MONADNOCK REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Board Meeting Minutes

February 14, 2006

Mt. Caesar Elementary, Swanzey NH

                      

Present: James Carnie, Kenneth Colby, Karen Cota, Colline Dreyfuss, Jeff Friedman, Alan Gross, Jonathan Kenyon, Robin Marra, Bruce Tatro, Richard Thackston, and Gene White. Absent: Tim Aho, Jason Hill, Charles Johnson, and Bruce McCulley.  

Also present: K. Dassau, Superintendent, D. Hodgdon, Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum, and L. Biron, Business Manager.  Principals: K. Carter, J. Smith, D. Dahl and D. Mousette.

 

R. Thackston called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

1.   CONSENT AGENDA:

      Minutes of January 30, 2006 Board Meeting. MOTION: K. Cota MOVED to approve the January 30, 2006 Board Meeting Minutes. SECOND: K. Colby.  L. Biron corrected a reference on page 4, paragraph 10, to read “Roxbury” rather than “Troy.” VOTE: 5.861/0/3.061/6.078. Motion passes.

 

2.      CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: K. Dassau announced that Tom Stewart was recognized as the northeast sectional softball coach of the year.  J. Smith and W. Kassotis were praised for their efforts during a bus accident the previous Friday. The board was also informed about the role that Kia Roundtree dealership played in taking in the students.  A letter would be sent to the auto company from the school board thanking them for their generosity.  A. Gross highlighted the Keene Sentinel article about Tom Stark, an outstanding athlete from Fitzwilliam.  J. Smith mentioned that he would pass information from the New England Facilities Council to the facilities committee.

 

3.   STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPORT: Two student government members highlighted the completed by-laws of the new governmental body at the high school; the efforts to reduce overcrowding; the senior serf day; and the discussion about class advisors, positions, and money paid

 

4.   PUBLIC COMMENTS:  There were no public comments.

 

5.      Old Business: D. Thackston began a discussion about the deliberative session, emphasizing that the budget warrant article passed at the session was the one proposed by the school board.  He suggested that the board take action to facilitate its passing in March. 

 

C. Dreyfuss arrived at 7:13 p.m.

 

There was some discussion about sending more information to the voters in a flyer given to students.  It was agreed that this approach was not advisable.  D. Hodgdon highlighted the school district newsletter, which features an explanation of the warrant articles in the February issue.  MOTION: K. Cota MOVED to submit an ad to the Keene Sentinel. SECOND: A Gross.  After a discussion about the problems with the school board as a body being in a role of advocacy and the cost of the ad, the motion was withdrawn.  C. Dreyfuss proposed sending letters to the editor. 

 

6.        SCHOOL BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS:

             Board Committee Reports:

A.    Community Relations Committee-Mr. Gross: A. Gross talked about the representatives of the select boards meeting with the school board.  It was rescheduled for the first school board meeting in March.  He also brought up the issue of letters to the editor and proposed that D. Thackston compose one that everyone could sign.  Rather than one long letter, letters targeting each of the warrant articles were proposed.  Different school board members agreed to sign up to send letters to the editor to the Keene Sentinel.  R. Marra indicated he would draft a letter providing a historical perspective on the budget numbers.

 

B.     Facilities Committee: Mrs. Dreyfuss: C. Dreyfuss informed the school board that there had been no meeting since the last board meeting.  The next facilities committee meeting was scheduled for February 15 at 7 p.m. 

 

C.    Finance Committee-Mr. Carnie: Vice chair of the finance committee, J. Carnie, mentioned that, at the meeting prior to the board meeting, the committee members addressed four topics.  They included information from L. Biron on the cooperative apportionment, the trustees of the trust fund, Surry school and its cost, and the pay raise for the school board secretary.  MOTION: J. Carnie MOVED to increase the pay for the school board secretary to the level of the Winchester board secretary, resulting in an increase of $1,170. SECOND: B. Tatro.  To a question about voting for a pay raise for budget committee minutes-taking responsibilities, D. Thackston indicated that it wasn’t appropriate to add the pay raise for the budget committee minutes-taking at this time. VOTE: 11.20/0/0/3.72. Motion passes.

 

G. White arrived at 7:44 p.m.  

 

D.  Policy Committee- Mr. White: G. White reported that the committee had not met since the last school board meeting. The next meeting would be scheduled to be held on February 28 at 5:30 p.m. 

 

E.     Budget Committee- Ms. Cota: The budget committee had not met since the last school board meeting. 

 

F.      The Cheshire Career Center-Mr. Gross: A. Gross reported that the CCC committee had not met since the last school board meeting and he had not received an answer about the composition of the search committee for the CCC Director.

 

G.  SAU Search Committee – Dr. Marra:  R. Marra reported that the Search Committee for the Business Manager and the Special Education Director had met on February 13 to interview special education director candidates and would be interviewing business manager candidates on February 27 and March 1.  J. Carnie expressed concern about the composition of the search committee, the process to decide the committee members, the question about the committee being sanctioned by the SAU board, and the need to include a facilities committee member on the committee.  D. Thackston offered to relinquish his role on the committee and to be replaced by a facilities committee member. C. Dreyfuss offered to serve on the committee, although it was agreed that the topic would be addressed at the facilities committee meeting. 

 

7.            New Business: There was no new business discussed at the meeting

 

8.     Curriculum Report: D. Hodgdon went into greater detail about the makeup of the newsletter that would be distributed in time for the March vote.  He also highlighted the proposed state testing dates for the high school in May, the date of March 20 for the reporting of the results of the tests taken by students in grades 3 through 8 last fall, the scheduled piloting of the new high school test next November and the new science test in the spring of 2007, and the new state curriculum standards.    

 

9.     Action on the Manifest: MOTION: J. Kenyon MOVED the manifest in the amount of $1,597,298.47. SECOND: C. Dreyfuss. DISCUSSION: K. Cota asked about items about Amer Electric, Melanson, and Stromgren.  J. Kenyon queried about Consolidated Electric, G. Housen, and H.P. Hood.  VOTE: 8.922/0/2.358/3.720. Motion passes.

 

10.   SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: K. Dassau did not offer a report. 

 

11.        BOARD CHAIR REPORT: D. Thackston proposed changing the meeting date from March 7 to February 28 to give more time before the vote.  MOTION: J. Kenyon MOVED to change the meeting date from March 7 to February 28. SECOND: B. Tatro. DISCUSSION: J. Carnie suggested that it would make sense to meet on this date since the SAU board was scheduled to meet on March 6.  VOTE: 9.398/1.882/0/3.720. Motion passes.

 

12.    SETTING NEXT MEETINGS AGENDA:

1.      F. Conroy presentation to school board

2.      SAU search committee

3.      Bigger picture of sports accounting

4.      Committees

 

13.        SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS: There were no public comments.

 

14.    8:27 p.m. Non-public Session. MOTION: J. Kenyon MOVED to enter into non-public session for the purpose of student issue under RSA 91 A:3 II ©. SECOND: K. Colby. Roll call: James Carnie, Kenneth Colby, Karen Cota, Colline Dreyfuss, Jeff Friedman, Alan Gross, Jonathan Kenyon, Robin Marra, Bruce Tatro, Richard Thackston, and Gene White.   VOTE: 11.28/0/0/3.72. Motion passes.       

 

15.    8:59 p.m. Non Public Session. MOTION: C. Dreyfuss MOVED to enter into non-public session for the purpose of litigation under RSA 91-A:3 II(e). SECOND: J. Kenyon. Roll call: James Carnie, Kenneth Colby, Karen Cota, Colline Dreyfuss, Jeff Friedman, Alan Gross, Jonathan Kenyon, Robin Marra, Bruce Tatro, Richard Thackston, and Gene White.    VOTE: 11.28/0/0/3.72. Motion passes.

 

    16.     ADJOURNMENT: MOTION: B. Tatro MOVED to adjourn at 9:17 p.m. SECOND: G. White. VOTE: Unanimous for those present. Motion passes. 

 

 

  Respectfully submitted,

 

  David G. Hodgdon

  Acting MRSD Secretary