CARLYNTON SCHOOL DISTRICT Committee/Voting Meeting December 8, 2011 Carlynton Jr.-Sr. High School Library 7:30 pm MINUTES The Carlynton School District Board of Education held its Committee/Voting Meeting on December 8, 2011 in the library of the junior-senior high school. Those in attendance included President David Roussos, Vice President Betsy Tassaro and School Directors Joseph Appel, Sandra Hughan, Nyra Schell, Patricia Schirripa, Jim Schriver, Raymond Walkowiak and Sharon Wilson. Also present was Interim Superintendent Joseph Dimperio, Solicitor Ira Weiss, Business Manager Kirby Christy, Director of Pupil Services Lee Myford and principals Laura Burns, Jacie Maslyk, Robert Susini and Regina Urso. The audience was comprised of 43 individuals and two members of the press. CALL TO ORDER Following the reorganization, the board meeting was called to order by President Roussos. ROLL CALL - The roll was called by Recording Secretary Michale Herrmann; all members of the board were present. PUBLIC COMMENT ON BUSINESS BEFORE THE BOARD: None APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Director Tassaro moved, seconded by Director Walkowiak, to approve the minutes of the November 17, 2011 Regular Voting Meeting as presented. By a voice vote, the motion carried 6-0-3, with Directors Appel, Schriver and Wilson abstaining. Minutes of the November 17, 2011 Meeting REPORTS: Executive Session President Roussos noted that personal and contractual information was discussed in the closed session Principals Reports The principals shared highlights and topics of interest regarding events and activities in their buildings; they also reviewed a calendar of upcoming events. Director of Pupil Services Report Mrs. Myford applauded Sgt. Mark Lint for his presentation regarding drug abuse, which was held the week prior at Carnegie Elementary Superintendent s Report Dr. Dimperio welcomed new board members and congratulated those who were re-elected. He then presented a certificate to Director Wilson for her years of service to the board. In closing, he wished all a happy holiday season. SHASDA - Director Schirripa announced that two new school districts have joined the organization, Bethlehem Center and Avella. She said the topic of discussion was enhancing PSSA scores. 7284
President Roussos asked directors to provide a synopsis of each organization the directors support; Director Wilson explained the benefits of Pathfinder, Director Schirripa shared the purpose of SHASDA, Director Hughan spoke highly of the value of Parkway, especially for those students not geared to attend college, and Director Walkowiak stated the significance of membership with PSBA and following legislative issues at the state and federal level. BUSINESS BEFORE THE BOARD: I. Miscellaneous Director Tassaro moved, seconded by Director Wilson, to approve the list of conference and field trip requests as presented: FT F.Zebrasky Janoski s Farm Outbased Education 12/16 FT B.Chenette Kennywood Park Holiday Concert 12/18 FT MBVeri W.Pa..Humane Society Tour 12/19 FT MBVeri North Allegheny Baierl Center GATE Comp 1/12 FT F.Zebrasky Walmart & CiCi s Outbased Education 1/12 *C R.Ulintz North Hills SD ESAP Training 12/5, 12/16, 12/19 *FT MBVeri N.Alleg. HS Creative Convention 1/12 (Miscellaneous Item #1211-01 REVISED) *New By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Tassaro moved, seconded by Director Walkowiak, to approve Resolution No. 446-11 which recognizes the Carlynton Band Parents Association as an organization established to promote and encourage participation and support for extracurricular activities for the district. (Miscellaneous Item #1211-02) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Schell asked Solicitor Weiss to explain the need for this motion. Mr. Weiss indicated the resolution was a necessary and formal format for organizations to gain a games of chance license to conduct raffles, Nights at the Races, Bingos and other fundraising events. II. Finance Director Tassaro moved, seconded by Director Hughan, to approve Resolution #445-11 representing Act 1, the Taxpayer Relief Act, which requires school districts to limit tax increases to the level set by an inflation index unless the tax increase is approved by voters in a referendum or the school district obtains certain referendum exceptions from the Department of Education or a court of common pleas. The district s index is 2.1 percent; (Finance Item #1211-01) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Business manager Kirby Christy explained this motion is necessary to clarify that the board will not raise taxes, if deemed necessary, beyond the 2.1 percent index rate. He indicated that the motion does not indicate that taxes will be raised. Mr. Christy said if it was necessary to raise taxes beyond the index, the action would be placed on a ballot as a referendum or the board would need to seek an exception from PDE. Director Schell asked if this was a normal process. Mr. Christy said yes. Director Hughan asked what would occur in a catastrophic situation, and offered the litigation of Rosslyn Farms to secede from the district as an example. Solictor Weiss said an exception would then need to be made, although it would be highly unique. Conference and Field Trip Requests Resolution No. 446-11 Formal Recognition of the Band Parent Organization Resolution #445-11 Taxpayer Relief Act 7285
Director Tassaro moved, seconded by Director Walkowiak, to approve the December 2011 Carnegie Borough Real Estate Tax Refunds as presented; (Finance Item #1211-02) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Walkowiak moved, seconded by Director Wilson, to ratify the awarding of the bid for repairs to the window wells and front wall at Carnegie Elementary School, based on the district s scope of work specifications, to Liokareas Construction Company in the amount of $7,904.80. This action was sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Education via PDE Form 3074(b); (Finance Item #1211-03) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Walkowiak moved, seconded by Director Tassaro, to award payment for repairs to the window well and front wall at Carnegie Elementary, based on the district s scope of work specifications, in the amount of $7,904.80; (Finance Item #1211-04) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Schriver moved, seconded by Director Tassaro, to approve the advertising and sale of surplus items from the physical education and athletic departments as presented, with proceeds from the sale designated to purchase new equipment for the weight room. (Finance Item #1211-05) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Walkowiak asked how the items would be sold. Mrs. Herrmann said they will be advertised on Craigslist. Director Schriver moved, seconded by Director Walkowiak, to participate in the PSBA BUCS Basic unemployment compensation program effective January 1, 2012. By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Mr. Christy explained that upon reviewing unemployment claims, the basic plan would be sufficient for the district. III. Personnel Director Wilson moved, seconded by Director Tassaro, to approve the additions to the 2011-2012 Substitute List per review and recommendation of the administrative staff: Jennifer Benson Secondary English Kelly Connolly Secondary English Daniel Hahn Elementary, Mid-level Science and Social Studies Brinley Kantorski Secondary Biology Anne McDonough Social Studies Katie McKinney Elementary and Special Education (Personnel Item #1211-01) The employment of Ellen Hultz as Carnegie lunchroom/playground worker under the terms of the Secretarial, Cafeteria and Aides Bargaining Unit Agreement; (Personnel Item #1211-02) The continuation of leaves of absence through the end of the 2011-2012 school year for employees CFT11-15 and CFT11-16; (Personnel Item #1211-03) December 2011 Carnegie RE Tax Refunds Bid for Window Wells Awarded to Liokareas Construction Payment for Repairs to Window Wells Sale of Surplus Item From Physical Education and Athletic Departments Participate in Unemployment Compensation Program Additions to the 2010-2011 Substitute List Carnegie Lunchroom/ Playground Worker Ellen Hultz Leaves of Absence 7286
And the resignation of high school cafeteria worker Lorraine Ganoe, effective immediately; (Personnel Item #1211-04) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Hughan moved, seconded by Director Tassaro, to approve the employment of Carla Hudson as elementary principal under the Act 93 Agreement, as presented; (Personnel Item #1211-05) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Dr. Dimperio welcomed Mrs. Hudson to the district and presented a bundle of small Carlynton gifts to her, i.e., a mug, a tee-shirt, note pads, etc. He invited Mrs. Hudson to join the other principals at the board table. President Roussos said the district has been fortunate to have Regina Urso serve in the role of principal during the interim. He explained that an extensive search was conducted to find an individual to fill the seat of principal at Carnegie Elementary. Director Appel moved, seconded by Director Schell, to approve the list of substitutes for the after-school at-risk tutoring program as submitted, to be used as needed, at the teacher per diem rate; (Personnel Item #1211-06) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Appel moved, seconded by Director Tassaro, to approve the Memorandum of Understanding between the district and the Custodial/Maintenance Collective Bargaining Unit as presented; (Personnel Item #1211-07) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Appel moved, seconded by Director Wilson, to approve the retirement of custodian John Pennick, effective December 31, 2011, per the terms of the Custodial/Maintenance Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement. (Personnel Item #1211-08) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. IV. Student Services Director Wilson moved, seconded by Director Schell, to approve the proposed spring 2012 junior-senior high school marching band trip to Boston, Massachusetts, scheduled to depart March 16, 2012 and return March 18, 2012, as submitted. (Student Services Item #1211-01) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Director Wilson moved, seconded by Director Tassaro, to approve the high school and junior high school 2012-2013 Program of Studies as submitted. (Student Services Item #1211-02) By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. President Roussos asked for the school board names to be updated in the programs prior to printing and also requested consistency in regards to the salutations before teacher s names. President Roussos asked for some clarification about the succession of credits in regards to high school diploma requirements, suggesting they be modified to reflect a targeted amount of credits. Resignation Lorraine Ganoe Elementary Principal Carla Hudson Substitutes for the After- School At-Risk Tutoring Program MOU Between District and C/M Collective Bargaining Unit Retirement John Pennick Band Trip to Boston Spring 2012 High School and Junior High School Program of Studies OLD BUSINESS: Director Schirripa asked Solicitor Weiss for an update on the litigation with Rosslyn Farms. Mr. Weiss said there has been no more action since the initial request for records. 7287
Director Schirripa asked if the PSSA scores could be reviewed in a public forum. President Roussos said the information is public. Director Schirripa said she would like a Power Point presentation at a board meeting to allow for a clear and concise report. Dr. Dimperio said he would prefer to devote time to remediation rather than focus on past scores. President Roussos suggested a presentation could be done to pin point areas that needed to be targeted. Director Schirripa said the community should be made aware of the schools as an accountability system. President Roussos and Director Schell said the scores can be found on the PDE website and SchoolDigger.com. Director Walkowiak suggested the scores or PSSA report be linked to the district website. Director Schell said she believes efforts should not concentrate on what does not work but rather how it can be corrected or improved. With further discussion, it was determined that an improvement plan would be formulated and presented at the January 19 board meeting. Director Schriver asked that it include a progression of testing and scores to illustrate the full picture. President Roussos brought up the motion made on February 17, 2011 to approve the closing of the two elementary schools and build one school. He said the motion has been placed on hold and believes it is time for the district to move forward or put the plan to bed. At that point, he asked for input from the public. Crafton resident and councilwoman April Weitzel said Crafton council has budgeted for a crossing guard at Crafton Elementary, so a decision on this previous motion would provide clarity. Crafton resident Carl Hunt said he would like the motion to be addressed and would favor keeping community schools in the local neighborhoods. He suggested the board should look at the long term and develop a master plan for all facilities within the district. The following motion was then recommended with the solicitor s guidance: President Roussos moved, seconded by Director Wilson, to rescind the action of February 17, 2011 which authorized the closing of the two elementary schools and the building of one new elementary school. Former school director Ron McCartney, who was in the audience, said he believed it to be improper to make and move on a motion when appropriate notice had not be given to the public. President Roussos said he recalled similar action taken by the board in the recent past on other matters. Mr. McCartney asked board members to take a closer look at the feasibility study and find that the project was affordable and conclusive. President Roussos argued that the study did not include costly items such as interest, a parking lot and landscaping. Director Schell said she was disappointed that the former board was never permitted to consider partial renovation. She said she felt the project had been rushed and too many factors were left unanswered. Director Schell said she would be open to discussing renovation and even moving toward a K-3 and 4-6 option. She went on to say that research supports the benefits of small schools and she read some of the research she had documented. Director Schell said the notion to renovate and maintain smaller schools was educationally sound and made the best sense given the condition of all district facilities. Crafton resident Nicole MacMurdo said the feasibility study did not break down 7288
distinct options and left many unanswered questions. Mrs. MacMurdo said the longer the district remains in limbo, the more expensive it will become to renovate. David O Brien, a Crafton resident, said the communities spoke loudly with their votes for new representation on the board. He added that he hopes the new board serves the community well. Carnegie resident Maureen Dowd said she felt much of the decisions were being made for individuals in the Crafton Borough. She said she did not understand the process and asked what the next step might be. Director Walkowiak said the process began two years ago and summarized the course of development over the last 24-plus months. He explained that the plan raised concern by many in the community because of the financial implications, state funding cuts and the fact that upgrades needed to made at the junior-senior high school as well as the elementary schools. Director Walkowiak went on to explain that the board is attempting to end the stalemate so they can move forward and begin to formulate a plan to address and maintain all district facilities. Mrs. Dowd asked for specifications of the plan. Directors Walkowiak and Schell said the initial plan will be to develop a solid, cost-effective plan. They re-stated that the action to rescind the former motion will allow the board to move forward. President Roussos said the board is trying to make the wisest decision within the district s financial boundaries while maintaining educationally sound schools. He said the June audit has revealed an excess of $1.6 million dollars. Adding that to the present fund balance, the district holds an approximate $13.8 million dollar fund balance. President Roussos asked business manager Kirby Christy to clarify. Mr. Christy said he is already working on next year s budget and is making estimates for health care, increases to employee salary scales and retirement, adding that revenues are typically flat. Director Wilson said the board s job is to provide a good education for students. She said the teachers and programs make for a better education. She feared that a new school would cut staff and special services and believes those are more important than a new building. Crafton resident Mike Kozy, Sr. said he and others knocked on doors to get the message out about the building project. Through that experience, they found that many did not want a new school and feared increases in taxes. Going on, he said there was little difference from the preliminary study presented by Kimball to the final feasibility report presented six months later. He believes too much stock was placed in the report. At that point, the board voted on the aforementioned motion: To rescind the action of February 17, 2011 which authorized the closing of the two elementary schools and the building of one new elementary school. The motion passed 7-0-2 with Directors Hughan and Schirripa abstaining. Director Schirripa said she abstained due to the pending litigation with Rosslyn Farms. Director Schell was angered by the comment. NEW BUSINESS: Director Wilson made some comments about Out-of-School Suspension. She said the discipline effort does not work effectively and believes a committee should be formed to review discipline. Director Wilson said students 7289
who are assigned to Out-of-School Suspension are getting too far behind in school work while enjoying the time off from school, adding that some eventually drop out. If a committee were formed to discuss the matter, a review with solutions could then be brought before the board. It was determined that a committee could be facilitated by Dr. Susini. Director Hughan questioned expulsions and Dr. Susini said there have been few expulsions in the recent past. Director Wilson said another department that needed attention was technology. She suggested the formation of a district-wide committee to review needs and bring forth options. Another area cited by Director Wilson was the art department. She said that if options and ideas are not brought before the board, the district can not move forward. OPEN FORUM: Director Schriver noted that the community of Carnegie expressed concern when Chris Very announced his resignation as principal. He said much effort was put forth to find an appropriate replacement and he hopes the community can find comfort with the hiring of Carla Hudson and embrace the new principal. Crafton resident Meghan Schriver thanked the board for putting the nightmare at rest. Carnegie resident and Mayor Jack Kobistek came forward to report that district students Ryan Guzzi and Haley Baker assisted with the Carnegie tree lighting ceremony. He offered a heartfelt thank you to the teachers who worked with the students and said the event was touching and inspirational. Mr. Kobistek also thanked Lee Myford for acquiring a grant to provide tutoring assistance for students. Director Wilson, in closing, said she hopes as the district moves forward the board can work together peacefully and effectively to improve the district as a whole. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to discuss, Director Hughan moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:57 pm, seconded by Director Schriver. By a voice vote, the motion carried 9-0. Respectfully submitted, Kirby Christy, Board Secretary Michale Herrmann, Recording Secretary 7290