BELLOWS FALLS UNION HIGH SCHOOL
School Board Meeting
September 28, 2009
Present:
Daniel Axtell, Jack Bryar, Russell Capron, David Clark, Stephen L. Fine, Matthew Guild, Stephen Major, Jan Mitchell-Love, Laurie Rowell
Also Present:
Johanna Harpster, Christopher Kibbe, Christopher Hodsden, John Broadley, Marion Major, Joel Love, FACT-TV
1. Call to Order:
The Chair, David Clark, called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m.
2. Adjustments to the Agenda:
Item 8(B)(2) should read ”Resignation”, not “Appointment”, of Mary Westbrook as Drama Teacher.
Legal and WNESU personnel matters will be discussed in Executive Session (Item 11).
The Chair added WNESU as business for discussion to the agenda following executive session.
3. Consent Items:
There being no objection, the Chair declared that the minutes of September 14, 2009 are approved as presented.
4. Communications and Public Comments:
None
5. Reports:
A. Financial
Assistant Superintendent Kibbe responded to concerns expressed about the auditor’s comment that in FY2008 the school district had $26,000 in unsecured funds.
B. Principal
Craig Divis has been presented with the 2009 Vermont Teacher of the Year award. Stephen Major moved that Mr. Divis be congratulated for his recognition as Teacher of the Year. The motion passed unanimously.
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NECAP exams begin on October 13th. During Open House this week, parents will be given passwords and usernames to access the parent portal of Power School, which will give them an opportunity to find out about student progress and performance. Students will have separate accounts from parents, and will also be able to access this information.
C. Superintendent
A revised Budget Timeline was included in the agenda packet, and Superintendent Harpster provided an update on ARRA funds.
Board members, students, parents, faculty, and community members will all be given an opportunity to complete a “Vision of My School” survey that has been drafted by the WNESU Vision Committee. With these results, the committee hopes to be able to identify goals that will define a vision statement for the Supervisory Union.
The Department of Health is sponsoring H1N1 clinics at the high school and at Central Elementary School. Upon parent request, all students in the district will have an opportunity to receive the vaccine.
D. Technical Center Representatives
No report
E. WNESU
A Special Meeting has been scheduled to consider the hiring of a consultant for the Business Office.
F. Committees and Special Projects
(1) School and Community Relations Committee
Minutes of the August 8, 2009 meeting were included in the agenda packet.
(2) Policy Committee
Laurie Rowell will be scheduling a meeting for committee members. The administration was asked to include Graduation Requirements Policy on the next agenda.
(3) Instruction and Educational Effectiveness Committee
The committee has been discussing Senior Projects.
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6. Unfinished Business:
A. Bald Hill Access for National Grid
Russ Capron will provide an update at the next meeting.
7. Business for Discussion/Action:
A. Long-Term Planning
Jack Bryar compiled a list of projects for long-term planning consideration. This list will be reviewed by the Budget Committee.
B. Back Pay for Substitute Teachers
There was a delay in the submission to the Business Office of paperwork for two people who acted as substitutes toward the end of FY2009. The paper work was sent in timely fashion to the teacher for whom they were substituting, but was delayed there because of a serious illness, and ultimately a death, in her family. When the paper work was discovered, it was too late to pay the substitutes from the FY2009 budget. Therefore, Principal Hodsden requested that the two substitutes be paid from FY2010 funds. Stephen Major moved to approve payment of $75.00 each from FY2010 funds to Ellen Denton and Nate Keefe for their services as substitute teachers during the 2009 - 2010 school year. The motion passed on a vote of seven in favor (Axtell, Bryar, Capron, Guild,
Major, Mitchell-Love, Rowell) and one abstention (Fine). The Chair did not vote.
C. Drivers’ Ed Car
Board members received copies of bids submitted for the replacement of the Drivers’ Education car. Stephen Fine does not believe the board should consider the purchase of a vehicle without having exhausted the possibility of the vehicle being donated. It was also suggested that a low mileage used vehicle be considered. Jack Bryar moved to approve the lease or purchase of a 2010 Ford Explorer from Durand Ford-Toyota as recommended by the Principal. The motion failed on a vote of three in favor (Guild, Rowell, Axtell), four opposed (Capron, Fine, Mitchell-Love, Bryar), and one abstention (Major). The matter will be placed on the next agenda for further discussion.
D. Multi-Year Plan
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve a Multi-Year Plan for Student #1075823 as recommended by the administration. The motion passed unanimously.
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8. Appointments and/or Resignations
A. Academic Support Room Teacher Appointments
Stephen Major moved to approve the appointments of Nicholas Zachary (1.0 FTE) and Eric Bone (0.43 FTE) as Academic Support Room Teachers through the end of the first semester of the 2009-2010 school year, and the
allocation of $38,000 from grant or budgeted funds to support these positions. The motion passed unanimously.
B. Co-Curricular Appointments
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve the following co-curricular appointments for the 2009-2010 school year: Susan Speranza and Holly Falzo as Junior Class advisors. The motion passed unanimously.
C. Resignation
Matt Guild moved to accept, with regret, the resignation of Mary Westbrook as Drama Coach for the 2009-2010 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
9. Directors’ Comments
Laurie Rowell, speaking in reference to the discussion regarding honoring a late request for payment for substitute teachers, encouraged the board to giving staff and students the benefit of the doubt wherever possible.
Stephen Major recently witnessed a situation where Principal Hodsden interacted with former students who were on school grounds, and while the situation resolved itself, he understands the advantage of having an SRO on the grounds.
Jack Bryar encouraged board members, students, and faculty members to attend the informational meeting scheduled for October 8 regarding Grafton’s consideration of withdrawal from the BFUHS district.
Student Representative Marion Major suggests that high school representatives visit Middle Schools in the area to talk about their experience at BFUHS as a way to encourage students to stay in the district.
Jan Mitchell-Love thanked Cafe Services, Ezra Veitch, and Joe Brissette for their help in providing students with snacks during NECAP test preparations, and extended thanks to the student who attended the Instruction and Educational Effectiveness Committee meeting to discuss issues.
Rockingham’s next Article 6 Committee meeting will be held at the Middle School on October 1st, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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Stephen Fine noted that the Supervisory Union Board asked the administration and Business Office staff to establish a manual that will set guidelines and dates for the manner and timing of presenting bills for payment as a means of trying to help the Business Office run more efficiently, and encouraged board members to support the adoption of the manual when it comes to this board for consideration.
Russ Capron continues to monitor the financial impact of the copier bid that was accepted by the board.
Assistant Superintendent Kibbe was asked at the recent Supervisory Union Board meeting if contracts for grant-funded teachers contained a provision that the contracts were enforceable only if the grant funds exist. The answer given at that time was that he believed the language existed in these contracts, but upon a review following the meeting, found they did not. Stephen Fine noted that he takes some responsibility for the erroneous answer being given, because the rule for Public Comment and Communication is that this time should not be allowed to be interrogatory in nature, and he made a mistake by asking Mr. Kibbe at the time the question was raised for clarification.
10. Date of Next Meeting:
The Chair set the date of the next meeting for October 12, 2009.
11. Executive Session:
Stephen Major moved to go into executive session at 9:07 p.m. for the purpose of discussing legal and WNESU personnel matters, and invited the administration to attend. The motion passed unanimously.
The Chair returned the board to open session at 9:18 p.m. No action was taken as a result of executive session.
12. Adjournment:
There being no further business to come before the meeting and no objection, the Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Mitchell-Love, Clerk
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