See attached as per norm. Edits by end of week. Thanks ... Wavell Also, for Mary: MORETOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Rescheduled Regular School Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 10th, 2003 DRAFT Present: Board members - Kent Holden, Wavell Cowan, Karen Horn, Deb Hunter, and Mary Nowlan Principal - Roberta Barone Community Member - Tom Allen Meeting called to order at 5:48 pm by Chair, Kent Holden Approval of Minutes: Wavell moved the adoption of the minutes of the regular board meeting of November 11th, 2003 and the special board meeting of November 19th, 2003. The motion was seconded by Karen and unanimously approved. Board Orders: Upon a motion by Mary seconded by Wavell the following board orders were unanimously approved for payment: Board Orders #22 for $46,187.16; #23 for $46,329.37; and #24 for $1,344,950.99. FY 2005 Budget: Roberta distributed her latest draft for the 2005 budget. This included proposed reductions in music and library teacher FTEs by 0.1, and cutting significant expenses in a variety of areas. These cuts if implemented would reduce the elementary school 2005 budget increase over 2004 from 7% to just under 5%. However such cuts are not without some negative consequences. The board felt that no decisions should be taken on these matters until after receiving the estimated local property school tax consequences. Roberta will push John Pike to produce a tax worksheet as soon as possible, identifying and commenting on the assumptions that will have had to be made and will let board members know when copies will be available for pickup. Kent will then decide if a special meeting needs to be scheduled. Executive Session: On a motion by Kent, seconded by Mary and approved, the board went into executive session at 6:17 pm, for the purposes of discussing contractual issues, Tom Allen departing the meeting. The board came out of executive session at 6:40 pm, with Tom Allen rejoining the meeting. Box Tops and Credit Cards: Schools can receive funds by submitting box tops from certain commercial goods, and also by promoting the application for particular VISA cards which will then remit 1% of total charges to the school. The PTN requested school support for pushing these programs by having posters prominently displayed in the school. Use of the school for this type of commercial advertising is contrary to existing school policy. In discussing the matter, the board concluded that there was no need to consider a policy change. These programs can be conducted generally as they have in the past without abusing school policy. WWSU: The executive committee has authorized the interim superintendent to negotiate a contract with Edith Beatty to fill the central office position of curriculum coordinator. The committee is also proposing a WWSU budget for FY 2005 which will be submitted for review prior to a scheduled full WWSU board meeting at 7 pm on Monday, December 22nd at Crosset Brook school. Since Deb and Mary will be out of town, Karen, Kent and Wavell will make up the Moretown delegation to this meeting. The use of Ray Proux as a facilitator to help resolve current difficulties between local school administrators and Harwood administrators has been proposed. The board expressed the view that such an effort would be highly unlikely to have any lasting effect and that Moretown would not make any financial contribution toward such a plan. The Wimble's Residency Status: Kent reported that the Richmond school board are in agreement with the Wimble's decision, after they had commenced building a new home in Moretown, to enroll their daughter at the Moretown School for the current school year. A letter has been sent to the Wimbles indicating that their status has been approved by the Richmond school board, allowing the Moretown board to waive tuition costs in accordance with the Wimbles' commitment to provide the school with proof of Moretown residency by December 31st, 2003. New Policy: Deb distributed copies of a new draft policy to allow the administration to deal with future situations comparable to the Wimble affair. Kent requested that board members study this draft, sending e-mail comments to Deb so that a final policy can be proposed for public warning at the January regular meeting. Community Reports: Karen has sent a draft article dealing with the new unified teacher contract to Kent who will finalize and submit to the rest of the board for review and adoption for publication at the January board meeting. It was noted that the Vermont Journal published Moretown board submissions on action planning and on Act 68, both of which have also been sent to all parents by kid mail. An article prepared by teacher Brenda Hartshorn and edited by board member Mary Nowlan was published in the Valley Reporter. This article described the primary grades research project on the location of the multiple small school houses that once were scattered about Moretown and how they provided for the education of earlier Moretowners. Special Education: Bill Corrow is a newly appointed member of the State Board of Education who was sent a copy of the Moretown plan for special education funding. Kent reported on a meeting which he organized with Bill, attended by Kent and Wavell. Bill was impressed with the report and indicated it fitted well with the kinds of ideas that he wants to try and promote. He wants the Moretown plan to be sent to all other state board members with a cover letter referring to his request, with the intention of getting this report on the agenda for discussion at the January board meeting. He indicated that he had talked about the report to Commissioner Cate who suggested that his people felt it was politically impractical. The goal of our state board approach is thus to get the board to stiffen the Commissioner's backbone, and Bill will act to champion this effort. Kent indicated that he is expecting to hear from the Commissioner shortly in respect to his request for a meeting. He also reported on a discussion with Representative Rusten, vice-chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rusten expressed the view that the house would be unlikely to get involved with another major education funding bill so soon after passing Act 68 unless there was a very strong pitch for cost containment. Bill Corrow also felt cost containment should be highlighted. After talking with Kent on this matter Wavell drafted an addendum to the Moretown plan, giving a more detailed scenario of how the Moretown proposals could actually be drafted to promote cost containment. He distributed copies of this draft. On a motion by Kent, seconded by Deb, the board approved the publication and distribution of this addendum, subject to any changes, etc., e-mailed by board members before Monday and approved by Kent. Further the board authorized Wavell to obtain 50 copies of the original proposal plus the new finalized addendum from MailBoxes in Montpelier and to deliver same to the School on Monday. Kent will organize copies to then be sent with cover letters to all State Board members. Also he will liaise with Ann Cummings and Anne Donahue to have them deliver copies to all house and senate members of relevant committees. Action Planning: Wavell expressed the view that it is now time to try and institutionalize the way action planning is to be conducted in the future, This will fit in with the current effort to institutionalize the form and manner of data presentation. Kent asked Wavell to come up with an implementation plan for discussion at the January board meeting. Hunting on Town School Land: Mary reported that everything is organized to post the safety zone about the school as authorized by the select board, which will be done as soon as a time with John Atkinson has been arranged; i.e. sometime in the next week or so. Adjournment: On a motion by Deb seconded by Kent the board meeting was adjourned at 8:11 pm.