Meeting

Date:

10/26/06

Minutes Submitted On:

10/28/06

Board Attendees:

Ellen Pratt (EP), Anne Fines (AF), Virginia Scholl (VS), Benji Cragin (BC)

Administration Attendees:

Amelia Stone (AS), Paul Smith

Community Attendees:

Linda Cassidy, Jan Blanchard

 

 

                       

Location:

PCS Writing Room

Meeting called to order at:

4:30 pm

Meeting called to order by:

VS

Finish time:

 6:02 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 adopt the minutes of the 10/12/06 meeting.

BC

VS

 

yes

Communications

none

Committee Reports: 

Finance

School Forest Committee

 

Negotiations committee

 AF reported on the School Forest Committee: Committee members welcome volunteers (including children) to help with the posting of the School Forest on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9-12. Volunteers should meet at the kiosk in the pool parking lot.

 

 

The board needs to appoint a representative to the Classified Staff Negotiations Committee (classified staff include para-educators and custodial staff).  VS will ask Scott Henry if he will represent Putney.

Warrants

To pass warrants #1032 Fast $8516.99; #1034 Fast $4,011.19 and #1035 Regular $14,894.58

 

 

VS

 

 

 

 

 

BC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administrators’ Reports

Paul Smith distributed evaluation forms for the board’s evaluation of the Superintendent. Board members should complete these individually and bring them to the 11/16 board meeting. At that meeting the board will work to consolidate comments and submit a board evaluation.

 

AS reported that the Middle School teachers attended the open house for middle schoolers in Westminster. She and the board expressed their thanks: to Sue Kachinskas for updating the middle school brochure, to Beckie Coffey for her tremendous effort in producing a video promoting the PCS middle school, and to the middle school teachers for their participation in the Westminster open house. In Jan. PCS will host an open house for families to learn more about PCS.

 

AS also reported that the Village Nursery School has announced their closing effective at the end of school year.  Putney Family Services will hold a meeting on Nov. 14 to discuss how to address the lack of early care and education programs in Putney.  The board asked AS to check on the status of the Head Start classroom becoming nationally accredited.

 

AS distributed 1% fund requests. AF expressed a desire for more teachers to apply for the funds. The board will discuss how to award the funds at the next meeting.

 

Old Business

 

 

 

 

 

Policy Review:

E-11 “Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy” - adoption

To adopt the policy as amended

VS

AF

AS reported that the staff discussed the clause in the Wellness Policy that says that recess shall not be taken away as a form of discipline. The staff made the following points: there is agreement in theory that kids need to get outside and have recess; the staff expressed its strong feeling that the taking away of recess as a form of discipline should be left to teachers’ discretion; teachers expressed their concern that the board was  questioning their professionalism. AS said that we don’t have any data about the frequency of taking away recess as a disciplinary action. She suggested that the board adopt the policy and that she would report back to the board on the frequency of teachers using recess in disciplinary action.  The following revision to the recess clause was proposed: “Recess and other physical activity are highly valued as part of the curriculum and shall not be taken away without due

consideration.”  AS will report back to the board in 4 months on the status of using recess in disciplinary actions.

 

yes

 

 

D7 “Volunteers and Work Study Students” – 2nd Reading / Discussion

 

 

 

 

AF asked whether requiring the principal to carry out a criminal record check on everyone who wants to volunteer to work with students might unduly slow down the hiring process. Paul Smith and AS reported that it’s a quick process.

 

Exec. Session

To enter Executive Session at 5:25 pm to discuss personnel issues.

 

Exited at 5:30 pm

VS

BC

 

 

New Business

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Education Funding

 

That the PCS School Board sign a letter (written by the Dummerston School Board) to area legislators requesting the exclusion of locally funded special education costs from the equalized per pupil costs calculation.

VS

EP

The board has been asked by the Dummerston School Board to sign onto a letter to local legislators. The letter requests the exclusion of locally funded special education costs from the equalized per pupil costs calculation.  The Dummerston board reports that the federal government has not paid its share (40%) of special education costs to any school districts (a rate that was established when the original federal legislation for special education was approved in 1975).  This lack of federal support has helped put towns over the equalized spending cap per pupil, thus resulting in a penalty from the state.  The Putney board expressed their interest signing the letter and in gathering signatures on a petition. 

Yes

Other

 

 

 

Add “Board Goals Progress” as a new item under “Unfinished Business” on every agenda.

 

Upcoming Meetings

Nov 7

School board members invited to staff meeting

Nov 16:

PHACT will report to the board on a short-term solution to the drop-off/pickup congestion issue.

Discussion of pellet/air gun in the School Forest

First budget discussion

Discussion of board’s evaluation of Superintendent.

Discussion of 1% funds

Nov. 30

Forest in Every Classroom

Board discussion of board goal on increasing volunteerism: Report on volunteerism--Volunteer Coordinator report

 

Dec. 7

Dec. 14

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

Amelia reports on recess (frequency with which it is being used as discipline)

September 2007

Report on school’s compliance with Nutrition Policy

 

 

 

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.