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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-01-31-SC-min LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE Tuesday,January 31,2017 Town Hall,Selectmen's Meeting Room 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA Present: Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini;Judy Crocker; Eileen Jay;Jessie Steigerwald; Superintendent, Dr.Czajkowski Absent: Student Representative, Matt Campos The minutes were taken by Kristen Cronin, Executive Assistant to the School Committee and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent The meeting convened at 7:00 pm Call to Order and Welcome: Chair Alessandro Alessandrini called the meeting to order and introduced committee members. Public Comments: No Public Comments Superintendent's Announcement: • Student at LHS experienced health emergency off site. Dr. Czajkowski visited with the student and family today at Boston Children's Hospital. They were extremely appreciative of LPS support. Thanks Principal Laura Lasa, Dean Kate Herman, SRO Christina Henkins, and first responders. Keep student in thoughts and prayers. • Dr. Czajkowski announced that Ms. Lasa, Principal of LHS, intends to retire on June 30, 2017 after 35 years of leadership and service to Lexington Public Schools. Superintendent thanks Ms. Lasa for her tremendous dedication and leadership to the Lexington Public Schools and the students at the high school. • Search process for new LHS Principal will begin in accordance with protocol and will engage HYA (Hazard,Young, Attea and Associates)to facilitate the search process with us. Dr. Czajkowski met with LHS staff to give an overview of the search process and solicit their interest in possibly serving on the search committee. Blackboard Connect email was sent to all LHS parents/guardians and staff to provide them with the search timeline and to solicit parent involvement in search committee process. Goal is to have a good cross-representation of student, staff, and parents on the committee. • HYA is starting the search process by developing a leadership profile. All staff, parents, and community members are invited to participate in the LHS Principal Leadership Profile survey, available online on district website: .htt.pjL!psjexingtonma.org/Timeline of search is also posted online. Important for public to understand this is a very transparent process and welcomes feedback. • Central Registration Office is officially opening tomorrow morning, Wednesday, February 1 at 8:00 a.m. All new incoming, PreK-5 students will register online. Registration links will be live and running on the LPS website in the morning. LSC Meeting 1/31/17 • All new incoming students Grades 6-12 will continue to register directly at Clarke, Diamond, and the high school. Beginning July 1, 2017, all new incoming students will register through Central Registration. • Brief recap of Capital Expenditures Committee Meeting held this morning. Mr. Goddard combined three different pieces of information (Dr. Czajkowski will forward drawings to Jill Hai, Chair of CEC) in response to the CEC questions of how many elementary classrooms would be available at Harrington once LCP moves out. • Dr. Czajkowski read letter to address the recent Executive Order restricting immigration from some countries to the U.S. This letter is also posted on our district website. School Committee Member Announcements: J. Crocker: • Invitation to visit and explore Harrington's Diversity Tile Calendar in the lobby and gym at Harrington school; celebrates diversity in the town of Lexington. • Saturday,January 291h was the 81h Annual Resolution Run, local 5k-walk/run race that raises money for all forms of cancer research; organizers expressed their gratitude to the work of the LPS custodians. • Thanked Gov. Baker for releasing his preliminary detailed FY18 budget at the MMA annual meeting; plan includes$91 Million chapter 70 educational funding. This represents about$20 per pupil increase for 322 operating districts. • 2020 Committee is working on all-town survey with a rollout date for March 13. Survey will be done mostly online but hard copies will be available at Community Center and Town Hall. It will be translated into Mandarin & Korean as well. Purpose of survey is to see what the level of citizens' expectation is for the government, schools, etc. Survey is used for planning purposes. • Legislative update—Save the Date for the Annual "Day on the Hill". This is an annual day where local school committee members set up meetings with legislators and general legislative panel. J. Steigerwald: • Diversity is a tremendous strength in Lexington, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and in our Country. I am proud that the Lexington Public School system includes students and families from countries across the planet. I will do my part as a School Committee member and resident to help students and their families know that they are welcome, and they belong here, and that our community wants every child to thrive. • Save the Date: I have worked closely with Justine Neely, Stephanie Hsu and Teresa Wright to have members of the Lexington community gather on Valentine's Day for a special rally "Respect and Solidarity—Community Event with Youth Voices" from 4:00—5:00 p.m. at Emery Park in Depot Square. May move to gazebo if large turnout, keep an eye out for the location. • Drafted letter for METCO families to be signed and sent out. To make sure families are hearing from us directly that we are supporting them and if they had any doubt about funding in the budget that we are keeping them in the budget and plan to do so for the future. • Chinese American Association of Lexington extended invitation to attend special "Dance of Love" fundraiser on Saturday, February 1811h for the Community Endowment of Lexington. • Thanks to Town Meeting Members Association, Deborah Brown,Jim Osten and Social Studies Department for coordination of the 8th grade Mock Town Meeting Event. Event dates: Diamond - Feb. 10th, Clarke - Feb. 13 and the All Town Event is on- March 7th Community Coalition—Open house on March 91h LSC Meeting 1/31/17 E.Jay: • Our country is a country of immigrants. It's who we are as a nation, and I know in our past history there have been instances where we have excluded people from coming into our country from other nations. Fortunately, awhile back that was lifted. It's a very sorry thing that our leaders are now saying we should be doing again. This is something we all need to work on at all levels, national, state, and right here in our town. • At the February 6t"Joint School Committee and BOS meeting,the 2020 Vision Committee's Subcommittee on Asian Communities will be presenting a report on how to work within our town to embrace the diversity and changing demographics in Lexington.The report will make recommendation on ways for people to get to know each other and to interact and learn about one another.Very glad people are planning events and coming together. • On March 9t", the Community Coalition will hold an Open House at the Community Center. This is a community-wide event for people to work on specific actions that address each of the three goals that have been identified for the Coalition. For those of you who have been concerned about all of these issues,this is the time to come, roll up your sleeves, and join in some groups to get the ball rolling on actions for the coming year. A. Alessandrini: • Over 200 years ago our founding father started this experiment and during this time we have had slavery,Japanese imprisoned camps,Jewish refugees that were sent back, laws to prevent certain groups to come into this country. We've always had leaders that rose up to the occasion,to try to go forward and change things for the better. Executive orders such as this actually hurt what the essence of what America is. I always thought our country was known for innovation because we incorporate different cultures, incorporate different ideas and when we stop doing that, we no longer have those ideas coming in and we become less of a nation. Let everyone know, our students,teachers, parents and staff, everybody that we will only judge you, as Martin Luther King says, by the content of your character and nothing else. • Attended Wizard of Oz production at Clarke Middle School. Thanks Ms. Brown and her staff and students who came together to create a wonderful performance. • Thanks Ms. Principal Lasa for her dedication to Lexington and her students. Ms. Lasa helped bridge a stronger communication with us between teachers and administration. Always advocated for her students and her staff. Student stress has always been important to her and the iBlock has been a great success. I will always be thankful for what she has done for our community. Each School Committee member expresses their thanks for Ms. Lasa, her enthusiasm for her students and the district. Consent Agenda: 1. Vote to Accept a $500 Donation from Alliance Energy, LLC to be deposited in the Student Gift Account at Fiske Elementary School. Motion to approve consent agenda item 1. The Motion was approved (4-0). LSC Meeting 1/31/17 Agenda: 1. —Agenda Item:Town Manager Contract Authorization for Hastings School (5 Minutes) Mr. Pat Goddard, Director of Public Facilities, is looking for approval from School Committee that M.G.L. Chapter 149A procurement, also known as Construction Manager at Risk, be used for the Hastings School. In support of the process, which includes an application to the Inspector General to use the procurement method, School Committee is required to authorize the Town Manager to execute a construction contract for the school building. Motion to approve that Town Manager be authorized to execute a contract with a construction manager at risk contractor, in accordance with plans and procedures to effectively manage and ensure competitive fairness, evaluation and reporting in the procurement of such contract and subject to the recommendation of the Permanent Building Committee,for construction of the new Hastings Elementary School in accordance with the preliminary schematic design selected and identified as Option 3, Scheme C, as presented by DiNisco Design, at the School Committee meeting on December 20, 2016 and the Permanent Building Committee meeting on December 22, 2016. (Steigerwald/Crocker) Motion approved: 4-0 2. —Agenda Item:Clarke PCB Results(5 Minutes) Mr. Pat Goddard updated School Committee on Clarke Middle School PCB results. The renovation project of the Clarke Middle School includes removing exterior caulk that was previously identified as containing>50 ppm polychlorinated biphenyl. EPA requested removal of the material due to regulations. This work was completed over the summer of 2016 and testing was completed, so we no longer have caulking that is known to be PCB contaminated. Complete full reports are posted on the LPS school website. 3.—Agenda Item: Update on Transportation Bids (15 Minutes) • Mr. Ian Daily,Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, updated School Committee on Transportation Bids. • The current school bus transportation contract including Athletic and Field trip with C&W Transportation terminates on June 30, 2017. An invitation for bids process was made available on December 28, 2016. All bids were due to Central Administration building at 11:00 on January 27, 2017. • A total of one bid was received by C&W Transportation on January 27th. • At this time, School Administration is in the process of finalizing paperwork and seeking School Committee approval of a 5-year contract for February 6t" meeting. 4.—Agenda Item: Recommendations on Superintendent's Proposed FY'18 Capital Budget(10 Minutes) • Mr. Ian Daily, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, updated School Committee with a memo in response to questions they had at the January 21"School Committee Meeting regarding transportation & dyslexia funding. LSC Meeting 1/31/17 • Transportation Bid and Federal Grants: Due to a favorable bid amount relative to the Superintendent's originally proposed budget presented January 3, 2017, it is recommended that$207,282 be transferred from Line 44: Transportation - Regular Education in the Expense budget to Line 20 in the Salaries and Wages budget to set aside funds for the potential reduction in federal grants, given the change in administration at the federal level. • Updates on Project ID 561—Town-wide Roofing Program; Project 564— LHS Air Conditioning Teacher Planning & Library; Project 870—Hastings School Replacement; Project 989— LHS Security Evaluation and Upgrade; Project 990- LHS Guidance Space Mining; Project 1022— Lexington Children's Place. • J. Steigerwald has asked for clarification on Project 1022 from Mr. Goddard regarding some difference of opinion regarding appropriation during CEC Meeting. Motion to Approve the Lexington Public Schools Recommended Capital Budget for FY 2018 in the Amount of$1,529,900 for School Capital, of which$75,000 will be funded from the School Lunch Revolving fund. (Jay/Crocker) Motion approved 4-0 Motion to Approve the Lexington Public Schools Recommended Capital Budget for FY 2018 in the Amount of$3,480,976 for School Facilities Capital. (Alessandrini/Steigerwald) Motion approved 4-0 5.—Agenda Item: Recommendations on Superintendent's Proposed FY'18 Operating Budget(10 Minutes) Mr. Ian Daily,Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations presented to the School Committee Recommendation on Superintendent's proposed FY'18 Operating Budget. School Committee must vote on the Superintendent's FY2018 Operating Budget for its inclusion in the 2017 Annual Town Meeting. Multiple votes are required to approve: • Total annual operating budget; • Approve general fund, special revenue fund, and agency fund fees; • Transfer costs associated with new positions to Shared Expenses budget; and • Set maximum amounts on the Transportation revolving fund as required by law(MGL Chapter 44, Section 53E%) Motion to Approve the Lexington Public Schools Recommended Operating Budget for FY 2018 in the Amount of$101,655,182 allocated to budget lines as included in the Budget Detail—Salaries& Wages table and the Budget Detail—Expenses table in this memorandum. (Alessandrini/Steigerwald) Motion approved: 4-0 Motion to approve general fund, special revenue fund, and agency fund fees as outlined in this memorandum. (Crocker/Alessandrini) Motion Approved: 4-0 Motion to transfer$195,151 from the School Department Revenue Allocation to Town's Unclassified Account,for the purposes of health insurance, Medicare and works compensation for new positions. (Jay/Steigerwald)Motion Approved 4-0 LSC Meeting 1/31/17 Motion to request Town Meeting, pursuant to Chapter 44-, Section 53E1/2, to re-authorize the use of the Transportation Revolving Fund, and to authorize to expend amounts from such revolving fund accounts, and to see the maximum amounts that may be expended from such revolving fund accounts in FY 2018 at$1,150,000. (Steigerwald/Jay) Motion Approved 4-0 Dr. Czajkowski thanked Mr. Dailey for his thoroughness, and Mr. Dailey and Martha Sybert for their work, time and collaboration in putting together the budget. Thanked and acknowledge the School Committee for support and feedback. Budget is conservative fiscally but also educationally sound. Over the last year and a half LPS has returned a little over 7 Million dollars to the town. Motion to adjourn. The Motion was approved 4-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:32 pm Meeting Materials:Agenda; A.1- Motion, with signatures,for submittal to Town ConselA.2-Clarke PCB Results, December 2016-Air Report, Pages 1—3 &Wipe Report, Pages 1-2 LSC Meeting 1/31/17