Natick Public Schools
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
October 6, 2008
The School Committee held a meeting on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the School Committee Room, Third Floor, Town Hall. Chairman Meyler called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Dr. Sanchioni took the roll call.
Members Present: Karen Adelman Foster, Dirk Coburn, David Margil, Steve Meyler
Members Absent: David Murphy, Anne Zernicke
Anne Blanchard arrived at 7:40 p.m.
Others Present: Peter Sanchioni Superintendent
Karen LeDuc Assistant Superintendent
William Hurley Director of Fiscal & Management Services
Sharon Reilly Recording Secretary
Corinne Worthington Student Representative
APPROVAL OF OUT OF STATE/COUNTRY TRAVEL
Mr. John Hughes, Natick High School Principal, presented four out of state/country trips for the School Committees approval:
· Natick High School French Club international travel to Viry-Chatillon, France (south of Paris) February 13-23, 2009. The purpose of this trip is to continue an exchange program with the Lycee St. Louis- St. Clement of Viry-Chatillon. A proposed itinerary was provided.
· Out of State Travel – Combined Band & Chorus Trip to Disney Florida. The School Committee previously approved the Band to Travel to Disney and the Chorus would like to join them. The Chorus will participate in an educational workshop and perform at one of the venues. The trip would be scheduled March 11-16, 2009.
· International travel to Germany & Austria over the February 2010 vacation week. The trip is in the initial planning stage and approval is requested at this time in order to secure the most favorable rate for students. E.F. Educational Tours will be the travel company for this trip. A proposed itinerary was provided.
· International travel to France over the April 2010 vacation week. This trip is in the initial planning stage and approval is requested at this time to secure the most favorable rate for students. E.F. Educational Tours will be the travel company for this trip. The proposed itinerary was provided.
Chairman Meyler pointed out that these trips are funded by the students and through fundraising. The district does not incur any cost for these trips.
Ms. Blanchard moved for approval of these trips. Mr. Margil seconded. They were unanimously approved.
APPOINTMENT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE ATTORNEY
Dr. Sanchioni stated that at the meeting of September 15, 2008, Andrew Waugh, Attorney with the firm Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, came before the School committee to discuss his interest to serve Natick Public Schools as the School Committee’s attorney. Background information and references were provided to the Committee at that time. Dr. Sanchioni provided an opportunity for Attorney Stonberg, the School Committee’s current attorney to address the School Committee but she declined. Dr. Sanchioni recommended that the School Committee appoint Andrew Waugh as the School Committee’s attorney. Ms. Blanchard moved for approval to appoint Andrew Waugh as the School Committee’s attorney. Mr. Coburn seconded. It was unanimously approved.
APPROVAL OF DONATIONS
Mr. Hurley requested that the School Committee accept the following donations:
Source/Donation Amount/Value Purpose
Natick Education Foundation $26,128* June 2008 Grant Awards
Mr. & Mrs. Mullen $636 Swiss Exchange Club-Student Activity
*Grant Purpose Purpose
Printing Press $4,771 Steve Miller
Orff Instrument Set $8,890 Steve Miller
TV news show $5,077 Marge Roberson
Electronic Music $7,390 Marge Roberson
Mr. Coburn moved for approval of these donations. Ms. Adelman Foster seconded. It was unanimously approved. Chairman Meyler requested that letters expressing the Committee’s gratitude be sent.
TECHNOLOGY UPATE
Mr. Dennis Roche provided an update on Technology which included a review of projects, new initiatives and pilots, staffing and community support. Mr. Roche reported that one of the major projects this year was the laptop rollout which is outlined as follows:
• Phase I - Trained and deployed laptops to 325 faculty and staff between July 22nd and August 29th.
• Phase II - Trained and deployed mobile labs to faculty and staff at each elementary schools for student use during September and October.
• Phase III - Deploying 30 more laptops to faculty and staff in the coming weeks.
Mr. Roche introduced Ms. Catherine Longley-Cook, 8th Grade Science Teacher at Wilson Middle School, who discussed a fellowship she received from Earthlinks to travel to New Orleans to study Climate Change & Caterpillars. Ms. Longley-Cook demonstrated how she was able to keep in touch daily with her classroom during this fellowship by blogging and videoconferencing using her new laptop.
Mr. Roche provided a financial summary and discussed some new initiatives he plans to do – email upgrade in order to comply with archiving regulations and replacement of library circulation system.
He updated the committee on the pilot for the parent portal of the student information system and discussed the teacher web pages pilot.
Mr. Roche introduced Ms. Amy Mistrot and Ms. Chris McLarnon, parent volunteers and Chairs of the Parents Coordinating Council who have been working on a townwide fundraising effort to fund technology. They are working on two events, a “Taste for Technology”, for sometime in February and “Trot for Technology” for sometime in the Spring.
Comments/concerns/questions regarding the fundraising
Coordination with NEF
Maintain list of donors
Need for systematic view in searching for funds to supplant or supplement
How do we set priorities?
Is technology the top priority for fundraising?
Need to make sure our fundraising is working together
What are the priorities of the various departments?
What are the best practices in some of the surrounding towns?
Ms. Mistrot also discussed a Technology event that will be held in the cafeteria of Natick High School on Wednesday, October 15th at 7:30 p.m. which will include a demonstration of various technologies including whiteboard technology.
Comments/concerns/questions
How do we share these technology initiatives with other teachers?
How de we let/show taxpayers and community members what’s going on with technology?
Are we looking at what’s being saved administratively by using virtual backpacks and going paperless?
Need to make sure families without access to technology are kept in the loop
Should investigate what library circulation systems the Morse Library is using perhaps as a shared service
Need to promote the use of technology in education so taxpayers see a return on their investment
School Committee members thanked Mr. Roche for the well laid out presentation and expressed their excitement of what has transpired in technology over the last several months.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR HIGH SCHOOL
Dr. Sanchioni introduced Mr. Frank Kennedy and Mr. Dave Billings from the firm RF Walsh who have been chosen by the High School Building Committee and approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority as the Owners Project Manager for the high school project. Mr. Kennedy provided the School Committee with background information on the firm and provided an overview of the process. A discussion continued and Mr. Kennedy responded to members questions. Vice Chair Blanchard asked Mr. Robert Graham, Director of Facilities, if a succession of the previous feasibility studies could be posted on the website to keep the public up to speed on what has transpired in the past. Mr. Graham will look into this.
Comments/concerns/questions
Communications is key
There will be lots of interplay to develop the programmatic needs
Enrollment projections will be a key factor
Advantages to going with a model school – mass production = cost savings
REVIEW OF CAPITAL PLAN
Mr. Robert Graham, Director of Facilities, provided the School Committee with a capital plan update. He provided a status report on the FY07 & FY08 projects and reviewed the FY09-10 funded projects. He reported that there currently is a balance of $215,000 from FY07 for the boiler replacement at Natick High School. It has since been determined that it is not feasible to replace the boiler due to its size and location in the building and he recommended that the boilers be maintained under extraordinary maintenance funds. A discussion continued and Mr. Graham responded to Committee members questions. Ms.Blanchard requested that an analysis be provided by school on what has been spent on capital.
BALLOT QUESTION #1
Mr. David Margil discussed an article that he has put forth as a citizen for Town Meeting, (prior to his appointment on the School Committee) Article 27 – Plan to Address Possible Passage of State Ballot Question Reducing Income Tax (Question 1). A discussion took place on what the impact would be if Question 1 were to pass. Ms. Karen Adelman Foster offered the following resolution:
Resolved that the Natick School Committee opposes Question 1, a binding ballot initiative that would eliminate the state income tax and thereby reduce state revenues by an amount equal to nearly 40% of the state budget. The probable result of passing Question 1 would be greatly reduced state aid to Natick and other cities and towns. This would mean the need for either property tax increases and/or deep reductions in the Natick Public Schools and townwide.
Mr. Margil seconded. A discussion continued as to whether to bring the School Committee’s position on Question 1 to Town Meeting. This item will be tabled until the meeting of October 20, 2008 when more members will be present and thoughts could be collected on how to proceed.
ENROLLMENT UPDATE
Dr. Sanchioni provided the School Committee with an enrollment update showing a comparison of enrollments as of October 1, 2008 compared with the enrollment numbers as of September 19, 2008. He will be providing updates at future meetings.
TO APPOINT SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION TO THE
NEGOTIATION SUBCOMMITTEES
Chairman Meyler requested that the School Committee members sign up for the various negotiation subcommittees. The following members volunteered to serve on the various negotiation subcommittees:
Cafeteria – Karen Adelman Foster, Steve Meyler, TBA
Custodians – Karen Adelman Foster, Dirk Coburn, TBA(Anne Blanchard will serve if no other member is able)
Secretaries – David Margil, Anne Blanchard, TBA
SSF’s – Anne Blanchard, Karen Adelman Foster, David Margil
Chairman Meyler will check with Mr. Murphy and Ms. Zernicke on their availability to serve on these subcommittees.
APPROVAL TO AMEND SCHOOL RENTAL POLICY
Mr. Hurley provided the School Committee with the following amendments to the Community Use of Facilities policy:
I. Revision to page 1 as follows: “The Director of Fiscal and Management Services is authorized by the School Committee to negotiate a lease, with a maximum duration of one year, for any extended use request. Any fee negotiated must guarantee that rental costs incurred by Natick Public Schools are covered by the rental fee.”
II. The placePlaceNameNatick PlaceTypeHigh School wresting coach requested to rent the wrestling gym for 19 hours over the course of the school year for an instructional program. The roster of participants did not qualify as a Group II organization. A compromise fee of $30.00 per hour, ($10.00 less that the Group III rate and $20.00 higher than the Group II rate), plus the initiation fee of $200.00, was agreed to based on an analysis of the participant fees and costs of the program.
III. I suggest a similar arrangement for the AAU Bearcats.
IV. The policy includes a $25.00 administrative fee for any changes to an approved permit. This was added to the policy due to frequent changes to a permit, many times at the last minute. The consequences were the potential for lost rental revenue and an administrative burden. The cancellation feature is common among towns we surveyed and we recommend this feature remain.
Mr. Coburn moved for approval to accept these amendments.
Ms. Karen Adelman Foster moved to amend paragraph I as follows:
The Director of Fiscal and Management Services is authorized but not required by the School Committee to negotiate a lease, with a maximum duration of one year, for any extended use request. Any lease negotiated must guarantee to the Natick Public Schools a return that equals or exceeds the direct and indirect costs incurred by Natick Public Schools for the rental and, to the maximum extent possible, must equal or exceed the opportunity costs to the Natick Public Schools for foregoing other arrangements.
A discussion continued and it was the general consensus that this amended language needs additional work.
Mr. Margil moved for approval of paragraph II, III, & IV as outlined above. Ms. Adelman Foster seconded. It was unanimously approved. Paragraph I will be reworded and brought back to a future meeting.
PUBLIC SPEAK
None.
MEMBERS CONCERNS
Ms. Karen Adelman Foster recently attended the Emergency Task Force for Energy meeting. She requested that the school department be a source to distribute information to families and community members who may be in need for financial assistance for fuel, electricity, etc. this winter.
Mr. Meyler has a concern regarding a recent meeting with the Finance Committee regarding the School Committee warrant articles. Given the lateness of the hour, he will revisit this item at the next meeting. Mr. Coburn would like to address this matter at the next meeting as well.
Approval of the minutes will be done at the next meeting as amendments need to be made.
Ms. VanAmsterdam will be at the meeting of October 20 to discuss the Expense Control Subcommittee Report.
At 11:15 p.m., Mr. Coburn moved to adjourn. Ms. Blanchard seconded. It was unanimously approved.
Peter Sanchioni, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Secretary to the School Committee
Attest:_____________________________ Sharon Reilly
Recording Secretary
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