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Page 240 December 15, 1975 The regular meeting of the Lexington School Committee was held at Cthe Jonas Clarke Junior High School on Monday, December 15, 1975 at 8:00 p.m. Those in attendance were: Mesdames Swanson, Berchtold, Messrs. Brown, Rotberg and Wadsworth and student representative Wachman. Also present were Messrs. Spiris, Maclnnes, Monderer, Barstow, Barnes and Miss Quinn. Dr. Martin Kilson, 4 Eliot Road, asked the School Committee to con- PUBLIC sider the possibility that the town may reject the costs for remodeling PARTICIPATION of buildings that have appeared in several school closing reports. He asked the committee if they had specific plans as alternatives in case these are rejected. Mrs. Swanson said the committee hadn't discussed any contingency plans because there are definite original plans. Dr. Rotberg asked Mr. Spiris if the remodeling figure of $70,000. to convert Munroe into an administration building was outdated. Mr. Spiris said the estimates were done in 1967 and are the best available without hiring a consultant. Mrs. Martha Sherff, 1387 Massachusetts Avenue, noticed that differ- ent years for phase out were being discussed. She asked the committee to explain exactly what year Munroe was being considered for phase out. Mrs. Swanson replied that the redistricting committee would recommend a spe- cific year, although next year was a possibility as any other year would be. Mrs. Sherff voiced her concern for the children and not the facility. Mrs. Swanson assured Mrs. Sherff that the committee was also thinking of children as well as space. Dr. Kilson commented again saying that our society (himself included) had allowed money to be spent for bigness in business, bigness in educa- tion. Having been quite willing to do so, he now asked the committee to join with him and many others in considering a new aesthetic--to de- velop a new worth in supporting smallness in education. He said he was willing to give more of his dollar to supporting small neighborhood schools and hoped the committee would consider this alternative aesthetic assumption. Dr. Rotberg, commenting on school facilities, noted the inescapable fact that if we close any schools, other schools will be bigger than they might have been. He said Mr. Brown made a useful suggestion in space utilization at a prior meeting. He hoped the cost savings committee might look at such options as closing the Administration Building and keeping open smaller schools by relocating the Administration functions in sections of larger schools. Mr. Spiris noted it was inadvisable to spread the administration out any further. Mr. Wadsworth then suggested that the cost discussion meeting be re- scheduled to January 5, since time was needed to obtain more data. All members agreed to this suggestion. The minutes of November 24, 1975 were reviewed. It was MINUTES 11/24/75 VOTED: to accept the minutes of November 24, 1975 as amended. (Rotberg, Brown, Unanimous)