BELLOWS FALLS UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
School Board Meeting
August 9, 2010
Present:
Jack Bryar, Russell Capron, David Clark, Matthew Guild, Jan Mitchell-Love, Margaret Perry, Laurie Rowell
Also Present:
Edie Cole, Sharon Reynolds, Christopher Hodsden, John Broadley, Ian Fraunfelder, FACT-TV
1. Call to Order:
The Chair, David Clark, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
2. Adjustments to the Agenda:
According to Principal Hodsden, Items 8(A) and (B) should be combined; Item 8(C), Custodial Job Description, and Items 6(A), Public Complaints about Personnel Policy and 12, Executive Session, were removed from the agenda.
3. Consent Items:
There being no objection, the Chair declared that the minutes of June 28, 2010 and July 12, 2010 are accepted as presented.
4. Communications and Public Comments:
None
5. Reports:
A. Financial
Agenda packets included a June 30, 2010 financial report. The Business Manager estimates a year-end surplus in excess of $130,000. Auditors have begun preliminary work and are scheduled to return in October. Board members clarified how the Envirothon Club expenses were to be funded.
B. Principal
Superintendent Harpster has been working with Marilee Huntoon on a retirement incentive agreement as per the board’s authorization on July 12, and according to Principal Hodsden, the agreement is almost verbatim to the motion made at that meeting.
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(1) Job Descriptions
Job descriptions for non-union staff members are being modified to mirror their respective Employment Agreements.
(2) Security and Transition from SRO
The SRO position was designed to cover security, monitoring of attendance, and the public relations aspect of building a strong connection between students and law enforcement. Without the SRO in the building, Principal Hodsden plans to keep the focus on the security and monitoring of attendance. Ian Fraunfelder will cover the Attendance Officer responsibilities and the security issues will be covered by equipment that will be purchased. Ian will not have significant security responsibilities, except when he is the only person at the front door.
Security measures include a plan to install a buzzer system at the front door, install additional cameras, and a card swipe system for some doors and access to the D wing.
$32,000 has been budgeted for the SRO position that is no longer being filled. The Attendance Officer position and equipment purchase will cost the school $22,000.
A question was raised about Ian Fraunfelder’s time, as he has been hired to work 10 hours per week at the Supervisory Union level on transportation. The breakdown of Mr. Fraunfelder’s position is estimated to be 20 hours Athletic Director, 10 hours transportation, and 10 hours Attendance Officer.
.
C. Superintendent of Schools/Assistant Superintendent
(1) Budget Timeline Draft
Agenda packets included a Budget Timeline for member districts. Dan Axtell, Russ Capron, Matt Guild, Stephen Major, and Margaret Perry will serve on the Budget Committee for BFUHS. The first meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. on September 28.
D. Technical Center Representatives
Brattleboro – no report
Springfield – the board met in July to handle mainly housekeeping items
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E. WNESU
Unapproved minutes of the July 28, 2010 meeting were included in the agenda packet.
F. Committees and Special Projects
(1) Policy
Minutes of the June 28, 2010 meeting were included in the agenda packet. The committee met prior to this board meeting.
Frozen and canned items have been removed from the list of permitted foods in the Wellness Policy, which raised questions from the board. Margaret Perry moved to return the Wellness Policy to the Policy Committee for review. The motion passed unanimously.
(2) School and Community Relations
The School and Community Relations Committee met last week.
6. Policies for First Reading:
A. Wellness Policy (Code F29)
No further discussion
7. Unfinished Business:
A. Revised Food Service Bid
The Food Service Bid has been awarded to Café Services, for one year only.
B. 501(C)(3)
Laurie Rowell suggested changes to the Articles of Incorporation. Management and affairs of the organization will be under the direction of the Board. Questions were raised about how gifts can be spent under the regulations of a 501(C)(3). The state has cautioned against using funds for educational programs, and Matt Guild expressed concern about the utility of the corporation if limited by state law and these articles. Jack Bryar moved to approve the Articles of Incorporation for a 501(C)(3) organization as written, and directed the administration to refer the document to legal counsel for further vetting. The motion passed unanimously.
C. Middle School Academy
Superintendent Harpster has been asked to investigate whether the high school’s current governance allows the school to operate a Middle School Academy. Margaret Perry moved to go forward with the idea of
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developing a Middle School Academy with as much alacrity as possible, and suggested the Chair contact Attorney Lawrence Slason who may remember how the issue was resolved years ago when the idea of joining the Middle and High Schools was being considered. The motion passed on a vote of five in favor (Bryar, Mitchell-Love, Capron, Perry, Rowell) and one abstention (Guild). The Chair did not vote.
8. Business for Discussion/Action:
A. Member to Member Agreement/Football
A Green Mountain Union High School student has requested permission to play football with the BFUHS teams. Jack Bryar moved to approve, and authorized the Principal to sign, a Member-to-Member Agreement to allow a Green Mountain Union High School student to play football at BFUHS. The motion passed unanimously.
B. FY10 Surplus
Principal Hodsden included a memorandum in the agenda packet outlining suggestions for use of FY10 surplus funds. Concerns were expressed about using the money without voter approval. The Commissioner of Education has announced targets for school districts to achieve in FY12, and the high school’s target is a 2.5% reduction. Margaret Perry moved to have the administration determine from the Department of Education how they arrived at a 2.5% decrease in spending target. The motion passed unanimously.
C. 2010-2011 Bus Routes
Russ Capron moved to approve the 2010-2011 Bus Routes as included in the agenda packet and attached to these minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
9. Appointments and/or Resignations:
The Chair moved to approve contracts for Wayne Blanchard (.4 FTE Guidance Counselor), Gail Christmas (CFG – Literacy), and Kelly Spaulding (CFG – Mathematics) for the 2010-2011 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve the hiring of Christina Clements as Latin Teacher for the 2010-2011 school year, beginning at the Masters + Step 4 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The motion passed unanimously.
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Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve the hiring of Tammy Massingill as a Special Educator for the 2010-2011 school year, at a salary of $61,208. The motion passed on a vote of four in favor (Mitchell-Love, Capron, Rowell, Guild), one opposed (Bryar), and one abstention (Perry). The Chair did not vote.
Jan Mitchell-Love moved to approve the hiring of Ian Fraunfelder as .25 FTE Attendance Officer for the 2010-2011 school year. The motion passed
on a vote of five in favor (Mitchell-Love, Capron, Perry, Rowell, Guild) and one opposed (Bryar). The Chair did not vote. Concern was again expressed about one person being asked to cover the responsibilities of Athletic Director, Attendance, and Transportation, and the administration was asked to keep close track of how Mr. Fraunfelder’s three jobs are working together.
The Chair moved to approve contracts for Eric Bone (.4 FTE Academic Support Room), Nick Zachary (.4 FTE Academic Support Room), and Diane Cecere (Art Coordinator) for the 2010-2011 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
10. Directors’ Comments:
Jan Mitchell-Love would like to see the board find money to support Principal Hodsden’s recommendations.
Jack Bryar thanked community members who have recently participated in the School and Community Relations Committee meetings.
The Chair would like voters in all four towns to receive a copy of the budget by mail. He also noted that according to the Brattleboro Reformer, the Rockingham School Board is looking at a cost of $11,000,000 to renovate the Middle School, and it is his hope that if Rockingham would like to consider some type of collaborative relationship with the high school, the board will not close the door on discussions.
11. Date of Next Meeting:
The Chair set the date of the next meeting for August 23, 2010 (if necessary).
12. Adjournment:
Russ Capron moved to adjourn at 8:54 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Mitchell-Love, Clerk
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