Regular Meeting
November 8, 2010
City Council Chambers
95 Pleasant Street, Gardner, Massachusetts
Members present: Mayor Mark Hawke, Chairman; James S. Boone, Vice Chairman John LaFreniere, Secretary; Carol J. Bailey, Paul G. Tassone, and Matthew Vance
Member absent: Christine Wilson
Others present: Dr. Carol L. Daring, Superintendent; Nicholas Magalhaes, Student Representative; Terri Hillman, Recording Secretary; Michael A. Hurd, Assistant Superintendent; Catherine Goguen, Business Administrator; Karen Scanlon, Director of Technology; John Salovardos, Special Education Director; Susan Hui, Grants Administrator; Deborah A. Caligaris, Interim Principal, GHS; Andrew S. Haas, Principal GALT; Christopher Casavant, Principal GMS; Joyce Swedberg, Principal ESS; Cherie McComb, Principal HMS; F. Daniel Hill, Principal WSS; Howard Klash, G.E.A. President; Anne Hurst, SPEDPAC; and other interested persons
Call to Order
Mayor Hawke, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. The meeting opened with a roll call and the pledge of allegiance. The meeting was broadcast live on cable television.
Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)– Gordon Benson of LUK
Gordon Benson, LUK, presented the Executive Summary and Report of the YRBS survey conducted at Gardner High School and Gardner Middle School in the spring of 2010. The YRBS survey monitors youth risk behaviors related to unintentional injury and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behavior, dietary behavior and physical activity, and community resources.
Open Time for General Public
The following spoke to the School Committee:
Steven Dubzinski, 83 Temple Street Asked about the search for a principal for GHS – cited need for more advertising, search committee, focus groups, and input from the community.
Mrs. Kathy Quennville, 160 Brookside Drive Sincerely hopes School Committee will adopt recommendation of the Athletic Council regarding coaching positions.
Presentation of Warrants
Mr. Tassone moved to ratify as recommended by the Finance Subcommittee and the Superintendent Warrant #11-15 dated October 7, 2010 in the amount of $165,484.28.
Seconded by Mr. Boone. Vote – so voted.
Mr. Tassone moved to ratify as recommended by the Finance Subcommittee and the Superintendent Warrant #11-16 dated October 14, 2010 in the amount of $64,691.16.
Seconded by Mr. Vance. Vote – so voted.
Mr. Tassone moved to ratify as recommended by the Finance Subcommittee and the Superintendent Warrant #11-17 dated October 21, 2010 in the amount of $147,841.54.
Seconded by Mr. LaFreniere. Vote – so voted.
Mr. Tassone moved to ratify as recommended by the Finance Subcommittee and the Superintendent Warrant #11-18 dated October 28, 2010 in the amount of $136,072.44.
Seconded by Mrs. Bailey. Vote – so voted.
Approval of Minutes
Regular Meeting – October 12, 2010
Mr. LaFreniere moved to approve the minutes of the regular School Committee meeting of October 12, 2010 as presented.
Seconded by Mr. Vance. Vote – so voted.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
Policy Subcommittee Report
Mr. Boone, Chairperson, said that the Policy Subcommittee met on October 18, 2010. Minutes of the meeting were presented. The following policies were presented for a first reading:
Policy JICFB Bullying
Policy JJD Athletic Policy
Facilities Subcommittee Report
Mr. LaFreniere, Chairperson, said that the Facilities Subcommittee met at Gardner High School on November 1, 2010. Minutes of the meeting were presented. The current district Capital Improvement Plan was reviewed and discussed. The plan will be updated based on Subcommittee recommendations and will be reviewed at the December meeting. It was recommended that all security building codes be reset for safety purposes on an annual basis and that current security procedures continue to be followed.
Ms. Caligaris, Interim Principal, took the Subcommittee on a tour of GHS. The Subcommittee was very impressed with the gym floor and how well the students are taking care of the redone locker room.
Finance Subcommittee Report
Mr. Tassone said that the Finance Subcommittee met on November 2, 2010. Minutes of the meeting were presented. The status of FY11 expense budgets was reviewed and discussed. A cumulative list of all FY11 grant applications filed and the status of the applications was requested.
The Athletic Council is recommending restoration of the fall assistant football coach position, the winter assistant track coach position and the spring assistant track coach position. This will be voted on by the full Committee under Item 1993.
A donation from an anonymous donor was accepted and will be voted on by the full Committee under Item 1992.
Dr. Salovardos will present an update of the Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology Program financial status at the December Finance Subcommittee meeting.
Technology Subcommittee Report
Mr. Tassone, Chairperson, said that the Technology Subcommittee met on October 10, 2010. Minutes of the meeting were presented. The expanded SIMS and EPIMS were discussed. The DESE is expanding SIMS reporting for all schools throughout the state and this will require a great deal of work to compile the data. Gardner is fortunate to have Rediker which is one of the best tools for pulling this data and submitting it to DESE.
Transportation Subcommittee Report
The Transportation Subcommittee did not meet in October.
Athletic Council
Mr. Boone, Chairperson, said that the Athletic Subcommittee met on November 2, 2010. Minutes of the meeting were presented. The Subcommittee discussed and will recommend Policy JJD, Athletic Policy, to the full Committee for a first reading.
The Council discussed and will recommend to the full Committee that the Leominster Girls’ Ice Hockey team collaborate with the Gardner High School Girls’ Ice Hockey team. This will be voted on under Item 1996.
Mr. Klash, Athletic Director, recommended restoring the three remaining eliminated coaching positions. This will be voted on by the full Committee under Item 1993.
Report of Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Daring reported on the requirement for development of a local bullying prevention and intervention plan in accordance with Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010. She and an administrative group have been working to develop a template to give to a larger group to review and refine.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has completed and submitted a report to the Massachusetts Legislature on cost-effective ways to implement professional development on bullying. No single program addressed all of the content required in the new law. Therefore, the report submitted by DESE contains information on what is available in three different categories: (1) No Cost and Low Cost Options; (2) Train the Trainer Models and Online Professional Development; and (3) Other Cost-Effective ways to address Professional Development.
Small grants are available to districts to provide the necessary training. The Gardner district has a grant of $2,700 to use for this propose. Training must be provided for all staff including, for example, bus drivers and cafeteria workers.
G.E.A. President
Mr. Howard Klash, President of the G.E.A., had no report this month.
Student Representative to the School Committee
Nicholas Magalhaes, Student Representative to the School Committee, said that the First Term has officially ended. For most students the school year is ¼ of the way completed and for seniors it is 1/3. PSAT’s and SAT’s have been given and seniors are doing standardized testing and filing their early decision applications.
The GHS band won a Bronze at MICCA. Field Hockey and Soccer teams have ended their seasons but Football and Cross Country have a few more games. The gym floor is awesome. There is a need to restore coaching positions.
The Student Advisory Council is meeting monthly and working as a body to help the Interim Principal, Ms. Caligaris. There has been discussion regarding a Student Senate.
OLD BUSINESS
Item 1963B – Oral Reports from Administration
Dr. John Salovardos, Director of Special Education, continued the presentation that he gave last spring relevant to special education services. The PowerPoint demonstration pointed out the direction that Gardner is headed in and how services are provided in the district.
He explained the Early Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and how they may merge into the LEARN Act (S 2740). One area that LEARN will focus on is Inclusion of All. There is a fundamental shift in the philosophy of how services are delivered in the Gardner district especially in the area of inclusion practices. There is an internal shift as a district but one that falls more closely in line with the spirit and direction of special education laws over the past 40 years.
Item 1964B – K-12 Technology Update
The Technology Update was e-mailed to School Committee members on November 5. Mrs. Scanlon was present to answer questions.
Item 1965B– Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Update
The Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Update was e-mailed to School Committee members on November 5. Mr. Hurd was present to answer questions.
Item 1966B- Special Education Update
The Special Education update was e-mailed to School Committee members on
September 10. See Item 1963B for Dr. Salovardos’ oral report.
Item 1967B– Business Administrator’s Update
The Business Administrator’s report was e-mailed to School Committee members on
November 5. Ms. Goguen was present to answer questions.
Item 1968B – Grants Administrator’s Update
The Grants Administrator’s report was e-mailed to School Committee members on November 5. Mrs. Hui was present to answer questions.
NEW BUSINESS
Item 1991 – Memorandum of Understanding between the Gardner Public Schools and the Gardner Police Department
Mr. Boone moved to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent and the Gardner Chief of Police to accept the Memorandum of Understanding representing a formalized working relationship between the Gardner School Committee and the Gardner Police Department effective as of the date the Agreement is signed by the Parties and shall renew automatically unless otherwise modified.
Seconded by Mr. LaFreniere. Vote – so voted.
Item 1992 – Acceptance of Donation – Anonymous Donor
Mr. Tassone moved to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent and Finance Subcommittee to accept a donation of $831.52 from an anonymous donor to restore the Musical Portion of the Musical Director position for FY2011.
Seconded by Mr. Boone. Vote – so voted
Item 1993 – Restoration of Coaching Positions
Mr. Boone moved to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent and the Athletic Council to restore three coaching positions – one Assistant Football Coach, one Assistant Indoor Track Coach, and one Assistant Outdoor Track Coach for FY2011. Funding for these positions will come from increases in user fees, increase in gate receipts that exceed anticipated revenue, and reduced playing schedule for some fall sports (all in the Athletic Revolving Account). In addition $2,700 will be taken from savings in the Athletic Supplies Account of the local budget.
Seconded by Mr. LaFreniere. Vote – so voted.
Item 1994 – Athletic Participation Fee Increase
Mayor Hawke, Chairperson, asked Mr. Boone, Vice Chairperson, to take the Chair so that he could speak on this item.
Mr. LaFreniere moved to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent and
the Athletic Council that the following fees effective with the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year be assessed - (1) athletic user fees of $100 per EACH season of participation, and (2) $200 for ice hockey participants. A maximum fee for a family will be as follows:
- $200 per season for non-ice hockey athletes (if not using a free or reduced lunch waiver)
- $400 per season for ice hockey athletes (if not using a free or reduced lunch waiver)
- $100 per season for non-ice hockey athletes (if using a reduced lunch waiver)
- $200 per season for ice hockey athletes (if using a reduced lunch waiver)
- $50 per season for non-ice hockey athletes (if using a free lunch waiver)
- $100 per season for ice hockey athletes (if using a free lunch waiver)
Seconded by Mr. Tassone.
Speaking to the motion, Mayor Hawke asked about the cost per student for each of the sports. He questioned why the user fee for hockey was double the user fee for other sports. He would also like a breakdown of the student participation in all the sports. He is not an advocate of raising user fees without having a breakdown of cost per student.
Dr. Daring said that as soon as the Fall Sports Season is completed, a matrix will be prepared for the season. It is being worked on right now.
Mr. Vance moved to amend the motion that the fees as voted above will be in effect for this school year only and will be reviewed and voted on prior to the next school year.
Seconded by Mayor Hawke. Vote on amendment – so voted.
Vote on motion to increase Athletic Participation Fees as amended - so voted.
Mayor Hawke returned to the Chair position.
Item 1995 – Race to the Top Proposal for Year 1
Mr. LaFreniere moved to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent to approve $10,960 in year one of the 4-year of the Race to the Top grant for training. Gardner has been allocated $326,786 over a four-year period. A copy of the Year 1 Budget was presented.
Seconded by Mrs. Bailey. Vote – so voted.
Item 1996 – Girls Ice Hockey Collaboration
Mr. Boone moved to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Athletic Council, and the Athletic Director to approve a proposal to allow the Gardner High School Girls’ Ice Hockey team to collaborate with Leominster Girls’ Ice Hockey team for a two-year period due to declining numbers on both teams. This will require MIAA approval.
Seconded by Mr. Tassone. Vote – so voted.
Comments
Dr. Daring told the School Committee that the Helen Mae Sauter School was recognized by the National Title 1 Distinguished Schools Program for the students’ sustained academic improvement. Helen Mae Sauter is one of two Massachusetts schools being recognized this year. Principal Cherie McComb credited the school staff and the early efforts made to prepare students for the next level of education. Representatives from the school will attend a national conference in Florida.
Mrs. Bailey would like more detailed results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The report this evening was too abbreviated She would also like to see more parents attend the School Committee meetings and speak out on the curriculum. Music and athletics are important but academics are very important.
Mr. Tassone congratulated Ms. McComb on the award from the National Title 1 Distinguished Schools Program. He said that education is important but that athletics and music bring and keep students in school. He is glad that coaching positions were restored
and that the parents were persistent. There is a need to continue to be creative and to try to get grants to support programs.
Mr. Maglehaes said he really appreciates the track coaching positions being restored. Academics are important but track gives him relief and he loves it.
Mr. Vance congratulated everyone at the Helen Mae Sauter School for the award. He is elated that spring coaches can be brought back and that sports are important for students.
Mr. LaFreniere congratulated the staff at HMS – it is another shining star for Gardner. He also spoke about the Senior Café at GHS and how the students are doing a fine job in maintaining the room.
Mr. Boone said the Committee will have to continue to be creative for next year’s budget. He thanked everyone who helps out with the educational system.
Mayor Hawke said that based on current information, next year’s school budget may be only level funded.
Executive Session
Mr. LaFreniere moved to go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining and to reconvene in open session only to adjourn.
Seconded by Mr. Boone. Role Call Vote – Bailey, yes; Boone, yes; LaFreniere, yes; Tassone, yes; Vance, yes; and Mayor Hawke, yes. Count – 6 yes.
The Committee went into executive session at 8:55 p.m.
The Committee reconvened in open session at 9:20 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr. LaFreniere moved to adjourn. Seconded by Mr. Boone.
Vote – so voted.
The meeting adjourned at 9:22 p.m.
John LaFreniere, Secretary
T. Hillman, Recording Secretary
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