Meeting

Date:

7/20/06

Minutes Submitted On:

7/24/06

Board Attendees:

Ellen Pratt (EP), Anne Fines (AF), Peter May (PM), Benjamin Cragin (BC), Virginia Scholl (VS)

Administration Attendees:

Amelia Stone (AS), Paul Smith, WSESU Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator

Community Attendees:

Malcolm Jones, Paul LeVasseur

                       

Location:

PCS Writing Room

Meeting called to order at:

4:45 pm

Meeting called to order by:

BC

Finish time:

7:00 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 the minutes of the June 8 and June 15, 2006

AF

BC

Clarification to the 6/8/06 minutes: some of the school nurse’s salary is funded by Medicaid

yes

Communications

Communication regarding vegetation growing around the dumpster and school sign. AS will attend to this. One email about Commissioner Cate’s White Paper on the Governance of Education in Vermont (see discussion below).

Committee Reports:  Finance/School Forest/Early Education Outreach Advisory Committee

WSESU Negotiations Committee – Update

The Early Education Outreach Advisory Committee met yesterday. The committee members are continuing to explore the potential for PCS to enter into collaborative agreements with the child care programs which serve Putney 3 and 4 year olds so that the school can include those children in its annual census in order to draw down Public Education funds. Amelia Struthers (Early Education Outreach Coordinator) will be speaking with the child care providers about their interest in having a PCS licensed early educator come to their programs for 10 hours a week so that we meet one of the criteria for drawing down the Public Education funds.  The other criteria is that the child care programs become accredited. Amelia will report back to EP prior to the August board meeting on her findings.

 

The school forest committee will meet at 7:30 on July 26 focussing on the Place Project that is happening in the school forest.

 

Warrants

To approve Warrant # 1112 fast in the amount of $2,334.99.

PM

BC

 

Yes

 

 

Administrators’ Report

AS reported that we have 198 students as of this week (including 7 tuitioned students, but not our 15 preschoolers).  She says the number could increase before the school year starts. We have 21 incoming kindergartners. It’s been a busy summer in the building. Camp Allegro used the school. They pay rent of $1900 for the use of the building. We’ve had tutoring in the building, SCAMP is going well. Putney Family Services is running a 2-week morning camp. The Garden Club is attracting people. The trend is that PCS is becoming a year-long facility.  The new school hours will be 8:45 am-3:15 (instead of 8:40 – 3:15).  The head teacher from the Head Start classroom resigned in July. Early Education Services (EES) is in the process of hiring for that position (EES manages the program).

Old Business

 

 

 

 

 

Principal’s Performance Review – Follow-up

 

 

 

Tabled until the next meeting that Ron Stahley attends. Amelia will check with Ron on his availability.

 

New Business

New Policy Review: E11 “Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy” – 1st Reading (Paul Smith)

 

Policy/Procedure: “Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace” –Discussion (Paul Smith)

 

Technology Update (Paul Smith)

 

Commissioner Cate’s Proposal on the Governance of Education

 

PCS Action Plan

 

Food Contract

 

Other: PM reported that the Putney tax bills will go out a month late. The listers have not finished their work.

 

AF: The indoor walking group met for 31 walks from  Jan –April, 2 times/week. There were 6 people involved. The group thanks AS for her help in organizing this and looks forward to its continuation and expansion (more months) next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To renew the food service contract with Café Services for FY07 school year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VS

New Policy Review “Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy.” First Reading. This policy has to be in place by the beginning of the school year.  This draft came through the district Wellness Committee. There were a few public forums to help draft this policy and it was approved by the wellness committee.  AS reported that the school’s health committee has worked hard to develop nutrition guidelines. Our school’s guidelines are stricter than those laid out in the district wellness policy. Paul Smith reported that the policy outlines goals and if we wanted to change any of  them to suit PCS, we can.  The second reading of this policy will occur at the August 17 meeting

 

 

 

Discussion of Commissioner Cate (Department of Education) white paper, “The Governance of Education inVermont -1777 to 2006”.  The board encourages discussion of this white paper, in which the Commissioner proposes reducing the number of school districts from 290 to 63 (among other things).  The board received one email about the proposal expressing concern about the loss of local control that might be associated with a reduction in the number of school districts. PM expressed his intrigue about the proposal. He wants to have more conversations about it. He thinks the current system is unsustainable.  He sees the benefit of the supervisory union. AF starts out from a position opposing the proposal. She read from the VT School Board Assn’s newsletter article (July 2006) about Americans’ support for public schools. The article reports that “The high level of support Americans give to schools in their community is unchanged, and support for the public schools grows in direct proportion to the closeness of respondents to those schools.”  She is concerned that if our school doesn’t have its own board that Putney residents would have less control over school affairs. BC said that he likes the idea of saving money and achieving economies of scale. He’s not sure how we’d save money with the Commissioner’s proposal.  EP said she welcomes more community discussion about this and reserves judgement about the proposal until more discussion occurs.  The 2 community members in attendance expressed their concern about losing local control and losing quality of education. What would we really be losing if we went forward with this proposal? The board discussed the fact that the White Paper doesn’t outline cost savings categories for the proposal.  AS said that the proposal could open up possibilities of sharing resources (e.g. school nurse services) among schools. We should do our homework, be really clear about decisions we make, and that we have good dialogue among the taxpayers, the board and the state. The report was released in May and the Commissioner proposes a year-long dialogue. There will be 2 forums in Windham Co. sponsored by the Department of Education to discuss the proposal. BC will find out when the 2 Windham Co. meetings will be held. The board wants to have dialogue in the community about this proposal. EP suggested that the board sponsor a Putney forum prior to the 2 Windham County forums so that we get Putney residents’ input to the proposal prior to the county-wide discussions.  This board will begin to plan for this at the next meeting (Aug. 17)

 

 

Policy / Procedure “Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace”. This is not an official policy statement, but a procedural issue. The board endorses the principles outlined in the “Breastfeedinig Support Policy” circulated to the board at the request of the local VT Dept. of Health.

 

Technology Update:

PS reported that Microsoft settled a lawsuit and VT received some funds through this lawsuit. The funds are being distributed to schools with more than 40% of their students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. PCS does not qualify. PS reported that use of computers in the school is having a positive effect on student learning and that we should continue

 

 

Food Contract –AS reported that school lunch participation is increasing. There have been some billing errors that have been worked out. They are using local produce. Passed.

 

 

Action Plan PreK-8 for 2006-2009: The plan was developed last year by the School Council and the teachers. There was unanimous agreement on the plan. EP will work with AS to include an item on early education. Discussion focused on having board goals be included/congruent with the Action Plan. The board discussed having a staff-board meeting in Sept. to discuss the Board goals which were established at the board’s June 15  retreat and get staff input on them. The board will discuss approval of the plan at its August meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yes

Executive Session

To go into Executive Session (6:35pm) to discuss a personnel matter. Exited at 6:55 pm.

PM

BC

 

yes

Upcoming Meetings

 

 

 

 

August 17

New Policy Review “Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy.” Second Reading.

Discussion of volunteerism, Sue Kachinskas (new Volunteer Coordinator) will attend to participate in this discussion.

Discussion of early education

Approve Action Plan

Approval of bus routes

Transportation Grant

Winter Sports-need for Steering Committee

 

Sept 14.

Use of Medicaid for early education activities (Jim Kane)

Planning for further discussion of Commissioner Cate’s White Paper on the governance of education in Vermont

Beginning discussion of developing board goals

Jan  2007 (second meeting):

Ensure that preparations for 360 degree survey to be distributed are underway.

 

February meeting: Anne Rider to present  on comprehensive assessments

 

NEED TO BE SCHEDULED: Flo Nester, Enrichment Coordinator in Brattleboro to report on enrichment curriculum possibilities   (possible presentation in fall when board discusses programming) (Flonestor@wsesu.org)

 

 

 

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.