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Home My WebLink AboutSchool Committee 04/11/2017Approved 04-25-17 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Town Hall, Room 3A&B An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held at the Town Hall on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. The open meeting session was opened and called to order by Kiera O'Neil at 7:03 pm. Members Present: Kiera O'Neil, Chair Lynn Cavicchi, Vice Chair Linda Fernando Jenn Walsh Lauren Scher Members Absent: None Also Present: Zeffro Gianetti, Superintendent of Schools Teresa Murphy, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Edward Vozzella, Director of Finance & Operations Video Taoine: Dana Hourigan 15 Evans Circle COMMUNICATIONS: None SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT: One 4th grade resignation was turned in for next year. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT: Staff and Students are well prepared for the start of MCAS testing. QMS has started and JJ will start tomorrow. Both schools are using the online component of testing for the first time this year. Teresa feels that we are well prepared and thanked staff for their hard work. APPROVAL OF WARRANT: Warrants Warrant Vs Dates Amount Salary & Wages =r -,r 1,558,192.87 Goods & Services 2017-1032 03/14/17 479,550.68 Salary & Wages 2017-20 03/24/17 1,588,286.47 Goods & Services 2017-1034 03/28/17 516,198.50 $ 4,142,228.52 c: J:+u -n n -0 Inn ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT: Staff and Students are well prepared for the start of MCAS testing. QMS has started and JJ will start tomorrow. Both schools are using the online component of testing for the first time this year. Teresa feels that we are well prepared and thanked staff for their hard work. APPROVAL OF WARRANT: Warrants Warrant Vs Dates Amount Salary & Wages 2017-19 03/10/17 1,558,192.87 Goods & Services 2017-1032 03/14/17 479,550.68 Salary & Wages 2017-20 03/24/17 1,588,286.47 Goods & Services 2017-1034 03/28/17 516,198.50 $ 4,142,228.52 A motion to approve the warrant was made 1stby Linda Fernando and 2.d by Jenn Walsh. Motion Carries 5-0 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Executive Session Meeting Minutes of 2-28-17 A motion to approve the minutes was made 1stby Linda Fernando and 2^d by Jenn Walsh. Motion Carries 5-0 Open Session Meeting Minutes of 3-28-17 A motion to approve the minutes was made 1st by Linda Fernando and Zed by Jenn Walsh. Motion Carries 5-0 Executive Session Minutes of 3-28-17 Page 1 of 4 Approved 04-25-17 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Town Hall, Room 3A&B A motion to approve the minutes was made 1stby Linda Fernando and 2nd by Jenn Walsh. Motion Carries 5-0 FINANCE AND OPERATIONS REPORT: FY17 updates: Our HVAC costs are slowly moving over budget due to a number of repairs this spring. However, Edward Vozzella still anticipates returning money to the town this year. FY18 Budget: We have a balanced budget. Ed Vozzella provided a copy of the final reconciliation figures and the adjustments made. Final number will be brought to vote at the next meeting. GIFTS: Keep Mansfield Beautiful, received a "Keep America Beautiful Public Space Recycling Bin Grant" and has provided the school district with 18 new recycling bins that have been placed throughout the campus. In order to keep the grant, we are required to measure our recycling over a certain period of time and report back to the Keep Mansfield Beautiful committee. This is a report only. There is no punishment for not maintaining a minimum level. A group of students have been tasked with monitoring the recycling effort. FY18 Budget (Return to prior agenda iteml: Zeffro Gianetti wanted to point out that the Special Education outplacement costs look like they have stabilized. Clarification was made that the 4tb grade teacher was a resignation not a retirement which is important as to how it impacts the budget. OLD BUSINESS: Sub Committee Updates 1. Audit: Next meeting to be held Thursday, April 13th. To be discussed: electric and town financial statements. Jim Ragazzo of the audit committee met with Ed Vozzella to review the school financials. 2. CIP: No updates 3. Budget: FY18 complete. Zeff Gianetti noted that the district is working on the Five Year Narrative. Lynn Cavicchi noted that once the board reorganizes in May, they should start looking ahead to next year's budget. 4. Policy: Lynn Cavicchi met with Teresa Murphy and Zeff Gianetti to discuss open items. Lynn will have an update at the next meeting. Student Advisory Committee: No Update Kiera O'Neil reordered the agenda to take the items in the following order: Special Education Reserve; Field Trip: Robinson School Improvement Plan. Special Education Reserve: John Stanbrook (Town Accountant / Interim Town Manager) provided an overview of a new reserve fund that has come out of recent State Law changes. Article 20 allows the school committee to create this new reserve fund. John explained the process. A vote is needed by school committee to approve and have it added to the town meeting agenda. Citizens vote at town meeting. Going forward the committee will establish the rules around deposits and withdrawals. Ed Vozzella gave Page 2 of 4 Approved 04-25-17 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Town Hall, Room 3A&B an example on how this fund could be used. If a student moves into the district and requires an outplacement, we incur a sizable and unexpected expense. We could go to this Fund to cover the unexpected cost. The committee then discussed the process; what was being decided today and the need for rules. The initial vote is to create the fund, nothing else. No vote taken today. It will be added to the next agenda Field Trips: History Day Competition in Washington DC Michael Connolly and Julia Atwood (History Teacher), presented an update on the History Day competition. (The school committee gave preliminary approval earlier in the year but asked to revisit once the final students were chosen so that travel arrangements could be approved.) One senior boy has moved on to the national competition. Julia Atwood is the history club advisor and will be the chaperone. A group of MA winners will travel together by coach bus to the University of Maryland for the competition. Students and Chaperones will be put up in the residence halls. Motion: Jenn Walsh motioned to approve the field trip. Linda Fernando seconded. Discussion: Kiera O'Neil asked for a brief timeline on the competition. Julia teaches an elective course where the students are heavily involved in essay writing and is geared toward this competition. Students can also submit entries on their own through the history club. Six Mansfield students made it to the state championships and one student was chosen to attend the national competition. Lynn Cavicchi asked Mr. Connolly to clarify the funding. Most of the funding will be covered by the student activity fund. Motion Carries 5-0 School Improvement Plan: Kerri Sankey presented her school improvement plan. Kerri reviewed the Robinson School mission statement then thanked those that participated on the school council. She reviewed enrollment data by subcategories including the notation that there are 29 ELL students who need support in many different languages. There are 4 key objectives (with some of Kerri's presentation highlights) in The Robinson plan: 1. To increase academic performance, growth, and development for all students. - Engage teachers in professional learning communities, Implementation of kindergarten discovery lab, Repurpose gymnasium space 2. To expand our ability to meet the needs of a diverse student population. - Restructuring of RTI team, Development of school wide RTI toolkit, Expanded delivery of math intervention 3. To promote a positive school climate through the creation of a proactive continuum of services that provide for the social and emotional support of all students and staff. - Revised PBIS expectations, Expanded delivery of Social Thinking Curriculum 4. To expand our use of technology in the areas of instructional and professional practice. - Creation of a second computer lab, Google workshops for teachers, expanded use of ATLAS, Rubicon curriculum mapping software Questions/comments: The committee recommended two changes to the presentation: 1) Separate the plan into two since the current covers both the Robinson and Roland Green schools. 2) Tie the growth in ELA to the district goals. The committee asked about recess time. Kerri explained that students get 25 minutes along with 25 minutes for lunch per day. She also described the increase in movement Page 3 of 4 Approved 04-25-17 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Town Hall, Room 3A&B and structured play within the academic program. Physical space is being reworked so that an old gym has reopened, a discovery area was created and new computer space will be created. Citizens Comments: None School Committee New Business: None School Committee Other Business: Board of Selectmen have asked that the school committee appoint a member to the Town Manager search committee. After some discussion, Kiera O'Neil volunteered to serve. The draft timeline is as follows: May 1: Ad published May 28: Close date for applications June 5: Screening by committee June 9 - 23: Interview process July 3 - 7: Committee recommends candidate(s) to Board of Selectment Documents Referenced: Balanced FY18 Budget figures Article 20: Special Education Reserve fund explained Robinson School Improvement Plan Powerpoint presentation Motion to adjourn: At 8:03 p.m., Kiera O'Neil asked for a motion to enter into Executive Session pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 21 for the Following Purpose: Under Exception No. 3, To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and not to reconvene in open session and the chair so declares; Jenn Walsh motioned and Linda Fernando seconded. Role Call Vote: Lynn Cavicchi Yes Jenn Walsh Yes Kiera O'Neil Yes Linda Fernando Yes Lauren Scher Yes Motion U.C. 5-0 Respectfully Submitted, Diane Nugent Secretary to the Superintendent & School Committee Page 4 of 4