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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976-05-18-MMTECH-min.pdf 167 MINUTES OF THE MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE May 18, 1976 at the Minuteman School PRESENT Bilodeau, Cormier, Courtright, Cron, Hall , Heinrich, Kelsey, Shimkus, Smith , Wales , Zeoli ABSENT Merluzzo STAFF Included Fitzgerald , DellaPenna, Lydiard, Mar, McDonald VISITORS Included Mr Isenberg of the Parents Orgainization , Linda Hall of the South Middlesex News, William Churchill of the Carlisle Mosquito, several parents , and others The meeting was called to order by Chairman Cron at 7 48 p m SUMMER Dr Fitzgerald presented for committee approval WORK a proposal for 1976 summer projects He said PROPOSALS the two main purposes of the projects were to insure that curriculum approvals for new courses being added to the curriculum are obtained from the Department of Education before September 1 , 1976 and to operate several kinds of work stations that will provide learning situations for students (this includes the commercial areas -- distributive education, culinary arts, auto mechanics and printing) The summer program will also provide an opportunity for students to strengthen themselves in academic areas (mathematics and U S History) This academic program is aimed particularly at students preparing themselves for further study after high school Dr Fitzgerald explained ,that the revised figures for the cost of the summer program are higher than the figures originally proposed due to the addition of several proposals The total figure is $53,690, of which $3,690 will come from the 1976-77 budget During the discussion it was brought out that approximately 100 students would be involved in the summer programs -- about 50-60 in the academic programs and about 40 in the work programs It was MOVED by Mr Zeoli SECONDED by Mrs Wales , that the Superintendent b authorized to issue 12-month contracts and short-term summer contracts up to a total cost of $54 000 to implement the employment of selected teachers during the summer of 1976; that $50,232 96 by transferred from revenue 168 accounts identified by the Treasurer into the 1976-77 teacher salary budget to cover implementation of summer employment; that the superintendent by authorized to establish revolving funds for other summer programs ; and that the superintendent by authorized to approve contracts with CETA or other organizations, provided that said contracts benefit the district or its students and/or staff members without resulting in the expenditure of district funds VOTED UNANIMOUSLY HEALTH It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED, INSURANCE BID that the health insurance contract be awarded to Blue Cross & Blue Shield, the only bidder for the rate of $119 78 for a family and $43 66 for an individual VOTED UNANIMOUSLY CASH It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED, REGISTER BID that the low bid from Data Terminal be accepted for the purchase of a cash register fon the auto mechanics department gas station The bid was in the amount of $1536 15 VOTED UNANIMOUSLY IN- It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED, STRUMENTATION EQUIPMENT that the only bid for instrumentation BID equipment from Educational Engineering Company in the amount of $3950 be accepted VOTED UNANIMOUSLY CLERICAL It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED, SALARY SCHEDULE that a new clerical salary schedule be adopted as of July 1 , 1976 (Copy filed with minutes) VOTED UNANIMOUSLY COMPUTER It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED, SURVEY that consideration of the computer survey be tabled VOTED UNANIMOUSLY 169 PERSONNEL No open session personnel actions were ACTIONS requested EXPANSION It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED, OF ADVISORY that the following persons be added to the COMMITTEE Advisory Board of the Power Mechanics Cluster Alfred J Sampson, Frost Motors, 18 Grafton St , Arlington; Carmelo J Scuderi , Engineering & Sales Associates, Inc , 380 Union St , West Springfield; Leo L Pistorino, Raytheon Co , 350 Lowell St , West Andover; and Jerome K. Chase, Framingham Auto Sales , 1200 Worcester Rd , Framingham VOTED UNANIMOUSLY BUDGET Dr Fitzgerald reported that budget planning for PLANNING 1977-78 was proceeding on schedule and being put FOR 1977-78 on the computer Mr Shimkus requested that a monthly cash flow plan be worked out Dr Fitzgerald replied that each person who proposes a budget is responsible for staying within that budget and that managers are getting monthly balance sheets now and an instantaneous computer print out will be available whenever they want it next year MASC Committee members reported that all of them were MATERIAL now getting MASC material Ms Smith agreed to represent the Committee at a MASC dinner being ,;, held Friday, May 21 , 1976 OCCUPATIONAL Dr Fitzgerald called the attention of committee COMPETENCE members to the evaluation of the Occupational EVALUATION Competence Program by students There were no comments or questions JOB DATA ON Information in support ofLMinuteman's offering MACHINE training to machine operators was passed out OPERATORS and noted by the Committee ADMISSIONS Dr Fitzgerald called the Committee's attention FLYERS to the admissions flyers which had been distributed and said that recruiting is now being done outside the district There was a concensus that tuition revenue from out-of-district students should be used to support the programs of the district Dr Fitzgerald also reviewed various options for post-graduate students which are now being worked out He said that these programs would be geared to the competent es of the participating students and that there would not be open admissions a. at x 170 In reply to the question of whether this was an P she interim arrangement, Dr Fitzgerald said it was not However, he added that should the school end up with a waiting list, it would be difficult to keep up these programs PROGRAM OF The new Program of Studies booklet was distributed STUDIES to Committee members who suggested that it also be BOOKLET sent to the junior high school guidanEe coynselors and school committee members in all the district towns The Committee felt the booklet should be used as an information document for others as well as a guide for students DISCIPLINE Dr Fitzgerald reported that staff members are AND STUDENT cracking down on students who have been cutting ATTENDANCE classes and have a poor attendance record He warned that this may generate reactions from parents He expressed his view that if a student does not want to work at Minuteman, even after counseling by school personnel and meetings with parents, that the student be guided out Of Minuteman Dr Fitzgerald also referred to the atrocious attendance records of some students and said, that letters are being written informing the parents of these students that the students are not going to get credit toward graduation if the work they have missed is not made up Mrs Wales asked about the communication process with parents Dr Fitzgerald replied that a student 's absence record is recorded on the report curd Parents are not notified about in-house suspensions, however, parents are always contacted and informed when a student has been suspended from school If a long-term problem has existed, it is possible that the first time a parent may learn of it is when the parent is called concerning a suspension Mrs Wales asked if there were some way parents could be notified earlier in this process Dr Fitzgerald replied he hoped the school would do better on this in the future FREQUENTY There was some discussion concerning the OF po5si ility of having one Committee meeting COMMITTEE per m nth during July and August, then only MEETINGS one formal meeting per month, with the second meeting being devoted to informational meetings with clusters, parents, students, etc 171 There was also discussion on the level of information desired by the Committee It was generally agreed that concise, summary reports were desirable outlining the key issues in capsule form It was also suggested that the agenda and administrative memo be made one document Dr Fitzgerald stated that he plans to submit a detailed plan for the meeting/information process EQUIPMENT A booklet prepared by the staff which summarizes SUMMARY the types of equipment now present in each shop BOOKLET and the kinds of skills which can be taught with that equipment was passed out by the Superintendent The Committee praised the format of the booklet and the information it contained and said this was a good example of the type of information they wanted and the form in which they liked to receive it MINUTES It was MOVED by Mrs Wales and SECONDED to, approve the minutes of the regular meeting of May 4 with the correction of a typographical error as follows the amount listed with the Arlington Cooperation Bank should be changed to read f $10,437 46 VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TREASURER' s The Trea Jrer, Mr Lombardo, reported a balance in REPORT the Operating and Payroll Account of $86,430 96 and in the Site and Construction Account of $2,089 67 OTHER Concerning Senate Bill 272, there was a concensus BUSINESS that no official position be taken by the Committee for the present It was MOVED by Mr Hall and SECONDED that, the Minuteman School Committee go on record in support of Senate Bill 1353 as amended (open meeting law amendment) VOTED UNANIMOUSLY LETTER FROM James Isenberg presented a letter to the Committee PARENT From the Parent Organization concerning the ORGANIZATION capital equipment budget and expressing the hope kTit 172 that a very strong effort be made by the Committee in the 1977-78 budget to equip the school with the tools necessary fbr the education that the students need Mr Bilodeau asked that a review be made of the philosophy of mutual use of equipment by various shops and that a 10 year plan be developed to update equipment and keep abreast of technology Dr Fitzgerald agreed that the capital outlay plan should be a long-term one, designed to keep the equipment up to date , Mrs Wales said the Committee had been hindered in previous budgets by not having the kind o-f adequate back up data that it is now getting At 9 40 p m it was MOVED to adjourn into executive session to review salaries and to discuss the legal negotiations concerning settlement of the construction account VOTED UNANIMOUSLY by a roll call vote Respectfully submitted, getindiII) dilliCita.4 Beverly W Lydiard Recording Secretary pro tem Approved 1 1—(...00 C�-10 N,e a-tA (1)• yV Ruth W Wales, Secretary