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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-13-SC-minLSC Meeting Minutes of 4.13.15 1 LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, April 13, 2015 Lexington High School, Library Media Center 251 Waltham Street PRESENT: Dr. Paul B. Ash, Superintendent; Jessie Steigerwald, Chair; Alessandro Alessandrini; Margaret Coppe; Judy Crocker; Bill Hurley, Bob Harris. The Minutes were taken by Jessie Steigerwald. 6:17 PM Steigerwald convened the meeting. She noted that Ms. Coppe would arrive shortly but was coming to this meeting right after another School Committee obligation. Superintendent’s Announcements: There were no announcements. School Committee Member Announcements: Judy Crocker – Had the pleasure of attending Germanfest last week. It was extremely well attended, perhaps triple the number from last year. The students put a lot of work and effort into it and Harry Potter was still a popular theme. Hurley served as the School Committee member who participated in the search committee for the position of Director of Finance and Business operations. He thanked everyone who served and noted the excellent process that took place. Steigerwald noted that Donna Hooper asked whether we would please note that in the 2016-2017 calendar there would be a presidential election. Dr. Ash noted it was already on the draft calendars that would be brought to the committee. Vote to Appoint Ian Dailey as Interim Director of Finance and Business Operations Effective July 1, 2015 Dr. Ash reported on the search for an Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business Operations. Ms. Dunn is moving to Brookline next year and we will have a vacancy as of July 1. We put together a search committee and our committee met several times and interviewed candidates across Massachusetts. Though there were strong candidates, they did not fit our needs at this time. He and the committee recommend that the School Committee should appoint Ian Dailey as an Interim Director of Finance and Business Operations because he is extremely well qualified and outlined Mr. Dailey’s experience, including his last two years of work as Assistant Director on our school budget. Dr. Ash shared that he had also conferred with Dr. Czajkowski who concurred with this recommendation. Mr. Dailey also has background with transportation from his prior experience in California. Alessandrini moved to appoint Ian Dailey as Interim Director of Finance and Business Operations Effective July 1, 2015. Hurley seconded the motion. Crocker expressed appreciation for Mr. Dailey. It was unanimous. Steigerwald thanked both Mr. Dailey and Ms. Dunn. LSC Meeting Minutes of 4.13.15 2 Discussion of Town Meeting Articles: There were no items for discussion. Update on School Committee Goals and Schedule for District Goals: Steigerwald summarized the need to align the School Committee goals, District Goals and School Improvement Goals. She updated progress made in the prior week’s School Committee retreat. At that session, Crocker, Hurley and Steigerwald worked with Dorothy Presser from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to review the current year’s School Committee goals, the progress to date, and the members’ wishes regarding the rest of the year. Several goals were achieved, including the goal to hire the next superintendent. Other goals were in process, including the major policy manual review. To stay on target, it would be up to the committee to decide whether to add meetings for policy review, or to agree to dedicate time to reviewing policies at each meeting. Steigerwald noted that the capital projects we have spent so much time on this year were not even listed as a School Committee goal for 2014-2015. We have spent considerable time on it this year and that happens sometimes when we set annual goals. Similarly for Dr. Ash, his professional goal does not include the realistic work that he needs to do in transitioning the next superintendent goal. Steigerwald shared that she and Hurley met with Dr. Ash and will recommend amending Dr. Ash’s professional goal for the year to include the adjustment to take into account Dr. Ash’s need to spend time in transitioning to the next superintendent. Crocker shared that she could share that Dr. Ash is spending considerable time in assisting us in this transition to the next superintendent. Steigerwald discussed the policy goals set by the School Committee. She observed that if the committee wished to avoid adding extra meetings, she would structure agendas to add groups of policies to each meeting. Sections I, J, K and L are outstanding and are within reach if everyone is comfortable adding meetings or dedicating time within each meeting to achieve this goal. She also said that the full committee would continue work on goal-setting at the next retreat. Ms. Presser had offered additional times and the committee would next meet on April 23 to continue this work. School Committee Policies: Steigerwald summarized the status of the current policy manual review and explained that the committee would next take up section J as it was a large section and would require several meetings. Crocker read each policies title and Steigerwald solicited feedback from the committee. Steigerwald stated that we would move through policies through 6:44 p.m. Steigerwald thanked Coppe for sending input in advance. JB – Equal Opportunity Policy (Lexington’s Current) JB – Equal Opportunity Policy (MASC) – PMRS Recommends The committee agreed to adopt the Policy Manual Review Subcommittee (PMRS) recommendation to adopt MASC’s version and to allow it to replace Lexington’s current version. Requested edits included changing the world “child” to “student” where appropriate. JBA – Student-to-Student Harassment LSC Meeting Minutes of 4.13.15 3 Alessandrini asked whether this was only governing student behavior on school grounds. Dr. Ash explained that if students planned something that constituted harassment and then the behavior or action took place off school grounds, the policy would still relate. If students planned a fight for an off-site location, the policy would still relate. Alessandrini asked about cyber-bullying. Dr. Ash explained that the policy related to behavior that students brought into school and cyber-bullying could fit that description depending on the circumstances. JC – Attendance Areas There were no requested edits. JCA – Assignment of Students to Schools Coppe requested changing “child” to “student” in item #2 and #3. JCAC – Student Transfer Policy Under II. B, there was a request to add “within Lexington” after “out-of-district placement” to clarify that this paragraph relates to instances where a child is originally assigned by default to one school based on his/her address, but is then offered special services at another Lexington school. Also in the first sentence, a request to delete the word “sending” before “Superintendent”. Format request made by Coppe to change “4th grade” to “Grade 4” and “7th grade” to “Grade 7”. JEB – Entrance Age Request from Coppe to change the word “children” to “students” where appropriate. JF – School Admissions Request from Coppe to change the word “students” to “children.” Steigerwald noted that in the first sentence the word “children” was more appropriate as it relates to children outside of the context of school. JFAB – Non-Resident Students Coppe sought clarification around the current draft of this policy. Steigerwald explained that the version in the packet (dated 1996 and noted “PMRS Recommends replacing this with new Lexington version”) was in the packet today as it is the existing policy. The committee had reviewed a draft for a new Non-Resident Student policy earlier in the school year. The 2014-15 version was still being revised and would come back to the full committee after legal counsel reviewed it. Coppe said that she wanted to keep open the opportunity for seniors whose families moved away from Lexington to still attend Lexington schools. Coppe did not want that struck from the new policy. Steigerwald stated that there would be an opportunity for the full committee to have more discussion about the Non- Residency Policy at a later date. Steigerwald noted the time was 6:44 and that the committee needed to proceed toward the Executive Session with the Board of Selectmen. She announced that after she called for a recess the committee would relocate to room 148 where they would come back into open session and then immediately move into Executive Session to return to Open Session for the purpose of either continuing the discussion of Section J policies or relocating to the auditorium to participate in Town Meeting, depending on the length of the Executive Session. At 6:44 Steigerwald announced a recess. Committee members moved to room 148. LSC Meeting Minutes of 4.13.15 4 Steigerwald ended recess at 6:45 and the committee was in open session in room 148. Immediately, at 6:45 PM Steigerwald moved to go into Executive Session Steigerwald moved that the School Committee go into Executive Session under Exemption 6 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation for an Estabrook update from the Selectmen and under Exemption 3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining regarding the Lexington Education Association, Unit A Negotiations, to return to open session, and further, as chair, she declared that an executive session was necessary to protect the bargaining position of the School Committee. Ms. Crocker seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken. Coppe AYE Hurley AYE Alessandrini AYE Crocker AYE Steigerwald AYE The vote was unanimous and at 6:45 PM the Executive Session began. Minutes for the Executive Session are in a separate document. 7:26 PM Motion to exit Executive Session and return to Open Session Steigerwald moved to end Executive Session and return to Open Session. Alessandrini seconded the motion. Alessandrini AYE Coppe AYE Crocker AYE Hurley AYE Steigerwald AYE Executive Session ended at 7:26 p.m. and the School Committee returned to Open Session. 7:28 PM Hurley moved that the committee adjourn. Alessandrini seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous and the committee adjourned. Materials: Resume of Ian Dailey, Policy Packet prepared by the Policy Manual Review Subcommittee containing policies from Section J: JB – JFBB-1. Voted Approved by the School Committee April 28, 2015