2008-01-23-SC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Cary Hall Auditorium 1605 Massachusetts Avenue Present: Superintendent Paul Ash, School Committee Chair Tom Diaz, School Committee Members Helen Cohen, Margaret Coppe, Tom Griffiths, Ravi Sakhuja and student representative Gabe Schonfeld. The minutes were taken by Leora Tec. The meeting was convened at 7:42 I. Call to Order and Welcome (Tom Diaz) II. Public Comment Leora Tec: Our kids should be taught about racism. Also, what can we do about things being stolen from the gym lockers in the high school? III. Superintendent's Announcements A. At the Board of Education meeting they voted to approve part of our kindergarten planning grant of up to $225K dollars to plan for full day kindergarten for next fall. Second step in the process would be to apply for an implementation grant of$15K per classroom of full day kindergarten. We expect additional $500K will be necessary. We need to first fund the level service budget. We cannot afford $500K. I am committed to this goal. We have the planning grant. Can we do something between zero classrooms and full implementation? Perhaps we do a pilot program. IV. Members' Reports /Members' Concerns Tom Diaz: Thanks to those who organized the MLK day celebration. Tom Griffiths and I went to the Appropriation Committee Meeting about using $461K of free cash to balance the budget—they voted to do that 6-1. Mary Ellen Dunn and other budget officials found that if the governor's budget were to prevail Lexington would get $860K($260K or $270K more than in the current budget) in chapter 70 aid. We should have a plan on what to do with it. Senator Marzilli said the governor is making an effort to fund the circuit breaker at the full 75%. Governor has proposed a 1.5 million increase in METCO aid. Tom Griffiths: Appropriation Committee—Their approval of the $461K reduces both Town and school budget gaps. The question going around: should the town and school budgets be cut to support a I million dollar contribution to the stabilization fund? There is already $5.5 million in it. Should we invest there and sacrifice education? SC 1/23/08 page# 1