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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-02-22-SC-minLSC Meeting Minutes 2.22.16 – Approved by LSC on 3.8.16 1 LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, February 22, 2016 Lexington Town Office Building, Parker Room 1625 Massachusetts Avenue Present: Chair Jessie Steigerwald, Vice Chair William Hurley, Margaret Coppe, Alessandro Alessandrini, Judy Crocker, Superintendent Dr.Czajkowski Student Representative Abigail Schwartz – Not present Others Present: Pat Goddard (Director of Public Facilities), Ian Dailey (Interim Director of Finance and Operations); Minutes were taken by Ana Paula McDonough, Executive Assistant to the School Committee. The meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. Call to Order and Welcome: Chair Jessie Steigerwald called the meeting to order, and introduced committee members. Public Comment: None Superintendent’s Announcements: Dr.Czajkowski informed the committee that she received an email from Mr. Rob Evans and followed up Mr. Evans with him who is traveling on business and will communicate sometime this week. School Committee Member Announcements: None Agenda: A.1 - Multiple Schools Capital Projects Update Presenter: Pat Goddard Summary: Mr. Goddard shared two updated versions of the elementary capacity chart: (1) Elementary Sections Capacity and (2) Elementary Sections Capacity with SPED Decompressed for 2016. At Summit 5 members of the Appropriation Committee and Capital Expenditure Committee inquired if we did not build enough space at the elementary level, what would we do? • Change average class size (increase) • Use of Art/Music classrooms for general education • Defer decompressing Special Education spaces: 5 rooms at Bowman; 3 at Bridge and 2 at Fiske. At Fiske one art room is being used as general education classroom this year. LSC Meeting Minutes 2.22.16 – Approved by LSC on 3.8.16 2 • Adding 6 modular classrooms increases capacity: two each at Bowman, Bridge and Fiske. The redistricting effort may move some students to Estabrook. The modulars are added to relieve overcrowding (not to be used for redistricting). • If enrollment exceeds projections – class sizes would have to increase or perhaps use an art or music room would maintain the decompression for special education spaces. • Capacity – projections are based on average class size being maintained at 21.5. There were questions and comments from School Committee members: • When speaking of decompressing, are we decompressing within the state guidelines with respect to the number of students in the special education class? – What are the criteria? Answer: We worked with each school principal, our architect programmer and with input from the Special Education Department to determine what would be the appropriate space for the educational programs so that the programs don’t interfere with each other. Now there may be multiple small group sessions sharing space. • We are talking about what is educationally sound as opposed to what is state requirement in terms of class sizes for special need students? Answer from Dr. Czajkowski: We are in compliance and if enrollment shifts, we would maintain compliance. • If there’s an increase in enrollment for special education programs at those schools – how do we decompress? Answer: That’s another unknown; special education will vary amongst the population that we enroll, that’s always going to change year to year. • If we decompress will we have out of district cost? Answer: That is not the purpose of this chart. This chart is to show that we make up space either by using specialist spaces or increasing the average class size. • Decompression chart – 9/2017-9/2018; 141-147 – are we saying that 147 is the anticipated enrollment we’re going to need? Answer: Anticipated number of sections we would need at 21.5 as the average class size across all six schools. When it was time to relocate to Special Town Meeting, Steigerwald suggested members continue the discussion at the February 23 School Committee Meeting. Steigerwald noted that there were three updated sets of minutes for their review and asked that these replace the versions they received in their packets on Friday. 7:18 P.M. Steigerwald called a recess for the School Committee to relocate to Battin Hall in the Cary Memorial Building to participate in the Special Town Meeting and noted that the School Committee would relocate at the end of Special Town Meeting to the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in the Town Office Building to an Executive Session with the Board of Selectmen. 7:30 P.M. Steigerwald called an end to the recess. The School Committee was back in Open Session and participated in Special Town Meeting. Town Meeting voted unanimously to support the School Committee’s request for $1.5 million to proceed with the Hastings capital project. 8:28 P.M. Steigerwald called a recess and the School Committee relocated to the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in the Town Offices Building. LSC Meeting Minutes 2.22.16 – Approved by LSC on 3.8.16 3 8:42 P.M. Steigerwald called an end to recess and the School Committee were back in Open Session. Joe Pato moved that the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Appropriation Committee and Capital Expenditures Committee go into Executive Session to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, 20 Pelham Road, and to reconvene in Open Session only to adjourn. Further, that as Chairman, I declare that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town. Steigerwald took a roll call vote from School Committee members: Crocker AYE; Hurley AYE; Coppe AYE; Alessandrini AYE; Steigerwald AYE 8:43 P.M. School Committee was in Executive Session. Minutes for the Executive Session are in a separate document. 9:24 p.m. Crocker moved to end the Executive Session of the School Committee and the motion was seconded by Hurley. Steigerwald took a roll call vote from School Committee members: Crocker AYE; Hurley AYE; Coppe AYE; Alessandrini AYE; Steigerwald AYE 9:24 P.M. School Committee ended the Executive Session and returned to Open Session. 9:24 P.M. Crocker moved to adjourn and Steigerwald seconded. The vote was unanimous and the meeting adjourned. Materials: Agenda; A.1-Multiple Schools Capital Projects; HO.1-Draft PowerPoint presentation of revision for the elementary enrollment chart: (1) Elementary Sections Capacity and (2) Elementary Sections Capacity with SPED Decompressed for 2016 by Pat Goddard dated February 19, 2016. HO.2- PowerPoint presentation of Hastings School Feasibility-Special Town Meeting 2016-1-Article 3 – February 22, 2016. Place on Consent Agenda for SC Approval 3.8.16 Voted Approved by the School Committee 3.8.16