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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Comm Minutes 3/13/2012Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, March 1% 2012 Town Hall, Room sB & C An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held at the Town Hall on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. After returning from Executive Session the Open Session meeting was reopened and called to order by Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge at 7:37 PM. Motion U.C. ,; - o Members Present — roll call vote to re -open the Open Meeting; Mr. Michael Trowbridge, Chairman; yes Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz, Vice Chairman; yes Mrs. Jean Miller, yes Mrs. Kiera O'Neil yes Mr. Jim Perry yes Also Present: Mrs. Brenda Hodges, Superintendent of Schools Mr. Edward Vozzella, Director of Finance CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED None SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT Personnel Superintendent Brenda Hodges spoke about the new Digital Sign that is now in place in the lobby at Mansfield High School. This sign was donated by Invesco Global, a local company, and is used to communicate school related activities to students and staff. The School Committee was very grateful and requested that the Superintendent write a letter of thanks to the donor, Invesco Global, on behalf of the School Committee. APPROVAL OF WARRANTS The following warrants were presented and accepted by the School Committee on March 13, 2012: Salary & Wages, # 2012 —16 dated 02 -03 -2012, in the amount of $1,418,631.15 Good & Services # 2012 -1026 dated 02 -07 -2012, in the amount of $384,151.71 Salary & Wages, #2012 -17 dated 02 -17 -2012, in the amount of $1,403,681.87 Goods & Services #2012 -1027 dated 02 -21 -2012 in the amount of $429,113.31 Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to approve the warrants. A motion was made to approve the warrants 1st by Mr. Jim Perry, 2nd by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz. Motion U.C. 5 — 0 11— APPROVAL OF MINUTES Executive Session Minutes of January 2a. 2012. AMENDED & re voted Chairman, Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to approve the Executive Session Minutes of January 24, 2012. Motioned made I" by Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, 2nd by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz. Motion U.C. 4 — 0 — 1 - Mr. Michael Trowbridge was not present for this meeting. Executive Session Minutes of February 28, 2012. Chairman, Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to approve the Executive Session Minutes of February 28, 2012. Motioned made 1St by Mrs. Jean Miller, 2nd by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz. Motion U.C. 5 - 0 School Committee Minutes of February 28, 2012. Chairman, Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to approve the Open Session Minutes of February 28, 2012. Motioned made 1St by Mrs. Jean Miller, 2nd by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz, as amended. Motion U.C. 5 — 0 OLD BUSINESS Budget Wig Director of Finance and Operations, Ed Vozzella, provided an update on the FY'13 Budget. He shared the latest changes to the budget that includes approximately a $500,000 increase in Special Education costs due to a change in placement and transportation costs for four students. These are costs that are very difficult to foresee and project. With adjustments for both the school and town, the school deficit is now at $2.2m. The town deficit is at $ IM. The School Committee discussed how they wanted to address the P Y'13 Budget and also discussed the short amount of time that exists between now and the scheduled Annual Town Meeting on April 24, 2012. Given that the Town Meeting is earlier than usual, the Committee expressed the challenge this presented in malting further inroads to decreasing the budget prior to Town Meeting. The members of the School Committee discussed the upcoming "Charrette" and the Strategic Planning Meeting scheduled for March 31, 2012 and the Public Budget Forum scheduled for March 28, 2012, and stated that they wanted to hear from the public before they made decisions 12— about cutting the budget. Chairman Trowbridge stated that he wanted to get a sense of where the town feels that we need to beheading. After much discussion, where members stated that they just could not decrease the staff, were not comfortable in making any cuts to the budget and were not comfortable going below level services, the Committee voted 5 -0 to make no cuts to the proposed FY'13 Budget and moved the School Budget forward, in the amount of $41,722,232. This number does reflect the projected savings for staff retirements in the amount of $135,000. It also reflects $433,000 in addition to a level services budget that is proposed for additional staff to lower class size and support staff such as Guidance /Adjustment Counselors. Chairman Trowbridge commented that we may have to go to the Annual Town Meeting with an unbalanced budget, which has not been done in many years. Some members stated that they were willing to do that, if necessary, because they just couldn't go back to the large class sizes and Middle School configuration that we had, prior to reinstating positions this past year. They did not want to lose the staff that had just been put back in place and dismantle the positive changes that had just been made. Included in the packet was a projection of revenue for Pay & Ride by assessing a $25 fee increase, and a projected increase in revenues generated from an increase in athletic fees of $25 per sport with an increase in the family cap from $400 to $550. This also projects a $ro increase in activity fees with no family cap. A proposal for a $2.00 daily increase in Little Hornets tuition was also included. With the proposed increase, the daily tuition rate is very competitive with area day cares and is actually well below a number of other area programs. Strategic Plan Update: The Superintendent updated the Committee on the Five Year Strategic Plan. Mrs. Hodges spoke about the next phase of the process which is the "Charrette" that will be taking place on Saturday, March 31, 2012, from 9:00 -12:00 at the Mansfield High School Cafeteria and urged all parents, teachers and staff who live in town, and community members to attend. Superintendent Hodges explained that this is an opportunity for those present to have a voice in determining the goals for the Strategic Plan and prioritizing these goals. Communication: Superintendent Hodges reported that as a result of the Communication Survey, the district has been able to validate that approximately 86% of the parents are satisfied or very satisfied with most aspects of school communication. Mrs. Hodges stated that she would continue to work with Lori Letendre and her staff, along with the district administrators and directors, to have electronic newsletters for all schools, increased and /or improved communications to parents regarding the education performance of their children and increased access for information through the X2 Student Portal at the secondary level, as these were the areas that the parents indicated that they would like to see improved. —3— Mrs. Hodges will continually work to update the district and individual school websites for ease of access to information. Expanded All Day Kindergarten: Mrs. Hodges spoke about the proposal for the Transition to Full Day Kindergarten and the sample registration packet. The sample registration packet included an application for fee assistance along with the Income Eligibility Table and the Tuition Formula for Full Day Kindergarten in districts with Quality Full Day Kindergarten Grants. The Superintendent, Principal Kate Kristenson and representative members of her staff then provided information to the School Committee regarding the proposal for the Transition to Full Day Kindergarten, Mrs. Kristenson spoke about the educational benefits that children would receive with a full day of kindergarten. Superintendent Hodges and Director of Finance, Ed Vozzella, spoke to the questions regarding the cost of the program along with staffing and the financial calculations that showed that the district had accounted for the cost of teachers, plus benefits and free and /or reduced tuition for some students. When the costs were compared with the tuition income, the district still showed a slight net income of $6,032 after a charge of $3,000 per student and a reduction to the Champs revenue of $132,750. With a tuition charge of $3,000, Mansfield would be significantly below several area schools. Mrs. O'Neil stated that the grant was only for use in start up costs. The Committee voted 4 - i in favor of the Full Day Kindergarten Program, with member Jim Perry voting against the proposal, stating that he could not vote for the program when the district could not provide the full day program for all students. As it is now, a lottery system will be used to determine those students who will have an opportunity to attend. Motioned made 1st by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz , 2nd by Mrs. Kiera O'Neil . Motion U.C. 4 — 1 — Mr. Perry was opposed due to inability to provide full day for all students. Health Suivey_I Pat Harrison: Pat Harrison, Director of Nursing, presented the Communities That Care Survey. She presented the results of the 2011 survey as compared to the 2009 survey, showing Mansfield statistics compared to the national statistics. The survey results show that Mansfield was slightly above the National average in both alcohol and marijuana usage in 2009 and continues this trend in 2011. The state of Massachusetts is also above the National average in marijuana usage, with a recorded increase shown after the recent change in state statutes regarding marijuana. You may view the results of this survey on the District website. 2012 — 2013 School Calendar: The Superintendent presented the 2012 — 2013 School Calendar to the School Committee. The School Committee voted to adopt the 2012 -2013 calendar. The calendar has been posted on the District website. 14— Motioned made lst by Mrs. Jean Miller, tad by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz. Motion U.C. 5 — 0 Field Trip Approvals (if any) SCHOOL COMMITTEE NEW BUSINESS OTHER Motion to adjourn: Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to adjourn the School Committee Meeting of March 13, 2012 at 9:18 PM for the sole purpose of adjourning. A motion was made to close the meeting by Mr. Jim Perry, 2nd by Mrs. Jean Miller. A Roll call vote to close: Mr. Michael Trowbridge, yes; Mr. Jim Perry, yes; Mrs. Jean Miller, yes; Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz, yes; Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, yes. Motion U.C. g - o 15- Respectfully submitted, Mary O. Jackson Secretary to the Superintendent &School Committee