BELLOWS FALLS UNION HIGH SCHOOL
School Board Meeting
August 10, 2009
Present: Jack Bryar, Russell Capron, David Clark, Stephen L. Fine, Matthew Guild, Jan Mitchell-Love, Margaret Perry, Laurie Rowell
Also Present: Johanna Harpster, Christopher Kibbe, Christopher Hodsden, John Broadley, Joe Brissette, Randy Major, Elizabeth Harlow, FACT-TV
1. Call to Order:
The Chair, David Clark, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
2. Adjustments to the Agenda:
Principal Hodsden added discussion on School Choice to his report (Item 5B).
Carpet Bid (Item 7F) and Academic Eligibility Policy (Item 6) will be tabled.
Reports from the Instruction and Educational Effectiveness Committee and the School and Community Relations Committee will be added to Reports (Item 5).
3. Consent Items:
There being no objection, the Chair declared that the minutes of July 13, 2009 are accepted as presented.
4. Communications and Public Comments:
Joe Brissette thanked the members of the Educational Effectiveness Committee for their recent discussion on Senior Projects.
There are plans to upgrade the existing power lines on high school and the Bald Hill Conservation Committee properties. Representatives of the Conservation Committee, Elizabeth Harlow and Randy Major, described the work being undertaken and suggested that the high school and their committee work together on deciding the best access for the trucks and equipment that will be accessing the properties. The Chair referred the matter to the Building & Grounds Committee.
5. Reports:
A. Business Manager:
Copies of the FY08 Audit were distributed. Russ Capron moved to accept Fothergill, Segale & Valley’s FY08 Audit Report as presented. The motion passed unanimously.
It was requested that the Business Manager explain to the board at the next meeting why there are “uninsured, uncollaterialized” deposits.
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B. Principal
Two families missed the application deadline for 2009-2010 School Choice, and would now like consideration for their child to attend another school under the School Choice program. Jan Mitchell-Love moved to grant the requests of two families to attend other schools under the School Choice program, subject to the Principal verifying that space is available at the receiving schools, seconded by Jack Bryar. Stephen Fine raised the question of whether or not the board could act on such a motion, since the issue was not warned, but declined to make a motion to table to the next meeting. The motion passed on a vote of six in favor (Capron, Perry, Rowell, Mitchell-Love, Bryar, Guild) and one abstention (Fine). The Chair did not vote.
Work continues on developing an academic resource center, and Principal Hodsden hopes to have it staffed in time for the opening of school.
The school has received a testamentary bequest of 1,000 shares of State Street Bank stock.
Carpet installation is complete.
Assistant Principal John Broadley updated the board on High Schools That Work activities, freshman home visits, and distributed information regarding NEASC.
C. Superintendent of Schools
The administration has been focusing on plans for the use of federal stimulus (ARRA) funds.
D. Technical Center Representatives
The Chair distributed enrollment and budget data compiled for RVTC and results of its recent school climate student survey.
E. WNESU
Unapproved minutes of the July 22nd meeting were included in the agenda packet.
F. Committees and Special Projects
(1) Policy Committee
The committee continues to discuss the Academic Eligibility Policy.
(2) School and Community Relations Committee
Minutes of the June 6th meeting were included in the agenda packet. The committee has decided to focus on diversity issues at the high school and Jan Mitchell-Love described programs that are available to the school.
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(3) Rockingham’s Article 6 Study Committee
The Westminster School Board is not interested in a collaborative effort with Rockingham for its junior high students at this time, so the committee will now begin to look at the options for Rockingham alone.
(4) Educational Effectiveness Committee
The committee has been discussing academic eligibility, senior privileges, credit recovery, and Senior Project. The committee plans to draft motions regarding specific recommendations for Senior Project and an Academic Resource Center for board consideration.
6. Business for Discussion/Action:
A. Audit
No further discussion
B. Copier Bid
Oce` Imagistics, SymQuest, and All Service submitted bids for the replacement of a copier. Jan Mitchell-Love moved to award the copier bid to Oce` Imagistics at a monthly cost of $1,043.31 plus $0.0045 per copy in excess of 80,000. The motion passed on a vote of four in favor (Mitchell-Love, Rowell, Guild, Perry) and three abstentions (Bryar, Capron, Fine). The Chair did not vote.
C. Multi-Year Plan
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve a multi-year plan as recommended by the administration for student #1083477. The motion passed on a vote of six in favor (Mitchell-Love, Rowell, Guild, Perry, Fine, Capron) and one abstention (Bryar). The Chair did not vote.
D. 2009-2010 School Bus Routes
Margaret Perry moved to approve the 2009-2010 school bus routes as presented, and request the administration to inform Representative Obuchowski about concerns around the state’s inflexibility in transporting small numbers of students between schools. The motion passed on a vote of six in favor (Mitchell-Love, Rowell, Guild, Perry, Fine, Bryar) and one abstention (Capron). The Chair did not vote.
E. Joint Meeting with Rockingham School Board
The administration will coordinate a joint meeting with the Rockingham School Board during the latter part of October.
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7. Appointments:
A. Guidance Counselor
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve a contract for Wayne Blanchard as .4 Guidance Counselor for the 2009-2010 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
B. Activities Director
Jack Bryar moved to approve a contract for Ian Fraunfelder as .5 Activities Director for the 2009-2010 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
C. Co-Curricular Appointments
Stephen Fine moved to approve the following co-curricular contracts for the 2009-2010 school year:
· John Broadley – Head Girls’ Soccer Coach
· Bethany Coursen – Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach
· Timothy Eno – Head Cross-Country Coach
· Don Laurendeau - .5 Freshman Football Coach
· Bob Lockerby – Head Football Coach
· Larry Slason – Boys’ Varsity Soccer Coach
· Ryan Stoodley – Assistant Football Coach
· Eric Willard - .5 Freshman Football Coach
The motion passed unanimously.
Superintendent Harpster spoke briefly about her concerns over the Assistant Principal also taking on coaching responsibilities.
8. Directors’ Comments:
Jan Mitchell-Love asked the board to consider whether someone should attend the upcoming workshop on Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education, and suggested that the board discuss the availability of diversity programs at the next meeting.
Laurie Rowell asked to be notified of the Building & Grounds Committee meeting when it is scheduled, and would like to see discussion continue on alterations to the entrance of the school driveway.
Jack Bryar noted that the Community Relations Committee has talked about extending efforts on diversity into the community, and hopes that the workshops under consideration will include the community as well.
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9. Date of Next Scheduled Meeting
The Chair set the date of the next meeting for August 24, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the high school library. The Policy Committee and Educational Effectiveness Committee will hold a joint meeting at 6:30 p.m. that evening.
10. Adjournment:
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to adjourn at 9:17 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Mitchell-Love, Clerk
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