Meeting Date:	2/8/07
Minutes Submitted On:
Board Attendees:	Ellen Pratt (EP), Anne Fines (AF), Virginia Scholl (VS), Peter May (PM), Benjamin Cragin (BC)
Administration Attendees:	Amelia Stone (AS), Ron Stahley (RS)
Community Attendees:	Cynthia Payne-Meyer

Location:	PCS Writing Room
Meeting called to order at:	5:05 pm
Meeting called to order by:	PM
Finish time:	7:55 pm

NOTE: These minutes should be considered a draft that awaits approval and possibly amendment by the board at its next scheduled meeting.
AGENDA TOPIC	MOTION	MOVED BY	SECONDED BY	DISCUSSION	PASSED?
Prior Meeting’s Minutes	To approve minutes of the 1/25/07 meeting	PM	VS	Correction: The minutes mentioned the “Basketville Development” project but it is the “Putney Affordable Housing, Basketville site”; under New Business: at town meeting we’ll focus on volunteerism, using volunteers in the forest as an example.	yes
Communications	none
Committee Reports: Finance  School Forest Committee Para Negotiations Committee Other	Para negotiations: AF reported that the average wage for paraeducators is $13.44/hour, or in a range of $15,717 - $18, 852/year which is less than the 2007 livable wage as defined by the Vermont Joint Fiscal Office ($13.86/average hourly, and $28,826/yearly livable wage for a single Vermonter, with no children. See: www.vtlivablewage.org/2006%20livable%20wage%20figures.htm). The board noted that paraeducators have a great health program and work a 60% year. (at 32.5 hours/week for the school year). RS: the value of our health plan is $10/hour.
Warrants	To approve warrants #1061, 1062, 1064, 1065, 1066 Fast in the amounts of $568.72, $842.03, $99,841.02, $110, and $299.00 respectively; And #1068 Regular in the amount of $18,148.79	PM	BC		yes
Administrators’ Reports	RS distributed copies of draft questions for the public meetings on Education Governance, which are being convened by the Dept. of Education. RS also distributed “A Framework for Containing Property Tax Increases” which is a framework put together by Governor Douglas, Senate Pro Tem Peter Shumlin and House of Representative Speaker Gaye Symington. The Framework outlines major areas of focus for discussions about potential proposals for modifying how Vermont delivers and funds education. EP noted that one way for the board to monitor the discussion at the State House on this Framework would be to have a representative to the VT School Board Association’s Government Relations Network. EP volunteered to be the board rep. AS reported that Kindergarten pre-registration is underway. This is earlier than last year so that we can numbers of incoming kindergartners earlier than last year. In May there will be more a more formal kindergarten registration when children and families can visit the school and classroom. There will be a workshop for parents on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6-8 pm on “Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development” for all age group children. AS reported that every other year the principal has to report to the Dept. of Education on how our school is addressing the School Quality Standards in the following areas: School Action Plan, Comprehensive Assessment System, how the school reports testing results to the community, professional development, staff evaluation, school leadership, educational support team; school counselor, health, librarian services; curriculum coordination. AS will bring a copy of this report to the next school board meeting. The Early Ed. Outreach Committee met last week. The date for the Little Kids Fair is Saturday, May 12 10-12 pm in the gym. Ken Brautigam has volunteered once again to provide child care at Town Meeting. The board thanks Ken for his effort. AS reported that we are anticipating having four tuitioned seventh graders next year. AS reported that the 8^th grade transition to high school is underway. AS reported that families owe the food program $1,114. The board encourage families to prepay every Monday or at the beginning of the month.
Old Business Board Goals Progress	See discussion of enrichment below.
Executive Session
New Business A.Administrator’s Review Preparation – Climate Survey – Discussion/Action B.     Town Meeting Preparation-March 1 meeting will focus on this. C.     Comprehensive Assessments – Anne Rider, Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator-postponed D.     Energy Audit—tabled E.     Report on Basketville Development Meeting F.      Enrichment Through the Volunteer Program – Discussion – Sue Kochinskas	AS distributed a draft of the School Climate Survey which will be distributed to parents in the upcoming weeks. It will be used to evaluate various aspects of the school. March 22 will be the date to have survey results compiled. Enrichment: The board had wanted to explore the potential for the Volunteer Coordinator to help find volunteers in the community who might be willing/able to offer enrichment activities in the school. (The Volunteer Coordinator was unable to attend this meeting and had communicated to the Board Chair that it would be very difficult to find volunteers without having a defined enrichment activity/program). Cynthia Payne-Meyer distributed a draft proposal for the creation of an enrichment program at PCS. Cynthia has a graduate degree in enrichment programming from University of Connecticut. She recommends that we convene a committee to explore the potential for offering enrichment programs in the school. Cynthia said the committee should be diversified to include teachers, parents, Title I teacher, a teacher who teaches a special (art, music, library, PE). The committee’s charge would be to find out what is wanted and needed and to help the enrichment coordinator make decisions about what programs to choose. She recommends starting off by offering enrichment in the middle school as it would be a way to draw in tuition-paying middle school students. AS said that establishing a committee is a good idea and cautioned against overtaxing the system-teachers are already doing some enrichment. BC: can we use volunteers? One way to assess the enrichment programs is to look at enrollment in those programs. AF: look at ways in which programs are implemented in terms of children’s time-are activities offered afterschool and/or during the school day? AS stressed the importance of working with teachers to help them integrate enrichment/meeting all kids’ needs in the classroom. AF noted that we already have some enrichment programs: math club, Asian studies. We should do a survey of enrichment that already exists and acknowledge teachers doing so. Then move to the next step. Cynthia says a lot of what her proposal describes are things that can happen in the classroom. The enrichment coordinator offers support in the classroom. AS will consider the proposal and will give thought to whether she can convene an enrichment committee, given her current workload. The board will discuss this further at its next meeting. The board asked about the Destination Imagination program (which is an enrichment program). It was supposed to be offered in the fall but, as Cynthia reported, the funding for the program wasn’t approved until Christmas break and only 2 people had volunteered to help with the program. Cynthia said that it needs to start in September and that volunteers should get the training that is offered before the program starts. AF: Asian Studies program is at a transition point and she wants the board to say that we want to support the transition and get suggestions from AS on how to do that. The board will want an update at its next meeting on the status of coordinating the Asian Studies program. Energy audit-BC mentioned the free energy audit for schools that was advertised in the Vermont School Board Assn. AS will contact the person listed in the ad to find out more. Putney Affordable Housing project. BC reported on the meeting.
Ratification of Warning Articles for Town Meeting	To ratify the adoption of the warning articles for town meeting	PM	AF		yes
Upcoming Meetings	March 1 (4:30) Prep for Town Meeting Goal Review for Administrator NECAP Results Assessment Review Enrichment discussions March 6 Town Meeting March 22 Discussion of special education at PCS Discussion of procurement of busses Discuss potential endowment April 26 Preschool—Deb Gass invited Sept. 07 Report on school’s compliance with Nutrition Policy To discuss at future meetings: Music programming How to spend PreK ADM money

Respectfully submitted by: Board Clerk

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