Meeting Date:	12/14/04
Minutes Submitted On:	12/15/04
Board Attendees:	Ellen Pratt (EP), Anne Fines (AF), Virginia Scholl (VS), Peter May (PM), Rebecca Coffey (RC)
Administration Attendees:	Jim Kane (JK), Amelia Stone (AS)
Community Attendees:	Nancy Mackler (PCS staff), Gerry Gatz (PCS staff), Sigrid Howlett (parent), Sue Kochinskas (parent), Stephen Coronella (parent)

Location:	PCS Writing Room
Meeting called to order at:	4:07
Meeting called to order by:	PM
Finish time:	5:40

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?
Unfinished Business: FY06	The board worked with the Draft 1 FY06 budget that is in the school board binder in the school office. According to Jim Kane (Business Manager, WSESU), the BUHS assessment will likely increase by 10.16% over last year’s assessment The WSESU assessment will likely increase 12.60% over last year’s The board noted that the school spends about $200,000 annually on specials (Art, Music, and PE). That’s been very consistent over time despite the enrollment decline The board also noted that, according to the document STAFFING/ENROLLMENT PATTERNS REVISED 12.7.04 that AS distributed during the 12/9/04 meeting, class sizes in the lower grades will be smaller in Academic Year 2005-2006 than they will be in the higher grades. According to AS, last year the teachers devised a recommendation that, throughout the school, a class size of 14-17 is appropriate. The board might want a system in place that can help reduce classroom numbers throughout the school when class sizes get too small. JK reported that Governor Douglas has recommended to the legislators that the base residential tax rate for the upcoming year be $1.02 (and $1.51 for nonresidential). These proposed rates are significantly lower than the current tax rates. If the legislature enacts the governor’s legislation, the state will contribute more money this coming year for education and the total tax burden on Putney taxpayers will be reduced. According to JK, the first draft of our revenue budget will probably be available by next week. AS will try to get more data to supplement the class size data included in her document STAFFING/ENROLLMENT PATTERNS REVISED 12.7.04. Possibilities: spread per grade for special ed, 504s. The “Special Ed Health Insurance” line item may be in error. Jim Kane will double-check. The board is considering whether to recommend that, long term, computer hardware purchases be assigned to the capital budget. According to JK, some school districts handle computer equipment purchases that way. Library: The state recommendation for book purchasing is one new book per child per year at rate of $20/book. In early 2004, out of the FY04 end-of-year surplus, the board brought that year’s library budget up to match the state recommended minimum. The Draft 1 FY06 budget again has book acquisition at $2000, which is at most $2000 less than the state recommendation.
	Food Service. $6000 is budgeted in anticipation of the PCS food service program not being managed to break even. (This item is typically budgeted at PCS. According to JK, it is also typically in the budgets of other WSESU school districts.. Guilford, Dummerston, Oak Meadow, Green Street, and Academy all subsidize their food service programs, and some do so to a much larger extent than does PCS.) From the start, this year’s food service program at PCS has operated at a deficit. Because PCS enrollment is down (resulting in a decrease in lunch program enrollment) and fuel costs have risen, food has cost more. According to JK, the only ways to make the program break even are to sacrifice quality or raise prices. More discussion is needed on this item in preparation for the fact that the contract will go out for bid soon. The Legal/Audit line item may be an overestimate of the costs that are actually needed. According to JK, the cost would be less if PCS did a full audit only every three years and a “review audit” every year. PCS’s FY06 spending will be audited (by state requirements) but that won’t be affect the FY06 budget. It will be a line item in the FY07 budget. There was some discussion about removing ELF from the operating budget and funding it through the 1% fund. Board members expressed some concern that removing it from the operating budget and giving only a 1-year commitment for 1% Fund funding would jeopardize PCS’s ability to continually fund ELF. (ELF uses parent volunteers to teach environmental science to all sorts of learners in grades k-4. It is geared to the Vermont science standards.) The FICA line item under Maintenance seems high. JK will look into it. The board is examining whether and to what extent EES (Early Education Services)/Head Start’s outreach efforts duplicate those of the Early Education Outreach Coordinator and whether EES/Head Start could help us estimate future kindergarten enrollments regardless of whether PCS renews its agreement with EES/Head Start. JK will look into the status of the warrant information. (Since 9/9/04 the WSESU warrants have not contained full information on cover sheets.) RC noted that FAST warrants presented at one board meeting did contain adequate information. She will communicate to JK the warrant numbers presented that evening and he will look into using that format for all warrants.
Upcoming Meetings December 15, 2004 at 4:30 pm in the Writing Room at PCS. January 6, 2005 at 4:30 – 7:00 in the Writing Room at PCS · Review revenue budget for FY06 · Continue discussion of cost containments for FY06 January 13, 2005 January 27, 2005 · NSRE tests (Vermont Standards scoring). Feb 10, 2005 · Fitz-Vogt Quarter Report Some meeting in February · Review EES/Head Start Program and approve or disapprove contract renewal.

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.