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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-10-22 School Committee Minutes,V READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Reading, Massachusetts REGULAR SESSION October 22, 1998 CALL TO ORDER Chair D'Antona called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Superintendent's Conference Room. Present were School Committee members Cavicchi, D'Antona, Stohlman and Twomey. Also present were Superintendent Harutunian and Associate Superintendent Richards. BILLS & PAYROLL There were no bills or payroll. CITIZEN'S INPUT There was no citizen input. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT Dr. Harutunian advised the Committee that he would be attending a cable commission meeting on Tuesday at 6:00 to discuss the possible impact on cable programming and he advised that he will report back to the Committee on the meeting. Dr. Harutunian advised the Committee that he had distributed one letter to staff and one letter to parents regarding the asbestos management plan and another letter to parents regarding procedures used to cancel school or delay the opening of school due to bad weather. Dr. Harutunian advised the Committee that he had formed an Emergency Management Procedures Committee that is gathering information to form an Emergency Management Team to deal with a crisis in the schools. Dr. Harutunian distributed information regarding birth rates for the Town of Reading. Dr. Harutunian advised the Committee that he would be leaving the meeting at 8:00 p.m. to attend the Finance Committee meeting. Ms. Williams arrived at 7:20 p.m. REGULAR SESSION -2- October 22, 1998 FY00 SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUDGET INPUT Ms. Cavicchi stated her that she would like to see an additional music /art teacher added to the Reading Memorial High School class. Dr. Harutunian advised that he would review and bring information back to the Committee regarding the number of students over the last three years that have signed up for music and couldn't take the class because of a lack of staff. Ms. Cavicchi also stated that she would like to see a drama course added to the high school and asked whether there is a minimum number of credits in the arts required for graduation. Dr. Harutunian advised that he would get back to Ms. Cavicchi with information regarding whether there is a minimum requirement for the arts. Mr. Richards stated that a world drama course at RMHS is being proposed. Mr. Stohlman requested information regarding all the extra curricula activities, including athletics, K -12, how many students participate in each and how much money is budgeted for each program. Mr. Twomey commended the Administration and the middle school principals for bringing the seventh grade curriculum to a very high level where children are fully engaged in learning throughout the day. He also stated that he would like to see a proposal in the budget to move foreign language to the sixth grade. Mr. Twomey also stated that he would like to see a proposal in the budget to deal with the band and drama issues brought up at the Public Hearing. Mr. Twomey requested that the curriculum development and curriculum specialists continue to be funded. Mr. Twomey stated he would like to see a cost proposal in the budget to set up a district wide Internet web page to post homework assignments, curriculum frameworks etc. Ms. D'Antona stated that she would like to see the School Committee policy book examined, updated and returned to the Committee. She stated that she believed that an updated policy book would facilitate the operation of the School Committee and help the Committee to focus its role. Ms. Williams stated that she would like to see a gifted and talented program worked into the system, perhaps at first after school and subsidized by the School Department. C REGULAR SESSION -3- October 22, 1998 Ms. Cavicchi suggested that any gifted and talented program not be a program where children are pulled out of the class but a program that works with the children in the classroom. Dr. Harutunian advised that he was hoping to include some research and development funds in the FY00 budget to pilot some programs for gifted and talented. Ms. Williams stated that she would like to see equity between athletics and arts. Ms. Williams also stated that if the number of nurses can't be increased she would like to see money in the budget for more training of staff. Dr. Harutunian advised that Director of Nurses, Mary Piacentini, had already asked for money to be transferred into the professional development account for further training. Ms. Williams also stated her concern that enrollment numbers will be going up at the high school and requested that the administration confirm that adequate staff will be available to handle the increased enrollment and continue to offer the same level of Dr. Harutunian advised that he anticipate an additional 5 -6 teachers will be needed at the high school next year just to open school. He also stated that the state per pupil spending information has been made public and that Reading is now $726 below the state average. At 7:55 p.m. Dr. Harutunian left the meeting to attend the Finance Committee meeting. JOINT MEETING — SCHOOL COMMITTEE /SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE At 8:05 p.m. Chair D'Antona and Chair Graham called the joint meeting of the School Committee and the School Building Committee to order. Chair Graham advised the School Committee that the consensus of the School Building Committee was to go with the proposed Option B but no formal vote would be taken until the School Building Committee and School Committee met to discuss the options. He also stated that the School Building Committee is aware that at this time Option B does not fit the capital plan. Chair Graham stated that after meeting with the SBAB, the School Building Committee removed Option A from the table. Option A was removed because of reimbursement issues and the fact that footprint of Killam School could not increase and that would mean that Barrows would have to house 800 students and SBAB that the Barrows lot is too small. REGULAR SESSION -4- October 22, 1998 Sid Bowen of Earl Flansburgh Associates distributed detailed information regarding Option B. He stated that Killam could be included for renovation but that the renovation did not have to be completed right away. He stated that Killam would fall under the SBAB reimbursement guidelines because of programmatic issues at the school but not as part of the enrollment solution. Mr. Stohlman questioned the increase to the operating cost by adding a fifth elementary school. Mr. Graham stated that he had spoken to Dr. Harutunian about the cost and that Dr. Harutunian is working on a budget. Dave Lindbergh stated his understanding of the net gain of building a new school would be increased core facility space, provide all day kindergarten and to handle enrollment increase blip. Mr. Lindbergh asked why the Committee did not hold off on an all day kindergarten program to avoid building an additional school. Chair D'Antona stated that the increased enrollment was not a temporary blip. She also stated that class size is what determines the number of classrooms. Mr. Twomey stated that as presented the plan does not presume a full day kindergarten. He also stated that the SBAB will not reimburse for projects that do not have the core facility for art and music. Mr. Lindbergh stated that he is a neighbor in the Dividence Road area and that if the new school moves forward he hopes the Committee will make the school an asset to the neighborhood including appropriate landscaping and traffic patterns. Mr. Radville made a motion that the School Building Committee endorse a plan known as Option B to construct a new elementary school to house 436 students and a renovation to Barrows to house 414 students to Town Meeting. Mr. Struble seconded the motion. The vote was 7 -0. Mr. Twomey moved that the School Committee affirm the School Building Committee's vote and endorse Option B in its entirety. Ms. Williams seconded the motion. The vote was 5 -0 Ms. Cavicchi, Ms. D'Antona, Mr. Stohlman, Mr. Twomey and Ms. Williams. ADJOURN At 9:00 p.m. Mr. Twomey made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Williams seconded the motion. The vote was 5 -0 Ms. Cavicchi, Ms. D'Antona, Mr. Stohlman, Mr. Twomey and Ms. Williams. Respectfully su 'tted, Dr. Harry K. Harutunian, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools