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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-01-12 School Committee Minuteso�N OF I? Town of Reading Meeting Minutes �a a '639INCOPP�P Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2017-01-12 Building: School - Memorial High Address: 62 Oakland Road Purpose: Open Session Attendees: Members - Present: 1016 JAN 29 P 2- 12 1 Time: 7:00 PM Location: RMHS Schettini Library Session: Open Session Version: Final Jeanne Borawski, Chuck Robinson, Elaine Webb, Linda Snow Dockser, Gary Nihan, Nick Boivin Members - Not Present: Student Representative Mario Cutone Others Present: Superintendent John Doherty, Director of Finance Gail Dowd, Director of Student Services Carolyn Wilson, Assistant Superintendent Craig Martin, RMHS Department Head Kristin Killian, RMHS Athletic Director Tom Zaya, Director of Nursing Lynn Dunn, Network Administrator Julian Carr, RISE Preschool Director Debbie Butts, Wood End principal Joanne King, Killam principal Sarah Leveque, Barrows principal Heather Leonard, Fincom members Paula Perry & Mark Dockser, Director of Social Emotional learning Sara Burd, Technician Karen Sawyer, BCBA Lisa Studer, RPS Team Chairs, RPS Budget parents, RMHS Student Representative Alex Nazzaro Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Chair Topics of Discussion: L Call to Order Chair Borawski called the School Committee to order at 7:04 p.m. and reviewed the agenda. II. Recommended Procedure A. Public Comment CMS student Tessa Goldlust read a statement advocating retaining teachers. B. Consent Agenda Mr. Robinson asked the Committee if there were any consent agenda items that they would like removed. Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb, to approve the consent allenda as presented. The motion carried 6-0. Page I 1 - Approval of RMHS Habitat for Humanity Field Trip C. Reports Student Representatives Student Representative Alex Nazzaro reported on the following: • The RMHS Chorus will be performing in the Martin Luther King celebration • The RMHS Improvosaurus will be performing on January 20th • There is a lot of talk among students regarding the budget Liaison's Report Chair Borawski said she and other committee members have been receiving emails and calls from the community on the budget which have been forwarded to the Superintendent to be answered. She also reported that the Board of Selectmen discussed the possibility of an override vote in April. This is preliminary discussion. Dr. Snow Dockser reported the upcoming Martin Luther King celebration. D. Old Business There was no old business. E. New Business FY2018 Budget Presentation Special Education Cost Center Mrs. Wilson began with a review of what her department is responsible to provide and then provided definitions of Special Education terms. She then described the special education process including initial evaluations and eligibility determination. The district has four programs in place to meet the needs of special education students: Connections, which is for students identified with autism spectrum disorders, Compass, which provides a substantially separate environment for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders that require intensive instruction, Crossroads is for students with cognitive deficits and Bridge which is for students identified with language based learning disabilities and specific learning disabilities. The district also has Learning Centers in all our buildings for students identified with any of the ten disability eligibility categories. The Therapeutic Support Program (TSP) is for students identified with emotional impairment and the POST Program services students who are ages 18-22. This program is a collaboration with the Wakefield Public Schools. Page 1 2 Mrs. Wilson reviewed changes that have been implemented during the 2016-17 school year that have a fiscal impact as a result of the Walker Report recommendations. We have added a Social Worker at Killam to support the TSP, have utilized grant funds and some funds from operating budget to provide on- going clinical consultation for school-based teams that serve students with social- emotional/behavioral needs, the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) was made available to all staff, both middle schools have been working on small groups that are developed for students to receive special education or counseling services, vertical program PLC's have developed program descriptions, entrance/exit criteria and continue to work on vertical alignment of all in -district programs, a process has been developed to determine when there is a need for additional paraeducator time and the high school guidance department has begun to shift away from a 1:1 model to a developmental guidance model. Areas we have not been able to address based on the Walker Report recommendations are appropriate space for all special education in -district programs, addition of an Assistant Director of Student Services and the administrative team continues to work on a co -teaching model and how to utilize this appropriately to meet the needs of students identified with disabilities. Mrs. Wilson reviewed the in -district program costs vs. out -of -district costs and reviewed the functions of the cost center. As with the other cost centers salary and benefit obligations are a driver. There will be a reduction in staffing and a slight decrease in the Circuit Breaker reimbursement, an increase in the RISE offset due to a requested tuition increase and an increase in 2 FTE special education teachers for increased special education enrollments at Wood End and Joshua Eaton. Professional development will be reduced to zero and we will be looking to the use of grants and donations to fund these activities. The impact of the personnel reductions (.5 FTE Special Education Administrator/Team Chair) will keep the same level of FTE as the 2016-17 school year, higher caseloads for the remaining team chairs and less support for special education teachers and (.6 FTE RISE) will be the music teacher, therefore music will be taught to the RISE students by other music staff. The budget includes the addition of a .5 FTE BCBA staff member. This position will allow us to decrease the need for consultation services, increased support for the special education and general education teachers in working with students with behavioral needs, provide training for paraeducators and classroom teachers and provide consultation and support to families to ensure consistency between home and school. Discussion continued with information about the RISE Preschool. The RISE programs and costs were reviewed. There is a proposed increase of the tuition by 5%. Tuition is paid by regular education students. This increase will keep our rates comparable with area preschools. Dr. Doherty reviewed the Special Education cost centers by object, enrollment trends and staffing. We have been able to reduce the number of students on IEPs and in out -of -district placements due to the diligence of Mrs. Wilson and her staff by determining the IEP needs of our students and programs to accommodate these students. Mr. Robinson asked about grants, the BCBA position and the RISE space. Page 1 3 Mrs. Wilson indicated that the IDEA grant runs August to August. Dr. Doherty said the 0.5 FTE BCBA is a non -benefitted position and we will be maintaining our 8 RISE classrooms. Dr. Snow Dockser asked about extended day and if our special education students were free for that program. The answer was that they have to pay for the extended day program. Dr. Nihan asked if we received entitlement grants and how our special education costs compare to surrounding communities. Mrs. Wilson said we do receive entitlement grants and Dr. Doherty referred Dr. Nihan to the table on page 33 of the budget book which provides information on special education spending based on the FYI information. Mr. Boivin asked for clarification on the role of the team chair position. Mrs. Borawski asked about professional development. Mrs. Wilson said about $50,000 is funded by a grant. She also said that we must provide some professional development for staff. She is working closely with the Team Chairs to plan the professional development activities. Mrs. Borawski asked if the addition of a 0.5 FTE BCBA is sufficient to address the district needs. Mrs. Wilson is hopeful to find a candidate that will meet the needs of the district. Mr. Coram, budget parent asked about the reduction of out -of -district tuition costs adding our ability to bring students back in district is beneficial because it lowers the accommodated costs therefore the savings goes back to the town. Fincom Chair Mark Dockser asked if we had tuitioned-in students. The answer was yes we do have students from other districts in our special education programs. Alicia Williams, Parent and SEPAC board member spoke in support of the importance of the BCBA position and is concerned that the reduction of the double ELA block at the middle school level will adversely affect students that need additional supports. Districtwide Programs Dr. Doherty reviewed this cost center outlining the major changes. As with all cost centers a major driver is salary and benefits. There are also proposed increases in the athletic and extra -curricular user fees to offset the increased expenses in pool rental, ice rink time, and transportation costs. There is also the reduction of 1.0 FTE technician and a decrease in technology hardware and computer service purchases. Lastly, there will be a decrease in the offsets for both athletics and extra -curricular. The Superintendent reviewed the cost center by programs and staffing. He went on to review the proposed increases in the athletic and extra -curricular user fees. Network Administrator Julian Carr reviewed the network improvements that have been made. Page 1 4 Mr. Boivin asked if any of our licensure fees would be increasing. Mr. Carr said no, the district is going to a leasing model rather than incurring a one-time charge. Mr. Boivin followed up by asking if the fees were proportional. The answer was yes. Mr. Robinson asked to see comparison done with our comparable communities for extra -curricular and athletic user fees. Mr. Dockser asked if we had looked at different vendors for our network licenses. Mr. Carr indicated that we receive an educational discount for all of our Microsoft products/licenses. III. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll (A) Warrant S1729 1.12.17 $76,251.77 Warrant P1714 12.30.16 $1,580,012.19 Warrant P1715 1.13.17 $1,474,521.64 b. Calendar IV. Information V. Future Business VI. Adjournment Adjourn Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Dr. Nihan, to enter into executive session for the approval of minutes not to return to open session. The roll call vote carried 6-0. Mr. Robinson, Dr. Nihan, Mr. Boivin, Mrs. Borawski, Mrs. Webb and Dr. Snow Dockser. The meeting adjourned at 9.42 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Page 1 5