approved minutes
Board Meeting Minutes
Monadnock Regional High
School/Middle School,
Present: Colline Dreyfuss, Jonathan Kenyon, Gene White, Karen Cota, Bruce Tatro, Kenneth Colby, Phyllis Peterson, Tim Peloquin, James Carnie, William Felton, Charles Johnson, Tim Aho and Richard Thackston. Absent: Bruce McCulley and Jason Hill.
Also present: K. Dassau, Superintendent, D. Hodgdon, Assistant Superintendent, T. Warner, Dir. of Technology, K. Chambers, Business Manager. Principals: K. Carter, B. Tatro, K. Craig, D. Dahl, D. Mousette, M. Young and Sikander Rashid.
C. Dreyfuss called the meeting to
order at
1. CONSENT
AGENDA: MOTION: K. Colby MOVED to
accept the
CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: K.
Dassau asked each principal present to report on the opening day of school. M.
Young explained that there are a lot of changes. Things are headed in the right
direction for the middle school and it has been a smooth start so far. K. Craig
said that it was also a smooth start. She is proud of the faculty. The staff is
addressing the greatest needs’ areas. The preschoolers arrived today. D.
Mousette said that things are off and running to a great start. The faculty is
setting the school goals. S. Rashid reported that the collaborative is now in
the main building and music is in the trailer. The school has had a wonderful
start, energized and ready to go. B. Tatro reported that
3. STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPORT: Tabby Ball from MC2 reported that she is one of the two representatives as of now. Matt Spree is the other representative. She explained that the Governance Council would be reviewing the policy and procedures tomorrow. They will be looking at a new fund raising policy. They are trying to implement ARC and Students in Action.
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS: D. Gurian commented that the Board should take another look at the policy for the first and second reading of a new proposed policy. She also suggested having the Board Meetings videotaped and broadcasted on public television. This would allow more people to be involved.
R. Bauries commented on the $500,000.00 for MC2 and the fact that there is no budget and that it is not due yet.
R. Bauries commented on the administrators using their health insurance as compensation the last three years prior to retirement in order to increase their retirement. He said that he has looked into this and that it is not legal.
5. Curriculum Report: AYP-Dr. Hodgdon: D. Hodgdon reported that he had included in the packets the scores of the AYP and the State Testing. He informed the Board that Emerson did make AYP. He reported that the high school has been identified as a school in need of improvement. They would need to draft a plan for review. C. Dreyfuss asked what that means to the high school. D. Hodgdon said that MRHS would be on a watch list, 2nd year allow for tutoring by organizations sanctioned by the state, and in subsequent years the consequences escalate after that. W. Felton asked if the school is in trouble. D. Hodgdon said that we are in trouble in a sense. There are concerns set up by the federal government. We are providing a good education, but for some students in a particular population there were difficulties. W. Felton asked what would be done for those students. D. Hodgdon explained that the results just came back, so that the school hasn’t had much time to reflect on the next steps. It is currently focusing on the NEASC visit. This is going to be on hold for now. P. Peterson asked if there are teams of educators that follow the student at risk. D. Hodgdon explained that we do have some of that in place now. P. Peterson explained what they had done for the at risk students at her last school.
6. Old Business: MC2/MRPSOC request for total
monies breakdown-K. Chambers: R.
Thackston arrives. K. Chambers passed out the information requested by
the Board. She explained that the top of the second page addresses the
transportation. She explained that if the MRPSOC Grant were to go away, the
cost to the district would be $153,841.35. That is for the salaries, van fuel,
and mentors. T. Aho asked for the handout from the last meeting. T. Aho asked
if there were any work plans before Work Plan number 16. K. Chambers said that
they had nothing to do with MC2. J. Kenyon asked if the $153,841.35 would be
the number if there were no grant. K. Dassau suggested putting this on the next
agenda. J. Carnie asked if these are all of the work plans that affect MC2 from
the MRPSOC Grant. K. Chambers said they were to the best of her knowledge. J.
Carnie asked if P. Bocko bills us for his work that he does. K. Chambers
explained that under project management his would be included in that line. J.
Carnie would like to know the charge if any from P. Bocko and the cost. J.
Carnie commented that the money budgeted was more than what was spent. D.
Gurian explained that any money not spent would go back to the federal
government. It cannot be used in another year. R. Thackston commented that he
does not care about
7.
SCHOOL BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS:
1. Community Relations Committee: K. Colby
reported that the committee met and they are exploring the best ways to
communicate with the public pertaining to the warrant articles. He said that he
would like to explore D. Gurian’s suggestion and broadcast the meetings. The
next meeting will be on
2. Facilities Committee: K. Cota reported
that the committee met on
3. Finance Committee: B. Tatro reported that the committee received the answers to the questions asked on the over expenditures for 2005-2006. It was either bookkeeping or coded wrong. There is no line of credit and it is not anticipated that they would be needing one. K. Chambers is preparing a new mileage reimbursement to come before the Board.
4. Policy
Committee: G. White reported that the committee has not met. The next
meeting is on
5. Budget Committee: J. Kenyon reported
that the Budget Committee has not met. The next meeting is on
6. The
7. Surry Withdrawal Committee: R.
Thackston reported that the committee met on
8. OTHER SCHOOL BOARD BUSINESS:
New Business: K. Cota asked why her agenda request was not on this agenda. She had asked to discuss financial planning. K. Dassau assured her that it would be on the next agenda.
9. Action on
the Manifest: MOTION: G. White MOVED
the manifest in the amount of $1,740,789.62. SECOND: W. Felton. VOTE: 8.710/1.021/3.134/2.135.
Motion passes.
10. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: K. Dassau thanked the support staff, teachers and principals for a successful opening of the schools.
MOTION: W. Felton MOVED to accept the retirement for Joanne Marchand for 2007-2008,
with the request of early retirement benefits. SECOND: B. Tatro. VOTE: 9.456/0/3.409/2.135.
Motion passes.
K. Dassau reported that the fire dept.
was called to the
K. Dassau reported that there would be two non-public sessions, pending litigation and nominations.
11. BOARD CHAIR REPORT: C. Dreyfuss had nothing to report.
12. SETTING NEXT MEETINGS AGENDA:
1. Financial Planning
2. More MRPSOC and MC2 funding information.
13. SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS: R. Thackston was asked, if he was to resign from the Board, could he successfully complete his charge on the Surry Withdrawal Committee? He commented that it is sad how 8 towns are slowly destroying themselves. They are cheap. They put it off until things get cheaper. The gym floor is 40 years old. He said that if we do not support the schools the poor will stay because they cannot move. Not maintaining the buildings is driving the tax rate up. The district needs to maintain the buildings in a proper manner.
J. Kenyon asked each member of the Board why they were here - what their purpose was and what they wanted to achieve. He commented that we have successfully destroyed every building plan that we have proposed.
C. Dreyfuss declared a 5-minute recess. R. Thackston left.
14. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: RSA 91-A:3 II b:
Nominations: MOTION: G. White MOVED to go into non-public session
under RSA 91-A:3 II b-nominations. SECOND:
C. Johnson. Roll call vote: C.
Johnson, P. Peterson, J. Carnie, K. Colby, T. Aho, T. Peloquin, K. Cota, W.
Felton, J. Kenyon, B. Tatro, G. White and C. Dreyfuss. VOTE: 11.844/0/0/3.156. Motion
passes.
15. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: RSA 91-A: 3 II e :
Pending Litigation: MOTION: J. Kenyon MOVED
to go into non-public session under RSA 91-A:3II c-Pending Litigation. SECOND: K. Colby. DISCUSSION: J. Carnie asked if there was a pending litigation
against the Board in written form. K. Dassau explained that there was. Roll
call Vote: C. Johnson, P. Peterson, J. Carnie, K. Colby, T. Aho, T. Peloquin,
K. Cota, W. Felton, J. Kenyon, B. Tatro, G. White and C. Dreyfuss. VOTE: 11.844/0/0/3.156. Motion
passes.
MOTION: C. Johnson MOVED to rescind the new policy that deals with the retirement
package of the principals until further notice. SECOND: T. Aho. DISCUSSION: G.
White asked if it would be retroactive or from now on. C. Johnson commented
from now on and K. Chambers
recommended retroactive to
16. Adjournment: MOTION: C. Johnson MOVED to adjourn the meeting at
Respectfully submitted,
Laura L. Aivaliotis
MRSD Recording Secretary