Meeting

Date:

1/5/05

Minutes Submitted On:

1/10/05

Board Attendees:

Ellen Pratt (EP), Anne Fines (AF), Virginia Scholl (VS), Peter May (PM), Rebecca Coffey (RC)

Administration Attendees:

Amelia Stone (AS)

Community Attendees:

Cory Stark, Gerry Gatz, Don Linden, Nancy Mackler, Cliff Adler, Angela Walton, Linda Cassidy, Mary Anne Deer, Dorothy Grout (all PCS staff), Regina Rockerfeller, John Nopper, Leon Cooper, Larry Hyde, Craig and Elizabeth Stead, Meredith Wade, Frances Holland, Lisa Chase, Annette Wilson, Kathleen Lawrence, Dwight Hanson (from the Guilford School Board), Nancy Stefanik, Sue Kochinskas, Les Cobalt, Kxxx Hoxxx (unintelligible signature)

                       

Location:

PCS Writing Room

Meeting called to order at:

6:35 pm

Meeting called to order by:

Peter May

Finish time:

8:35 pm

 

 

NOTE:  These minutes should be considered a draft that awaits approval and possibly amendment by the board at its next scheduled meeting. 

 

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
WORK SESSION REGARDING FY 06 BUDGET

 

AGENDA TOPIC

MOTION

MOVED BY

SECONDED BY

DISCUSSION

PASSED?

 

 

FY06 Budget

Prior to this meeting, chair Peter May had sent the following note to all people who had asked to be notified by email of board-related announcements.  The note had also been posted on iPutney.com.

 

Dear Putney Parents, Staff and Community Members,
 
As we near the end of the Budget Development Cycle for next year, the School Board would like your input.  At our last meeting, the proposed Draft #2 of the Budget for next year reflected an increase of more than 6% over last year's operating budget - approximately $200,000.  We have explored a variety of budget reduction options and continue to do so.  In addition, the Board requested Principal Amelia Stone to prepare a scenario, for purposes of our discussions, to show what kind of impact the elimination of one professional position would have on the proposed Budget for next year.  Our goal is to have as much useful information at our disposal as possible to inform our budget process.
 
Given the Board's, Amelia Stone's and the entire community's commitment to and support of the school's staff, and the many challenges we face with respect to enrollments, rising healthcare costs, etc., it is critical that we have an opportunity to discuss together, in the context of this budget process, our collective view of Putney's priorities in the coming years.
 
The Board has scheduled a Budget Work Session for Wednesday, January 5, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. in the PCS Writing Room.  We strongly encourage you to attend.
 
Many thanks to you all for your support of the School in 2004 and best wishes for a happy, healthy 2005.
 
Peter May
PCS Board Chair

At the meeting, the following documents were distributed.  As of Monday, January 10, all these documents will be in the School Board binder in the school office.

 

·        PCS Student Enrollment/Programs.  Dated 1/6/05.  This was

o       a rubric of the classes taught by the Art, Music, and  Physical Education teachers and by the Librarian.

o       A rubric of enrollment by grade over the following school years:  03-03, 03-04, 04-05, 05-06 (projected).

·        Draft 4 of the FY06 budget.  This was dated 1/4/05.  It was prepared by WSESU Business Manager Jim Kane

·        A spreadsheet of health insurance cost histories for FY00-FY06.  It was prepared by WSESU Business Manager Jim Kane

·        A multi-page examination of financial and enrollment data for WSESU towns as provided by the Vermont School Reports (data culled from the Vermont School Reports by PTSB clerk Rebecca Coffey)

·        Tax Impact Estimates January 2005, showing an estimated residential tax rate for Putney of $2.602 should the board pass the current (Draft 4) FY06 budget.  (The current rate is $2.286).  This document was prepared by WSESU Business Manager Jim Kane.

 

 

 

At the meeting, the board and attending community members discussed the documents distributed.  They also discussed enrollments. PCS enrollment in 05-06 is expected to match the enrollment in 04-05, though in the 2/3 grade “bubble” enrollment is expected to be 34 students and current staffing for that bubble is 3 teachers.  Because an 11: 1 student/teacher ratio in that bubble seems high, board and community members also discussed the possibility of personnel cuts, either by RIFF (laying off teachers according to a selection process stipulated in the teachers’ association contract) or by offering soon-to-retire teachers financial incentives to retire early.  Other topics included how to programmatically get a handle on WSESU costs and long-term planning in the event of a continuously declining enrollment, long-term. 

 

Next meeting

January 13.  4:30 pm in PCS Writing Room..  The agenda will be posted in the “School Board” section of the PCS web site at http://www.sover.net/~putneyc

 

Respectfully submitted by: Rebecca Coffey

This represents my understanding of this meeting.  If you have any changes, please submit them at the next board meeting.