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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-07-31 School Committee MinutesReading School Committee Reading, Massachusetts ; 1 S ReLyular Session July 31, 2006 Call to Order Chair Webb called the regular session to order at 7:35 p.m. in the Coolidge Middle School Teacher's Room. Present were Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Also present were Superintendent Schettini, Assistant Superintendent Doherty and Director of Human Resources and Finance Mary DeLai. Chair Webb read the mission statement of the Reading Public Schools. Bills and Payrolls Bills and Payrolls were circulated for signature. Citizen's Input There was none. Gifts There were no gifts. Liaison Reports Mr. Michaud stated he had attended with others the June 28th and the July 12th meetings of the FinCom. They reviewed the budget process and established goals. He stated it was interesting to see the budget process and set some goals. Chair Webb Stated that she, Camille Anthony, Peter Hechenbleikner and Pat Schettini met regarding the Substance Abuse Initiative on two or three occasions this summer. Superintendent Schettini and Peter Hechenbleikner met with Officials from the Town of Winchester and will be meeting with Town Counsel to establish by-laws. Mr. McFadden stated that the Committee had received a letter from Mrs. Karen Storti. He stated he was offended by her comments in the letter. He stated a lot of work has been done this summer. Superintendent Schettini stated that the schools could be perceived as closed this summer but the Facilities Department has been working diligently in the schools to be prepared to open in September. Regular Session -2- July 31, 2006 He stated that he and Mr. Finigan have conducted a number of tours of the new construction and the field house for Town Meeting members. New Business Approval of Field Trip Coolidge Principal Craig Martin gave an overview of the proposed "French" Trip to Canada. Each year they have traditionally offered 8th grade French students the opportunity to visit Montreal and Quebec as part of school-sponsored trip. He stated it was a very valuable field trip as it affords students not only the opportunity to speak and hear the French language all around them, but also to experience another culture through different foods, architecture, and customs. Ms. Klein, Foreign Language teacher at Coolidge was also present. Mrs. Gibbs moved to approve the Coolidge Middle School Montreal field trip as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated July 27, 2006. Mr. Michaud seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Superintendent Schettini thanked Ms. Klein for all the work that goes into arranging these field trips year after year. Old Business Building Project Update Mr. Scott Dunlap stated there was a lot of activity on the high school building project.. There has been significant work done at the high school. The new auditorium is fully enclosed and they are getting ready to pour the floor. The library/media center is nearly finished. The old floor and mastic was cleared from the field house. The moisture levels have been a concern. The installer and manufacturer of the new floor would like the moisture levels to be within acceptable limits. Mr. Dunlap stated that he thought the water came from on top of the floor and not from underneath the floor. They have hired UPS, an independent consultant, to do some testing. They have then taken extra steps to ensure a proper installation. The contractor is placing a large dehumidifier in the field house tomorrow and they will "shot blast" the entire floor. The shot blasting is done by machine. It roughs up the floor so that the new floor will adhere better. Regular Session -3- July 31, 2006 Mr. Dunlap stated that the moisture problem has put the floor installation a week and a half behind schedule. He went on to say if the dehumidifying process and the "shot blasting" do not yield a favorable result they can resort to floor sealer products. The sealer products are costly so they are trying the other steps first. The painters and other trades are still working in the field house. Mr. Dunlap reported that the track was installed in four days. They are working on the track punch list. Carol Johnson, the site consultant, is handling the punch list. Chair Webb asked if the expected extreme weather this week would interfere with the field house floor process. Mr. Dunlap stated that he hoped not. Mr. McFadden asked about the tiebacks to the Aberjona River. Mr. Dunlap stated the Town uses a handful of techniques to block the river. The Design Partnership of Cambridge has a site consultant looking at how it should be handled. Mr. Schettini asked Mr. Dunlap to define "shot blasting" Mr. Dunlap explained that the machine is about the size of a fork lift truck and it puts down sand and steel pebbles and at the same time picks them up. Mr. McFadden asked about the asbestos contingency. Mr. Dunlap gave a handout which summarized the asbestos contingency. Superintendent Schettini explained that Change Order is for purchase of the stadium lights. It is not for the installation, but merely the purchase. Mr. McFadden asked how long it would take for the equipment to arrive. Mr. Capaldo told him ten to twelve weeks. Chair Webb stated that a motion by the School Committee would put in place the mechanism to order the lights. Mrs. Gibbs moved to accept the Reading Memorial High School Building Project Change Order #044 in the amount of $145,799.18 for the purchase of stadium lighting with sources of funding from private donations and the Commonwealth of Regular Session -4- July 31, 2006 Massachusetts budget as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated July 27, 2006. Mr. Caruso seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Chair Webb thanked Mr. Phil Callahan for the building tours for Town Meeting members. Ms. Delai gave an explanation of the remaining budget balances for FY06. Chair Webb highlighted all the hard work that Ms. Delai had to do to get to this point. Mrs. Gibbs move to accept the changes in the FY06 budget as outlined by the Director of Human Resources and Finance, Mary DeLai and to close out the fiscal year returning $48,229 to the Town's General Fund. Mr. Caruso seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb. Mr. Dahl. Mr. Caruso. Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Mr. Dahl stated that the $48,229 reverts to free cash. He stated the Superintendent could have found a way to spend it but did not. The money goes back to Town Meeting. The conversation shifted to the land on Oakland Road. Mr. William Brown gave a history of the land on Oakland Road. He stated that the School Committee did not own the land. Mr. Brown stated the only Board in Town which could own land is the Board of Selectmen. Mrs. Gibbs moved that the Reading School Committee relinquish all rights, if an including control and custody of the land adiacent to Reading Memorial High School along Oakland Road to the Town of Reading as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated July 27, 2006. Mr. McFadden seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs. Ms. Webb. Mr. Dahl. Mr. Caruso. Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Mr. Dahl thanked Mr. Brown for his persistence Superintendent Schettini introduced Mr. Stanley Quinlan as the new President of the Reading Teacher's Association. They welcomed Mr. Quinlan. Mrs. Gibbs moved to accept the second reading of the Reading Public Schools Wellness policy and move to approve the Reading Public Schools Wellness policy. Mr. Michaud seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Regular Session -5- July 31, 2006 New Business School Improvement Plans Superintendent Schettini stated that the School Improvement Plans were in line with the District Improvement Plan. Mrs. Gibbs moved to approve the School Improvement Plans from the eight schools as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated July 27, 2006. Mr. Caruso seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Ms. DeLai stated they recently went out to bid in late June, early July for HVAC Maintenance and Repair, Boiler Maintenance and Repair and elevator and Chair Lift Inspection, Maintenance and Repair. We received a minimum of two bids for each. Mrs. Gibbs moved to authorize the Superintendent to enter into an agreement with Cooling & Heating Specialists, Inc. to provide HVAC Maintenance and Repair as outlined in the Superintendent' memorandum dated July 27, 2006. Mr. Caruso seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Mr. Caruso asked if these were new vendors. Mrs. DeLai told him that Cooling & Heating Specialists, Inc. has done some work for us before and Associated Elevator Companies have provided maintenance for many years. Mrs. Gibbs moved to authorize the Superintendent to enter into an agreement with Cooling & Heating Specialists, Inc. to provide Boiler Maintenance and Repair as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated July 27,2006. Mr. Caruso seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Mrs. Gibbs moved to authorize the Superintendent to enter into an agreement with Associated Elevator Companies to provide Elevator and Chair Lift Inspection, Maintenance and Repair as outlined in the Superintendent's memorandum dated July 27, 2006. Mr. Caruso seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Mr. Schettini stated there are two things the School Committee gets involved with concerning Food Service, the price of a meal and the price of milk. Everything else is at the discretion of the Food Service Director. At this time the Food Service Director would like to eliminate the sale of the eight ounce carton of milk and replace it with a ten ounce bottle of milk at a cost of 65 cents. Regular Session -6- July 31,_2006 Mrs. Gibbs moved to approve the price for a single serving, 10 ounce bottle of milk at Reading Memorial High School only as 65 cents. Mr. Michaud seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Ms. DeLai stated that a group in the community was trying to raise funds to repair and preserve the clock tower at Joshua Eaton. If the P.T.O. collected this money they would be over their threshold for annual financial audit. Mrs. Gibbs moved to approve the establishment of a revolving account for the collection of funds, from private sources, for the repair and preservation of the clock tower at the Joshua Eaton Elementary School. Mr. McFadden seconded the motion. The vote was 6-0. Mrs. Gibbs, Ms. Webb, Mr. Dahl, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Michaud and Mr. McFadden. Superintendent Schettini gave an overview of a plan to overlap school district lines to allow us to better maintain class size. The two new developments in Reading (Archstone and Johnson Woods) have created a unique situation, the opportunity to create overlap districts to mitigate any impact on class size to our schools. Mr. Dahl stated that new people moving in should have the same rights as the people - already living in Reading. Boundaries should be set. Boundaries could be changed but they should be changed with hearings and input from the community like we did when we opened Wood End. This is not a fair solution. This creates uncertainty. The realtors should be able to tell potential buyers what school the children will go to. We are trying to solve a problem that does not exist yet. Mr. Michaud asked what impact this would have on the middle schools. He was told that there appears to be no impact yet. Superintendent Schettini stated this is a proactive approach. This is not a new conversation. Mr. Schettini stated he was more concerned with teaching and learning. Mr. Michaud stated he understood that the Superintendent was doing this due to class size, and that he feels this concern for class size would be seen as a positive attribute of the Reading schools and that prospective residents would view this as an attractive thing. Mrs. Gibbs moved to create overlab school district lines for the Archstone and Johnson Woods developments to allow the administration to better maintain class size numbers. All students residing within the specific unit in these developments will be districted to the school within two miles if these units based on least impact to school enrollment. Archstone will be an overlap district of Barrows and Joshua Eaton. 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