Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinal OSMinutes 10.16.12.pdf Final Approved 11 13 12 MINUTES MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 16,2012 6.30 pm PAUL REVERE ROOM,MINUTEMAN HIGH SCHOOL Present: Alice DeLuca, Chair(Stow) Kemon Taschioglou(Lincoln) Jeff Stulm,Vice-Chair(Needham) Laura Momssette(Arlington) Came Flood, Secretary(Concord) Dore Hunter(Acton) Cheryl Mahoney(Boxborough) Jack Weis(Belmont) (arrived 6 45 pm) Peter Farmer(Lancaster) Mary Ellen Castagno(Wayland) David Manjarrez(Sudbury) David Horton(Lexington) Solomon Rubin(Student Rep) Absent. John Blyzmskyj (Weston) Ford Spalding(Dover) Don Rober(Carlisle) Others Present: Attorney Matt Tobin, Elizabeth Rozan,Ernie Houle,Kris Luoto,Diane Hunter,Came Bernstein, Connie Maynard,Diane Dempsey, Gene DiPaolo,John Skagstrom,Richard Repucci,Julie Kennin I. OPEN SESSION. CALL TO ORDER The Chair called the meeting to order at 6 35 pm, and the following vote was taken by roll call vote of the members present ACTION 2012#160 Moved(Stalin)and seconded(Hunter) To enter into Executive Session pursuant to Purpose 3 (MGL c 30A, s 21 (a) (3)),to consider a grievance filed pursuant to the Committee's collective bargaining agreement with the Minuteman Faculty Association,when an open meeting would have a detnmental effect on the bargaining position of the Committee,with Attorney Tobin,Dr Bouquillon, and Ms Rozan to remain present and to return to Open Session at approximately 7 00 pm Maniarrez yes Taschioglou yes Farmer yes Morrissette yes Mahoney yes Hunter yes DeLuca yes Castagno yes Stulm yes Horton yes Flood yes Unanimous,with 11 members present At the close of the Executive Session,the Committee resumed Open Session at 8 10 pm 2. PUBLIC COMMENT Bob McLaughlin from the Belmont Warrant Committee called attention to the letter from Belmont, written as a result of a meeting held between Town of Belmont representatives,Dr Bouquillon, and Mr Spalding, and noted his perspective that it represented a good compromise 3. STUDENT REPORT,Solomon Rubin,Student Representative Mr Rubin reported on the lunch program,the new student group called Student Voices, the student elections, and the visible building improvements In response to questions,he explained that while the quality is better in the lunch options,the portions are small and vegetarian options are insufficient,that Student Voices is a subcommittee of the School Council intended as a means for students to express their concerns He also noted that he does feel listened to by the administration 4. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT, Ed Bouquillon,Superintendent a Experiential Report. Parents of Students from Academy of College Excellence Program The Superintendent noted that this item was being postponed,due to a death in a staff member's family However, one parent, Chris Dube from Lexington,was present and was invited to speak He explained that he was very impressed by this program and that it was a great fit for his son,Graham Fortier Dube, who is an experiential learner He highlighted the overall expenence of taking the train into Boston, meeting at Northeastern with great faculty, and having the richness and success that such a program focused on STEM involves He expressed how glad he is that his son has this opportunity He explained that the summer course went well, and the next course will be spent half time on campus and half time on line, and he pointed out that Northeastern is a leader in cooperative education,which is very beneficial to these students. It was explained that through this opportunity,provided through the Race to the Top(RTTT)connection, this early college model allows a student to earn 15 college credits Minuteman has three students in this program,which involves 7 other schools Mr Rubin,who is one of the three students,explained that the course involve TC/IP (Transmission Control/Internet Protocol),web design, and mainframe networking b. Overnight Field Trip. Skills USA students to attend State Leadership Conference in Marlborough,MA,November 18-20,2012 Mr Houle explained the details of this trip(Attachment A),that there are approximately 12 students attending and 2 advisors, and that this is the first kick-off for Skills USA activities He emphasized that this is a great experience for the kids, and in response to a question about why an overnight is needed when the venue is relatively close-by,he explained that the schedule is full,with every minute utilized for activities running into the late evening The following vote was then taken ACTION 2012 #161 Moved(Flood)and seconded(Morrissette) To approve the Overnight Field Trip for the Skills USA students to attend State Leadership Conference in Marlborough,MA,November 18-20,2012 Vote: Unanimous(with 11 people present) c. Update on Principal Appointment The Superintendent reported that while he had presented a timeline for the appointment,it turned out that this appointment was an internal process He explained that Mr Houle had support from the faculty,the staff,and the parents, and he appointed him as Principal of Minuteman High School He also explained that Jill Asser was appointed to the Community Education Director position She formerly served as the Youth Coordinator, and that position has not been refilled d. Staffing Report The Superintendent reviewed the Staffing Report for the period ending October 12,2012(Attachment B) Regarding the Director of Educational Technology,he expressed his confidence in the new hire's technical skills and experience to move in the direction of IT and integration of technology with the learning environment He also noted that to address the concerns raised about the use of funds outlined in the Technology Plan,the new hire will give a report once on board He addressed questions related to the staffing associated with the EMT program, and related to exit interviews e. Status Report: Grants The Superintendent gave a summary of recent grant activity,referring to competitive grants such as the Regionalization Study Fund Grant, Mass Life Science Grant,and a Depai liuent of Labor grant He pointed out that these are new sources of funds,and are not listed in the budget book He also pointed out that the Community Innovation Challenge grant has nearly doubled for next year The date for application has been moved to November, and his staff is looking into applying f.Discussion: Belmont Letter of 9.17.12 The order of the agenda was adjusted to address the Belmont Letter before the Tell Mass Survey results The Superintendent explained that he and Ford Spalding had attended a meeting with the Selectmen,the Warrant Committee, and the Capital Planning Committee of the Town of Belmont,related to the Feasibility Study and Model enrollment He explained the numbers in the MSBA enrollment certification and that MSBA has made clear that anything different would require a 100% supplemental cost on our own. He summarized Belmont's letter of 9.17.12(Attachment C) and that he had provided a copy of the letter to the Attorneys The Belmont School Committee representative distributed the MSBA and MMRSD Project Timeline (Attachment D) Belmont's letter asks the Region to commit to a process that would required unanimous agreement as expressed by the Board of Selectmen or chief executive officer of each member town in support of a preferred alternative for the size of the renovated school, such agreement to be achieved pnor to entering the Schematic Design phase,Module 4 on the project time line It was noted that all communities are concerned with the right size for the school,but several members raised concerns about the process laid out in Belmont's letter The approval process and conditions of previous votes were raised The benefit of getting community buy in early on,that Belmont's compromise position represents an opportunity for buy in, and the need for 100%buy in were raised. The need for cost estimates was emphasized,as was the need to identify other factors that should be considered in the process that goes along with recommending a particular school size A question was raised as to whether Belmont would be willing to pay for a share of the cost of performing additional studies necessary to reach the appropriate recommendation The Belmont School Committee representative responded that his community is concerned about paying for design of a project that would not be approved,but that he did not see the extra study costs as a stumbling block. A motion was made (Taschioglou)and seconded(Mahoney)to turn the letter over to District Counsel for review and to report back at the November 13 School Committee meeting It was clarified that this would not be a request for a biased opinion,but rather advice on the positive and negatives of the implications, as several members found Belmont's letter ambiguous in terms of expectations The need for a clear interpretation was emphasized The possibility of not sending the letter to the Attorneys,but rather simplifying the process described in the letter was suggested It was pointed out that the idea that the letter is to have a meeting of the minds on school size before spending money on a design that may never be approved and built Pursuing the spirit of the letter,but getting rid of the legal implications,was suggested, as"lawyenng up" is often a sign of trouble Concern was raised that the letter reads like a formal contract, and to sign off on the agreement would suggest existence of a formal contract The sentiment that the spirit of the letter—to pause before making a final decision—was a good idea,but the process by which interim agreement would be achieved and whether it would be legally binding remained in question A motion was made to move the question and end debate ACTION 2012 #162 Moved(Mornssette) and seconded(Stulin) To move the question and end the debate Vote. 7 for, 5 opposed (This motion did not carry as a 2/3 vote(8 in favor)was necessary.) The discussion continued A member expressed agreement with the"lawyering up" sentiment,and pointed out that it would seem to indicate a lack of trust, he pointed out that his town supports this approval suggestion, and to reject it is to reject the town Another concern was raised about what Belmont would do if Minuteman rejected this request Litigation was one possibility It was suggested that Belmont recall the letter and resubmit it in a less formal way Submitting it to the attorney for consideration was again suggested It was reiterated that while the Committee as a whole may agree with the spirit of the letter,but being presented with a document with"conditions"stalls the process It was emphasized that all towns have the ability to stop the project. That the letter jump-starts the conversation was raised,as was concern for non-action over the last few years The Belmont representative noted that he is looking for a vote that binds the district,not to kill the project,and explained that Belmont's position is against authorizing the expenditure of$725K for schematic designs without having had an opportunity to weigh the options It was noted that ideally16 communities should agree on the scope of work before this money is spent. Concern was expressed that there has not been a discussion about the enrollment study and the scope of the project, and that a binding vote is necessary The role of the OPM in providing information was underscored The following vote was then taken to move the question ACTION 2012 #163 Moved(Mahoney) and seconded( Stulin) To move the question and end debate Vote. 10 in favor, 1 opposed(with one member out of the room) The following vote was then taken on the main motion. ACTION 2012 # 164 Moved(Taschioglou)and seconded(Mahoney) To turn the letter over to District Counsel for judgment and to report back at the November 13 School Committee meeting Vote: 8 in favor,4 opposed(with 12 members present) g Update on Action Related to Tell Mass Survey Results The Superintendent gave a presentation related to the Tell Mass Survey Results(Attachment E) Focusing on how to use data to improve schools,he reviewed the guiding attitudes towards data,the Tell Mass responses,the focus on supporting students first,the administration response,the Executive Team objectives and goals, as well as the process for analyzing concerns He articulated that vanous data sources are reviewed internally, including the Superintendent's evaluation instrument, and pointed out the School Committee's"Do Not Know"responses in that instrument He then reviewed the five articulated standards and the overall rating in each ACTION 2012# 165 Moved(Mahoney) and seconded(Hunter) To continue the meeting past 10 pm Vote• 9 in favor,3 opposed The various data sources,comparisons with a subset of vocational schools, sharing best practices, overall input and ongoing improvement were raised. The role of the School Committee in answering the questions on the evaluation was discussed, and it was acknowledged that many felt unprepared to answer some questions The idea that different state agencies have different and potentially conflicting agendas was noted, as was the obligation to comply regardless 5. DISCUSSION OF 2011-12 SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION RESULTS The section of the Superintendent's contract related to evaluation was noted, and it was pointed out that he may attach a response,not that he must or will The question was raised about what was to be accomplished in this discussion,and it was determined that it was an opportunity for members to express publicly the concerns they had raised in the written evaluations(Attachment F),which are on the website The Wayland representative expressed concerns that the instrument was time consuming and not user friendly She referred to limitations and irregularities with the free text, specifically that when the completed form is printed out, only the first two or three lines of comments that are typed onto the free text boxes are seen on the printout She had concerns in two areas 1 ) Communication between the Superintendent and the School Committee and the Superintendent and the Towns,and 2)the need for transparency so that she does not have to go to a regulatory agency to get information she needs as a Committee member that has been withheld or denied by the Superintendent. The Sudbury representative expressed that one of the Superintendent's goals was to increase member town enrollment by 5% He felt that this was an example of a poor goal,not quantified The Superintendent responded that the District is moving towards creating SMART goals,which encourage more specific metrics He was asked for his reaction to the School Committee's evaluation responses, and he noted that he is taking them to heart He also noted the challenge of adapting to various expectations that may differ from one community to another 6. BUDGET REPORT,Jeff Stulin, Chair,Budget and Warrant Review Subcommittee Due to the lateness of the hour, and the number of items that needed to be addressed this evening,the Chair asked if there was any objection to moving things out of order and tabling some items for a later meeting Hearing none,the item on Revolving Funds was addressed first a. Revolving Funds FY 13 Mr. Luoto explained the major fund categories in the FY 13 Revolving Funds Report(Attachment G), and addressed specific items in these categories for clanfication The following vote was then taken ACTION 2012# 166 Moved(Stulm)and seconded(Mornssette) To approve the FY 13 Revolving Funds Report as presented Vote. 10 in favor, 1 abstention(with 1 member out of the room) b Disposal of Surplus Unused Items It was explained that this list was a result of the closing of the Graphics Communication program The items are in the Design and Visual Communications (DVC)program area The following vote was then taken ACTION 2012 # 167 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Mornssette) To approve the disposal of surplus unused items, dated 10 16 12,according to current procurement laws,as noted below 10.16 12 Equipment to be removed from DVC 26-1K Mercury Exposure System Model#26-1K-8LC Senal#8LC-L91-076 No Asset Tag found GAM Digital Densitometer Model#126P Serial#773177B Asset Tag 3415 Epson Stylus Printer (includes, RIP,keyboard, ink cartridges,paper and manuals) Model#FR09000 Serial#G00065352 No Asset Tag found Bell&Howell Baum folder Model#3PAR 20x26 Serial#NJ4173 Asset Tag 09011 Challenger Paper Drill Model#RKH Serial#38689 Asset Tag 08766 Other items (not equipment)that also can be removed are listed below. Sink(water is shut off) Exhaust System Lockout/Tag out Kit Safety Storage Cabinet for Flammable Liquids(no liquids are inside) Life saving fire blanket Emergency stop buttons(two inside computer lab&two outside) Eye Wash Station Many sheets of 2'x 3'water damaged paper Vote: Unanimous c Report on 10.3 12 Health Care Trust Meeting,Kris Luoto,Business Office Manager Mr Luoto gave a brief report on the 10 3 12 Health Care Trust meeting,noting that there were no votes taken,but that an interim treasurer is to be named,as Ms Lamica had served in that role The Health Care Trust will talk about next steps at the meeting which is scheduled for October 24 Two items under the Budget Report, a review of budget process timeline for FY 2013 and a report on legal expenses,were postponed until next meeting 7. POLICY REPORT, Cheryl Mahoney, Chair,Policy Subcommittee Ms Mahoney gave a brief report,noting that two draft policies were at the table for a take home review Policy BE(School Committee Meetings and Open Meeting Law) and Policy BBA(By Laws). She noted that both contained the addition of language suggested by Counsel, and will be on the November meeting agenda for a vote of 1st reading To facilitate the process of policy review,the following motion was made ACTION 2012 #168 Moved(Weis) and seconded(Stulin) To authorize the Policy Subcommittee to use discretion to make non-substantive editorial changes without the use of the Excel Spreadsheet Vote: 9 in favor,2 abstentions (with 1 member out of the room) 8 BUILDING PROJECT REPORT, Ed Bouquillon for Ford Spalding, Chair, School Building Committee a. Update on OPM Process The Superintendent gave an update on the selection process to date,noting that on October 10, approximately 20 people attended the informational site visit, and proposals are due on October 17 The OPM Selection Subcommittee will be meeting to review the proposals and formulating a short list of candidates on October 22, and will be conducting interviews on November 1 They will make their recommendation to the full School Building Committee on November 5, and bnng the recommendation to the full School Committee on November 13 b Follow up to 9 1812• Appointment of Interim Chief Procurement Officer As a follow up to the discussion on 9 18 12,the Superintendent recommended Don Lowe, an MCPPO certified member of the School Building Committee, as the Interim Chief Procurement Officer, and the following vote was taken. ACTION 2012 #169 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Flood) To appoint Don Lowe to serve as Interim Chief Procurement Officer,with MCPPO certification,who will meet all MSBA requirements and/or other legal requirements for the position, effective 11.7.12. Vote. Unanimous c Appointment of Kris Luoto to serve on School Building Committee The Superintendent offered a recommendation to appoint Kris Luoto to serve as a voting member of the School Building Committee, effective immediately, and the following vote was taken ACTION 2012 #170 Moved(Stulm)and seconded(Flood) To appoint Kris Luoto to serve as a voting member of the School Building Committee, effective immediately Vote: 10 in favor,2 abstentions d. Follow-up. Marginal Cost Exploration Task Force,Jeff Stulin Mr Stulin presented an Executive Summary of the Marginal Cost Exploration Task Force, as noted in Attachment H He noted the timeliness of this report,as the state is pressuring the Commissioner to reduce out of district tuition He noted that he would like to send materials to the towns and invite them to review and provide input He requested two votes for consideration 1 ) That the administration email copies of the Task Force Report,the letter of transmittal, and the Executive Summary to all members of its in-district municipal officials mailing list, so that member town officials can be encouraged to read and comment on the report 2) That the life of the Out of Distnct Task Force be extended in order for the Task Force to gather comments on its draft report and to revise the report to a final state,to be completed no later than January 31,2013 One member expressed that she would prefer to send the materials to officials in her town herself An amendment to the main motion was offered. There was some discussion about the advantages/disadvantages of sending this material individually,the prerogative of the member wishing to do this, the importance of fully disclosing the same information to all towns,not making this a precedent for School Committee action, and the importance of advocating to the member town personally as a representative The following votes were taken Amendment ACTION 2012#171 Moved(Weis) and seconded(Stulm) That the administration email copies of the Task Force Report,the letter of transmittal, and the Executive Summary to all members of its in-district municipal officials mailing list, so that member town officials can be encouraged to read and comment on the report,unless directed otherwise by October 22 by an individual School Committee member. Vote. 4 in favor,7 opposed,with 1 abstention (The motion did not carry.) Main motion ACTION 2012#172 Moved(Mahoney)and seconded(Flood) That the administration email copies of the Task Force Report,the letter of transmittal, and the Executive Summary to all members of its in-district municipal officials mailing list, so that member town officials can be encouraged to read and comment on the report Vote• 10 in favor,2opposed Concern was raised that the report was not complete yet, and Mr. Stulin agreed that he wants input from experts and town people He also pointed out the changes since the last draft, on page two of the Executive Summary Mr Stulin noted that he would continue including the feedback in the report The following vote was then taken ACTION 2012 #173 Moved(Mahoney)and seconded(Flood) That the life of the Out of District Task Force be extended in order for the Task Force to gather comments on its draft report and to revise the report to a final state,to be completed no later than January 31, 2013 Vote: 11 in favor, 1 abstention 9. SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUSINESS,Alice DeLuca, Chair a Minuteman Delegate to MASC/MASS Joint Conference The Chair explained the need to appoint a delegate, and the following vote was taken ACTION 2012#174 Moved(Castagno)and seconded(Manjarrez) To appoint Don Rober and Kemon Taschioglou as alternate,to serve as the Minuteman Delegate to the MASC/MASS Joint Conference in November Vote: Unanimous Discussion of the School Committee SMART Goals 2012-2013 and Review of Open Session Minutes from 9 18 12, 9 27 12, and 10 3 12 were postponed to a future meeting 10. NEW BUSINESS There was no New Business. 11 EXECUTIVE SESSION It was agreed at 11 15 pm that the Executive Session minutes review would be postponed to a future meeting The following vote was then taken,by roll call vote of the members present,as follows ACTION 2012#175 Moved(Stulm)and seconded(Mahoney) To Enter Executive Session Pursuant to Purpose 1 (MGL c 30A, s 21 (a) (1),to follow up on progress related to considering complaints or charges against a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual,with Ms Rozan to remain present,not to return to Open Session Horton yes Flood yes Castagno yes Stuhn yes Weis yes DeLuca yes Hunter yes Mahoney yes Morrissette yes Farmer ye Taschioglou yes Maniarrez no Vote• 11 in favor, 1 opposed (Dr Bouquillon was invited to remain,but he declined All others left the room ) 12 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned from Executive Session at 11 45 pm Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Rozan Came Flood District School Committee Assistant Secretary ATTACHMENTS TO MINUTES 10 16 12 A Overnight Field Trip B Staffing Report C Belmont Letter 9 27 12 D. MSBA and MMRSD Project Timeline E Bouquillon Presentation on Tell Mass Survey F Superintendent Evaluation Comments G FY 13 Revolving Funds H Out of District Student Cost Task Force Executive Summary