1995-01-05-AC-MIN.pdf - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1995 COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, 7:30 PM Present: P Lapointe, C Coughlin, M Miley, J Pagett, R Borghesani, L Peck, M Mairson, R Neumeier, R Leone, J Ryan * MOTION to accept minutes of December 14, 1994 as amended, UNANIMOUS * Next meeting will be joint meeting with BOS, SC, CEC on January 9, 1995 * Next regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 1995 * P Lapointe will attempt to have Dr. Young and a representative of the SC attend the meeting on January 19th. All AC questions should be done in advance through C Coughlin * P Lapointe discussed the breakfast meeting held on December 23, 1994. It was attended by a representative from each major board as well as R Caldwell from TMMA * TMMA has sent a letter to BOS expressing disappointment in their feeling that the BOS has not fulfilled its charge under Article 31. TMMA apparently feels that more information could be made available now without anyone committing themselves * Town Manager's budget message apparently answered some questions * P Lapointe and C Coughlin discussed their meeting with J Young and J Dini held on January 5, 1995. Discussed were Article 31, technology plan, middle school bulge and special education. Items driving special education are tutors (under funded), transfer of costs from consultants to employees, early childhood (pre-school) and migration. * School department appears to be reluctant to look at special education in a similar fashion as the method used to help solve the health insurance issue * The cost of health insurance for tutors has not been factored into the school budget for Fy 95 or Fy 96 * School request for Fy 96 lists special education costs on pages 7 & 8. Page 32 of the Superintendent's request indicates special education costs to be in the area of$ 6,000,000 * P Lombard is scheduled to discuss special education at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 1995 * R Leone discussed special education. Why does Lexington have 16-18% of student population in special education when Andover is at 11% ? What is the cost as adjusted per student. General discussion on special education followed. Many questions and few answers * R Leone led discussion on the Principles adopted by the AC. The principles are to be the criteria upon which appropriation requests are to be evaluated. They are not intended to be a forum for second guessing and are not to be used to express a political philosophy on a particular issue. The seven (7) criteria or goals were cribbed from Harvard University. The principles were well received by the AC and members expressed feeling that the final version was well done * AC should test the principles with the technology request * J Pagett felt that negativism should be eliminated and revise the principles into a more positive statement