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Home My WebLink About2019-03-25-SC-minLEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, March 25, 2019 Cary Memorial Building Estabrook Hall 1605 Massachusetts Avenue CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME: 6:02 p.m. Chair Eileen Jay welcomed and introduced committee members, including newly elected member Scott Bokun SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Eileen Jay, Chairperson Kate Colburn, Vice -Chairperson Kathleen Lenihan, Clerk Deepika Sawhney Scott Bokun NOT PRESENT: Peter Rowe, Interim Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Rosanna Jiang, Student Rep SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PRESENT Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent Dr. Christine Lyons, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development The minutes were taken by Kristen Cronin, Executive Assistant to the School Committee and Administrative Assistant to Superintendent CONSENT AGENDA: ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS/GIFTS NONE PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE WARRANT APPROVAL 1. Payroll Period Dated March 22, 2019 ($1,158,226.04) 2. Accounts Payable Period US Bank Dated March 22, 2019 ($47.,741.52) 3. Payroll Period Dated March 15, 2019 (3,,871,,491.87) Ms. Colburn moved to approve items 1-3 under Payroll and Accounts Payable Warrant approval on the consent agenda; seconded by Ms. Sawhney (Approved 5-0) 1 LSC Meeting 3/25/2019 APPROVED MINUTES - 5/7/2019 APPROVAL OF MINUTES None New Business: Review School Committee Meeting Dates for March/April Ms. Jay noted that two School Committee members would not be able to attend the Tuesday, April 23 meeting as originally scheduled. Some discussion was had around adding an additional meeting date to the School Committee calendar; otherwise, the next scheduled meeting date is not until May. Superintendent Hackett suggested starting at 5:00 in order to cover items that need to be discussed. One committee member commented that the evenings of Town Meeting was already a long night and would prefer not to have a longer meeting prior to Town Meeting. It was agreed to cancel April 23 meeting and add Wednesday, April 10th to the meeting calendar. A copy of the updated School Committee meeting dates can be seen here: .2018-2019School Committee Superintendent Hackett provided a brief clarification related to a public comment that was made at the March 12 School Committee meeting regarding the Equity Audit. It was mistakenly stated that Gary Mitchell was the Director of Human Resources with West Ed when he is, in fact, a Research Assistant with West Ed, as well as a McPherson Fellow at The Center for Ethics and Education at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Steve Mitchell is the Director of Human Resources for West Ed. Discussion and Vote positions on Town Meeting Articles discussed: The Committee discussed various Town Meeting Articles that are related to the schools. Article 11- Appropriate FY 2020 Operating Budget; Article 19 - Appropriate for School Capital Projects and Equipment Ms. Colburn moved that School Committee support Article 11 &Article 19; seconded by Ms. Lenihan (Approved 5-0) Article 30 -Amend Town By Laws-Reduce/Ban Polystyrene Materials; Article 31 -Amend Town By Laws to Reduce/Ban Single -Use Plastic Beverage Straws and Stirrers Ms. Jay read a letter from Mr. Peter Rowe, Assistant Superintendent from Finance and Operations, about the current and anticipated compliance with practices proposed in Articles 30 & 31. Mr. Bokun moved to support Articles 30 & 31; seconded by Ms. Sawhney (Approved 5-O) 2 LSC Meeting 3/25/2019 APPROVED MINUTES - 5/7/2019 Article 36 - Implement an Outcomes -Based Approach to Town Building Projects Ms. Sawhney moved to support Article 36 - Implement an Outcomes Based Approach to Town Building Projects; seconded by Mr. eokun (Approved 5-0) Article 9 - Sustainability Director The Committee engaged in discussion and agreed they needed to hear the presentation on the Town Meeting floor regarding this article, as they still have lots of questions and a lot of unknowns. Ms. Colburn moved that if asked at Town Meeting, School Committee will state that they do not have enough information to take a position on this article and will wait to hear further deliberation on the floor; seconded by Ms. Lenihan (Approved 5-0) Article 14 (i) & (j) -Appropriate the FY2020 Community Preservation Committee Operating Budget and CPA Projects The Committee engaged in discussion of Article 14 items i) Park Improvements -Athletic Fields - $435,000 (subject to reduction if (f) is fully funded; however (f) is now going to be indefinitely postponed with zero funding and item j) Playground Replacement Program at Bridge ($302,000). Given that these projects are on school property, there was concern as to why we had not received any information about these two projects. Ms. Lenihan moved that School Committee support Article 14 -Appropriate the FY 2020 Community Preservation Committee Operating Budget and CPA Projects (i) Park Improvements -Athletic Fields and (j) Playground Replacement; seconded by Ms. Colburn (Approved 5-0) Article 15 - Appropriate for Recreation Capital Projects Members engaged in discussion of Article 15 - Appropriate for Recreation Capital Projects and whether or not the Committee should take a position on this Article. Members agreed to have further discussion at the next School Committee meeting on April 1, 2019. Article 20 (b), (d), (e) -Appropriate for Public Facilities Capital Projects Members engaged in discussion and agreed to have further discussion at the next School Committee meeting on April 1, 2019. Article 32 - Capital Expenditures Committee - related provisions 3 LSC Meeting 3/25/2019 APPROVED MINUTES - 5/7/2019 Ms. Colburn moved to approve Article 32 -Capital Expenditures related provisions to represent Town Meetings and Selectmen Town Managers; seconded by Ms. Sawhney (Approved 5-0) Article 35 - Amend Article III of Chapter 118 Committee members had a brief discussion of Article 35 Mr. Bokun moved to support Article 35 to Amend Article 111 of Chapter 118; seconded by Ms. Lenihan. (Approved 4-0-1- Ms. !ay abstained) School Committee members remained in open session and relocated to Battin Hall for the purpose of participating in Town Meeting. 4 LSC Meeting 3/25/2019 APPROVED MINUTES - 5/7/2019