Please review before end of week.
.... Wavell



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\paperh15860\widowctrl\ftnbj \sectd \sbknone\linemod0\linex0\cols1\endnhere \pard\plain \ri-540 {\f20 \'00\'00\'00MORETOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL\par
Regular School Board Meeting Minutes\par
Monday, August 18th, 2003\par
\par
DRAFT\par
\par
}{\f20\ul Present}{\f20 : \par
Board members - Kent Holden, Wavell Cowan, Deb Hunter, Karen Horn, and Mary Nowlan \par
Principal - Roberta Barone\par
Superintendent - Bill Riegel\par
Business Manager - Michelle Baker\par
\par
Meeting called to order at 4:09 pm by Chair, Kent Holden\par
\par
}{\f20\ul Transportation Contract}{\f20 :}{\f20\ul \par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 The WWSU has negotiated a final 3 year transportation contract with Transportation Rental Inc. (TRI).  This was the net outcome of a WWSU Executive Committee decision not to exercise a third year option with
 TRI, but to put the transportation contract out to bids.  TRI turned out to be the only bidder and the final contract at least for the upcoming year is substantially less favorable than the old option.
Nevertheless, on a motion by Kent seconded by Wavell the Moretown board unanimously authorized the WWSU to provide student transportation services for the Moretown Elementary School for coverage of contract routes at an annual rate for F
Y 2004 of $88,887, for FY 2005 of $94,486, and for FY 2006 of $100,438, as based on the WWSU negotiated contract with TRI and the current method of distributing transportation costs to participating schools.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20\ul Tax Anticipation Lending Authority}{\f20 : \par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 For the period until tax revenues are received (after November 30th) some $190,000 of school expenditures need to be bank financed.  Michelle has investigated various options
 and recommends that we borrow this amount from the Community National Bank at a rate of 2.16% interest, the bank paying 2.81% interest on $190,000 of deposits for a period from October 1st 2003 till June 30th, 2004.
 On a motion by Wavell and seconded by Mary this recommendation was unanimously approved.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20\ul Impact of Act 68}{\f20 :\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20
Michelle distributed information from the Dept. of Education summarizing the legislative actions under Act 68.  She further presented an analysis of the likely impact on the Moretown tax rate for FYs 2004 and 2005.  According to her analysis the 2004
Moretown educational tax rate, previously anticipated to be about 2.44 per $100 should decline to about 2.39, and the rate for 2005 is likely to fall further to something between 1.90 and 1.95.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20\ul Questions on Final 2003 Financial Statements}{\f20 :\par
Michelle provided the following explanations to board questions:\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 1.  The apparent anomaly between actual special education expenditures and state intensive reimbursement disappeared after a final review produced an additional $8,000 or so of state reimbursements.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 2.  Higher than anticipated health services were due to additional support services needed for the Down Syndrome student population at the school.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 3.  Higher than anticipated building and maintenance costs were due to necessary repairs to the furnace and to the septic system.  Also overtime work by Dave Hanna was significant.  Roberta has reviewed this with Dave and
has taken steps to reduce the need for such work in the future.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 4.  The overestimated state transportation aid was due to uncertainties in the aid formula.  The state have now changed the rules so as to eliminate such uncertainties.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20\ul Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan}{\f20 :\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 The WWSU board chair is required to sign the local allocation (LEA) plan whereby federal special education funds are distributed to local schools in accordance with federal law.  On a motion by Kent seconded by Karen
the board approved the LEA plan for Individuals with Disabilities, Part B2, for FY 2004 and authorized the WWSU board chair to sign the plan.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20\ul Departure of Michelle Baker}{\f20 :\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 Kent expressed the board's appreciation for the top quality service that Michelle has  always provided to Moretown in her role as WWSU business manager and wished her well in her new undertakings.  Michelle has resigned
 effective at the end of August.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 \par
Michelle departed the meeting at 5:00 pm.\par
\par
}{\f20\ul Employment of a New Business Manager}{\f20 :\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 Bill informed that a committee consisting of himself, Michelle Baker, principals Roberta Barone and Don Schneider (Thatcher Brook) and WWSU executive member Karen Horn had interviewed three of the 12 applicants and unanimously
supported the employment of a particular candidate. Bill is negotiating a final salary, currently under the duress of a WWSU executive committee vote to limit such a salary to $52,000, well below the salary currently being paid
for the position.  The Moretown board encouraged Bill to propose a satisfactory deal acceptable to the candidate on the presumption that the full board meeting on August 28th would be sensible enough to ratify it.  This would allow the candidate (as he has
 agreed) to work for a few days with Michelle prior to her departure.  Under such a scenario at least one of WWSU's many problems would presumably be resolved.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20\ul Employment of an Interim Superintendent}{\f20 :\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 Karen indicated that interviews are currently underway and a hopefully a candidate will be recommended for the position at the August 28th WWSU full board meeting.\par
}\pard \ri-540 {\f20 \par
Bill Riegel departed the meeting at 5:10 pm.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul \par
Approval of Minutes}{\f20 : \par
}\pard {\f20 Wavell moved the adoption of the minutes of the regular board meeting of July 7th, 2003. The motion was seconded by Mary and unanimously approved.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Board Orders}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Upon a motion by Mary seconded by Wavell the following board orders were unanimously approved for payment:  Board Orders #3 for $8,692.60; #4 for $13,293.91; #5 for $263.40; #6 for $6,175.44; and #7 for $69,552.01.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Enrollment Question}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The Mead family currently renting in Waterbury have closed on a Moretown property and have contracted with a home builder. The family have provided Kent a copy of the deed of sale and a builders contract as requested and so the board approved
 the enrollment of the Mead daughter at the Moretown school for the upcoming school year.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Policy Review}{\f20 :  \par
A new Policy on the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment based on the new federal No Child Left Behind legislation was submitted for board review.  It was agreed that this should be integrated into the policy manual by Deb, and given a final review
 along with the other pending policies at the September meeting of the board.\par
}{\f20\ul Community Reports}{\f20 : \par
}\pard {\f20 It was agreed that the board should prepare a series of articles to be submitted for publication in the Valley Reporter and in the Vermont Journal over the period from September through November
.  It was agreed that the following articles would be developed: on the new teacher contract by Kent and Karen; on the outcome of action planning
based on 2003 data by Deb; an update on the Moretown special education problem by Wavell;  on important school initiatives based on notes by Roberta organized and edited by Mary.  Articles will be sent to Mary who will edit them into final drafts
to be e-mailed to board members for their comments, suggestions, and then finalized by Mary.  She will then set a schedule and appropriately submit the articles for publication.  In addition each article will be copied and submitted to parents as part of
the weekly school reports delivered by kid mail.  \par
}\pard {\f20\ul \page Bussing Issues}{\f20 : \par
}\pard {\f20 On a motion by Karen seconded by Kent the new bus route plan was approved by the board.  This plan maintains the identical bus routes employed last year except that buses will be scheduled to arrive at designated pick-up stops
 10 minutes later than was the case last year.\par
}\pard {\f20      A request from a parent to add a new stop on route 2 on the Waterbury side of the route 100 junction was reviewed by the board and turned down as unjustifiable.\par
}\pard {\f20      A request from another parent for a kindergarten student to be dropped off at a day care center in Duxbury was reviewed and also turned down in accordance with the current board policy not to pick up and deliver students o
utside the boundaries of the Town of Moretown.\par
}{\f20\ul WWSU}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 The list of goals submitted by the WWSU executive committee was reviewed.  The board consensus was that the new governance discussions to be initiated as proposed in a Moretown draft letter remains the dominant primary goal
 whose resolution would affect how all other goals are to be tackled. This draft has been edited into final form and sent to all board members in the WWSU
 under the joint signatures of the Moretown and Waterbury-Duxbury school boards.  The Fayston board has now agreed to this proposal which will be reviewed by the Warren and Waitsfield boards at meetings later this week
.  This issue will be on the agenda for the August 28th meeting of the full WWSU board.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Other Items}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 An expected letter of resignation from Lauren Camas (executive assistant to the principal) was received.  She has received certification as a special education teacher and accepted a position at the Fayston elementary school.  Kent will res
pond with an appropriate letter.\par
}\pard {\f20      A recommendation from Dave Hanna that a third light be installed in the parking area for safety reasons was reviewed.  Kent requested that firm bids be obtained for this work.\par
}\pard {\f20      Dave further suggested that Meridan, the town employee who plows out the town facilities
would do a better job than does the currently contracted plower.  Kent will talk to the select board about contracting for this service.  In the meantime Michelle will be asked not to put this job out for bids.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Roberta's Five Minute Feature}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Roberta expressed great excitement with the upcoming teacher develo
pment program which will feature a visit by professor Chinn a specialist in brain research connected to learning.  He will be accompanied by a colleague from China and an old colleague of Roberta's, Janet Jamieson,
 who has been a principal at an American school in China for the past two years.  This group will be presenting information relevant to middle school teaching at Crosset Brook on one day and at Moretown School in respect
 to elementary schooling on a second day.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Long Term Planning}{\f20 :\par
}\pard {\f20 Wavell suggested the desirability of somehow ensuring an on going dialogue related to Roberta's desire to shift the teaching program at Moretown school in the directions supported by formal research
 on how the brain interacts with the process of learning.  It was agreed that trying to fit such discussions at the end of regular meetings was generally too little and too late.  Kent, Wavell and Roberta will meet prior to the next meeting in order to fle
sh out an agenda of topics and an approach for special meetings to accommodate this longer term planning need.\par
}\pard {\f20\ul Adjournment}{\f20 :\par
On a  motion by Karen seconded by Mary the board meeting was adjourned at 6:25 pm.\par
\par
APPROVED\par
\par
\par
Date:  __________________              _________________________________________\par
\tab \tab \tab \tab \tab \tab Wavell Cowan - Board Clerk\par
}\pard \par
}