Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Weber, and the Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes of Tuesday, November 10, 2009.

Transcription

1 The Barnstable School Committee met on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, in the Town Hall Hearing Room. Present were Patrick Murphy, Fran McDonald, Tom McDonald, Stephanie Ellis, and Margeaux Weber. Also present were Dr. Patricia Grenier, Marie McKay, Bill Butler, Janice Barton (Town Council Liaison), and Ben Cohen (Student Envoy). Sumeet Kaur (Student Envoy) was absent. Committee Reorganization Dr. Grenier explained that the Committee would be electing a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary to the School Committee. She, as the Superintendent, would act as the temporary Chairperson. Members of the Committee make nominations, and officers are elected by a majority roll call vote of the members present and voting. Mr. Tom McDonald nominated Mr. Patrick Murphy to be Chairman of the School Committee. Dr. Grenier declared the nominations closed and Mr. Butler took a roll call vote. All members voted Yes on a roll call vote. Dr. Grenier declared Mr. Patrick Murphy the duly elected Chairperson of Barnstable School Committee and she turned the meeting over to him to conduct the election of a Vice Chair and Secretary. Mr. Tom McDonald nominated Dr. Fran McDonald for the position of Vice Chair of the School Committee. Ms. Stephanie Ellis seconded the nomination. Chairman Murphy closed nominations and Mr. Butler did a roll call vote. All members voted Yes on a roll call vote and Dr. Francis McDonald became the duly elected Vice Chairman of the Barnstable School Committee. Mr. Tom McDonald nominated Ms. Betsy McKane to be the Secretary to the School Committee. Dr. McDonald seconded the nomination. Mr. Butler took a roll call vote. All members voted Yes on a roll call vote and Ms. McKane became the duly elected Secretary to the School Committee. The Committee revised the School Committee and Liaison Assignments and following Assignments were made. Liaison to the Cape Cod Collaborative: Dr. McDonald Evaluation Sub Committee (Oversees the Superintendent s Evaluation): Mr. Murphy and Ms. Ellis Facilities and Maintenance Sub Committee: Mr. McDonald Finance Sub-Committee: Dr. McDonald and Ms. Weber Joint Town Council/School Committee Sub-Committee: Mr. Murphy and Mr. McDonald Policy Review Committee: Ms. Weber No Place for Hate Committee Liaison: Mr. Ben Cohen Transportation and Safety Sub-Committee: Mr. Murphy and Ms. Ellis (Sgt. McKenna BPD). Approval of Minutes Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Weber, and the Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes of Tuesday, November 10, Students Envoys Ben Cohen informed the Committee about the SOS program for suicide prevention taking place at Barnstable High School. Guidance Counselors come into English classes, do suicide prevention activities, and discuss scenarios of what leads to suicide. Twelve students from BHS participated in the Mentors and Violence Protection Program. The goal was to create projects that can be used in the community and schools to help students realize the symptoms of violence and how to get help. The Challenge Day Group, with assistance from Steve Brown of UMASS, applied for a grant that will support a Peer Mediation Program. The grant will provide BHS students the resources needed to travel and observe other school Peer Mediation Programs. The School Council is planning a Challenge Week at BHS in April Each day would be represented with a color and a different challenge such as unity, diversity, friendship, togetherness, peace, and hope. The last day would be Challenge Day and everyone would wear red. BHS students are taking pride in their school and are attending more games. It is great to see more student involvement.

2 Public Comment Chairman Murphy opened the floor to Public Comment. Mr. Tom Fredrick announced that Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Cape Cod and Islands are partnering with Barnstable Public Schools to form a new adult mentoring program. The Barnstable Town Council has given its support. The initial goal is to have fifty people start in the spring. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are trying to find role models to help kids be all they can be and to strengthen the community. People can contact Sonja at Big Brothers and Big Sisters at for more information. Stephanie Beals, President of the BHS Student Council, said the Council held a meeting and discussed several topics including integrating local businesses at school lunches, the school store, and Spirit Week. There will also be sporadic spirit days coming up. School Committee Comments and Sub-Committee/Liaison Reports Chairman Murphy attended the Massachusetts Association of School Committees Conference in November. Barnstable was recognized for several programs such as BCAS District Testing, the Solar Panel Project, and the BHS Health Clinic. The MASC also believes the best practice is to begin each School Committee meeting with the core values. The core values will be printed on the agenda from now on. The core values are: 1) All children have the right to every opportunity to achieve their highest potential. 2) Each person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. 3) Integrity and personal responsibility are the hallmarks of our daily interactions. Ms. Weber attended the conference and went to the training for new members. She found it incredibly valuable. Mr. Ralph Cahoon was awarded a lifetime honor with MASC. He is the first former School Committee Member to receive the honor. Superintendent s Report Dr. Grenier stated Barnstable High School is being regarded by prominent professionals in the field of depression and youth suicides as a beacon of hope. During the past two weeks, Dr. Gina Hurley and the Guidance Staff have been screening 2,000 students for depression and suicide. The response of the students has been incredible. Dr. Robert Macy from Harvard and Dr. Larry Berkowitz from the Trauma Center in Needham have been consulting with District Staff. Dr. Hurley has been organizing the H1N1 clinics with Mr. Tom McKean of the Public Health Department. The BHS clinic will be held on December 22, 2009, during the school day. Mr. McKean said there would be plenty of H1N1 vaccines for adults in mid January. St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School hosted a High School Night in November. High Schools in New England presented information to eight grade students from St. Francis who will be deciding on a High School to attend next year. There is some interest in the closed school buildings. The Cape Cod Collaborative is potentially interested in one of the facilities for July 1, Budget meetings with school administrators will be finished before the end of the month and Dr. Grenier will be ready to present to the Committee after the New Year. Dr. Grenier met with BHS students in the Internship Program and the Pro Shop in the Youth and Community Center will open on February 1, She was very impressed with the students and the group will meet again on December 22, On December 16, 2009, Dr. Grenier will attend a meeting for the Race to the Top Funds. The State of Massachusetts applies for the funds and BHS could possibly sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Massachusetts is very interested in being one of the fifteen states to receive this federal money.

3 Assistant Superintendent s Report Ms. McKay commended the Guidance Department at BHS for the tremendous job they have done with the SOS Program. The BHS Winter Concert will be held on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, at 7:00 PM, in the Performing Arts Center, and the BIS Winter Concert will be held Thursday, December 17, 2009, at 7:00 PM. The last weekend for the Enchanted Village at the Cape Codder Hotel on Route 132 will be December 18-20, It is a fundraiser for Independence House. The BHS Drama Club will appear as carolers under a 100,000 light decoration. Ms. McKay received several student recognitions from Mr. Steve Francis, Athletic Director, and she asked him to present them to the Committee. Mr. Francis stated 475 athletes participated in sports this fall and fifteen percent were eighth graders. He conducted a study and gathered data from the participants and coaches. The eight graders thrived in the programs. The older athletes befriended the eighth graders and they felt part of the team. There were many league championships this season including Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Boys Golf, and Volleyball. The Cheerleaders won the ACLO Championship and the Golf Team finished fourth in the Division 1 State Championship. Dr. Grenier added that coaches and students have done community service, fund raising, and have gone to games of other teams to support their friends. It is building significant momentum in the school. Item # BHMCS Memorandum of Understanding Dr. Grenier recommended the Committee approve the Memorandum of Understanding for the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School. It would be in effect from July 2009 to July Motion by Mr. Tom McDonald, seconded by Dr. Fran McDonald, and the Committee unanimously approved the Memorandum of Understanding for the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School for FY 2010 as presented to the Committee. Item # BCHMCPS Heating System Dr. Grenier sought the advice from School Facility Advisory Committee as to which of the heating system recommendations from RDK Engineers would be the most effective. She met with Mr. O Leary from RDK to ask additional questions and received the revised report. Dr. Grenier referred back to the TAMS Study done in The TAMS study was conducted to give the School Committee a thorough summary of the conditions of the elementary facilities. The conclusion stated any renovation should include the conversion from steam to hot water for heating. In addition, the existing boiler, control system, exhaust system, and classroom unit ventilators are inefficient and have outlived their economic lives. The RDK study recommendations are similar to what the TAMS study reported almost seven years ago. Based on that information the SFAC unanimously recommended to the School Committee that a complete replacement of the heating system be done, including converting to a hot water system. Dr. Grenier still has some concerns and would like to work with RDK to clarify the return on the investment before moving forward. She asked the Committee to take one more month to work on the project. Dr. Grenier added that the Massachusetts School Building Authority would fund between forty and fifty percent of the project if approved. It is a type of project the MSBA would support; however, Barnstable is always in competition with every school building in the State of Massachusetts based on severity of need. Dr. McDonald and Mr. McDonald (Liaison for the Facilities and Maintenance Sub Committee) have agreed to meet and work on the numbers and discuss the various heating system options.

4 Item # BHS Track Replacement Dave Anthony, Chief Procurement Officer for the Town of Barnstable, explained the procurement process. Massachusetts General Law establishes certain procedures the Town of Barnstable and the School District have to comply with. There are three procurement transactions that need to occur if the District is going to build a new track and field, and maintain it. In the design phase, a company that specializes in designing tracks and fields is hired. During the construction phase, contractors and sub contractors are hired. In the maintenance phase, maintenance of the track and field is either done by school personnel, or it is outsourced. The track would be a horizontal construction project. General procedure in the Town of Barnstable is if a horizontal project exceeds $100,000, it is considered to be bid out. The District will want to find a vendor that will survey the situation, meet certain criteria, and specialized in this type of track. You can choose a partnership with an engineering company without putting the project out to bid but you have to have the evidence to support your decision. Mr. David Lawler, a former School Committee member, spoke in regards to a proposal to build a new track and field at Barnstable High School. He introduced John Kissida, from CDM Engineers. Currently, the track and field are in very poor condition. Mr. Lawler stated that over eight hundred students, including athletes, band, and color guard use the field each season. It is a very important part of the community. Mr. Lawler continued to state that the whole track and field would be replaced with a modern design to allow for competitive track meets. The new field would be composed of 40,000 ground up tires. The surface has a twelve to fifteen year life cycle and it is an all purpose, all season field. It will cost $80,000 for CDM Engineers to issue plans for a new track and field and the total project cost would be between $1.2 and $1.3 million. There is $2.7 million in an account from the sale of the Grade Five Building that can only be used for capital improvements. It is a competitive bidding cycle and a good time to move forward with this project. Doug Crook, BHS Football Coach, showed a brief presentation on the current conditions of the BHS track and field. The current track was built in There are long cracks and the patches are trip hazards. The field condition is poor from over use. The field will have to be reseeded in the spring and no one will be able to use it. A new turf field can be used twenty-four hours a day in every season. Many students at BHS will benefit from the field, as well as other outside organizations. Dr. McDonald stated that CDM Engineers designed the fields at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He thinks it is a wonderful proposal and the bidding climate is favorable. This past year was a challenge for the District and it might be an opportunity to give back to the students. Item # Pump Station Land Transfer Dr. Grenier, Ms. McKay, and Dr. Dale Saad from the DWP met with the Hyannis West School Council to discuss concerns about the pump station that would be built on Hyannis West School property. Some reservations were the potential smell, back flow, system failure, and exposure to the building. After the meeting, Mr. Tom Larrabee, Principal of Hyannis West, ed Dr. Grenier to let her know the Hyannis West School Council approved the request from DPW to construct a pump station on the Hyannis West site. Mr. Mark Ells summarized the benefit to the Town by building the pump station on this particular site. This pump site is geographically in the exact place where the pump station needs to be built and it is a municipal parcel of land. The pump station on West Main Street would take waste water from the Hyannis West area, the Wequaquet Lake area, and the Craigville Beach Road area, and come centrally to one location and go to the waste water treatment facility off Bearse s Way. It would create difficulty from a flow and efficiency standpoint to look at other locations. The DPW is also on a timeline relevant to funding. Motion by Tom McDonald, seconded by Dr. McDonald, and the Committee vote unanimously to approve the parcel of land on the Hyannis West Elementary School property as shown on the plan prepared by the Barnstable DPW and presented to the School Committee is no longer needed for School purposes and to direct the Secretary of the Committee to so notify the Town Council. Mr. Butler added that the Town Attorney s Office asked that the vote include a determination by the Committee to relinquish custody and control of the parcel. Item # Natural Gas Contract Mr. Anthony requested the Committee delegate authority to the Superintendent to approve a contract for Natural Gas. There are some parameters. The contract would have to be under the budgeted price that is in the budget. This is a formality to give the District

5 the flexibility to lock in. The School, Town, Airport, and Youth and Community Center combined all of their purchasing power to go out to bid, but each one of those facilities has to separately authorize its piece. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Ellis, and the Committee voted unanimously to authorize the Superintendent to approve a contract to purchase natural gas for a term up to 24 months, for the price not to exceed $10 per dekatherm as recommended by the Chief Procurement Officer. Item # Section 504 Grievance Procedures Mr. Butler stated this was the second reading of the Title IX, Section 504 Title II Grievance Procedures. The revisions were recommended by the Office for Civil Rights with whom the Committee has a voluntary resolution agreement. Mr. Butler recommended the Committee approve the revised procedures. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Weber, and the Committee unanimously approved the revised policy ACA-R entitled Title IX, Section 504 Title II Grievance Procedures as presented to the Committee. Item Special Education Observation Mr. Butler stated a recent change in state law requires School Committees to adopt policies governing the observation of Special Education programs by parents and their consultants. This policy is recommended by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Ellis, and the Committee voted unanimously to approve policy IHBAA entitled Observations of Special Education Programs as presented to the Committee. Item # Supervisors of Attendance Dr. Grenier requested the Committee approve the appointment of Dale Forest from BHMCS, and Mark Sullivan, John Mika, and Hope Taylor from BHS, as Supervisors of Attendance. These staff members will be able to work collaboratively with the court system and file Children in Need of Services if necessary. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Weber, and the Committee voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Superintendent to appoint Dale Forest, John Mika, Mark Sullivan, and Hope Taylor as Supervisors of Attendance pursuant to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 76/Section 19. Item # High School Principal Search Process Ms. Patricia Graves announced her retirement in December, effective at the end of the 2010 school year. Dr. Grenier organized focus groups at BHS and sent out an application to staff to serve on the initial search committee. She would like to have two initial screening committees, comprised of the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent, a School Committee member, a District Administrator, four teachers, a support staff member, three parents, three students, and a community member. Dr. Grenier would like to present twelve candidates to the search committees for interviews. A candidate would attend an initial screening interview with the first search committee, led by Dr. Grenier. The candidate would then have a second interview with the other search committee, let by Ms. McKay. The two committees would narrow the group of candidates down to five or six. Next, the two committees would come to consensus on candidates and a third search committee would be formulated from those members. The candidate group would be cut down to three. There would be an open interview by parents, teachers, and staff. Site visits will also be conducted at both the candidate s site and at BHS. Dr. Grenier composed a job description pamphlet that will be sent out to High Schools in the state, and the position will be advertised on line, in newspapers, and in Education Week. Her goal is to introduce the final candidate to the School Committee at the March meeting. Dr. Grenier will send an Alert Now message to BHS parents asking for volunteers to serve on an interview committee for the new High School Principal. BHS students will listen to an interview committee announcement in homeroom and should contact her office if interested. Item # Massachusetts School Building Authority/Statement of Interest Mr. Gill, from the MSBA, contacted Dr. Grenier in late November, and advised her to refresh two more Statements of Interest. Refresh means that within the past few years, Dr. Grenier submitted a Statement of Interest to the MSBA, with the voted approval of the

6 School Committee and the Town Council, stating there is interest on behalf of Barnstable Public Schools to do a building project of some magnitude. Each year, she is asked to prioritize one Statement of Interest. This year, the BCHMCPS heating system was the priority. Last year Marstons Mills Elementary School was submitted as a possible site of renovation, expansion, or new school. In consultation with the School Facility Advisory Committee, Dr. Grenier submitted a Statement of Interest for the Marstons Mills Elementary site again. She also refreshed a prior Statement of Interest for the Hyannis West Elementary School. This school has fifty year old systems throughout the building. The 2003 TAMS study concluded that it a viable recommendation to add on to the Hyannis West Elementary School. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Dr. McDonald, and the Committee voted unanimously to approve the following resolution. Resolved having convened in an open meeting on December 15, 2009, the School Committee in the Town of Barnstable, in accordance with its charter bylaws and ordinances, authorizes the Superintendent of Schools to submit to the MSBA a statement of interest dated December 15, 2009, for the Hyannis West Elementary School, 549, West Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601, and Marstons Mills Elementary School, 2095 Main Street, Marstons Mills, MA 02648, which describe and explain the following deficiencies and the priority categories from which the Town of Barnstable may be invited to apply to the MSBA in the future: Priority 5 replacement, renovation, or modernization of a school facility system such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating, and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation, and increase energy related costs in a school facility; Priority 7 replacement or addition of obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local requirements; and hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting these Statements of Interest, the MSBA in no way guarentees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment from the MSBA, or commits the Town to filing an application for funding with MSBA. Item # Contract Approvals Mr. Butler stated the Committee has been presented with Memorandums of Understanding confirming the tentative collective bargaining settlements for the Administrative Assistant Bargaining Unit and the Educational Support Personnel Bargaining Unit. The significant of the settlements is the salary schedule. The contract runs from 2009 to In the first year of the contract, , there is a zero increase. In the second year of the contract, , there is an increase of 1% at the start of the year and an additional increase of 1.5% at the mid point of the year. In the third year of the contract, , there is an increase of 2% at the start of the year and another increase of 2% at the mid point of the year. Dr. Grenier recommended that the School Committee approve the contracts as negotiated and settled with the BTA. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Weber, and the Committee voted unanimously to approve the settlement reached with the Barnstable Teachers Association for collective bargaining agreements for Administrative Assistant and Educational Support Personnel for the period of July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2012, as set for in Memorandums of Agreement presented to the Committee. Item # Warrant #023 Mr. Tom McDonald recused himself. Motion by Dr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Weber, and the Committee voted unanimously to accept warrant #023 in the amount of $ 370, Mr. Butler confirmed the Committee would go into Executive Session for the purposes of discussing litigation strategy and not to reconvene in Public Session. Motion by Mr. McDonald, seconded by Ms. Ellis, and the Committee voted unanimously to go into Executive Session and not reconvene in Pubic Session. All members voted Yes in a roll call vote to go into Executive Session and not reconvene in Public Session. Meeting adjourned. I attest this document is a true copy. The minutes were approved by the School Committee on January 12, 2010 Respectfully Submitted, Administrative Assistant Betsy McKane School Committee Secretary February 2, 2010

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