11/10/09

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Rutland Town Board of School Directors=20 Meeting

Tuesday, November 10, = 2009

Open: Chairman=20 Stacy Chapman opened the meeting at 6:40pm with the Pledge of=20 Allegiance

Present: In=20 attendance: Board members Marc Brierre, Stacy Chapman, Jim Levins, Jim = Wright;=20 Principal Pati Beaumont; Assistant Principal Larry Sims; Superintendent = Wendy=20 Savery, Teachers Peter Patterson, Jackie Fleming, Paul Giambatista, = Randy Dewey,=20 Bev Browe, Patsy MacHardy and several parents and residents

Directors Orders: All orders signed

Enrichment trip requests: Principal Beaumont informed the Board that = there were 3=20 requests forthcoming: 6^th and 8^th grade enrichment = trip=20 requests for spring 2010, and a parent-based request for the current=20 7^th grade regarding a trip in spring 2011.

6^th grade: Randey Dewey presented a request for the = current=20 6^th grade=92s enrichment trip to Washington, D.C. = Estimate of 35=20 (out of 39) students currently committed to the trip. The group would = leave=20 early Monday morning (May 24) and return late in the evening on Thursday = (May=20 27). Board member Jim Levins discussed the history of this = trip over=20 the last few years (it was cancelled last year) and expressed = appreciation for=20 the efforts of the teachers. Jim Levins made a motion to approve = the=20 6^th grade enrichment trip to Washington, D.C. from May 24 to = May 27=20 with the understanding that all participating students are required to = travel on=20 the chartered bus for this trip, unless a valid, reasonable medical = reason=20 precludes the student from traveling on the bus. Marc Brierre = seconded the=20 motion. Motion passed 3-0.

8^th grade: Peter Patterson, Jackie Fleming, and Paul = Giambatista=20 presented a request for the current 8^th grade=92s enrichment = trip to=20 Cape Cod. . Estimate of 34 (out of 38) students committed to = the=20 trip. The group would leave early on Tuesday morning (June 1) and = return=20 late in the evening on Friday (June 4). This is a week later than = the trip=20 has historically taken place and this is due to availability of = lodging. =20 Paul Giambatista explained in detail the trip itinerary. The = first=20 day includes stops at the Boston Museum of Science and the John F. = Kennedy=20 Presidential Library and Museum as they travel to Cape Cod. Day 2 = includes=20 a whale watch and an oceanographic exploration and an exploration of = salt water=20 ecosystems. Day 3 includes the Cape Cod Museum of Natural = History=20 and further ecosystem explorations. Day 4 includes a stop in = Salem, MA to=20 explore the Salem Witch Museum and then return to Rutland Town. = The=20 students stay together as a group during the trip. The team of = teachers=20 request approval for what they consider a worthwhile, educationally = sound=20 trip. Jim Levins made a motion to approve this enrichment trip, = Marc=20 Brierre seconded. Motion passed 3-0.

7^th grade: a parent group, represented by Russell = Schoengarth,=20 presented a request for the current 7^th grade to take an = enrichment=20 trip the Washington, D.C. in spring 2011. The trip would be with a = tour=20 group that would take care of the planning and provide an = itinerary. The=20 anticipated cost would be $390 per person based on 4 people per room = (includes 3=20 nights lodging, 11 meals, transportation). Russell Schoengarth = indicated=20 that the parent group had polled the parents and students and there was=20 overwhelming support for a trip to DC over a trip to Cape Cod (the = current=20 7^th grade students did not take a trip to Washington, D.C. = last year)=20 and through discussions with Principal Beaumont have brought forward the = trip=20 proposal. The parent group plans to contract with Vermont=92s = Green Mountain=20 Tours, LLC based out of Georgia, VT. Bill Green spoke about the = many=20 school trips to Washington, D.C. that he has organized over the=20 years. He provided a 4 day itinerary (depart Monday, May 23, 2011 = and=20 return late Thursday/early Friday, May 26/27, 2011. Either = teachers and/or=20 one of the administrators would be involved as a chaperone. = Russell=20 Schoengarth indicated that much fundraising has taken place along with = plans for=20 future fundraising to help defray the costs of this trip. Various = parents=20 offered their opinions in support of the Board approving this trip, = especially=20 since the 6^th and 8^th grade trips were cancelled = last year=20 (2008/2009 academic year). There was some disconnect between the = desires=20 of the parents and the teachers and the principal as well as board = concern about=20 the process leading to this proposal. Board member Jim Levins = expressed=20 his support for this parent proposal with some concerns about school = liability,=20 and applauded their passion regarding the trip. Board member Marc = Brierre=20 expressed concern about the potential liability as did Chair = Chapman. =20 Board member Jim Wright expressed concern that the trip proposal was not = being=20 brought to the board by teachers, but by parents as well as the fact = that the=20 Board is being asked to approve an event that will occur during the next = academic year. Jim Levins made a motion that the Board = conditionally=20 approve the parent request for a Washington, D.C. trip in May 2011 for = the=20 current 7^th grade class. The conditions are: 1) that = there is=20 adequate confirmation of insurance, 2) unanimity between teachers and=20 administrators for chaperone staffing, and 3) the trip=92s educational = component=20 has been investigated and confirmed to align with 8^th grade=20 curriculum. Marc Brierre seconded the motion. Motion passed=20 2-1.

Minutes of October 27, 2009 = meeting: Accepted as written

Administrator=92s Reports:

Principal Beaumont:

Roof is nearly completed and finished; some = painting on=20 overhangs, and project endbook next week.

Also, due to a calendar change (no school on = the=20 Wednesday before Thanksgiving=97used to be a half-day) and to meet the = conditions=20 stipulated in the Master Agreement (with teachers) a request to make = Devember 22=20 (last day before the holiday break) a half-day. Jim Levins made a = motion=20 to this effect, Marc Brierre seconded. Motion passed = 3-0.

Superintendent Savery:

Amendments to 3 recent support staff hire = contracts=20 (Jess Abbott, Robin Aiken, Deb Wright) with regard to eligibility for = sick leave=20 (after 60 days). Marc Brierre made a motion to accept the 3 = amended=20 contracts, Jim Levins seconded. Motion passed 2-0, with Jim Wright = abstaining.

Update from Rutland City Schools regarding = allowable=20 tuition for the high school. They intitially charged us $10,200 = per=20 student, but the State recently released the official allowable tuition = rates=20 and Rutland City=92s is $10,612. We have been billed an additional = $52,530=20 ($412 for 127.5 students). The superintendent mentioned that while = this=20 amount was not in our current budget, it was within a reasonable window = of the=20 initial charge.

Provided an update on the current = budget. The=20 format allows the board to see, line by line, last year=92s budgeted = amount as=20 well as current budgeted amount, and current spending and encumbered, = allowing a=20 guide to remaining monies.

Update provided on the status of criminal = background=20 checks for faculty, administrators, and other staff (paraeducators, = substitutes,=20 coaches, custodians, tapestry workers, lunch monitors) at the = school. =20 Currently 19 people are missing this criminal background check. = Discussion=20 followed on the costs of the checks, the time involved and the merits of = requiring background checks of volunteers and the associated = costs)

Provided an update on the Board Goals from the = October=20 27 meeting. In very general terms, three broad areas were = identified:=20 Enrichment opportunities, middle school versus junior high models, and=20 technology priorities.

The next Rutland Central Supervisory Union = (RCSU) budget=20 committee meeting is set for November 23, from 430-630. The RCSU = board=92s=20 next meeting is scheduled for December 17 in Proctor.

Chair Report:=20

The Chair mentioned an email he had forwarded = to Board=20 members regarding the Allowable Tuition Report from the = state.

Mentioned that Lisa Garcia (West Rutland Board = and RCSU=20 board chair) passed along a reminder about a meeting requested by the = Rutland=20 City School Board with RCSU and Rutland South Supervisory Union on = Thursday,=20 November 12 to initiate discussion on how these schools might = collaborate to=20 achieve the best possible for the all area students. =20

The Chair will not be available for the = November 24=20 meeting.

Executive Session: Motion made by Marc Brierre to go into = Executive=20 Session (Title 1, Section 313) for issues related to personnel, seconded = by Jim=20 Levins; passed 3-0 at 9:10pm. Motion made and seconded to end = Executive=20 Session, passed unanimously at 9:35pm

Adjournment: Jim Levins made a motion to adjourn, = Marc Brierre=20 seconded, passed 3-0 at 9:35pm