HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-16-SC-minLSC Meeting Minutes 7/16/2015 1
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
School District Building Projects Plan Summit
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Estabrook Elementary School Cafeteria, 117 Grove Street
PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Mary Czajkowski, Chair Jessie Steigerwald, Vice Chair William Hurley, Margaret Coppe, Judy Crocker, Alessandro Alessandrini The Minutes were taken by Jessie Steigerwald. The meeting convened at 7:04 pm.
Joe Pato, Chair of the Board of Selectmen, called the meeting to order. Official minutes of the Summit were prepared for the Selectmen by Lynne Pease and should be referred to in consultation with these minutes.
Call to order and welcome: Steigerwald called the School Committee to order at 7:04 p.m., and thanked the Selectmen and Summit participants for allowing the School Committee the time to review new information received since Tuesday night’s Summit. She noted that there was a brief announcement and recognized Bill Hurley. Hurley announced that Dr. Czajkowski had received the “Superintendent of the Year” award from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents earlier in the day. Dr. Czajkowski provided updates on plans for Lexington Children’s Place (“LCP”), the number of classrooms that might be available at Harrington if LCP vacated the school, and available space at Estabrook which might be accessible to help relieve overcrowding at other schools. Dr. Czajkowski descried spaces currently in use, and spaces that might be available. Other administration leaders present: Carol Pilarski (Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development), Ian Dailey (Interim Director of Finance and Operations), Maureen Kavanaugh (Director of Planning and Assessment), Ellen Sugita (Director of Special Education), Pat Goddard (Director of Public Facilities), Anna Monaco (Clarke Middle School Principal), Sandra Trach (Estabrook Principal), Liz Billings-Fouhy (Director, Supervisor Early Childhood Special Education). The committee discussed whether they were open to hearing redistricting proposals for fall 2016 to optimize use of available space. Hurley, Steigerwald, Coppe and Crocker were open to hearing proposals – though could not speak to or support any specific plans at this time as no specific plans were presented. Alessandrini preferred not to pursue redistricting for fall 2016. Ms. Maureen Kavanaugh, Director of Planning and Assessment, spoke briefly about the Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee’s progress and plans for fall. The committee heard information about special needs programs from Ellen Sugita, Director of Special Education, about the review of space needs for all special education programs.
Agenda
At 7:42 all Summit participants came to order.
LSC Meeting Minutes 7/16/2015 2
1. DiNisco Presentation on School District Building Projects Plan Options (60 minutes)
Ken DiNisco presented additional information on possibilities for expansion at Fiske
Elementary School and potential cost differentials at 24 classrooms ($9,064,000) and 27
classrooms ($14,863,000), based on DiNisco Design’s review since the Tuesday night
Summit. He also reviewed cost differences between Middle School projects comparing
all growth at Diamond and splitting growth between Diamond and Clarke. He estimated
the cost would be similar, either way. There were questions from Wendy Manz, David
Kanter, Jessie Steigerwald and others about the these specific project proposals and the
cost differences. There was a brief side discussion between DiNisco and Pat Goddard,
Director of Facilities, to review these figures.
2. School Committee Recommendations Regarding the Plan Options
The School Committee requested action tonight in order to move forward with clarity
around the projects, but understood that new information had been received tonight and
people might need additional time to process it.
Alessandrini preferred splitting middle school growth so redistricting would be easier as
it could follow existing elementary feeder school patterns. Hurley asked about all growth
at Diamond, and whether there could be two phases of expansion work. DiNisco said the
capacity could grow over a two-year time period. Dr. Czajkowski felt that 1,000 middle
school students in one school was already too big for ideal social emotional growth.
3. Deliberation Regarding the Plan Options and School Committee Recommendations
Alan Levine suggested continuing work following the split growth model and also
continuing work on Bridge and Bowman rather than deciding tonight and suggested the
Selectmen release the funds on all requested projects.
4. Consideration by Board of Selectmen to Release Funds for Phase 2: Continuation of
Design Work for Prefab and/or Space Mining
Peter Kelley asked about the option where all growth was accommodated at Diamond
and expressed concerns around adding space (and students) at Clarke. Joe Pato proposed
the Selectmen continue deliberations on July 27, 2015.
The School Committee remained in session after the other Summit participants adjourned
to discuss whether they were prepared for the July 27, 2015 meeting with the Selectmen,
or if they required additional time to revisit the consensus view they formed on Monday
July 13. The School Committee agreed to meet on Wednesday July 23, 2015 at 9:00 p.m.
MOTION to adjourn at 9:28 p.m. (Hurley, Coppe)
The Motion was approved 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:28 p.m.
Meeting Materials: “Multiple School Construction Projects” July 16, 2015 Presentation
Materials from DiNisco Design.
Voted Approved by the School Committee August 25, 2015