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Home My WebLink About2017-10-12-SC-min1 LSC Meeting 10/12/17 LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thursday, October 12, 2017 Cary Memorial, Estabrook Hall 1605 Massachusetts Avenue Present: Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini; Vice Chair, Eileen Jay; Jessie Steigerwald; Kate Colburn; Kathleen Lenihan Superintendent, Dr.Czajkowski; Student Representative, Rosana Jiang The minutes were taken by Kristen Cronin, Executive Assistant to the School Committee and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent The meeting convened at 7pm Call to Order and Welcome: Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini called the meeting to order, and introduced committee members. Public Comments: Superintendent’s Announcement: Dr. Czajkowski read a letter from Chief Mark Corr regarding training for youth that was held this past summer. Next Tuesday’s School Committee Meeting will be the annual meeting in Boston, and will be hosted by METCO. The Bus will be leaving the Central Office at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the Kroc Community Center MCAS Accountability – Dr. Maureen Kavanaugh attended the statewide MCAS Accountability conference today on the topic of understanding the next generation MCAS. 2017 is the baseline year and the upcoming school year will be the first year of this new assessment. Lexington High School is the only district that will receive an accountability level this year. A communication letter from acting commissioner Jeff Wulson will be sent out regarding the “Next Generation Parent Letter” Board Of Selectmen voted to reserve the date of Monday, December 4th for the Special Debt Exclusion vote. The Capital Expenditures Committee released their report regarding the town warrant articles: Article 2 Hastings Appropriations; Article 3 Design Funds for LCP and Article 11 Design Funds for LHS Security System Design. School Committee Member Announcements: Kathleen Lenihan: Kick off for YES campaign on November 1st at 7:00 pm at the Depot. Informational night for the public to learn and educate themselves further about the building projects - Hastings School, Lexington Children’s Place and the fire station. Jessie Steigerwald: Event on November 4 titled “Understanding Gender” at Cary Library 3:00-4:30, sponsored by LexPride; PFLAG & Cary Memorial Library. 2 LSC Meeting 10/12/17 Community Coalition shared their first video interview with Dr. Czajkowsi. The following week there will be interviews with Val Viscosi and Julie Fenn on Mental Health. Nice way to understand more of what is going on in the community and ways teachers and faculty are addressing these issues. Eileen Jay: First public hearing on International Field Trips with faculty was held on Wednesday, October 11, lots of useful feedback. Another public hearing for parents will be held on Thursday evening, October 26. School committee members reiterated the fact that International Field Trips are not being cancelled. These public hearings are informational to help School Committee members better understand factors that relate to the approval of these field trips. There will also be two public hearings on new homework policy November 7, one for faculty 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. and later in the evening for parents and community at 6:00-7:00 p.m. October book discussion announcement – “How to Raise an Adult” by Julie Lythcott-Hymes; Sunday Oct. 15, Monday Oct. 23 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 a.m. Alessandro Alessandrini: On Saturday, October 28, a free flu clinic will be held at the Central Administration Building 10:00-2:30 available to all Lexington Residents. Bowman PTA will be collecting donations for families in Puerto Rico. Donations can be made through the American Red Cross and Bowman PTA. Consent Agenda: 1. Vote to Approve PTO donation checks to each high school class in the amount of $700.00 each (class of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) – (Alessandro/Steigerwald) Motion approved 5-0 Agenda: 1. Proposed FY19-23 Capital Budget - Schools Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Administration, Ian Dailey reviewed the FY2019-23 Capital requests including one capital project for the School Department under District Technology. Mr. Dailey is seeking approval of the proposed FY2019-23 Capital request to submit these projects to the Capital Expenditures Committee for their review as part of the budget development process. After working with the Town Manager and Capital Expenditures Committee, these projects will be discussed in further detail in January when the Superintendent presents the recommended FY19 budget. School Committee members had questions for the Director of Educational Technology, Ms. Jenn Judkins, regarding the proposed technology plan. It was agreed that Ms. Judkins would present at the next school committee meeting to review the technology plan for the district. Motion to approve transmittal of the attached proposed FY19-23 School Department Capital Projects to the Capital Expenditures Committee for their review. (Alessandrini/Jay) Motion approved 5-0 3 LSC Meeting 10/12/17 2. Proposed FY19-23 Capital Budget – School Facilities On behalf of the School Facilities Department, Mr. Ian Dailey, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Administration, reviewed the Proposed FY19-23 Capital Budget for School Facilities, of which 10 items relate in part to the School Department. Approval of these items will allow the School Department to provide these projects to the Capital Expenditures Committee for their review as part of the budget development process. Further discussion and questions with members and Mr. Dailey ensued. Motion to approve transmittal of the attached proposed FY19-23 School Facilities Capital Projects to the Capital Expenditures Committee for their review as amended (Alessandrini/Colburn) Motion Approved 5-0 3. Policy Reading #2 – DGA: Authorized Signatures This is the second reading for an amended version of Policy DGA: Authorized Signatures. The Finance Subcommittee seeks to update Policy DGA: Authorized Signatures. The main driver for this update is to allow the committee to designate one signor, and an alternate, for payroll and accounts payable batch/warrant approvals. This is a result of language included in the Municipal Modernization Act that went into effect last November 2016. It also includes several other general language improvements. Move to rescind the existing Policy DGA, Authorized Signatures and approve Policy DGA, Authorized Signatures, as amended and attached effective October 12, 2017. (Alessandrini/Colburn) Motion Approved 5-0 4. Vote Payroll and Accounts Payable Approval Process Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Administration, Ian Dailey, gave a brief follow-up to a discussion that occurred during the September 19, 2017 School Committee meeting, and Finance Subcommittee meetings and reviewed the outline of the new payroll & accounts payable approval process to members. Move to approve Jessie Steigerwald as delegate to approve payroll and accounts payable batches in accordance with School Committee Policy DGA: Authorized Signatures effective October 12, 2017. (Alessandrini/Jay) Motion Approved 5-0 Motion to approve Kate Colburn as alternate to approve payroll and accounts payable batches in accordance with School Committee Policy DGA: Authorized Signatures effective October 12, 2017. (Alessandrini/Steigerwald) Motion Approved 5-0 5. Policy Reading #1 – JICI: Weapons in School Eileen Jay read the first of three readings of the Draft policy JICI – Weapons in School Move to Approve the first reading of the Weapons in School Policy JICI (Steigerwald/Colburn) Motion approved 5-0 4 LSC Meeting 10/12/17 6. Discussion of Special Town Meeting Articles Alessandro Alessandrini led the discussion on the Town Meeting Articles and who would introduce the school-related articles during Special Town Meeting. a. STM 2017-2, Article 2: Appropriate for Hastings School Construction: Alessandrini b. STM 2017-2, Article 3: Appropriate Design Funds for Lexington Children’s Place/20 Pelham Road: Steigerwald c. STM 2017, Article 11: Appropriate for LHS Security System Design: Colburn d. Discussion of STM-3, Article 3: Amend General Bylaws – Recreational Marijuana Move that we support Article 3, STM-2: (Steigerwald/Colburn) Approved 5-0 7. Discussion & Vote of MASC Resolutions Kate Colburn reviewed the MASC Resolutions with the Committee to discuss and vote on for the upcoming joint meeting in November with MASC/MASS: Move to support Resolutions 1-7 (Alessandrini/Jay) Motion Approved (5-0) 8. Discussion of Forming an LHS Graduation Requirements Working Group Alessandro Alessandrini lead the discussion on the possibility of forming a working group for LHS Graduation requirements. After a lengthy discussion it was suggested that LHS Graduation Requirements be a new policy. Members of the school committee should submit questions to the Curriculum Subcommittee, and copy Dr. Czajkowsi and Dr. Chase, regarding what they are looking for and who they would like to hear from to decide if a working group should be created to help form the LHS Graduation Requirements Policy. The end goal is to have all stakeholders be a part of this process, including parents and students and to have a policy in place no later than the end of the school year. Alessandro will reach out to Colby Brunt with questions regarding a timeline for this policy, specifically to obtrain her legal advice about whena policy needs to be in place Chairman announced a 5-minute break. 9:08 p.m. back in session 9. Vote to Appoint Two School Committee Members to Serve on Superintendent Search Committee Motion to appoint Eileen Jay & Kate Colburn as School Committee Representatives of the Superintendent Search Committee. Motion Approved (Alessandrini/Steigerwald) 5-0 10. Discussion of Superintendent’s Search Process and Vote on Issuing an RFP for Superintendent Search Consultant Members unanimously agreed on using MASC for the Superintendent search for a cost of $9,500.00 with Glen Koocher as head consultant. Motion to move the Lexington School Committee use MASC, specifically Executive Director Glenn Koocher, as our consultant through MASC to help with superintendent search 5 LSC Meeting 10/12/17 Motion Approved (Alessandrini/Steigerwald) 5-0 Motion to move School Committee Chair, Mr. Alessandro Alessandrini, and Ms. Colburn to negotiate the contract with MASC and our Chair, Mr. Alessandrini to sign on behalf of School Committee. (Steigerwald/Lenihan) Motion Approved 5-0 Motion to adjourn (Alessandrini/Colburn) The Motion was approved 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:23 p.m. Meeting Materials: Agenda; A.1- A.2- A.3- Proposed School Committee Policy DGA – Authorized SignaturesA.4- Payroll & Accounts Payable Batch/Warrant Approval Dates – FY18; Schedule of Departmental Payroll Payables Approvals Summary Form; Schedule of Departmental Accounts Payable Approvals Summary Form A.5- DRAFT – JICI Weapons in School A.6-TMMA Warrant Information Report A.7- MASC Resolutions