Attached are microsoft word and RTF files of the initial draft of the
minutes of last evenings Board meeting. Please send any edits, etc. to
me before the end of this weekend.  Thankyou ... Wavell



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\paperh15860\widowctrl\ftnbj \sectd \sbknone\linemod0\linex0\cols1\endnhere \pard\plain {\f20 MINUTES\par
MORETOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING\par
Rescheduled Regular Meeting\par
Wednesday, July 11th, 2001\par
5:45pm in the library of Moretown Elementary School\par
\par
DRAFT\par
\par
}{\f20\ul Present}{\f20 : \par
Board members - Kent Holden, Wavell Cowan, Karen Horn, and Deb Hunter \par
Principal - Roberta Barone, Superintendent - Bill Riegel\par
\par
Meeting called to order at 5:51 pm by Chair, Kent Holden\par
\par
}{\f20\ul Approval of Minutes}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Wavell moved the adoption of the minutes of the regular board meeting of June 12th. The motion was seconded by Deb and approved unanimously.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul \par
Board Orders}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Upon a motion by Kent, seconded by Wavell, the following board orders were unanimously approved for payment:   Board Orders #51 for $41,536.72;  #53 for $136,328.49;  #54 for $324.65, #55 for $34,799.02, #56 for $4,870.51 and #1 for $
12,243.65\par
}\pard {\f20      \par
}\pard {\f20\ul Playground Equipment}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Recent studies (e.g. Environmental Issues on the Use of CCA Treated Wood) have suggested the possibility that arsenic in treated wood used for playground equipment may be a potentil hazard. }{\i\f20 "Studies have shown that virtuall
y no inorganic arsenic is absorbed through the skin, but is readily taken up by ingestion.  The potential exposure is hand to mouth, and therefore, children are considered the most vulnerable to this potential risk." }{\f20
Although the scientific evidence that such a potential risk is serious is lacking, the board felt that the above study's report that }{\i\f20 "The application of these coatings (polyurethane deck enamel, latex acrylic stain)
 effectively eliminated surface removeable arsenic ..."}{\f20  should be pursued.  Karen will enquire from health sources as to the preferred coating material. Roberta will get Dave (custodian) to research the most d
urable coating material, and estimate the cost to coat all the wooden playground equipment.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}\pard {\f20 Bill Riegel arrived at the meeting at 6:15 to deal with the following matters:\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Heating Oil Bids}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Bill's explanation for Harwood, Waterbury Duxbury commanding a better price for heating oil is apparently that the size of their storage tanks allows for more efficient filling schedules with larger delivery equipment.  Kent
 suggested, however, that perhaps there would be an advantage to request a quote for one price for delivery of all heating oil for all schools in the WWSU
 rather than the current practice of getting quotes for individual schools.  Bill indicated that this idea will be pursued next year.\par
}\pard {\f20       It was moved by Wavell seconded by Karen and unanimously approved that the central office recommendation that the prepaid fixed price contract of $0.9650 per gallon,  submitted by Agway, be accepted. \par
}\pard {\f20   \par
}{\f20\ul WSSU Unified Teacher Contract:\par
}\pard {\f20 Bill summarized the progress in respect to developing a single unified teacher contract for the WWSU.  Since Moretown, Warren, and Waterbury/Duxbury school districts will be negotiating teacher contra
cts this year (FY 2002) they will join as a single negotiating team with other districts as observers as the means to move in the direction of a unified contract. It was agreed that Bill will publish a detailed description of the proposed process.\par
}\pard {\f20       In respect to the general language of the various district contracts, Karen suggested that the Waterbury/Duxbury language was most succinct and should be used as a primary model for the language of a unified contract. \par
     On a motion by Karen seconded by Wavell and unanimously approved, the Moretown board confirmed their strong support for pursuing a unified teacher contract for all schools in the WWSU.  All school boards in the WWSU have now made this commitment.
\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
Bill Riegel departed the meeting at 6:55.\par
\par
}{\f20\ul List Serve}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Bill Riegel specifically requested that the minutes of this meeting be sent to him.  Apparently this is not currently a normal routine.  After discussion it was agreed that Wavell should arrange to add Bill Riegel and Michelle B
aker to the MES list serve.  All messages to this list server are automatically archived and available to the public.  Wavell stressed that since this is an official channel of communication,
board members should discipline themselves to use it only for substantive board matters and not for chit-chat, etc.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}\pard {\f20\ul Paddy Hill Road Bus Pickup}{\f20 :  \par
}\pard {\f20 The request received from Paddy Hill Road residents in respect to re-instituting the bus stop and the turn-around on Paddy Hill Road was considered.  Roberta indicated that this bus stop has been used for the past 15 years
 and was discontinued after an incident in which a parked vehicle in the turn around area forced the bus to back up for a mile down Paddy Hill road.  The bus company decided that since Paddy Hill road is a private road
 and both for liability reasons and recent decisions of the board to disallow school bus travel on private roads, that they would collect Paddy Hill road children at Gove Road.
Roberta indicated that the bus company would be prepared to consider the Paddy Hill road pickup as grandfathered if the board wished to re-institute it.  \par
}\pard {\f20      After discussion in which Karen stressed the problem of precedent in making an exception to the no private road travel for bus routes, the board on a motion by Kent seconded by Wavell agreed on a 3 to 1 vote (Karen voting against)
 to reinstitute the Paddy Hill bus stop in accordance with the grandfathered arguement, however, with the proviso that this service would end immediately and permanently should the bus ever again encounter any obstruction preventing
 easy turn around.  A letter will be sent to Paddy Hill residents informing them of this decision.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Joe Gabaree}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 It was arranged that unless the Board hears to the contrary from Michelle Baker
, they can take it that Joe Gabaree is continuing to make regular payments in respect to the moneys owed by him as a consequence of the double payment he received for services in 2000.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Special Ed}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The Dept of Education decided not to submit the proposed rules for the distribution of the discretionary funds for unusual special education costs as provided by Act 117, to the June meeting of the State Board of Education.
 They are apparently making changes and will submit a final version to the State Board for their August meeting which has yet to be scheduled.  Wavell suggested that Roberta, Kent and he should meet to discuss proposed
 tactics in respect to the Moretown challenge of these rules.  It was agreed that they would meet on Monday, July 16th at 12:30 pm and report their proposal to the MES list serve.  \par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul WWSU}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The efforts of the Moretown board to encourage a greater degree of involvement and more substantive engagement of the WWSU board in promoting beneficial integrat
ation of services were reviewed.  It was agreed that Kent's initiative to organize visits for himself and another Moretown board member to promote this perspective with all other local boards on an individual basis would be organized with the intent of
completing such visits by the end of September. \par
     It was further agreed that Wavell should develop a draft for the consideration of the Board at its August meeting, of the WWSU requested input regarding the desired role of the proposed new superintendent. Karen suggested that this draft should also
include the concept of a WSSU profile as a means to help identify needs as seen from an applicants perspective.  It was also suggested that Kent should seek the chairmanship of the new superintendent hiring committee.\par
}\pard {\f20      Bill Riegel has been informed that Moretown will provide a delegate to any meeting of the proposed WWSU transportation committee without making any specific membership nomination.\par
}\pard {\f20     Roberta was encouraged to expand her Board requested investigations of a second language program and of technology initiatives for Moretown
, to include input from other school principals.  It is the Boards belief that both these issues would hugely benefit from a strong WWSU presence.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul After-School Program}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Karen reported that the Moretown application for grant money had been turned down as failing to provide convincing arguements about the benefits to children - it was too "vanilla". \par
}\pard {\f20      Karen will explore the possibility of Moretown connecting with the YMCA Live Wires after-school program in Waterbury
, perhaps by a bussing arrangement.  She will also investigate the possibility of attending any workshop being offered in respect to grant writing for this particular Federal ater-school program grant money. \par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Student Handook}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Karen in liaison with Roberta expects to have a draft of a student handbook available for Board scrutiny at their September meeting.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Preschool Paraeducators}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Roberta indicated that two positions need to be filled in respect to the preschool program and outlined the qualifications of the two candidates she proposed to employ.  It was moved by Deb seconded by Karen, and unanimously approved that
Lisa Moreno be offered a contract to fill the half-time position as a preschool paraeducator, that Kari Austin be offered a contract to fill the half-time position as a one-on-one paraeducator in the EEE preschool program, a
nd that the chair be authorized to sign both employment contracts. \par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Roberta's 5 Minute Feature}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The participation of Kathy Orr's grade 1/2 class in the NASA project to compare the growth of tomatoes from seeds from normal plants with plants grown in the weightlessness of space and in the NASA underwater lab was described.
  While many upper grades in schools across the U.S. and Canada participated in this program, Moretown was one of very few primary classes to do so.  The kids enjoyed the process of observation and rec
ording.  Although differences were noted in respect to first flowering and first fruiting, all plants ultimately produced comparable tomatoes. \par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul IDEA Grant Money}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The distribution of LEAP money to the Supervisory Union uses a particular State formula employing in part special ed statistical data from two years
 prior.  Central office decided to use this same formula to distribute the WWSU allocation to individual schools.  This formula should presumably be reviewed by the WWSU excom.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}{\f20\ul Federal Required Policy re Filtering of Student Internet Access}{\f20 :\par
It was decided that Moretown would await recommended action from the Superintendent.\par
\par
}{\f20\ul Community Evenings}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The Newspaper is planning a meeting in the next week or two, to begin organizing a community day in September, partly as a newspaper fund-raiser, and partly to introduce and create interest in having regular community evening events
at the school throughout the school year.  It was agreed that the School Board would officially co-sponser this initiative.  Deb suggested that she and Amy should involve themselves with this as par
t of their efforts to promote school-community interactions.\par
}\pard {\f20 \par
}\pard {\f20  }{\f20\ul Adjournment}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 On a  motion by Kent, seconded by Deb, the board meeting was adjourned at 8:47 pm.\par
}\pard {\f20  \par
APPROVED\par
\par
Date:  _________________________\par
\par
\par
____________________________________________________\par
Wavell Cowan - Board Clerk\par
}\pard \par
}