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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-01-04-SC-min SC meeting 1/4/11 page # 1 LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, January 4, 2011 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 and student representative Noah Coolidge. Minutes were taken by Leora Tec. The meeting was convened at 7:30 p.m. I. Call to Order and Welcome (Rod Cole) II. Superintendent’s Announcements 1. On January 6 at 8:45 a.m. in the Central Office we will have a meeting between the superintendent and site council members regarding the upcoming budget. III. Members’ Reports / Members’ Concerns Jessie Steigerwald: What is the status of discussing our superintendent evaluation? Rod Cole: We need to revise the evaluation template to reflect current system goals. I am happy for someone to take that on including possibly setting up a system for a 360 degree review. Also we have to consider how the open meeting law plays into this. Ms. Steigerwald volunteered to take on the task of updating our evaluation template and creating one for a 360 degree review. The School Committee was in agreement that this would be very helpful. IV. Discussion Items 1. Presentation of the Superintendent’s FY12 Level-Service and Recommended Budget. Presented by Superintendent Dr. Paul Ash. Dr. Ash first thanked the many people who participated in putting together the budget. He is presenting two different scenarios: 1). Replicating exactly what we are doing this year and 2). Adding those things are we not doing now that he believes really should be added to the budget, and removing some things that we did this year that we do not need to do next year. Of course there are many things that we would ideally like to have if funds were unlimited. Dr. Ash explained the mission of our school district, including collaboration, respectful and caring relationships and continuous improvement within the context of equity and access to SC meeting 1/4/11 page # 2 the curricula and programs for all students. He discussed the strengths of LPS. He then gave a budget overview. The presentation was structured as follows: 1). Budget guidelines as voted by the School Committee; 2). A definition of a level service budget; 3). Cost of the FY 12 level service budget; 4). FY 12 budget gap (at the meeting on January 18 he will identify recommendations to close the budget gap); Major FY 12 budget drivers; 5). FY 12 budget highlights; 6). FY 09 comparison of per pupil costs; and 7). FY 12 recommended budget. The budget this year (FY 11) is $69,243,526, new funds needed to provide level service equal $3,158,634 for a total FY 12 budget of $72,402,160. The percentage increase from last year is 4.56%. This figure incorporates $997,617 which is composed of: federal stimulus money; 1/3 of the Avalon fund; LABBB credit and Medicaid. Dr. Ash explained these various funding sources. There is a budget gap of $509,670. Dr. Ash explained the factors that lead to the budget increase: personnel costs, SPED tuition, transportation and other. He then went over some budget highlights. He presented a chart of the per pupil costs of Lexington and the ten towns we compare ourselves to. We are 5th on the list. He then presented his proposed additions to the Level Service Budget. There were comments and questions from the Committee. 2. FY12 Fees. Presented by Paul Ash. There were questions and comments from the Committee. The discussion included transportation costs, booster clubs, reactions to the proposed changes in athletic fees and financial aid. Dr. Ash will tell the Committee on January 18 how he would make up the lost funds were the fee for instrumental music to be reduced by half or eliminated. 3. Four and Ten-Year Enrollment Forecasts Report. The report was presented by Dr. Ash. Births have been fairly stable. In the last three years the average birth to kindergarten ratio is 1.82—that is a very high number, the volatility is quite high from one year to the next. Bridge and Bowman have grown since Oct. 1. The one and two year projections are the most accurate. There were questions and comments from the Committee. There were questions and comments from the audience. V. Action Items 1. Vote to Accept a $5,000 Donation to the Bridge School from Covidien Company. Motion to accept with gratitude a $5,000 donation to the Bridge School from Covidien Company (Coppe, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0. 2. Vote to Accept a $500 Donation to Lexington Children’s Place. Motion to accept with gratitude a $500 Donation to Lexington Children’s Place (Steigerwald, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0. SC meeting 1/4/11 page # 3 3. Vote to Accept an Anonymous $300 Donation to the Nick Barrett Science Olympiad Team. Motion to accept with gratitude an anonymous $300 donation to the Nick Barrett Science Olympiad Team (Steigerwald, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0. 4. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of November 2, 2010. Motion to approve School Committee minutes of November 2, 2010 as amended (correction of Margaret Coppe’s name) (Steigerwald, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. 5. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of November 16, 2010. Motion to approve School Committee minutes of November 16, 2010 (Steigerwald, Alessandrini). The motion passed 5-0. 6. Vote to Approve School Committee Executive Session Minutes of December 14, 2010. Motion to approve School Committee Executive Session minutes of December 14, 2010, not to be released (Steigerwald, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. VII. Motion to adjourn (Coppe, Stewart). The motion passed 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 p.m. Documents: Meeting agenda; Power Point of the superintendent’s budget presentation; memo from Superintendent Paul Ash to School Committee re: “School Committee Meeting on January 4, 2011;” “Revolving Fee Based Programs” handout; memo from Mary Ellen Dunn, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business to Superintendent Paul Ash re: Acceptance of Donation of $5000; memo from Liz Billings-Fouhy, Supervisor of Early Childhood Special Education to Paul Ash re: Donation to Lexington Children’s Place Gift Account; School Committee minutes from November 2, 2010; School Committee Minutes from November 16, 2010; Executive Session School Committee Minutes from December 14, 2010 (not to be released); document entitled, “Four and Ten-Year Enrollment Forecasts”; Power Point of the enrollment report; Lexington Public Schools Fee Summary.