Written by Webmaster

WESTBOROUGH SCHOOL COMMITTEE

WESTBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS

MINUTES

Wednesday April 1, 2009

The Westborough School Committee meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chairman, Craig Harris. Committee members present included Mr. Bruce Tretter, Mr. Stephen Doret, Mrs. Ilyse Levine-Kanji and Mrs. Karen Henderson. Administrators present included Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Anne Towle, Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Marianne O’Connor, Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Daniel Hendricks; Principal, Elaine Halford; Director of Fine Arts, David Jost; Athletic Director, Johanna DiCarlo; Finance Committee liaison, Cliff Watts.

The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

MINUTES

Upon a motion by Mr. Tretter and a second by Mrs. Henderson, the Committee voted 5-0 to approve the minutes of March 25, 2009, as amended.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT AND HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. Towle announced Abhinav Gupta has been selected as a Boston University Trustee Scholar. The award covers full tuition and fees and is renewable for up to three years. Selection is based upon academic, school and community contributions. The Superintendent also highlighted winners in the Short Story and Poetry contests sponsored by the Federation of Women’s Clubs of Massachusetts. Winners included McCauley Reardon, Scott McCullough, Kathryn O’Hara, and Frank Chang. WHS Sophomore, Evan Cadavieco, will conduct “The Barber of Seville” with the Metrowest Youth Symphony Orchestra on May 3. Dr. Towle congratulated Anthony Healy and Brian Higgins, directors of HONK, performed by the Gibbons Middle School students, on an outstanding production.

The Superintendent congratulated the fifteen students who participated in the MMEA All-State conference held in Boston. Some of these students were selected as soloists as part of the All-State Choir’s performance. The WHS Wind Ensemble performed a new work for band written by Larry Blocher. Mr. Matthew Lefebvre directed. The Gibbons School Wind Ensemble was one of four groups featured as exemplary musical ensembles from the state. Congratulations were extended to Mrs. Forrest for this recognition.

Mr. Jost recently presented two clinics on job interviews and the process for graduating college students and helped organize several sessions pertaining to music education advocacy and curriculum development at the MMEA conference. Mr. Jost is also co-chair of Administrators’ in Music Education and on the executive board of the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education.

Mrs. O’Connor informed the Committee the Mill Pond Math Olympiad team in competition, placed third out of 153 teams and fifteenth out of 3000 nationwide. Student, Josh Hyde tied for first place. Mill Pond came in first in Worcester County. Kindergarten screening will take place at Fales, April 28, 29, 30; at Armstrong, May 5, 6 and 7; at Hastings, May 27, 28, 29. High school students have registered for 300 AP exams to be administered May 4-20.

The Assistant Superintendent reported five K-6 teachers will be attending a week long math/science workshop at the Boston Museum of Science under the auspices of Genzyme. All costs are covered and their students receive a field trip to the Museum in the fall.

COMMITTEE REQUESTS AND REPORTS

Mr. Tretter announced the Facilities Committee met and reviewed the Health and Safety reports. The Committee will meet again in June. Westborough will be celebrating Earth Day, April 25. Participants will meet at either Friendly’s or Lake Chauncy. Mr. Tretter chaperoned a bus to the Music Festival and reported the student behavior was outstanding.

Mrs. Levine-Kanji congratulated the Gibbons student performers on their wonderful production of HONK. She reviewed some of the offerings of the Community Education summer program and encouraged parents to review the program offerings.

Mrs. Henderson reminded parents that April 10 is a half day of school. The Literacy program presented at the Mill Pond School was excellent. Next week a program on writing will be presented by Sue Bardsley. The Armstrong Family Fun Day was a huge success. Thanks were extended to all who participated.

Mr. Doret thanked Mr. Jost and Ms. DiCarlo for the information they provided to the Committee regarding their departments. It was precisely what he was looking for and very useful.

Mr. Harris welcomed Mr. Watts, Finance Committee liaison to the meeting.

REPORTS

REVIEW OF BUDGET TO DATE

Mr. Hendricks reported on the changes that have occurred since the first budget review on March 11^th. At this time the district is aware it will receive $200,000 in Circuit Breaker funding and $400,000 IDEA funds. The district was asked by the Town to develop a level funded budget and the Town released an additional $500,000 to the school district to help defray energy costs. The total budget figure at this time is $38,259,898, not yet adjusted with the Federal stimulus of $560,000.

The Committee discussed the impact of the federal funds and the duration of those funds. Concern was expressed that there will be future problems when the funding expires, especially in FY10-11 and FY11-12, when the Federal money goes away. It has been reported the IDEA funds and the Stimulus funding will come directly to the school district. However, the legislature has not locked in on the final distribution of funds, and it has been reported it will not be resolved by town meeting time. The House budget is scheduled for release within the next few weeks.

Mr. Doret noted when the Federal stimulus dries up, the district will be short about $3 million dollars and Proposition 2-1/2 will limit the amount the town can raise. He added that the 1.34% increase indicates the school department has done exactly what it was asked to by the town. Mr. Doret stated the town does not deal with what is in the budget, only the bottom line.

Mr. Hendricks reviewed the status of the Revolving Accounts and noted the School Lunch program is always a concern.

Following a discussion of fees last week, Mr. Harris requested a further breakdown of costs. At no time did Mr. Harris intend to pit one activity against another, but only wished to see what was spent on each activity. Mr. Harris feels he still did not get what he requested – a detail of the type of supplies and equipment offered to each participant. His intent is to point out what the district offers and does not offer and what parents are spending.

Mr. Doret felt overall when you add up costs of athletics and music, and you see that there are 2857 participants, and the sum total is 1.3% of the entire budget, you cannot calculate the benefits the students receive in terms of value and maturity. It is part of the curriculum. There is so much benefit from so little money.

Mr. Doret suggested taking the $8400 increase for stipends and dividing that amount into the fee structure. He offered one suggestion that would increase fees from $175 to $186 at the High School and $125 to $134 at the Middle School with a cap. He offered a second suggestion of changing the activity fee to $133 to apply to each participant in the system with no cap. Scholarships would be offered. It takes off the table any subsidy of athletic and music staff. That argument goes away. Mr. Doret added he believes there are other areas that should be looked at for restructuring at a future meeting.

Mr. Tretter requested a spread sheet for the Committee and asked for the administration’s recommendations.

Mr. Jost pointed out when he compiled the information, he was made more aware of the per pupil cost, and felt he should address the matter of bringing more students into the program to make it more cost effective. Ms. DiCarlo also does not wish to see the fees raised.

Mr. Harris’s concern is with parity in equipment families must purchase. He would also like to see what changes can be made in some of the programs. Programs should not lean on the Booster clubs and PTO’s as times get tougher.

At 7:31 p.m. upon a motion by Mrs. Henderson and seconded by Mr. Tretter, the Committee voted unanimously to close the regular meeting.

PUBLIC HEARING

Upon a motion by Mr. Tretter, seconded by Mrs. Levine-Kanji, the Committee voted 5-0 to hold a Public Hearing on the Budget.

Mr. Hendricks spoke to the matter of the stimulus package and the state response to it. He reviewed some of the options for the use of the funds, including transportation, avoiding the funding cliff, strategic investments, and broadband. The Committee discussed the inequities of the Chapter 70 funding distributions and voiced concern about the distribution of the stimulus package.

Mr. Harris inquired whether any member of the audience wished to make a public statement. No one responded.

At 7:45 p.m. upon a motion by Mr. Tretter, seconded by Mrs. Henderson, the Committee voted 5-0 in favor of closing the Public Hearing.

MOTION

A motion was made by Mr. Tretter, seconded by Mrs. Henderson, to reopen the Regular meeting. The Committee voted 5-0 in favor of the motion.

TRANSPORTATION

Mr. Hendricks reported the bus routes have been reviewed for any possible changes. The district has 18 buses at a cost of $45,000 per bus with each bus making three trips on each route. Three noon kindergarten trips will be reduced next year. The state requires transportation be provided for students living more than 2 miles away from a school. If Westborough followed the directive, students would be required to walk across route 9.

Mr. Doret noted the district is free to do whatever it wants with the bus program, since it is not following the state mandates of two miles. Dr. Towle suggested holding public hearings on the matter before the next contract to discuss possible changes. The district now spends $1.2 million dollars on transportation.

The Superintendent reviewed the positions that the administration recommends restoring to the budget due to the additional funding the district is scheduled to receive.

Mrs. Levine-Kanji expressed concern with the staffing for the number of PDD students at the Mill Pond School next year. The numbers will go from 98 this year to 110 next year with a reduction of one teacher. Mrs. Levine-Kanji and the Superintendent had an in-depth discussion regarding the staffing issue which resulted in a difference of opinion on the issue. Dr. Towle feels the staffing is satisfactory for the program.

Mr. Harris asked the Committee for items it wished to have for next week’s budget meeting. Votes will be cast at the April 8 meeting. The Committee requested a copy of class sizes after the proposed staff reductions. It also requested information on the numbers at the High School in the math, science and social studies classes that had a reduction.

School Committee Meeting 4.

April 1, 2009

Mr. Tretter requested the staff reductions be placed in priority order with a rationale as to why a position has been put in or why it has been reduced. Mrs. Henderson asked for the number of staff that will be laid off. Mr. Harris suggested a further reduction in a nurse position be considered which will save the district $48,000, and restore a para position.

MOTION

Mr. Tretter made a motion at 8:30 p.m. to enter Executive Session under Chapter 39, Section 3B, sub paragraph (3) for the purpose of discussing negotiations. Mrs. Levine-Kanji seconded the motion and the Committee voted unanimously in favor by roll call vote.

At 8:52 p.m. the Committee returned to Open Session.

The Committee signed bills. Upon a motion by Mr. Doret, seconded by Mrs. Henderson, at 8:53 p.m. the Committee voted unanimously to adjourn.

Respectfully submitted

Karen Henderson

Secretary

These minutes are as recorded by the secretary to the school committee and do not become an official part of the record until so noted in a subsequent record.