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LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Lexington Town Office Building, Selectmen’s Meeting Room
1625 Massachusetts Avenue
Present: Superintendent Paul Ash, School Committee Chair Rod Cole, School Committee
Members Sandro Alessandrini, Margaret Coppe, Jessie Steigerwald and Mary Ann Stewart
and student representative Noah Coolidge. The minutes were taken by Leora Tec.
The meeting was convened at 7:38 p.m.
I. Call to Order and Welcome (Rod Cole)
II. Superintendent’s Announcements
1. Dr. Ash introduced the three new principals in the district this year: Interim Bridge Principal
Meg Colella, Diamond Principal Anne Carrothers and Fiske Principal Tom Martellone.
2. This year we formally went out to bid for SAT services. Kaplan won the award; they put
together the best package of services for the best possible price.
3. For FY 08 and 09 we turned back $1,071,958.26 to the general fund. For FY 10 we turned
back $1,940,856 to the general fund.
III. Members’ Reports / Members’ Concerns
Sandro Alessandrini: I attended a meeting of SHAC (School Health Advisory Council). They
are developing a website on student stress. There will be a forum on Sunday Oct. 24th at 3:00-
4:30 at the Church of Our Redeemer, 6 Meriam Street, entitled, “Working Together: A
Community Response to Student Stress.”
Mary Ann Stewart: I will be attending the first SEPAC meeting of the year the day after
tomorrow. I am wondering if the policy sub-committee will be taking up a bullying policy.
Dr. Ash stated that they have some draft policies on bullying from nearby communities which
the sub-committee might want to look at.
IV. Discussion Items
1. Superintendent's Recommended 2010-2011 System Goals. Presented by Dr. Ash. The format
is a bit different this year. This year the goals are listed in a spreadsheet format: goals,
implementation, timeline, monitoring and assessment. We are clearly stating the steps that
need to be taken to achieve each goal. We have also reduced the number of goals. The goals
are in the areas of: curriculum and professional development, student services, safety and
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district technology. These goals are the product of a lot of serious work by many dedicated
people. Each school will also focus on an academic goal and a pro-social goal.
There were questions and comments from the Committee.
District Management Council is preparing a report on our SPED services with regard to how
they compare with both other high-performing districts and best practices. Dr. Ash stated that
it is his intention to widely distribute the report.
Questions were addressed by Superintendent Paul Ash, Director of Student Services Linda
Chase and Director of Education Technology and Assessment Thomas Plati.
Dr. Ash stated that the system goals are 18-month goals. In the future both the system goals
and the budget will be voted on in January.
A recommendation regarding fees will be brought to the Committee in November.
2. School Improvement Plans. Introduced by Paul Ash. The principals answered questions
posed by the Committee.
3. Update on Estabrook Environmental Issues. Presented by Dr. Ash. The goal is to reduce the
PCB levels to below the EPA guidelines. There has been a significant decline in the level of
PCBs over the last few weeks but not enough. There was more caulking material in the
rooms than we originally knew about. We have covered virtually 100% of the caulking
materials. You get a linear reduction of PCBs as you encapsulate the caulk. The ceiling tiles
were not manufactured with PCBs but they now contain them. Polyethylene has been put in
place on the ceilings in rooms 1-6. Air samples have been taken in those rooms. We are
awaiting the results. Within a week we will have a lot more information and we will have to
decide whether we need to remove the ceiling tiles in the short-term. The School Committee,
Board of Selectmen, Appropriation Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee, advisory
committee, EPA, Building Inspector and Fire Department will all be consulted about our plan
going forward.
Dr. Ash discussed some of the charts provided to the School Committee and the public. A
chart showing PCB levels with winter conditions and 100% encapsulation will be up on the
website within a week. At the next meeting on October 19th Dr. Ash will ask the Committee
for a formal vote on the emergency SOI.
There were comments and questions from the Committee.
There were comments and questions from the audience. One parent mentioned that the EPA
has not received all the information that it should have received from EH&E. Dr. Ash will
make sure that any data that EPA requires is sent to them.
4. Recommended Revisions to 2010-2011 School Committee Meeting Dates. The following
changes were agreed upon: The Committee will meet on November 30th instead of December 7th;
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the Committee will meet on December 14 instead of Dec. 21st and a public hearing will be added
on Tuesday, Jan 25th.
5. FY12 Budget Guidelines and Timetable. Dr. Ash stated that the budget guidelines this year
are the same as last year except they are for FY12 instead of FY11. The Committee agreed to
this. Dr. Ash is anticipating a challenging budget cycle.
There were comments from the Committee and from the audience. Among issues raised by
the Committee: the possibility of adding programs and eliminating the kindergarten fee.
V. Action Items
1. Vote to Approve Jonas Clarke Middle School Field Trip to La Guácima de Alajuela, Costa
Rica. Presented by Clarke Principal Steve Flynn, and Clarke Spanish teachers Sarah
Partridge and Doug Tran.
Motion to approve Jonas Clarke Middle School field trip to La Guácima de Alajuela,
Costa Rica (Alessandrini, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0.
2. Vote to Approve Jonas Clarke Middle School Field Trip to Quebec City, Canada
Presented by Principal Steve Flynn and French teacher Michel Berjoan.
Motion to approve Jonas Clarke Middle School field trip to Quebec City, Canada
(Steigerwald, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0.
3. Vote to Accept a $200.00 Donation from the Harrington Korean Families to the Harrington
Gift Account.
Motion to accept with gratitude a $200.00 donation from the Harrington Korean
families to the Harrington Gift Account (Stewart, Coppe). The motion passed 5-0.
4. Vote to Appoint Two School Committee Members to the new BOS-SC Ad Hoc Committee
Being Formed to Deal with Current and Future Situations Requiring Close BOS-SC
Collaboration.
The vote on this item was postponed until such time as the exact charge of the ad hoc
committee is clarified by the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen.
5. Vote to Appoint Official and Alternate Voting Delegates to the MASC Annual Business
Meeting.
Motion to appoint Margaret Coppe as the primary voting delegate and Jessie
Steigerwald as the alternate voting delegate to the MASC Annual Business Meeting
(Stewart, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0.
6. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of June 8, 2010.
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Motion to approve the School Committee minutes of June 8, 2010 (Stewart, Coppe). The
motion passed 5-0.
7. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of September 7, 2010.
Motion to approve the School Committee minutes of September 7, 2010 (Stewart,
Steigerwald). The motion passed 5-0.
8. Vote to Approve School Committee Executive Session Minutes of
September 21, 2010.
Amendment: change “to go into public session” to “to return to public session.”
Motion to approve School Committee executive session minutes of
September 21, 2010 as amended (Stewart, Steigerwald). The motion passed 5-0.
VI. Motion to adjourn (Steigerwald, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:52 p.m.
Documents: Meeting agenda; Memo from Superintendent Paul Ash to the School Committee re:
FY 12 Goals; “Developing a Powerful District or School Leadership Theory of Action
Worksheet”; “Leadership Theory of Action Recommended Format”; Tables enumerating goals
in: Curriculum and Professional Development, Student Services, Safety and District
Technology; a chart labeled “High Achievement for All Students”; School Improvement Plans
for all the schools in the district; Recommended revisions to 2010-2011 School Committee
Meeting Dates; Lexington Public Schools: Recommended FY12 Budget Guidelines; Lexington
Public Schools: FY 12 Budget Calendar (for all funds [operating, grant, revolving]); Lexington
Public Schools Field Trip Request Form-Updated 12/07, La Guacima, Costa Rica; Flyer
entitled, “Study Abroad 2011: Costa Rica”; “Homestay in Costa Rica: Jonas Clarke Middle
School”; Lexington Public Schools Field Trip Request Form-Updated 12/07Jonas Clarke
Middle School, Quebec City; Jumpstreet Tour Proposal for Quebec City trip; Letter from
Harrington Principal Elaine Mead thanking the Korean families of Harrington for their gift of
$200 with a copy of the check; Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Inc. (MASC):
memo to school committees re: Voting delegate to annual business meeting; Official Delegate
Form from MASC; School Committee Minutes June 8, 2010; School Committee Minutes
September 7, 2010; Executive Session School Committee minutes (provided only to the
Committee);Table entitled, “ Air Sample Results for Total Poly chlorinated Biphenyls,
Estabrook Elementary School, 117 Grove Street, Lexington, Massachusetts July 22, 2010-
September 19, 2010; Graphs entitled, “Air Concentrations Over Time: Average and Range;”
“Precision of Air Measurements;” “Effect of Encapsulation;” and “Estimated Effect of Further
Encapsulation: Cooling Conditions.”