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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-09-22 School Committee Minutes 13 READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS Reading, Massachusetts SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 Call to Order Chairman Cliff Allen called the regular meeting of the Reading School Committee to order at 7: 35 p.m. on September 22 , 1986 in the Superintendent ' s Conference Room at 34 Gould Street . All members of the School Committee were present. Others in attendance were Superintendent, Dr. Robert S. Wells , Assistant Superintendents, Dr. Robert Munnelly, and Mr. Ronald A. Winslow, Don Farnham, Principal of the Eaton School, teachers and students from the Reading Memorial High School, parents, and a reporter from the Daily Times Chronicle.' Approval of Minutes of September 8 , 1986 A motion was made by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Mrs. Philbrick, to approve the Minutes of the Meeting of September 8 , 1986 . Ms . Lyons stated that there was a typographical error on Page 10 which she would like corrected. A vote was then taken on the motion and the Minutes were unanimously approved with correction noted. Bills and Payrolls Mr . Allen stated that the detailed information sheet on the General Expense Warrant of September 26 , 1986 would not be returned by Town Hall until the next day, but the Purchase Orders were available for review. Warrants for bills and payrolls were approved as follows: Bills September 26 , 1986 - General Expense - $35 ,365 .71 October 3 , 1986 - General Expense - 55 ,582 . 17 Payrolls September 26, 1986 - Weekly - $32,121 . 99 October 3, 1986 - Weekly - 29 ,638 .59 Mr . Coco wished it noted that he did not sign the incomplete Warrant for General Expense dated October 3 , 1986 and did not sign any of the Payroll Warrants submitted for the same reason. 14 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 Citizens' Input There was no citizens' input. School Highlights - National History Day Program at R.M.H.S . Dr. Wells introduced Social Studies Department Head, Tom Darrin , who briefly reviewed the background of the National oHisr about y Program. Students prepared individual and group projects History and submitted the projects in area and regional competitions . National recognition t had their been gained pbyjectsersMof RMHS students for the quality of Darrin introduced Mr. Bruce Appleby who stated that this program began in 1982 with only 1 student entering. Since that time he t stated there have been a number of entrants resulting in. at least 1 state winner and in some years 2 state then introduced the parents and the three students who had earned 3rd place in Washington and C. this Quimby.t Spring. They were: Erin McCormack, Cathy Tucker, presented that time , the students P ted their project entitled, Summit" . Mr. Joe Cain "Thirteen Days for Peace: The Camp entation. assisted with the A.V. for the presentation. the end of the presentation, School Committee members expressed their congratulations to the students and teachers for a truly impressive program, and the Chairman thanked them for coming . Policy Revision Dr . Wells indicated that eSchool CBB, CitizentScreening Committee given a new Guideline for Policy erson for Administrative was to be hincluded addition thefScreening from the School Committee for a Principal vacancy. Mrs . Philbrick stated she had appreciated Dr. Wells ' suggestions in retard to the Superintendent' s selection, but wasn' t readyaat this time to make any suggestion herself . She stated per Wells discussion could be scheduled for a future meeting . art r . of the stated he thought two things could public be eeting for inp part from and one was having a P citizens and secondly, to interview 2 or 3 consultant firms and have them do the legwork for the Screening Committee in order to reduce candidates to a workable but number. He felt it was hat worthwhile cost approximately $2 , 000 , investment. Mr . Coco made a suggestion that in the future any changes in policies be noted by a marker of some kind , and Mr . Nissen 15 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 suggested a narrative could be included stating the date and reason for the change. Continental Cable Proposal Dr. Wells reviewed the proposal from the Continental Cable with the School Committee. He indicated that both Joe Cain and Don Farnham, who were present, had been on this Advisory Committee almost since its beginning. Dr. Wells noted that there were two separate issues in their negotiations with Continental, one was the 5-year renewal of the studio at R.M .H .S . , which had to be approved first by the School Committee, and then by the Selectmen. Dr. Wells stated they agreed to wire each and every •classroom at Reading Memorial High School , which was part of their initial agreement . They have wired _ the Auditorium, some conference rooms , the media center, Joe Cain' s office , and the cafeteria commons area . Dr. Wells noted that at that time, Continental was asked to put the wiring on hold, until they reviewed how much of it was necessary. Approximately 2 years ago, Len D'Orlando came to the Superintendent and indicated they were using video cassettes more at the High School making the wiring unnecessary. Dr . Wells stated that Continental was then asked to consider fulfulling the contract by purchasing some equipment for the schools , in lieu of finishing the wiring . He noted that an agreement had finally been reached, and the list of equipment had been given to the School Committee as Enclosure B-3-a, for their review and approval, before going to the Selectmen. Dr. Wells stated that the cost of the equipment listed was $9 ,134. 20 , and that all involved in the agreement, felt this was a good settlement. He then read a letter from Glen Oakley regarding the terms of the Agreement, and stated the administration was recommending acceptance . On a motion by Mr . Nissen , seconded by Mrs . Philbrick , it was unanimously voted to approve the proposal of Continental Cable to purchase the equipment listed on Enclosure B-3-a , in the amount of $9 ,,134. 20, in exchange for Continental Cable' s outstanding commitment to wire Reading Memorial High School . Mr. Coco asked where the equipment would be located, and Joe Cain stated that it would be at the High School. Mr. Cain stated that because of the fact that some areas of the High School had been relocated and also, the increased cost effectiveness of the use of video cassettes , the wiring and the equipment would not have been used . He stated he hoped to get this item on the Selectmen ' s Agenda within the next 10 days . School Committee Goals Cliff Allen stated that the number of goals prepared by the School Committee had varied from year to year. This year these goals had 16 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 not yet been set . He stated he would like to see that task accomplished at the next meeting. Mr. Allen then requested that Mrs . Philbrick accept the responsibility of obtaining and coordinating goals from each of the members , so they could be discussed and agreed upon at that time. Additional Bus Mr . Ronald Winslow reviewed the need for an additional bus, as indicated on Enclosure B-3-c , with the School Committee . He stated this need had arisen because of the redistricting of some of the children. Mr. Winslow stated, even though he had tried e re-arranging the bus schedule , it was not working effectiveh. He noted that some children from Joshua Eaton were getting 4 : 00 p .m. Mr . Winslow stated that Mr . Cincotta from the bus company was meeting with his drivers to try to come up with a solution other than adding a bus to solve the schedule problems . He noted that the Stif this included additional the contr 1/2 the act. cost of a regu Mrs . Philbrick asked if this would be for a 90-day period only. Mr. Winslow stated it would be at least until January 28th. Mrs . Philbrick inquired as to whether the kindergarten schedule could be changed. Mr. Don Farnham, Principal of Eaton, then asked to be recognized, and stated that a rescheduling of the classes would be very difficult to do , because of the 11 : 00 a .m. bus run. Dr . Wells stated some of the difficulties arise because the rest of the students arrive in the morning at the same time as the kindergarten. Mr . Shannon noted that there were approximately 39 weeks left in the School Year, and he approximated the cost to be about $8,600. Mr. Coco asked what the incentive was for Mr. Cincotta, of the bus company to come up with an alternative solution, and Mr. Winslow noted that it was very difficult to get drivers and the addition of the bus would be a burden also. A motion was made by Mrs . Philbrick , seconded by Ms . Lyons , to approve the hiring of an additional 9th bus to take care of the kindergarten bus problem, in the event that no alternate solution could be arranged with the bus company. The vote was unanimous. School Lunch Free & Reduced Meals Dr . Wells stated that this agreement with the Department of Education was being presented at this meeting because it had arrived late this year. He noted that it was similar to previous and covered the ditimb program gram through '�Juneu30h Program and the CommoditY Distribution 1987 . 17 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 A motion was made by Mrs. Philbrick, seconded by Mr. Shannon, that the Reading School Committee continue the agreement with the Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition, Education and School Food Service, that provides for carrying out the purposes of ( 1 ) The National School Lunch Program, (2 ) The Commodity Distribution Program, effective July 1, 1986 through June 30, 1987. The vote was unanimous . Agenda Calendar Dr. Wells stated that the development of a yearly calendar started when Mr. Coco was Chairman of the School Committee, and it had been continued since. He noted that it had been very helpful in the past in order to keep track of certain seasonal items , and therefore, he had asked Dr. Munnelly to draft another calendar for this year. Dr . Munnelly then reviewed the draft items of the calendar with the School Committee. It was recommended that the School Committee Goals be moved to the first week of October. Mr. Coco suggested that a Computer Literacy Report be included somewhere in the calendar. Mrs. Philbrick asked if the Superintendents' s Evaluation in February shouldn' t include the Assistant Superintendents , and also suggested that in either early March or April , a review of the Gifted & Talented Program be included. Dr . Wells stated this calendar had in past years been a good indication of whether things were on track. Roof Repairs - RMHS Dr. Wells reviewed the sequence of events leading up to the water leaks in the roof in the area of the repairs at Reading Memorial High School that had occurred that past week forcing the cancelling of 2 half-day sessions . He noted that a lot of the roof tiles in the cafeteria had come down, and that was one of the reasons for releasing the students before the lunch period. Dr. Wells stated there were concerns with safety by the Building and Health Inspectors . He also stated that the Roofing Contractor has assured the Central Office that he is fully insured for the damages . Dr. Wells stated the contract is for $38 ,00C) , and the contractor has been paid nothing up to the present time. He noted that he expected to hear from the Insurance Company in a day or two. Dr. Wells stated he will get advice from the Town Counsel , if he feels it necessary, but wanted to keep the School Committee informed. Mr . Shannon asked if the bid required a Certificate of Insurance from the Contractor? Mr. Winslow stated that it was required in the bid specifications . He also noted that our own insurance company would make some estimates , barring collection from the Contractor, but he did not expect this to happen. 18 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTE'_a3ER 22 , 1986 State-wide Assessment Dr. Wells briefly reviewed this item with the School Committee, indicating that a great deal of information had been coming in from the Department of Education. Regarding the Assessment Testing results , Dr . Wells asked Dr. Munnelly to explain the State' s process further. Dr. Munnelly went over the Enclosure C-3 with the School Committee and noted that a great deal of information would be received at one time, and everyone ' s inclination will be to reduce the complexity. Dr . Munnelly gave some examples of the complexity of the test results reports with the committee. He stated the reports would be published in scaled score terms , and that the average would be 1300 . Reports of students attainment will be given for the three grades tests: 3,7 and 11 , and for 3 curricular items: reading, math and science. Also comparisons would be available to State averages, similar kinds of communities, and schools with similar socio-economic profiles. He stated the data would be released to the Superintendent and the Chairman of the School Committee on November 7th. Dr. , Munnelly stated there could be an analysis of the data later at a Public Meeting. The State Board will release all the Statewide data to the newspapers on November 28th. Mr. Coco agreed that a Public Meeting would be helpful when the tests results came out in November. Fall Referendum Issues Dr . Wells spoke briefly about the 2 major questions which will appear on the ballot this Fall: Question 2, Public Aid to Private Schools , and Question 3 , State Tax Limitation. Ee stated that both the MASC and the MASS strongly urge a no vote on both of these questions. Dr. Wells noted that in regard to Question 3 , the State Legislature may pass a version of a state spending limitation that would negate some support for Citizens for Limited Taxation Referendum. He stated that personally he would like to see the School Committee take a vote on these issues . Update & Governor' s Report Dr . Wells stated that these two Enclosures were for reading purposes only, and were included because of some of the questions that the School Committee had on "students at risk" , etc. School Improvement Councils Dr . Wells indicated that he had received 6 citizen volunteers during the past week for the School Improvement Councils . He stated only two had a preference of schools , and suggested that they be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis . Dr. Wells again stated that the Principals were anxious to fill their Councils, so that they could begin their programs . He stated in 19 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 regard to the 7th opening, he could contact some people in the community himself, or perhaps , the Chronicle would again run a small notice for further volunteers. Cliff Allen stated he thought it would be advisable to vote on the people who had already come forward, and at least, those 6 school councils could get started. A motion was made by Mrs . Philbrick , seconded by Ms . Lyons , to appoint the following people to the School Improvement Councils : Mrs . Lois Cairl, R.M.H.S. ; Mrs. Nancy Drexler, Coolidge Middle School ; Mr. Philip Pacino , Parker Middle School ; Mr . Robert Grasso, Joshua Eaton School; Mr. James Bither, Alice M. Barrows School; and Ms. Laurie Miller, Birch Meadow School. The vote was unanimous. Resignations Dr. Munnelly read a letter from Michael Scarpitto, English teacher at Reading Memorial High School, submitting his resignation and giving 30-notice that he was accepting a position as Assistant Principal at the North Middlesex Regional High School . Dr . Munnelly stated that the administration was recommending approval , and stated it would be effective on October 11 , 1986, unless a suitable replacement could be found before that date. Cliff Allen also noted that it was Mike and Noreen Scarpitto who had been coordinating Class Advisors for the Senior Class of 1986 . A motion was made by Mrs . Philbrick , seconded by Mr. Shannon , to accept the resignation of Michael Scarpitto, English teacher at R.M .H . S . , effective October 11 , 1986 , unless a suitable replacement could be found before that date. The vote was unanimous . Leaves Mr . Winslow indicated he had received a request from Linda Jackson, Library Aide at R.M.H.S . , for a one-year personal leave of absence to become effective on October 6 , 1986 and end the first day of school in September 1987 , because of personal circumstances which had arisen . He stated administration was recommending approval . Mr . Coco had some questions about the contract language, and Mr. Winslow read him the portion of the contract that had to do with Personal Leaves ,which stated that the employee would be returned to the same or a similar position, if available. Mr. Nissen asked how long Linda Jackson had been an employee, and Mr. Winslow stated, " 4 years" . A motion was made by Mrs . Philbrick , seconded by Mr. Shannon, to approve the one-year personal leave of absence for Linda Jackson , Library Aide at R.M.H.S. , to be effective October 6 , 1986 and end the first day of school in September 1987. The vote was unanimous . 20 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 22 , 1986 Appointments Dr. Munnelly stated that the administration was recommending the appointment of Ms. Cheryl Allen, 273 Barker Avenue, Lowell, MA, as 2/5 ' s Instrumental Music Instructor in the Reading Public Schools . Dr . Munnelly reviewed her qualifications and noted that she had a very strong background in music. A motion was made by Mr. Nissen, seconded by Mrs . Philbrick , to approve the appointment of Ms. Cheryl Allen, as 2/5 ' s Instrumental Music Instructor for the Reading Public Schools, retroactive to September 18 , 1986 , at 2/5 M-3 on new Schedule pro-rated at $9 ,277.00. The vote was unanimous. Dr . Wells stated he would like to advise the School Committee at this time that there would be a recommendation for the position of Assistant Principal at R.M.H.S. at the next meeting. Mr. Ronald Winslow stated that the administration was recommending the appointment of two custodians, Morris F. Hills , Jr. , Coolidge Middle School, and Peter the Custodians' Contract, both on the 3-11 p.m. '' shift on Step 1 of A motion was made by Mrs Philbrick , seconded by Mr. Shannon, to approve the appointment of Morris F. Hills, Jr. , Coolidge Middle School , and Peter Galante , R.M.H . S . , on the 3-11 p . effective September 23 , 1986 , at Step 1 per the Custodians ' Contract. The vote was unanimous. Teacher-Aides Contract Dr. Wells stated that the Teacher-Aides had ratified their contract . He stated the School Committee had to vote to ratify, which could be done in Executive Session. Mr. Allen agreed if the contract were ratified, the committee could return to Open Session to announce it . At 9: 35 p.m. , a motion was made by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Mrs . Philbrick, to enter into Executive Session for the purposes of discussing Bargaining and Negotiation issues and other litigation. The vote was unanimous. At 10 : 00 p.m. the Committee returned to Open Session , at which time , Mrs . Philbrick announced the ratification of the Teacher-Aide Contract 1986 through June 30 ,School 1989Committee to be effective from July At 10 : 02, on a motion by Mr. Shannon, seconded by Ms . Lyons , the School Committee voted unanimously to adjourn.