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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINAL OS SC Minutes 3.11.14.pdf FINAL Approved 4 8 14 OPEN SESSION MINUTES MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT REGULAR SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING MARCH 11,2014 7 00 PM PAUL REVERE ROOM,MINUTEMAN HIGH SCHOOL Present: Alice DeLuca,Chair(Stow) Kemon Taschioglou(Lincoln) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham) Laura Morrissette(Arlington) Came Flood, Secretary(Concord) Jack Weis(Belmont) Ford Spalding(Dover) Mary Ellen Castagno(Wayland) Cheryl Mahoney(Boxborough) Dave Horton(Lexington) Judy Taylor(Carlisle) Daniel Mazzola(Lancaster)(arrived at 7 08 PM) David Manjarrez(Sudbury)(left at 9 01) Nancy Banks(Acton) David O'Connor(Bolton) Absent Doug Gillespie(Weston) Others Present Ed Bouquillon,Kevin Mahoney,Ernie Houle, Elizabeth Rozan, Diane Dempsey, Sheila Nagle, Deanne Dupont,Julie Kremer,Nancy Pierce(Carlisle Mosquito), Spencer Buell(Arlington Advocate) 1. CALL TO ORDER. OPEN SESSION The Chair called the meeting to order at 7 03 PM The member from Sudbury announced that he was recording the meeting 2. PUBLIC COMMENT The Chair explained the guidelines for Public Comment Julie Kremer,Arlington,representing the Minuteman Parents Association(MPA)explained that the MPA Comedy Night is scheduled for March 22,and she referred to materials sent to the School Committee members on the upcoming Comedy Night,scheduled for March 22,2014 She asked for School Committee support for this event, in the form of attendance,donation,sponsorship,or participating in the auction Deanne Dupont,Arlington,also representing the Minuteman Parents Association, explained how the funds raised are used to benefit the students,by way of grants, scholarships,and efforts to enrich their experience at Minuteman Dave Manjarrez, Sudbury,reported that the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent met with the Sudbury Finance Comnuttee on February 6,2014 He emphasized specific questions and responses related to Minuteman's finances He noted that there will be further discussions on the FY 15 budget and the FY 13 audit 3. STUDENT REPORT There was no student report 4. CHAIR'S REPORT,Alice DeLuca a Response to DManjarrez Communications The Chair called attention to the 2 20 14 correspondence from the Assistant Attorney General,which had been sent in response to blast emails from the Sudbury member She read the correspondence,which can be found as Attachment A,and reiterated the expressed concern for being a recipient,and also the disapproval of the practice The Vice Chair expressed concern about the correspondence from the Sudbury member He explained that the usual practice for a body disseminating information is to have a discussion, engage in extensive editing on a draft,and provide a high quality final document He expressed concern that the usual correspondence from this member is in a blast form,is often insulting,incomprehensible,and accuses other members of not honoring their fiduciary responsibility, to people observing or receiving this,it may appear that this is the School Committee's standard He expressed his concern that the School Committee is being taken less seriously because of this correspondence pattern, and perhaps becoming vulnerable to legal liability He cited examples of inappropriate comments related to the RAAS documents and the Marginal Cost Task Force,and noted that often,out of respect for the right of freedom of speech,the correspondence continues with no response or correction to error The member from Sudbury expressed agreement regarding freedom of speech,and pointed out that his issue is that the tuition enrollment problem has not been on an agenda or debated,and until this is addressed,he will continue to exercise his right of freedom of speech He noted that he recently sent out emails directly to the Chair and to the Vice Chair,and is surprised and disappointed that these were not disseminated to the full School Committee The Chair reiterated that the Attorney General has requested that the practice stop,and that her request speaks for itself A member suggested that the Attorney General's correspondence be submitted to the appointing authority, the Board of Selectmen,the Town Clerk,and Town Counsel in Sudbury,and a motion was made(Manjarrez)and seconded(Banks)to forward to them It was pointed out that some of these people were included as recipients of the correspondence in question There was an expression from the Vice Chair that he would vote against this,as it was not the correct remedy,in his opinion The following vote was taken ACTION 2014#35 Moved(Manjarrez)and seconded(Banks) To submit the Attorney General's correspondence to the appointing authority,the Board of Selectmen,the Town Clerk,and Town Counsel in Sudbury Vote: 2 in favor,13 against The motion did not carry 5 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, Ed Bouquillon a Request for Approval of Overnight Field Trip SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference(SLSC)May 1-3,2014,Marlboro and Upton,MA The Superintendent explained the details of the SkillsUSA field trip request,and gave assurance that it is in full compliance with district requirements He explained,m response to an inquiry,that seats for the opening or closing ceremony are limited It was also clarified that participating students are paying for the trip,Minuteman is sponsoring 6 faculty members,and no administrators are attending overnight The following vote was then taken ACTION 2014#36 Moved(Spalding)and seconded(Mahoney) To approve the overnight field trip to the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference(SLSC),May 1-3,2014 in Marlboro and Upton,MA,as described Vote. Unanimous b. Discussion of Interdistrict Agreements The Superintendent explained that there has been support from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education(DESE)on the concept of an Interdistnct Agreements between the Minuteman district and the sending community's School Committee that would allow for a facility fee to paid for out-of-district students attending Minuteman He explained that DESE will calculate the fee based on that community's participation in the MSBA project,and that cities have a higher level of reimbursement He explained that he is waiting for formal written approval,and has been given assurance from Christine Lynch at DESE that he will have it prior to the 1 s`Town Meeting in Lincoln on 3 29 14 Issues related to the fees were discussed,including DESE setting the fee,how it relates to debt service,how it will be honored over time,the politics involved,being thoughtful about the school, and how Interdistnct Agreements might work in partnered communities,such as Acton-Boxborough or Lincoln- Sudbury,or in the case of a student who might want to come to Mmuteman,but whose community does not have an agreement in place The member from Wayland asked to see the email correspondence related to these discussions, the Superintendent noted that most of the correspondence has been between the MARS Consultant and the Attorney,but that he will look into it Opinions were voiced about DESE as a body,ranging from it needing more wisdom and discernment, to it being fair,transparent,and generous with time,but there being a potential for them to set a facility rate and reduce the tuition rate It was pointed out that DESE will only approve what they can defend,and they are understandably cautious in any precedent-setting measure c Update on Admissions Policy The Superintendent explained the need for an updated Admissions Policy He asked that the Policy Subcommittee set up a meeting in order to review a draft revision to the current Admission Policy in time for the School Committee to consider it for 1St Reading at the April 8 meeting How to assess applications given three categories of students(member students,Interdistrict Agreement students,and students from other non-member communities), and the exploratory program will be under discussion as this policy is developed,and once approved by the School Committee, it will be sent to DESE for approval The Superintendent emphasized that there is not one model that is appropriate for all,but that MAVA is looking at admissions across the state He also noted that admissions through Interdistrict Agreements would be a few years out It was noted that performance is an important factor in determining program assignment, that once a student is enrolled,there is no difference in treatment based on category of admission,and that the goal of the revised Regional Agreement is to encourage communities to join d Update on SOLVED Program The Superintendent explained that there are five communities in the SOLVED program—Medford, Somerville, Cambridge,Waltham,and Boston He explained that the problem with this program is that there are no standards for exploratory programs,and that frameworks must be set for this The program was established in 2003 by former Commissioner Driscoll,and would need to be disapproved by the current Commissioner He noted that the Superintendents in those five communities appear to have been colluding to deny students access to Minuteman DESE has some evidence of this, as well as detail on the parental movement to circumvent the blocks to getting their kids enrolled at Minuteman He explained that because there have been so many calls lately,a meeting of the Legislative Team to discuss issues at Minuteman has been set for Thursday March 13,2014 at 12 30 pm at the State House Issues raised included the need for legislators to become familiar with the issues,to encourage incentives,and to get the best representation of Minuteman's interests A request was made for the invitation so that members could send it to a broad range of legislators,and the Superintendent pointed out that he understood it was not a public meeting, but that he was invited to include a few select people to join him However,he will make inquiries so that any extension of the invitation is done in the right way 6 UPDATE ON REGIONAL AGREEMENT,Ed Bouquillon, Carrie Flood(Chair RAAS) a Administration's Recommendation A motion was made(Flood)and seconded(Spalding)to approve the proposed revision to Section H(Weighted Voting)of the 2 12 14 Draft Regional Agreement The Superintendent explained that it became clear that there were concerns with the way the weighted voting would work,specifically giving Arlington 85 times the weight of a smaller town,and Lexington 36 times based only on 4-year enrollments He pointed out that this was not the intent, and after thinking it through more thoroughly,and after testing the model through past roll call votes and projection of different votes,new language outlining a 50%equal share,and a 50%weighted vote by 4 year rolling average enrollment brought the weight more in line with the intent He noted that the concerns have been addressed in this new language,and that it is an important step The Superintendent reported that this idea was presented at the Municipal Breakfast on 3 7 14,and though widely supported,Arlington representatives were surprised and frustrated by the late change The Chair of the RAAS noted that the only negative she saw with the revised calculation was that it was proposed too late to be discussed by the RAAS before that subcommittee was excused The Vice Chair expressed that while the agreement is not perfect,this voting model provides improved balance for the smaller communities The representative from Sudbury pointed out that at their 2 27 meeting,the Sudbury Finance Committee voted not to recommend the amended Regional Agreement to the Board of Selectmen,and he encouraged that there be some outreach to municipal representatives from Sudbury who weren't at the Municipal Breakfast The member from Arlington expressed her opinion against weighted voting,and against the process She pointed out that the Selectmen and the Finance Committee in Arlington already approved the earlier version,and people are angry that there has been a change She thought it will not make any difference on getting 16 towns to approve it or not The importance of getting feedback first was underscored There was an expression of shock and embarrassment to hear of the change so recently,that it was coming from the administration,and that it was yet another"final" The messiness of the democratic process vs the oligarchic approach was raised Frustration was also voiced about not having representation or participation from all towns right away,not knowing who is in or who is out,and a personal preference for having a 1 person-1 vote and assessments based on the total student population in the town as a means of incenting member communities to send more students to Minuteman Disturbance with both the agreement and the process was underscored The goal of focusing on renovating the school building for the benefit of the students was emphasized ACTION 2014#37 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Horton) To move the question and end debate on the issue Vote• 11 in favor,2 opposed,1 abstention,and 1 out of the room ACTION 2014#38 Moved(Flood)and seconded(Spalding) To approve the proposed revision to Section H(Weighted Voting)of the 2 12 14 Draft Regional Agreement Vote• 8 in favor,5 opposed,1 abstention,and 1 out of the room The new language in Section H is included as Attachment C A new version of the draft Regional Agreement,dated 3 11 14,will incorporate this change It was also noted that the new draft will be disseminated as soon as it is received from Attorney Lenox The member from Belmont asked if those who were opposed to this revision had any thoughts about whether their town would support the revised Regional Agreement The Chair pointed out that it was inappropriate to continue the discussion along those lines 7 ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR FINANCE REPORT,Kevin Mahoney a. Bid Update. Legal Services Contract The Assistant Superintendent noted that the Officers have been working to deliver a recommended finalist for Legal Services,as voted on 12 19 13 An RFP was sent out to firms known for their expertise in specific needed areas Four bids were received from Collings,Loughran&Peloqum Murphy,Hesse,Toomey&Lehane Murphy,Lamere and Murphy,and Stoneman,Chandler&Miller He explained that the Officers met earlier in the day to review these bids,and they decided to interview two firms, Murphy,Hesse,Toomey&Lehane and Murphy,Lamere and Murphy,and will bring a recommendation to the full School Committee b Update on FY 13 Audit The Assistant Superintendent explained that the auditor,Sheryl Stevens-Burke,met with the Finance Subcommittee at their last meeting to review the draft of the management letter and the draft audit report for FY 13 He noted that it was insightful conversation,resulting in some amendments to the Management Letter He explained that the Administration will respond to some of the concerns,and that Ms Stevens-Burke is scheduled to attend the April 8 School Committee meeting to present the FY 13 Audit to the School Committee for their approval c Follow-up on School Committee's 2 11 14 Vote Regarding DManjarrez Request The Assistant Superintendent reported that the request from the Sudbury member to send material to the Auditor had been referred to the Finance Subcommittee,as voted by the School Committee on 2 11 14 to consider if the associated costs were warranted The Chair of the Finance Subcommittee explained that he had asked him to precisely format his questions,and a clear document had not been forthcoming The member from Sudbury noted that the Auditor gave an informative presentation to the Finance Subcommittee and seemed to understand his questions and concerns and addressed many of them during the discussion He extended appreciation to both the Auditor and to Mr Mahoney for this, and that he has recently submitted another more concise document The Finance Subcommittee chair reported that he has yet to see this,but it will be addressed at the next Finance Subcommittee,and that he has no recommendation at this time The member from Wayland requested of Mr Mahoney a breakdown of Wayland student numbers, for up to date head count and enrollment, and he agreed to provide it to her 8. BUILDING PROJECT REPORT,Ford Spalding a Extension of Feasibility Study Agreement,and Contracts with the Operations Project Manager,and Designer The Chair of the School Building Committee gave a brief update,explaining that because the project has slowed down, a revised timeline has been developed which reflects extensions of the Feasibility Study Agreement,the contract with the Operations Project Manager,and the Designer through November 19,2015,and that these extensions do not involve a cost increase(Attachment B) He then asked for the School Committee's approval of these extensions,and the following vote was taken ACTION 2014#39 Moved(Spalding)and seconded(Stulin) To approve the extension of the Feasibility Study Agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA),to approve the extension of the Contract with the Operations Project Manager, and to approve the extension of the Contract with the Designer to November 19,2015 Vote. 13 in favor, 1 opposed,1 abstention The importance of community discussion before any decision is made on the building project was raised,and it was noted that there are 2 opportunities for this in the timeline 9 SECRETARY'S REPORT,Carrie Flood a Approval of Past Open Session Minutes- 2 4 14 and 2 11 14 The Secretary reviewed the technical edits that had been submitted in advance of the meeting,and the following votes were taken ACTION 2014#40 Moved(Spalding)and seconded(Mornssette) To approve the technical edits to the two sets of minutes as presented Vote 13 in favor,2 abstentions ACTION 2014#41 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Mahoney) To approve the Open Session Minutes of 2 4 14 and 2 11 14 as amended Vote- 13 in favor,2 abstentions 10 POSSIBLE EXECUTIVE SESSION The Chair explained that the item to be discussed related to the Superintendent was not Negotiations in Executive Session,but rather an Open Session discussion of his evaluation The Chair further explained that since this was not specified on the agenda for this meeting,it would be postponed until the April 8 meeting Related materials were distributed to School Committee members in preparation for that discussion(Attachment D) She then explained the need for an Executive Session as follows a Approval of Past Executive Session Minutes Pursuant to MG L c 30A,s 22(f)to review,amend,finalize,and approve Executive Session minutes of 2 11 14, and to determine whether continued non-disclosure of such minutes is appropriate,with Ms Rozan remaining,and the Committee not returning to Opens Session The following roll call vote was then taken at approximately 9 00 PM ACTION 2014#42 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(O'Connor) To enter Executive Session as described Mazzola yes Stulin yes Horton yes DeLuca yes Castagno yes Spalding yes Weis yes Mahoney yes Morrissette yes Taylor yes Taschioglou yes Manjarrez no Flood yes Banks yes O'Connor yes Vote- 14 in favor,1 opposed 11 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned after the Executive Session at 9 10 pm Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Rozan Came Flood District School Committee Assistant Secretary ATTACHMENTS TO THE MINUTES OF MARCH 11,2014 A 2 20 14 Correspondence from Assistant Attorney General B Building Project Extensions and Timeline C The new language for Section H D Materials distributed related to Superintendent Evaluation