems manager’s budget. Motion carried unanimously. Announcements/Review Meeting (+/∆) The first pop concert at the middle school last night was very good, a lot of student participation. MHS was recently visited by a team from the Hall-Dale High School in Maine who chose to visit MHS based on its blend of personalized learning plans and work towards proficiency-based graduation requirements. Of the six schools visited, the team cited their visit to MHS as the highlight of their trip, being the most impressed by the amount of student engagement they saw. Congratulations to the Debate Team on their performance at the State Tournament and best of luck as they head to the District Tournament in Pennsylvania at the end of March. Executive Session Mrs. Braun moved that the Board find that discussing contract negotiations in open session would put the Board at a substantial disadvantage. Mr. Jones seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 9:21 p.m. Mr. Jones moved that the Board enter into executive session in accordance with 1 VSA §313 to discuss contract negotiations. Mr. VanDerlip seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 9:21 p.m. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to leave Executive Session at 9:46 p.m. Contract Negotiations Adjournment On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 9:46 p.m. Heather Michaud Recorder MEETING OF THE
MONTPELIER BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS March 4, 2015 MINUTES Minutes Approved: March 18, 2015 Present Board: Sue Aldrich, Michele Braun, Ken Jones, Tina Muncy, Carol Paquette, Lowell VanDerlip Administration: Superintendent Brian Ricca Students: Theresa Noonan, Alex Stetter Absent: Steve Hingtgen *NOTE: Ms. Muncy was elected but not sworn in prior to tonight’s meeting. She therefore will not be voting on any items requiring action. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by Superintendent Ricca. Board Reorganization Superintendent Ricca opened nominations for Board Chair. Mr. Jones nominated Mrs. Aldrich for Chair, seconded by Mr. VanDerlip. There were no further nominations and Mrs. Aldrich was elected unanimously. Mr. VanDerlip nominated Mrs. Braun for Vice Chair, seconded by Ms. Paquette. There were no further nominations and Mrs. Braun was elected unanimously. Mr. Jones nominated Mr. VanDerlip for Clerk/Treasurer, seconded by Ms. Paquette. There were no further nominations and Mr. VanDerlip was elected unanimously. Mr. VanDerlip nominated Mr. Jones for Parliamentarian, seconded by Ms. Paquette. There were no further nominations and Mr. Jones was elected unanimously. Mrs. Aldrich expressed heartfelt thanks to outgoing board members Mrs. Bean and Mr. Phillips for their past service, especially Mr. Phillips for twelve years of a lot of great service. Mrs. Aldrich welcomed newly-elected members Tina Muncy, as well as Steve Hingtgen who was unable to attend tonight’s meeting. Adjust/Review Agenda Absent objection, items #7 and #8 were moved to the next scheduled meeting on March 18th in order to allow time for newly-elected board members to familiarize themselves with board policies. Superintendent Ricca reminded the Board that the class size policy is on the schedule for April. Mr. VanDerlip requested any updated information from the Agency of Education in this regard to be used as a reference point and to give context. It was suggested that new board members be provided with a copy of the Board’s annual calendar, as well as a policy governance notebook. Val Gardner is going to come for another discussion about governance. Public Comments None. Discuss Budget Vote Outcome It was agreed that the budget vote resulted in a great outcome. Mrs. Braun suggested a letter from the Board for the Times Argus and Front Page Forum thanking the voters for their support. Superintendent Ricca will draft the letter and put it in Google Docs for editing. Discuss School Foundations Per the last meeting, a suggestion was made that the Board explore the possibility of a school foundation as a way to raise additional revenue to support the work of Montpelier Public Schools. Following some preliminary investigation, it was discovered that although school foundations are legal, neither schools nor school districts have the authority to establish or administer them. If, however, a group of parents or other interested persons wanted to set one up, that would be fine but the school district would not control it. Mr. Jones suggested that it might be time to sit down with the Boosters for a discussion as to where they are going and to better understand what needs they have that are not currently being met by their activities. Review and Discuss “Gold Policies” Passed over. Review Superintendent Limitations Policy 2.8 – Communication and Support to the Board Passed over. Discuss Future Possibilities for Funding the MHS Auditorium Project The Board discussed possible ways for raising additional revenue to supplement resources already set aside from the bond to further renovation work on the auditorium. Mr. Jones suggested the approach of a community-wide effort to support what could be considered as a community asset. Mrs. Aldrich added that Steve Frey has done a little bit of outreach and has some ideas in this regard. Superintendent Ricca acknowledged that there is some leftover money from bond projects in addition to other money earmarked from the bond for auditorium renovations. He will be providing the Board with a recommendation for spending that money in the near future. Superintendent Ricca acknowledged, however, that he sees some separation of funding with the approach of utilizing the auditorium as a community asset that could be shared outside of school hours. Mrs. Aldrich said word on the street is that Lost Nation Theater might be interested in using our facility if the venue were in better shape. Mr. Jones believes the bigger topic is city facilities, acknowledging the need for an inventory of building assets so things can be done in a more coordinated fashion going forward. He said he would like to talk with the City about infrastructure needs and the need to understand where things stand. Superintendent Ricca informed the Board of a meeting just that day between himself, Director of Recreation Arne McMullen and Jesse Baker from the City in regard to a capital needs assessment to be done at the Recreation Department around ADA compliance. Part of that discussion included having a larger comprehensive discussion about what the assets are. The City is going to try to price it out. Originally the assessment was just going to be the Recreation Department itself, but this was expanded to include the pool house, the pavilion, and the Mountaineer field facilities. If the amount is more than $5,000, it will be proposed formally to the Board. If it is less than $5,000, the assessment will go forward. Superintendent Ricca added that regardless of where supervision of the Recreation Department ends up being, it will be good to know what that building needs and important to have it as part of the list of community assets to be used for various purposes. Consent Agenda Minutes of February 18, 2015 Warrants Mr. VanDerlip moved, seconded by Mrs. Braun, to approve the consent agenda including minutes of the February 18, 2015 regular meeting and Warrants 46 and 47 dated March 12, 2015 in the amounts of $547,980.54 and $20,754.50 respectively. Motion carried unanimously. Announcements/Review Meeting (+/∆) Superintendent Ricca thanked the community for their support on the budget. Superintendent Ricca reiterated sincere thanks to Mr. Phillips and Mrs. Bean for their service to the board, and specifically Mr. Phillips who served the community well in many different capacities. Superintendent Ricca also welcomed new board members Tina Muncy and Steve Hingtgen who could not attend tonight’s meeting because he was travelling. There is a set of singers scheduled to perform a few numbers for the Board at the next scheduled meeting on March 18th. The MHS Learning Expectations were posted on Twitter yesterday by Edutopia and were retweeted hundreds of times. Executive Session Mr. Jones moved that the Board find that discussing contract negotiations in open session would put the Board at a substantial disadvantage. Mrs. Braun seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 7:40 p.m. Mrs. Braun moved that the Board enter into executive session in accordance with 1 VSA §313 to discuss contract negotiations. Ms. Paquette seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 7:40 p.m. Mr. Jones moved to amend the motion to enter into executive session for permission to include newly-elected board member Ms. Muncy in executive session regardless of the fact that she was not sworn in prior to tonight’s meeting. Mr. VanDerlip seconded and the motion carried unanimously at 7:41 p.m. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to leave Executive Session at 8:28 p.m. Contract Negotiations Adjournment On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 8:28 p.m. Heather Michaud Recorder |