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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINAL SC Minutes August 11 2020.pdf FINAL MINUTES MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT REGULAR SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING AUGUST 11, 2020 6.30 P.M. VIA REMOTE PARTICIPATION Present. Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca, Secretary(Stow) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Absent None Weighted Vote Weighted Vote present at start of meeting 85 94% Others Present Dr Edward Bouquillon,Dr Robert Gerard',Dr Amy Perreault,Kevin Mahoney, George Clement,Diane Dempsey and Julia Pisegna 1 CALL TO ORDER OPEN SESSION The Chair called the meeting to order at 6 02 p m and thanked all for joining in this meeting 2 ADOPTION OF REMOTE PARTICIPATION VOTE To adopt remote participation by all members of the Minuteman School Committee pursuant to and in accordance with Sections (2) and (3) of the Executive Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law made by the Governor of Massachusetts on March 12, 2020, such adoption to be effective until said Executive Order is rescinded or the Commonwealth's State of Emergency as referenced in said Executive Order, is terminated, whichever happens first ACTION 2020#77 Moved(Stulm)and seconded(Spalding) To approve remote participation VOTE 8 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 85 94% Weight needed >42 97% Names of towns opposing or abstaining none Final percentage results of vote 85 94% Final status of the vote Unanimous 1 Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stuhn,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca, Secretary(Stow) 3 CHAIR'S REPORT,Pam Nourse a For the Good of the Organization Ms Nourse notified members that she will be contacting them to discuss their selection for subcommittee participation Ms Nourse asked Committee members to plan for additional School Committee meetings for September and October Ms Nourse asked audience members to add their questions to the chat and shared that Dr Bouquillon will be hosting a town hall meeting for parents in the near future Mr Stulin thanked the administration and faculty for all their efforts during this uncertain and challenging times (Ms Leone joined the meeting at 6 35 p m) 4 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT,Dr Edward Bouquillon a Fall Re-Opening of School VOTE To approve the Minuteman's Fall 2020 Reopening Plan Dr Bouquillon shared an updated version of the Fall 2020 Reopening Plan presentation and discussed the recent health updates and metrics received by the Governor and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education which have been incorporated into this version of the presentation, and reiterated that health and safety is the number one priority and that the Distnct will not hesitate to shift to full remote if required. To date,on average,the State of Massachusetts is 1.8%positivity rate,and our District towns are at the low end of the scale. Dr Bouquillon noted that we will adhere to all State guidelines,continue to consult with the Department of Public Health, monitor the average daily case rate, and the metric that districts will follow moving from one model to the next, and noted that all guidelines have been added to the District website The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will continue to provide additional metric information to districts and individual town information Dr Bouquillon further described the health and safety precautions put into place • all staff and students will be required to wear masks, • additional health office is in place, • additional school nurse on staff, 2 • internal tracking system in place, and • school-specific symptom metric has been lowered from 4%to 3%with only having one grade in the school at a time equates to eight or nine students Three measures of data that will be taken into consideration for possible closing include positivity rate, rates per 100,000 and symptoms Dr Bouquillon also noted that only visitors invited into the school will be allowed in and will be required to fill out a form provided by the school nurse Dr Bouquillon reviewed the transportation information noting that busses will be limited to 25 students per bus, and the white busses will have a limit of seven students Masks will be required on the bus and will be provided by the bus driver if needed for any student,windows on the bus will remain open, and busses will be cleaned after both the morning and afternoon trip Reporting on facilities protocols,Dr Bouquillon shared that the entire building will be deep cleaned once per day,with ongoing cleaning of high touch points throughout the day Minuteman Technical Institute will be opening with a reduced capacity Personal protective equipment and plexiglass shields have been purchased, floor signage has been put in place to direct pedestrian traffic, and furniture and classrooms have been reorganized to sustain 3-6 feet of physical distance Hand sanitizers and paper towel dispensers have been installed in all bathrooms, and the air blower systems will no longer be utilized The parent survey yielded approximately 500 responses, with 93% supporting the hybrid mode1,78% were comfortable with the full in-person model, 75% of students will utilize bus transportation, and 5% of students responded that they will utilize a full all-remote model option and the District is prepared to do so The staff town hall meeting was held, and the teacher survey yielded approximately 89%responses with 47 staff comments and a majonty expressing an eagerness to return to work Comments included safety, health, and safeguards protocols put into place Staff who wish additional accommodations will speak directly to Dr Bouquillon and Human Resources Childcare was an issue raised by staff members The Commissioner requested superintendents to allow K-8 public school children of parents who teach in a community different from their resident to have the option of keeping their children in their own school full-time should their community adopt a hybrid model or a fuller remote model Dr Bouquillon expects more details in the near future to provide to staff members He is also looking at the possibility of offenng options Minuteman might be able to provide Dr Bouquillon then reviewed all three models presented to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education— full remote, in-person, and a hybrid of both explaining the highlights of each plan and the potential costs involved. Mr O'Connor inquired about MAVA and any plans they might be offering for vocational schools,or the possibility of aligning with Middlesex Community College for AP courses and programs Dr Bouquillon shared that teachers from all programs came together to discuss best practices and common themes in providing online and remote learning, as well as work being done on the national level Dr Bouquillon shared that he will be on a national podcast presenting on best practices and considerations for safely opening career technical education Dr Bouquillon responded that there are currently seven students taking AP courses and getting credit at Middlesex Community College and those courses will still be offered under the hybrid model 3 Ms Crocker thanked Dr Bouquillon and staff for all their hard work in putting these plans together and for lowering the symptomatic rate to 3%, and commented on the great return of the parent survey, and asked whether staff had any preference on how they would like to come back to school Dr Bouquillon shared that there was a large support for the hybrid model,and staff had an opportunity for their questions to be answered at the town hall staff meeting held last evening. The main issue that remains is childcare Ms DeLuca shared that the Commissioner discussed the definition of community relative to moving one model to another model and asked about the guidance received and the status on rapid or pool testing Dr Bouquillon responded that there has not been any information on increased level of testing for teachers, and the combination of the positivity rate being less than 5% and the color-coded metrics are the two metrics that will be relied on to provide additional guidance He also noted that the plans submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are subject to change Ms DeLuca shared that her interpretation of the Commissioner's response was that the deadline of Friday, August 14th, would be extended due to the fact that he had not provided guidance for regional, charter or vocational schools Dr Bouquillon shared that the guidance will inform our shift from one model to the next model Ms Nourse asked if there was a process in place to change the plan after it is submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Dr Bouquillon responded that we control the district and will make the changes as the data and science direct us forward Mr. Stulin shared that he is very pleased the data is being utilized to form our decision and is comfortable voting with the model, acknowledging there will always be risks, and that the plan is subject to change. Responding to an inquiry from Mr O'Connor, Dr Bouquillon shared that it is the parent's option to request full remote learning, and he has spoken to families regarding the impact of that, explaining that CTE hands-on learning will be suppressed if fully remote, noting that freshman parents had the most questions He shared that the school has purchased additional tools to assist with online learning for CTE Dr Bouquillon also reported that attendance will be tracked, and any student showing symptoms will be sent home Snow days will now count as teaching days because remote capacity is so high Teachers will also have the capacity to teach remotely on snow days Dr Bouquillon confirmed that there will be a parent town hall meeting, but no date has been scheduled as of yet, as work continues on the details of the calendar and schedule Ms DeLuca shared that while she feels better about the plan noting that many items have improved, she asked if it was necessary to vote at this time as additional guidance is forth coming Dr Bouquillon confirmed that he is comfortable voting on this and is asking the Committee to do the same, and shared that he believes it is important for families and staff to know that the model that we have developed has been approved by majority of the School Committee The model is sound, follows and exceeds the guidelines in many places, and that both parents and staff are comfortable with the model He believes that the Governor and the Commissioner are being conservative when taking into consideration all of the data 4 Mr Spalding shared that he is ready to vote on the plan at this time, and that the plan has been worked on diligently, accepted by the community, and more importantly, families and teachers need to know what the plan is, all subject to change, and implores the Committee to move ahead to support the administration,families, students and staff and put a plan in place Ms. Leone asked for confirmation that a vote on this plan tonight means the plan may still change, and Dr Bouquillon confirmed that the plan can be changed Mr O'Connor reiterated the importance of committing to a plan so that the administration has a plan in place Dr Bouquillon stated that families have the flexibility to shift at any time Ms Dempsey,President of the Faculty Association,shared that she has been working with Dr Bouquillon and the administration has worked together on this She noted that the members had their own survey and the decision was split on whether they feel comfortable with the plan to reopen After a group meeting and the town hall meeting with Dr Bouquillon, many questions were answered regarding safety and childcare,as well as equity between the vocational staff and CTE staff She also noted that their representative from the Massachusetts Teachers Association supports this updated version of the reopening plan and the safety of our teachers, specifically due to the new building and the phased-in approach with grades one at a time. She also mentioned that the small number of teachers with further concerns will meet with Dr Bouquillon individually, and that he is open to heanng all concerns and making accommodations There was a further discussion on the motion Mr Ruderman moved the question,then withdrew There was further discussion about adding language to the motion ACTION 2020#78 Moved(Leone)and seconded(Crocker) To amend the motion to add the words"understanding that it may need adjustments" Amendment VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote. 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) 5 Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) Main motion ACTION 2020#79 Moved(Leone)and seconded(Crocker) To approve the fall reopening plan,understanding that it may need adjustments, as amended VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote. Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) Dr Bouquillon shared that aligned with that vote, would be approval of the school calendar with 170 days, 935 learning hours, and a start date for new teachers of August 31St, which includes 10 days of professional development,and noted that this calendar has been reviewed with the administration and the union Dr Bouquillon noted that the vacation schedule in February and April balances and is subject to change ACTION 2020#80 Moved(Leone)and seconded(LeDoux) To approve the school calendar for 2020-2021, as presented VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous 6 Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stuhn,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) Ms Nourse thanked the administration and the faculty for all their collaboration,as well as the thoughtful insight from Committee members b MMRVSD Athletic Fields Proiect—Ford Spalding Mr Spalding provided Committee members with a building update as follows • Completion date of all punch list items by August 21St, • All contamination issues will be completed by August 13t, • Installation of a cable tray in the theatre is scheduled for August 18th, • Final commission is set to be complete by the end of the month, • Final Certificate of Occupancy is expected to amve the week of August 17th', and • The School Building Committee will remain in place until the MSBA signs off on the project and during the athletic fields project Mr Spalding then presented to Committee members a PowerPoint on the athletic fields project noting that after the recent building meeting, the anticipated amount balance from the project is an estimated $3 8 million,with final confirmation of the figures anticipated soon Mr Spalding noted that the School Committee will vote on the final expenditures after all bids are received Mr Spalding then highlighted the project scope reduction,design considerations,base bid scope detailing Alternate No 1-No 6, as well as the additional project scope reduction considerations depending on the impact of the remedy for the current soil issue,and that additional reductions in the scope may be required to maintain project budget Mr. Spalding noted that this presentation is for informational purposes for Committee members. Mr Ruderman requested information from potential tenants (lessees) as to their interest and potential revenue Mr Spalding will forward that information onto Mr Ruderman Mr Spalding noted that under the COVID circumstances, it is hard to predict sports, but noted there is a great deal of interest in field rentals and space Mr Stulin asked there is confidence that the numbers discussed are expected to be in the ballpark of the bids Mr Spalding confirmed that KBA has expenence in field projects, and they feel comfortable, and Mr Spalding shared that he is optimistic Ms Nourse thanked Mr Spalding and the team for all the work put into the athletic fields project 7 5 DIRECTOR OF FINANCE REPORT, Dr Robert Gerardi a Approval of FY21 Transfers Dr Gerardi recommended approval of the FY21 transfers, noting that as part of the year-end strategy, $307,000 of savings used to purchase$207,000 of loose AV equipment for the theater,and the remainder is a contingency to offset potential FY21 reductions in state aid or other COVID related expense not covered by grants Ms. Leone asked about the entry of $180,000, and Dr Gerardi explained that was for the proactive advance purchase of 1.1 computer equipment Dr Gerardi explained to Mr Ruderman that the 1 1 computers are the laptop devices provided to all incoming students VOTE: To approve of FY21 transfers, as presented ACTION 2020#81 Moved(Leone)and seconded(Spalding) To approve the FY21 transfers,as presented VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote. Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) b Approval of Monthly Donations Dr Gerard' recommended approval of the donation of the 2019 General Motors pick-up truck from Massachusetts Bay Community College and General Motors VOTE• To approve the donation of the 2019 General Motors pick-up truck from Massachusetts Bay Community College and General Motors, as presented ACTION 2020#82 Moved(Leone)and seconded(LeDoux) To approve the donation of the 2019 General Motors pick-up truck from Massachusetts Bay Community College and General Motors, as presented 8 VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed. > 50.00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulm,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) c Approval of 1 1 Computer Surplus Items Dr Gerardi recommended approval of the list of surplus 1 1 computers that no longer have the capability to perform adequately on the District's network Mr Stulin asked when these 1 1 computers are purchased,the lifespan expected is four years, noted that Creative Cloud requires an extensive amount of processing power,and inquired as to how these computers are inadequate for student needs Dr Gerardi confirmed that their lifespan is 4-5 years,and that his understanding is that these computers will no longer run on our network VOTE. To approve the list of 1 1 computer as surplus items ACTION 2020#83 Moved(LeDoux)and seconded(Leone) To approve the list of 1 1 computer surplus items, as presented VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote. 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) 9 Jeff Stuhn,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) d Presentation of the PERAC audit of the Minuteman Retirement System-January 1,2014 to December 31 2017 Mr Mahoney described the Minuteman Retirement System, which includes 48 active employees and approximately 42 retired employees, and provided Committee members a copy of the recent audit, and noted the finding of the audit relative to compensation of stipends to retirement board members for service on the Board, and the corrective action from the audit is a recommendation to authorize a stipend of $3,000/year be paid to the Minuteman Retirement Board members pursuant to MGL ch 32, sec 20(6) Mr Ruderman noted that the audit ended December 31, 2017 and inquired if the standard audit is two years behind the present, with Mr Mahoney responding that for the PERAC audit does have a 4-year cycle and that due to staffing changes, they are behind but reported that our annual auditors, Melanson and Heath, also reviews the retirement system to verify it is being reported on our financial statements. Mr Ruderman asked about the unfunded liability of 14%and how that compares to other small retirement accounts Mr Mahoney responded that our funded ratio is currently 88 3%, and that we rank in the top 3%in the Commonwealth Ms DeLuca recalled a time when we were at 100%, and Mr Mahoney responded noting that this takes into consideration events over the past couple years and that we have not lost much ground as compared to other systems in the Commonwealth Ms Leone asked if we are required to show that it is fully funded, and Mr Mahoney responded that PERAC will send a funding schedule to fully fund them by the year 2040, and each year the District appropriates a line item for that share of the assessment, as well as funding sources from employee deductions and interest income Mr LeDoux reiterated Mr Mahoney's comments relative to systems being fully funded due to recent events VOTE The Minuteman Regional VTSD School Committee confirms reconfirms its 1996 acceptance of the provisions of MGL c 32, 2 20(b)and approves payment of the stipend of$3,000 per that provision to all Minuteman Regional VTSD Retirement Board members ACTION 2020#84 Moved(Leone)and seconded(Stulin) The Minuteman Regional VTSD School Committee confirms reconfirms its 1996 acceptance of the provisions of MGL c 32,2 20(b) and approves payment of the stipend of$3,000 per that provision to all Minuteman Regional VTSD Retirement Board members as presented VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous 10 Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) 6. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS a Policy Subcommittee Update—Alice DeLuca Policies for Review 1. Advisory Subcommittee and Taskforce Members—Policy BDEX VOTE. To approve the Advisory Subcommittee and Taskforce Members Policy BDEX for Second Reading, as presented Ms DeLuca responded to previous questions regarding the title of the policy and the code,and noted that those have been added to the document and recommended approval of Advisory Subcommittee and Taskforce Members—Policy BDEX ACTION 2020#85 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Leone), To approve the Advisory Subcommittee and Taskforce Members Policy BDEX for Second Reading, as presented VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote. 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulm,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) 11 7. SECRETARY'S REPORT,Alice DeLuca a Approval of Draft Minutes of July 14,2020 VOTE To approve the draft minutes of July 14,2020, as presented ACTION 2020#86 Moved(Leone)and seconded(Spalding), To approve the draft minutes of July 14, 2020, as presented VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present. 91 28% Weight needed >45 64% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 91 28% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulm,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow)Abstain 8.ADJOURNMENT There being no further business,the School Committee took the following vote ACTION 2020#87 Moved(Stulm)and seconded(Leone) To adjourn the meeting at 7 55 p m VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed. > 50% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Dave O'Connor(Bolton) Steve LeDoux(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone (Lancaster) Judith Crocker(Lexington) 12 Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Alice DeLuca(Stow) Respectfully submitted, Julia Pisegna Alice DeLuca District Assistant Secretary 13