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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-10-19-SC-min SC Meeting 10/19/10 page # 1 LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, October 19, 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, Mary Ann Stewart (arrived late) and student representative Noah Coolidge. The minutes were taken by Leora Tec. The meeting was convened at 7:33 p.m. I. Call to Order and Welcome (Rod Cole) II. Superintendent’s Announcements 1. Presentation of M.A.S.S. Academic Excellence Awards to LHS Seniors. This year the award is being presented to two seniors exemplifying what we value in Lexington High School. They must be of the highest caliber academically and demonstrate extraordinary character and involvement in school and community life—they are an embodiment of what we are seeking and of every parent’s dream. One of the recipients, Catherine Zuo, and her parents were present. Dr. Ash read LHS Principal Natalie Cohen’s written statements about Ms. Zuo and presented her with a certificate. The second recipient will be here on November 2. III. Members’ Reports / Members’ Concerns Margaret Coppe: This Sunday a forum, co-sponsored by all nine PTAs and PTOs and Lexington Interfaith & Community entitled, “Working Together: A Community Response to Stress,” will be held at the Church of Our Redeemer from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Jessie Steigerwald: Thanks to the parents who wrote to us following the sub-committee report on community engagement. Site council training will be held on November 20th, this is a new date. IV. Discussion Items 1. Facilities Report and Update on the Ten-Year Master Plan. Introduced by Paul Ash who briefly outlined several facilities related items that are on tonight’s agenda. Presented by Pat Goddard, Director of Public Facilities and Sean Newell, Assistant Director of Public Facilities. The following were addressed: organizational update, accomplishments, project management, steps going forward and utility budget savings. SC Meeting 10/19/10 page # 2 There were questions and comments from the Committee. Diamond is next in line for security cameras and access control. Green repair SOIs are being submitted for Bridge, Bowman and Lexington High School. Paul Ash introduced the revised 10-year Master Plan, explaining the reasons for revision and the plan was then presented in more detail by Pat Goddard. Dr. Ash recommended that the scope of the design work for Bridge and Bowman be expanded without going beyond the already allocated $750K. Motion to direct Paul Ash to enlarge the scope of the Bridge and Bowman designs to include additional classrooms, relocation of the main offices, the possibility of installing prefab unit classrooms and allow for expanding technology infrastructure still staying within the allocated $750K (Coppe, Steigerwald). The motion passed 5-0. Several members of the audience requested a separate meeting for Estabrook parents. The Committee is amenable to this. 2. Online Payment System. Introduced by Paul Ash and presented by Mary Ellen Dunn, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business. There were comments and questions from the Committee. 3. Meal Charge Policy. This is the second reading of this policy which was presented by Mary Ellen Dunn. Motion to approve the second reading of the meal charge policy (Stewart, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0. 4. Update on Estabrook Environmental Issues. Introduced by Dr. Ash. He gave a brief recap of the situation. He complimented the advisory committee on their excellent work. There has been a reduction by a factor of four of the PCB levels in the school by various means. For grades 1-5 the PCB level is below the EPA guideline over the course of the year. We have made significant progress for kindergarten but we are not yet at the appropriate level. The level is for ages 3-6 and assumes a child who weighs 40 pounds. EH&E sent a memo explaining the additional work to be done over the next few weeks to try to get the PCBs to an acceptable level for kindergarten. It is possible that some kindergarteners can be in modulars and some in classrooms with low levels of PCBs instead of the current situation where the children are in other spaces within the school. On November 9th we will be returning the children to educational spaces. There will be no school on Monday November 8th for children in classes that will be moving. We will by then have received a plan from the EPA regarding the work and monitoring that needs to be done. The bulk of the work will take place next summer. We need to find ways to convince the Lexington community that we need a new school. We wanted to replace it anyway but now, given the PCB situation we need to accelerate the process. SC Meeting 10/19/10 page # 3 Dr. Ash discussed the expenditures related to the PCB situation. There were questions and comments from the Committee. Rod Cole commented on a thoughtful letter signed by a number of Estabrook parents. Jessie Steigerwald presented a chart that she and Margaret Coppe created after meeting with Paul Ash and Pat Goddard outlining likely time-lines for building a new Estabrook under four different scenarios. After voting on some of the action items 20 minutes were allotted to questions and comments from the Estabrook community. V. Action Items 1. Vote to Accept Superintendent’s Recommended 2010-2011 System Goals. This action item was not acted upon. 2. Vote to Authorize the School Administration to Submit an Emergency Statement of Interest to the MSBA for the Estabrook School. Motion to authorize the following: Resolved: Having convened in an open meeting on October 19, 2010, the School Committee of the Lexington Public Schools, in accordance with its charter, by-laws, and ordinances, has voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest dated on or before November 5, 2010, for the Estabrook Elementary School located at 117 Grove Street, Lexington, Massachusetts, which describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority category(s) for which the Lexington Public Schools may be invited to apply to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future: Priority 1: Replacement or renovation of a building which is structurally unsound or otherwise in a condition seriously jeopardizing the health and safety of school children, where no alternative exists. and, hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting this Statement of Interest, the Massachusetts School Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the Lexington Public Schools to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (Coppe, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. 3. Vote to Recommend to the Board of Selectmen a Special Town Meeting Regarding Estabrook PCB Mitigation Costs. SC Meeting 10/19/10 page # 4 Motion to recommend to the Board of Selectmen a Special Town Meeting regarding Estabrook PCB mitigation costs (Alessandrini, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. Selectman Norm Cohen stated that the Selectmen will have a special meeting tomorrow in order to decide if they will have a Special Town Meeting on November 15. There were comments from the audience. 4. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of September 14, 2010. Motion to approve School Committee minutes of September 14, 2010 (Steigerwald, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. 5. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of September 21, 2010. Motion to approve School Committee Minutes of September 21, 2010 (Steigerwald, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. VI. Motion to go into Executive Session for the purpose of collective bargaining, to return to open session for the purpose of adjourning (Stewart, Alessandrini). Cole-aye; Coppe-aye; Alessandrini-aye; Stewart-aye and Steigerwald-aye. The meeting went into executive session at 10:24 p.m. The meeting returned to open session at 10:52 for the sole purpose of adjourning. VII. Motion to adjourn (Stewart, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0. Documents: Meeting Agenda; Department of Public Facilities: Progress Report to the School Committee; Memo from EH&E to Paul Ash and Pat Goddard Re: Remaining Emissions of PCBs in Indoor Air of Estabrook Elementary School (EH&E 17228); Multipage memo from Parents of Estabrook Students to Paul Ash and the School Committee, re: Consideration of Modular Classrooms for Estabrook Students; Memo from Mary Ellen Dunn, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business, to Superintendent Paul Ash, re: New Federal and State Privacy Protection Laws; Lexington School Committee Meal Charge Policy; Memo from Paul Ash to School Committee, re: FY 12 Goals; Table labeled, “Capital Challenges All Nine Schools:” Authorization to Submit a Statement of Interest to the MSBA Regarding Estabrook Elementary School; Lexington School Committee Minutes, September 14, 2010; Lexington School Committee Minutes, September 21, 2010.