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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-01-23 School Committee Minutes f, t _ 0'` Town of Reading 7-- a Meeting Minutes iB 4 Jy,tNroR4pP� Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2014-01-23 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room Address: 62 Oakland Road Purpose: Open Session Attendees: Members - Present: Hal Croft Karen Janowski John Doherty, Superintendent Chuck Robinson Mary DeLai, Assistant Superintendent Lisa Gibbs Craig Martin, Assistant Superintendent Jeanne Borawski Alison Elmer, Director of Student Services Chris Caruso Andrea Nastri, Student Representative Members - Not Present: Conner Traugot, Student Representative Others Present: Marie Pink, Coolidge Assistant Principal Tom Zaya, RMHS Assistant Principal Debbie Butts, RISE Preschool Director Joanne King, Wood End Principal Brendan Norton, Parker Assistant Principal Lynn Dunn, Director of Nursing Matt Wilson, Network Administrator Kelly Bostwick, Team Chair Elizabeth Logue, Team Chair Paula Perry, Fincom Member Reading Budget Parents Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: John F. Doherty, Ed.D. Superintendent Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Croft called the School Committee to order at 7:03 p.m. He reviewed the agenda, announced the meeting was being recorded and welcomed guests. II. Recommended Procedure A. Public Input(I) Mr. Croft asked for public input. Page I 1 There was none. Reports (I) 1. Student Ms. Nastri reported on the Martin Luther King Breakfast, midterms and Real World Problem Solving activities all juniors will participate in next week. 2. Liaison Mr. Robinson also attended the Martin Luther King Breakfast. He said it was an outstanding event and complimented METCO Director Mr. Jason Cross on the fine job he did as keynote speaker this year. MS. Elmer reported that the Reading PAC will be hosting a Basic Rights Workshop and that on February 4th there will be a showing of"Who Cares About Kelsey" in the Jordan's IMAX Theater. 3. Superintendent Superintendent Doherty informed the School Committee that the Real World Problem Solving presentations will be in the field house on Friday morning and encouraged the members to attend. The format for the presentations portion will be different than last year. This year is a more interactive with tables set-up for the groups to display their solutions. Judges will be able to visit each presentation and ask questions of the presenters. Dr. Doherty went on to say that the Governor's House 1 budget has been released. The budget is not as positive as hoped for regarding state aid. Chapter 70 funding does show an increase. He reminded the School Committee of the Financial Forum on January 29th B. Continued Business C. New Business FY15 Budget Presentations Regular Day Cost Center Dr. Doherty reviewed the makeup and functions of this cost center. He went on to review the strategic initiatives in this cost center which include the implementation of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Mathematics and Literacy, continued work to improve the Educator Evaluation process, improving the use of time, communication, and resources to support staff and the implementation of the Massachusetts System of Student Support(MTSS)to address the behavioral health of all students. Major cost center initiatives include assessment of the high school curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices and to implement best practices to improve student learning and the continued Page 12 implementation of technology initiatives including the use of mobile learning devices and utilizing a five to six year technology replenishment cycle. Dr. Doherty reviewed the drivers to this cost center. As with all cost centers, contractual collective bargaining salary increases make up a major portion of the budget. Ms. DeLai reviewed regular day staffing and the cost center by object. She pointed out that contract services, which includes transportation, has increased due to the requirements under the McKenney Vento Act to provide transportation for two homeless students to and from school each day. Ms. DeLai said that the district will get reimbursed for this transportation but the funds would be returned to the Town general fund. Mrs. Gibbs asked if this cost could be shifted into the Accommodated Costs line. Ms. DeLai indicated that she was investigating the possibility of returning these funds to a revolving fund. She reviewed the Other Salaries object next indicating that substitute pay is included in this object. The budget includes an increase in the fees paid to classroom substitutes. The district has had difficulty filling classroom voids because other districts are paying more per day for substitutes. Mr. Robinson asked if we had problems getting qualified substitutes when we were using Kelly Services. Mrs. King shared that the inability to cover classrooms with substitutes that are qualified to teach has been problematic in the schools. If a class goes uncovered the principal has to pull another staff member, usually a paraeducator, away from their duty to cover the classroom. Mr. Robinson asked if we had the same issues with Kelly. Ms. DeLai indicated that the contract with Kelly did not have a clause regarding fill rate. The district was paying the same rate of$75 to substitutes and Kelly was charging $100. Mrs. King shared that hiring our own substitutes benefits the district. Principals and staff are able to get to know the applicant. This substitute sometimes is fortunate to be moved into a permanent position. Mrs. Janowski asked why professional development costs have doubled since 2012. The response was due to the implementation of the Curriculum Standards, MTSS and the Educator Evaluation process and in 2014 the teachers will continue to work on district determined measures and instructional practices. Dr. Doherty pointed out that the bulk of the work is done over the summer. Ms. DeLai added that the Safety Committee also worked on protocols needed for the implementation of the A.L.i.C.E system. Mrs. King added that workshops were held over the summer for staff to aid in the implementation of the Literacy and Math standards. Both workshops have benefitted the teachers and it is evident in the feedback from parents. Page 13 Mrs. Janowski asked if there was a method to evaluate effectiveness of the PD offerings. Mr. Martin shared that we get feedback from teachers, formal and anecdotal ratings. Teachers also present information to their school PTO groups. Special Education Cost Center Dr. Doherty reviewed the makeup and functions of this cost center. He also reviewed the budget drivers which include the addition of social worker support at the high school, paraprofessional support to address student needs, an increase in out-of-district tuitions due to known and anticipated placements and an increase in special education transportation costs. Ms. DeLai also reviewed enrollment and spending trends. Ms. DeLai reviewed the cost center by function and explained that the 50% increase in legal services is due to underestimating the amount for the current budget. Dr. Doherty shared that the legal services include more than special education hearings. Policy review, student handbook review and guidance on student discipline procedures are obtained from the special education legal firm. Ms. DeLai reviewed staffing ratios. The high school is lagging in staff to student ratios which is a concern. Mrs. Janowski asked if there has been a difference with the addition of staff this year at the high school. Ms. Elmer said with the change in the department head job to include the initial testing of students we have been able to reduced the caseload of the team chairs. This allows the team chairs to attend team meetings and address the needs of the students. When asked about the increase in professional development since 2012, Ms. Elmer indicated that our special education staff is newer and younger and the district needs to offer professional development opportunities. Mrs. Janowski asked what contributed to the increase in the Psychological Services line. The addition of the Therapeutic Service program, a districtwide evaluator at the middle and high school and the addition of a social worker in the FY2015 budget contribute to the increase. District-Wide Programs Ms. DeLai reviewed the Health Services, Athletics, Extracurricular and District Technology cost centers. Ms. DeLai reviewed the makeup and functions of this cost center. She reviewed the drivers to this cost center. As with all cost centers, contractual collective bargaining salary increases make up a major portion of the budget. The continued development and implementation to address our students' academic, social and emotional needs using MTSS and supporting the integration, maintenance, replenishment and progression of instructional technology in the district are the major initiatives in this cost center. Page 14 The Health Services cost center will see increases in the salary line as a result of collective bargaining agreements, replacement supplies and testing equipment and the increase in substitute pay. Athletics budget drivers include increases in coaches salaries, an increase in supplies, additional funds for uniform replenishment and an increase due to a stipend added to administer impact testing and additional licenses for testing. Mr. Zaya explained that all students will be required to complete an online survey to establish a baseline in the event a student suffers a head injury that leads to concussion. This program will be scaled back to freshmen only. This survey will be used as part of the return to play protocol. Ms. DeLai shared athletic participation numbers which have stayed steady over the past few years, including the year the user fee was increased. She went on to review the Extracurricular Programs. She reviewed participation numbers and the proposed budget. Most of the offset used in this cost center comes from Drama and Band user fees. Network and Technology Maintenance drivers include an increase in salary for the computer technicians to bring them in line with similar positions in comparable communities, increased network hardware finding to ensure necessary funds for maintaining or replacing out of warranty equipment and the anticipated increase in telephone repair costs due to classroom changes and additions at the high school. School Building Maintenance Ms. DeLai reviewed the makeup and functions of this cost center. She reviewed the drivers to this cost center. As with all cost centers, contractual collective bargaining salary increases make up a major portion of the budget. The budget includes water& sewer rate increases and meter increases, declining natural gas cost, continued reductions in electricity consumption due to the performance contracting work we have down in our buildings. She then reviewed the staffing budget by object and square foot maintenance expense by building. Town Building Maintenance Cost Center Ms. DeLai continued reviewing the Town Building Maintenance budget. As with all cost centers, contractual collective bargaining salary increases make up a major portion of the budget. She pointed out that renovations made in the Town Hall and Senior Center have resulted in a higher cost per square foot in the repair and maintenance line. Special Revenue Funds Ms. DeLai reviewed grants, revolving funds and budget offsets. She then reviewed user fees and tuitions. There will be no increase in fees and tuitions in this budget. Page 15 Dr. Doherty said the Governor's House 1 budget just came out and the projected state aid is lower than expected. He pointed out that the Superintendent's recommended budget is approximately $485,000 higher than the Finance Committee number. Mr. Croft thanked Dr. Doherty & Ms. DeLai for the hard work put into developing this budget. III. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll (A) The following warrants were circulated and signed. Warrant 51430E 1.15.14 $1,422.80 Warrant S1431 1.23.14 $434,759.19 Warrant P1415 1.17.14 $1,295,753.62 b. Approval of Minutes Mr. Caruso moved, seconded by Mr. Robinson,to approve the open session minutes dated January 13, 2014. Mrs. Janowski asked that her statement regarding flexibility of parent involvement for middle school selection in math be included in the minutes. The motion was tabled. Mr. Caruso moved, seconded by Mrs. Janowski, to approve the open session minutes dated January 16, 2014. The motion carried 6-0. c. Bids and Donations Calendar IV. Information V. Future Business VI.Adjournment Mr. Caruso moved, seconded by Mr. Robinson, to adiourn. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:33 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. F. Dohert k Ed.D. serintendent of Schools Page 16