MINUTES
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT #10
BOARD OF EDUCATION
March 12, 2007
Members Present: Joseph Arcuri, Catherine Bergstrom, Beth
Duffy, Paul Omichinski, Elaine Schiavone, Ray Sikora, Jayne Stocker,
Karen Sullivan-Shepard, Peter Turner
Members Absent: Barbara Gilbert
Also Present: Paula Schwartz - Superintendent
David Lenihan - Business Manager
Michael Landry – Assistant Superintendent
Jacqueline Evans – Student Representative
I. Call to Order - The regularly scheduled Board of
Education meeting was held at the Lake Garda School library, and was
called to order at 7:34 pm by Chairperson Beth Duffy.
II. Pledge of Allegiance - The Pledge was recited.
III. Communications, Resignations - Superintendent received resignation letters from Kelly Pergola, 3rd grade teacher at HSC, Susan Comito, Spanish teacher at LSM, and Richard Freeman, Math teacher at LSM.
IV. Consent Agenda - A motion to approve the minutes of
the Regular BOE meeting of February 12, special meetings of February 7,
13, and 21, 2007, and financial report of February 28, 2007, was made
by P. Omichinski and seconded by R. Sikora. All in favor none opposed.
Motion carries. Corrections include page 1 in the corrections section,
Karissa Neihoff was incorrectly identified as attending the January 22,
2007 special meeting. On Page 2, Lauren Doninger was incorrectly
identified as having issues with the Emergency Notification System.
Correct speaker was Brenda Frasco. Ms. Doninger had concerns with
suspensions and expulsions concerning drug/alcohol issues.
V. Public Participation -
A. Student and Staff Recognition –
Members of the Crew Team thanked the Board for giving them official
recognition as a sport of Region 10.
B. Members of girls’ Lacrosse made their
request to be recognized as a team sport, which the Board had reviewed
and tabled for the future. B. Duffy said the matter would be reviewed
again. Policy is for a team to begin as a club and then later be
recognized as a team sport.
VII. Business –
Superintendent presented a proposal for
allowing community members 18 and over to use the weight and fitness
rooms. Information will be available at the upcoming Health Fair. Each
program would be offered two nights a week for 6 weeks. Generally the
cost would be $50 per session or $75 for both sessions, with seniors 55+
free. Fitness instruction would include Yoga or Ti Chi. Times would
be 5:30pm – 6:30pm or 6:30pm – 7:30pm.
Page 2
March 12, 2007
A. Review of Special Services Portion of 2007-08 Budget.
Linda Carabis gave a PowerPoint presentation on Special Ed. budget.
Programs funded by Special Services include: Odyssey of the Mind, Kids
in the Middle activities, Home/School collaborative (counseling
service), Music Therapy, Homework Clubs at the middle and high schools,
Tutoring (academic, homebound, expulsion), Counseling Groups, Social
Worker home visits, CREC consultants, Student Support Centers, Early
Learning Center, Pandemic Flu Plan, Emergency Preparedness Plan, FAVARH
summer program, etc. Special Ed organization remains the same with a
Coordinator at each school. 298 students are identified as Special Ed.
Budget request is as follows:
Salary $3,269,705 (Certified, noncertified, and benefits) or 7.88%
Prof. Services $110,000 or 4.76%
Transportation $147,589 or -17.46%
Tuition $308,991 or - 7.36%
Other $ 93,867 or 3.27%
Total $3,940,152 or 5.07%
Salary account increase due to 70% of
special education teachers will be on steps 2-8 in the newly negotiated
contract (lower steps received highest percentage increase).
Transportation cost decreased due to
purchase of minivan last year and less reliance on outside vendors.
Tuition, which includes out of District placement, DCF placement,
alternative high school placement, etc., decreased in part due to larger
State reimbursement rate.
Review of Curriculum & Instruction
Portion of 2007-08 Budget. M. Landry gave a Powerpoint presentation
outlining the goals and focus of curriculum and technology. The goal is
to educate and prepare students for the challenges in a global economy,
to be creative and independent-thinking. More professional development
will be offered to teachers, one of which is a 3-day summer math
development program. There will be investigation in studies focusing on
the brain and how students learn.
Technology budget was cut last year and needs to be adjusted to the 5-year plan.
Leigh Pont explained in technology, computers in Tech Ed and laptops for the 5th graders will need replacement.
B. Discussion of Connecticut Health
Survey – Superintendent presented information on two State survey’s
schools are asked to participate in. One is on smoking and is for
middle school students and the other is on drug and alcohol use and is
geared for high school students. The State has asked Region 10 to
participate in the smoking survey. The results, when published, are not
by school or district, but a compilation of data from all the schools
participating. A sample group of students will be surveyed with parent
notification.
J. Stocker did not feel the survey was
relevant and felt the time spent taking the survey could better be spent
in instruction. Superintendent stated that randomly selected classes
would be
Page 3
March 12, 2007
chosen to take the survey, that it was
designed by professionals, and that there was an obligation to the State
to participate in the survey. Members of the Board spent some time
discussing the issue and P. Omichinski
suggested that perhaps the District could design its own survey for its
own use. The Board agreed to participate in the state survey.
C. Discussion of After-School Services for 5th & 6th
Grades – M. Landry presented a proposal in which the Bristol Boys and
Girls Club would run an on-site, after-school program at Har-Bur. They
have had many years of experience doing the same thing in Bristol’s
schools and at Lake Garda. The program would run out of the middle
school cafeteria. There was discussion on types of activities to be
offered, whether students could take the late bus home, the cost, what
would parents be willing to pay, and perhaps even offering a before
school program. A survey will be going out to 5th and 6th
grade parents to obtain ideas and feedback. A decision would have to
be made by June, 2007 in order to begin the program in the Fall.
VII Action -
A. Discussion and Approval of China Consortium
Exchange Program. Each of the schools participating in the Mandarin
language program has a “sister” school in China. The sister school for
Farmington High School has requested an exchange program this summer.
The school is located in Chengdu, the site of the sailing competition
for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Students from China would come over
this summer and students in the consortium would go there in August. It
is anticipated that three or four students from each of the consortium
schools (Farmington, Simsbury, Bristol, Litchfield, Region 10,
Plainville) would be given the opportunity to participate. Cost would
be approximately $2,400 per student paid by the family. Superintendent
pointed out that person who arranges trips to China for teachers and
administrators for the state is the same one who would run this trip. A
motion to approve participation with this exchange plan was made
by P. Omichinski and seconded by R. Sikora. All in favor none
opposed. Motion carries.
B. 2nd Reading of Facilities Use Policy #3513. A motion
to accept the second reading was made by E. Schiavone and seconded by
P. Omichinski. All in favor none opposed. Motion carries. It is
anticipated that the fee schedule will be ready for presentation at the
next BOE meeting in April.
C. 1st Reading of Facilities Use Administrative Regulations #3513A. This was an FYI and voting was not needed.
D. 2nd Reading of Coordinator of Athletics Job Description. A motion
to accept the second reading was made by K. Sullivan-Shepard and
seconded by Elaine Schiavone. All in favor none opposed. Motion
carries.
E. 2nd Reading BOE Community Relations Policies #1112 and #1120. A motion
to accept the second reading was made by K. Sullivan-Shepard and
seconded by J. Stocker. All in favor none opposed. Motion carries.
VIII. Board Committee Reports
A. Facilities and Grounds Committee – Nothing to report.
Page 4
March 12, 2007
B. CREC Committee – B. Duffy will be attending as a
representative of CREC the NSBA Conference and requested that members go
to website and view agenda items and email her what meetings or
workshops they would like for her to attend and report back on.
C. Curriculum Committee – Meeting Wednesday.
D. Negotiations Committee – Nothing to report.
E. Technology Committee – Nothing to report.
F. Building Committee – Project is progressing.
G. Community Relations Committee – Nothing to report. Results of survey due in April.
A motion to go into Executive Session was made by P.
Omichinski and seconded by R. Sikora. Board went into Executive Session
at 10:15 pm. Board came out of Executive Session at 10:30 pm on a motion made by K. Sullivan Shepard, seconded by R. Sikora
A motion was made by E, Schiavone, seconded by P.
Omichinski, to move that the Board of Education accept the
superintendent’s recommendation per CT Gen. Stat. Sec 1-200(6) that the
contract of the named teachers in the memo dated March 12, 2007 not be
renewed for the 2007-08 school year. All were in favor, none opposed.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by P. Omichinski, seconded by r. Sikora at 10:32 pm.
Final review of budget by BOE will be on Monday, March 19, 2007
at 7:30 pm in the Learning Center of Har-Bur Middle School. The
District budget hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at
Lewis S. Mills High School.
The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be held on April 23, 2007 at Harwinton Consolidated School.
Karen Sullivan-Shepard, Secretary