HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Comm Minutes 3/23/20101 1
MANSFIELD SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Jean Miller. Chairman c
Lisa Losielvicz, Vice Chairman
Frank Del Vecchio
Jim Perry
Michael Trowbridee
TUESDAY, March 23 2010
7:00 PM Open Session
Adjourn to
EXECUTIVE SESSION -7:01 PM - Superintendent's Office
Adjourn to
OPEN SESSION - 7:30 PM - Room 3 A & B
7:01 PM EXECUTIVE SESSION
AGENDA
1.) Personnel update
7:30 PM OPEN SESSION
AGENDA
7:30 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
7:35 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
7:40 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
7:45 -7:55 CITIZENS COMMENTS
8:00 APPROVAL OF WARRANTS
8:05 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1.) Executive Session Minutes of March 9, 2010
2.) School Committee Minutes of March 9, 2010
8:10 OLD BUSINESS
1.) FY ` 11 Budget Projections
9:00 OTHER
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Mansfield School Committee Meetine
Minutes for Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Town Hall, Room 3B & C
An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held at the Town Hall on Tuesday, March
23, 2010. The meeting was called to order and opened by Mrs. Miller, 2 "d by Mr. Trowbridge A motion
was made by Mrs. Miller, 2" d Mrs. Losiewicz; to have the School Committee go into Executive Session.
At the conclusion of the Executive Session, a Roll Call vote was taken and the Open Session meeting
was called to order by Chairman, Mrs. Jean Miller at 7:45 P.M.
Members Present — roll call vote to open meeting:
Mrs. Jean Miller, Chairman - yes
Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz, Vice Chairman - yes
Mr. Frank DelVecchio - yes
Mr. Michael Trowbridge yes
Mr. Jim Perry - yes
Also Present:
Mrs. Brenda Hodges, Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Edward Vozzella, Director of Finance
Correspondence:
School Committee Chairman, Mrs. Jean Miller, congratulated the Color guard for coming in second
place in last weekend's competition at the high school as well as the Percussion Ensemble that finished
in first place. Congratulations.
Superintendent's Report:
Superintendent Hodges reported to the School Committee that Alex Bouthillier, a Mansfield High
School student, who is working on his Eagle Scout project has requested that he be permitted to create
memorial plaques displaying the names of loved ones lost to cancer and displaying the amount of
money raised each year by the Mansfield Relay for Life. His request is to display these plaques on the
exterior of the announcer's box at Alumni Field. The School Committee voted to approve the concept
of the project, but requested additional information regarding the project.
Motion to approve by Mr. Michael Trowbridge, 2 "d by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz.
Motion U.C. 5 - 0
Citizens Comments:
A number of citizens spoke during the citizen's comments portion of the meeting. These comments
included students and parents advocating for the swimming program and those athletic programs that
rent facilities outside of the Mansfield School Department. They expressed their hope that the School
Committee would either not close these programs, or allow these programs to fund their continued
existence through self funding projects.
Other comments included requests for the School Committee to refrain from making additional cuts to
the budget that would compromise the quality and integrity of the educational and extra - curricular
programs of the Mansfield Schools. These comments included requests for the citizens of Mansfield to
be permitted an opportunity to decide if they wanted an override to fund the schools at a higher level.
S. C. Minutes
Pace 2
Some questions spoke to the long range vision of the Mansfield School Department through School
Improvement Plans, Strategic Plans and Capital Improvement Plans. Some citizens indicated their
concern that these did not exist. Superintendent Hodges and the School Committee informed the
attendees that the building principals and the School Department create School Improvement Plans at
the end of each fiscal year and these are posted on the website. Some members of the School
Committee indicated that they were a member of the group that developed the District Strategic Plan
that is in place for 2006 -2011. Superintendent Hodges stated that she would check the website and
update this, if necessary, for the District Strategic Plan. The Capital Improvement Plan has been created
in the format of both a Five -year and a Ten -year period of time. This was updated several times during
the 2008 -2009 school year.
Some comments centered on requests for more specific information to be posted on the website
regarding the district line item budget. Additional comments expressed a desire for the teachers to be
sensitive to the budget gap and work with the Town and School Department in the areas of health
insurance and contractual obligations to decrease this gap.
Annroval of Warrants
The following warrants were presented and accepted by the School Committee on March 23, 2010,
Salary & Wages, # 20119 dated 3/5/2010, in the amount of $1,259,382.06; Good & Services, #2010-
1040 dated 3/9/2010 in the amount of $346,543.86; Salary & Wages, 42010 -20 dated 3/19/2010, in the
amount of $1,302,457.93; Goods & Services #2010 -1043 dated 3 -23 -2010 in the amount of
$491,461.24.
Motion to approve by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz, 2 "d by Mr. Michael Trowbridge.
Motion U.C. 5 - 0
Approval of Minutes:
The Executive Minutes of March 23, 2010 were approved as amended.
Motioned to approve by Mr. Michael Trowbridge, 2od by Mr. Jim Perry.
Motion U.C. 5 — 0
The School Committee Minutes of March 23, 2010 were approved.
Motioned to approve by Mrs. Lisa Losiewicz, 2 "d by Mr. DelVecchio.
Motion U.C. 5 — 0
OLD BUSINESS
FY' 11 Budget Proieetions:
Mr. Vozzella reported the updates to the FYI l Budget. The state recently reduced Chapter 70 aid to
local districts by 4 %, as had been previously anticipated. However, for those districts falling below
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minimum Foundation Funding due to this reduction, the state will provide the necessary funding to meet
Foundation. Mansfield is one of those districts falling below the minimum Foundation Level and
therefore will receive more funds than previously estimated. Due to this additional funding and due to
the town adjusting their revenue and expenses projections, the district budget deficit was adjusted to
$2,349,452. With the reductions that the School Committee has made thus far, the present budget deficit
is now $2, 434,452. The additional reductions that were made were eliminating one administrator in the
district and eliminating the curriculum coordinator for the third year. A reduction of $56,000 was made
to salaries and expenses to be determined.
The School Committee had a lengthy discussion regarding the options for reducing the budget deficit
beyond the $2,349,452. A decision was made that further reductions to the budget would cause such
devastation to the overall educational and extra - curricular programs within the Mansfield School
Department that further reductions were irresponsible at this time. The decision was made to meet with
representatives of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee to discuss joint options to resolve the
deficit.
Other:
The School Committee spoke about the upcoming public Budget Forum that will be held on Wednesday,
April 14th at 7:00 PM in the MHS Auditorium. The Budget Forum will have all three boards, the School
Committee, Selectmen and Finance Committee, present to help present the current budget crisis to the
public allowing them to ask questions and better understand it. All are welcome and encouraged to
attend this informative meeting.
The School Committee changed the May School Committee meeting dates due to the Town Meeting.
The Town Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 4t". The May School Committee meeting will be held
on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 7:30 PM.
The School Committee discussed the upcoming Healthy Futures Night and the Teacher negotiations,
both of which will be held on Monday, April 12th. The Committee decided to split the board and have
Mr. Trowbridge and Mrs. Losiewicz attend the Healthy Futures Night and the rest of the board attend
the negotiations.
Mr. Trowbridge congratulated all the high school teams for their wonderful accomplishments this year.
Motion to adjourn:
Motion was made to adjourn the School Committee Meeting of March 23, 2010 at 9:40 PM for the sole
purpose of adjourning. Motion to close by Mr. Michael Trowbridge, 2 "d by Mr. Frank DelVecchio.
Roll call vote to close: Jean Miller, yes: Lisa Losiewicz, yes: Michael Trowbridge, yes: Frank
DelVecchio, yes; Mr. Jim Perry, yes.
Motion U.C. 5 - 0
Respectfully submitted,
Mary O. Jackson
Secretory to the Superintendent
& School Committee