Board Meeting Minutes
January 2, 2008
Monadnock Middle/High School,
Present:
Also present: K. Dassau, Superintendent, K. Chambers, Business Manager and D. Hodgdon, Assistant Superintendent. Principals: K. Craig, B. Tatro, D. Dahl, D. Mousette and K. Carter.
C. Dreyfuss reminded the Board that it is the job of the Chair to maintain an orderly meeting, to keep on topic and keep the agenda moving.
1. CONSENT AGENDA: MOTION: D. Lyman MOVED to accept the December 18, 2007 Board Meeting Minutes. SECOND: J. Fortson. DISCUSSION: The amended minutes are in the packet.
2. STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPORT:
3. CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: C. Dreyfuss asked if anyone is interested in being the alternate legislative representative to contact D. Lyman about the meeting on Jan. 19, 2008.
K. Craig reported that Governor Lynch would recognize Emerson for being a NH Healthy Kids 100% School.
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS: R. Bauries asked if the Board was going to review the minutes of the December 11, 2007 meeting. In his opinion that we are in court because of what went on. The meeting was advertised as a Joint Meeting with the School Board and the Budget Committee. There was no quorum for the School Board so there was no meeting. He felt that throwing out the Chair of the Budget committee by the Budget Committee at that meeting was cowardly. He commented that people in attendance know the policy in which such action has to be stated on the agenda and voting has to take place at the next meeting. In his mind it was totally illegal of what went on. He had asked K. Dassau and C. Dreyfuss to get a legal opinion and he was turned down. Now it is costing the district. Everything at that meeting was illegal. He asked why the Chair of the School Board was not having the Minutes part of tonight’s meeting.
N. Moriarty commented that the proposed contracts and the matrix being asked for were promised. The Budget Committee is meeting tomorrow and they need the information.
R. Bauries asked C. Dreyfuss for an answer. She said that the Budget Committee ran the meeting on December 11, 2007.
N. Moriarty asked for an answer. C. Dreyfuss explained that the information would be handed out during the meeting.
J. Carnie said that the Board needs to stop ignoring the public. C. Dreyfuss said that this conversation needs to stop. This issue is in the court. We do not need to have these opinions now. The School Board Members have the minutes. J. Carnie asked if the Board would like to correct the minutes and why they have not been brought up. The Dec. 11, 2007 Minutes should be discussed, added to, corrected and questions answered. J. Kenyon commented that at no time has the School Board corrected the Budget Committee’s Minutes. K. Dassau asked if the School Board wants to engage in question and answer with the public. He said that in his Superintendent’s report he would get answers to the questions. He asked if you want to debate here or in court. There is a suit. K. Cota commented that we listen to the public comments. We do not debate. J. Carnie commented that it is time to understand what is going on. The minutes are voted on at the next meeting and have been for 25 years. It was a joint meeting of the School Board and Budget Committee and we both have a right to review the minutes. Why are they not on the agenda? It is our official obligation. We were part of that meeting. He would like a recorded roll call vote to vote to look at the minutes. C. Dreyfuss commented that it is not a fair assessment. The board is not sweeping it under the carpet. S. Oerman commented that other joint meetings she was at, the board with a quorum ran the meeting. W. Wright commented that the Board has heard from the public. Either move to the Superintendent’s Report up on the agenda or continue with the meeting. W. Wright commented that he thought joint meetings were working sessions. E. Jacod commented that in the Dec. 18, 2007 Minutes that the Board just approved it said that the Budget Committee had a meeting on Dec. 10, 2007 and Dec. 11, 2007.
5. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Surry Withdrawal Certificate: K. Dassau reported that a copy of the Surry Withdrawal
Certificate was sent in the Board’s packet.
6.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. 2008-2009 Budget Warrant: K. Chambers
passed out the MRSD Estimated Effect of Budget Increase on Tax Rate sheet to
the Board she explained that a correction has to be made as follows: * Based on
the 2007 net assessed value (NAV) of towns in the district +2%. She noted that
these figures are not set in stone. One small change in the 40 factors could
change the rate. She explained the factors that have added to the number. She
said that the Surry Withdrawal, the decrease in State Aid, the surplus and
others affect the increase. She passed out information to the Board on what
could be done to decrease the increase. She suggested removing the Maintenance
Project Article and the Roof Replacement Project Article and changing the
Unanticipated Fund Balance to $500,000.00 from $300,000.00. This is done not
with 100% confidence. K. Chambers hoped that the Board would discuss this idea.
J. Fortson said that she is not comfortable without the Maintenance Project
Article. She would like to ask K. Cota of the Facilities Committee. K.Cota
explained that the Facilities Committee has not met since the last meeting and
this is the first time to discuss this issue. She would be asking for a vote to
eliminate the MS/HS Roof Project. The roofs would be removed in order to
receive the building aid when the entire project was done. E. Jacod commented
that he does share J. Fortson’s concerns. He commented on the increases in fuel
and individual voter’s increases and said that it is unfortunate that we have
no means to cut costs. We are between a rock and a hard place. We need to cut
where we legally can. K. Cota commented that personally it is huge for her to
say to get rid of the Maintenance Project Article. She said that there will be
problems but the NEASC has asked us to pass a budget and the two sets of
contracts. She commented that the deferred maintenance plan would probably be
reactivated. The increase is large we as a Board need to find a way to pass
these two items. We have done a lot of work in the Facilities Committee but we
need to find a way to pass the contracts and the budget. We have ourselves to
blame for not passing the contracts the last time. Now the cost has increased.
She would agree with K. Chamber’s recommendation. D. Lyman asked about the
Director of Building and Grounds. K. Cota said that she would not recommend
removing that item. She said that is part of the issue. She said that we are
overworked and hopefully, the Director will look at the Maintenance Dept. to
trim and make it more efficient. She said definitely do not get rid of the
position. E. Jacod agrees with K. Cota. Getting rid of the position would be
wasting money. P. Peterson suggested that the articles be separate and let the
voters decide. J. Kenyon said no. If you put the Maintenance Project Article on
the ballot with the Contract Articles the Maintenance would win and the
contracts will not. For the NEASC and the health of the district the contracts
take precedence. P. Peterson commented that a leaky roof takes priority. K.
Cota said that if you give the voters a choice they would vote on the
Maintenance Project Article. We need the voters to vote yes on the contracts.
It would cost a lot of money if you wait. To help with the NEASC we need the
contracts and the budget passed. J. Fortson explained that warrants to warrant
you are looking at 3% increase. She said that even if you stay flat you would
still have an increase because of the surplus. This issue is hard to get across
to the voters. W. Wright commented that we agree that they are important and
need to be on the ballot. The voters look at the tax rate. Maybe there are some
things that we can do without but we need to fix some of the issues. We have
been cutting our maintenance each year. It is up to the Board to put the
contract information out in a positive way. He said that he has great faith in
the public. They would dig to cover the cost. T. Peloquin agreed with W.
Wright. It would be more difficult when someone gets hurt. What happens when
both the contracts and the Maintenance Articles are voted down? Safety and
viability are what you are gambling to make a bunch of suits happy 50 miles
away in
K. Chambers asked if the Board would like to leave the 2003 Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund. The board agreed to leave it.
K. Chambers passed out the warrant language. She asked that the Board read it over and any changes let her know prior to the Public Session.
K. Chambers explained that she had two versions of Article Five the Teacher’s agreement. She explained that one warns of the early retirement. She asked that the Board reviewed the information and makes a choice.
2. School Board Goals: This item was put on the agenda by mistake. The Board would take up this issue in March.
7.
CURRICULUM
REPORT:
1. AYP Report: D. Hodgdon mentioned that
he had put the 4 draft copies of the school improvements in the Board packets.
He would like to commend the 4 principals that have worked with the teams. It
is intensive and time consuming. The reports will be transported to
2. NEASC: There is no significant change.
8. SCHOOL BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS:
1. Community Relations Committee: K. Colby reported that the next meeting is on Jan. 7, 2007 and he would encourage all members of the board to attend. He would be speaking to J. Smith about the childcare for the Deliberative Session.
2. Facilities Committee: K. Cota reported
that the presentation from Kaestle Boos would be on Feb. 12, 2008 at 7:00 PM. A
copy of the Master Plan will be available to the Board Members prior to the
meeting. J.Carnie suggested not a long presentation but time for question and
answers. K. Dassau explained that the information is on the web. The Board will
be reminded of this meeting closer to the time.
3. Finance Committee: J. Carnie reported
that the committee reviewed two different proposals, debit financing, discussed
the SAU Withdrawal, have asked the administration to look at the different
options with regards to Surry Withdrawal and reviewed the finance reports. K.
Cota, the Facilities Committee is asking the Finance Committee to look at what
the district can afford in regards to a building project.
4. Policy Committee: The next meeting is
January 28, 2008.
5. Budget Committee: The Budget Committee will be meeting on January 3, 2008.
6.
9. Action on the Manifest: MOTION: S. Oerman MOVED to accept the manifest in the amount of $ 1,794,851.12. SECOND: K. Colby. VOTE: 12.800/0/1.724/21.179. Motion passes.
10. Superintendent’s Report: There would is no need for non-public. Happy New Year. MOTION: J. Fortson MOVED to accept the retirement of Janet Parsons as of the June 30, 2010 school year. SECOND: P. Peterson. VOTE: 13.821/0/0/1.179. Motion passes. MOTION: K. Colby MOVED to accept the retirement of Patricia Targett as of June 30, 2008. SECOND: D. Lyman. VOTE: 13.821/0/0/1.179. Motion passes.
K. Dassau mentioned that there is a Default Committee on Jan. 3, 2008 at 6:30 PM and the Budget Committee Meeting to follow at 7:00 PM.
The Board would be leaving with a complete draft of the teacher contract.
K. Dassau reported that he would be going to Superior Court on Jan 8, 2008 due to a suit by N. Moriarty due to the action of the Budget Committee on Dec. 11, 2007. Attorney Apple advised not discussing the issue in this forum. A complete copy and K. Dassau’s response is in the packet. N. Moriarty asked for a response by K. Dassau by Dec. 14, 2007, which he received but still chose to pursue the suit.
There would be a joint meeting on January 8, 2008 of the School Board and the Budget Committee. This meeting is to discuss the contracts and any other items as needed.
K. Chambers explained that the Wilcox information in the packets was an update. Those would be the repairs needed to run the MC2 Program at the Wilcox building. At this point it has not been determined where the MC2 Program will operate.
11. BOARD CHAIR REPORT:
12. SETTING NEXT MEETINGS AGENDA:
13. SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS:
14. NON PUBLIC SESSIONS:
15. Adjournment: MOTION:
SECOND:
J. Kenyon VOTE: Unanimous for
those present. Motion passes.
Respectfully submitted,
Laura L. Aivaliotis
MRSD Recording Secretary