SPAULDING HIGH SCHOOL
UNION DISTRICT
Campus Library
July 6, 2009
BOARD
MEMBERS PRESENT:
John Santorello, CHAIR,
Nancy Pope, VICE-CHAIR,
Norma Malone, CLERK,
John
Pizzo,
Tom Walz,
Giuliano Cecchinelli,
Richard Storz,
JJ Norway – Class of ’10, SHS/BTC Non-voting Student
Representative
Charlie Norway – Class of ’11, SHS/BTC Non-voting
Student Representative
BOARD
MEMBERS ABSENT:
None
ADMINISTRATORS
PRESENT:
Dr. John Bacon, Superintendent of Schools
Penny Chamberlin,
Bob Phillips, Principal
Don McMahon, Director of Special Services
GUESTS
PRESENT:
George Drew, and representatives
Scott Cameron
Board
Secretary: Donna Holden
1.
Call to Order
The Chairperson, John Santorello,
called the Monday, July 6, 2009, meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., which was held
in the SHS & BTC Campus Library,
2.
Announcements and Awards
A.
New Student Representative
Mr. Santorello welcomed Charlie Norway,
new student representative, which was followed by Board introductions.
Mr. Phillips and Ms. Chamberlin briefly
discussed current activities. Campus and
other general information may be viewed at www.shsbtc.org/.
Mr. Phillips also advised the Board of
a recent ceremony honoring Elizabeth Rogers Morse. He said Mrs. Morse was a local resident, and
successful business owner, who due to circumstances was not able to graduate
with her class in 1950, however, did obtained her GED.
He explained that at the request of Mr.
Morse, and pure delight of Mrs. Morse, she marched to the music of Pomp and
Circumstance, wore a cap & gown, and receive an honorary diploma at a personal
graduation ceremony held in the SHS Library for her, her family and friends. The Board congratulated Mrs. Morse.
3. Visitors and Communications
None
4. New Business
A. Approval of Minutes:
June 15,
2009 – Regular Spaulding High School Union District Board Meeting
On
a motion by Mrs. Pope seconded by Dr. Pizzo, the Board unanimously voted to
approve the minutes of June 15, 2009 –Regular Spaulding High School Union
District Board Meeting, as submitted.
B. Approval of New Hires if Needed
Mr. Phillips advised the Board the
Hiring Committee received and reviewed eleven applications for the Guidance
Director position, however, none were selected.
He said due to the school’s size and needs the goal was to hire a
candidate with sufficient experience, which was not evident in the applications
received to date.
Mr. Phillips said the position would be
re-advertised, however, due to the lateness in the hiring season and short time
before school was to begin, the plan at this point was to try to lure
candidates from retirements and to hire an interim Director
C.
Composting
Mr. Phillips provided a PowerPoint
presentation prepared by the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management
Division. He said the proposal to
initiate a composting program, using a $10K grant from CVSWMD, would involve
coordination among many players including the administration, food service
contractor, faculty, students, and maintenance staff. He said, however, the goal to reduce trash
and ultimately the cost of disposal, along with increased recycling and composting
awareness would prove beneficial.
Dr. Bacon suggested Mr. Phillips
inquire whether it would also be acceptable to add the woodchip ash to the
composing collection. The Board agreed to proceed with the
project.
D. Athletic
Fields and Lighting
Mr. Storz advised the Board the
Facility Committee recently met and were joined by Mrs. Conti and approximately
20 members of the previous SHAAC Committee.
He said after hearing the SHAAC’s eager proposal the Facility Committee supported
moving forward with preliminary work to survey the field area, and obtain
estimates for tower lighting for the football and baseball fields. He said depending on the results the next
step would be to develop plans to reorient the fields, add bleachers and
lighting towers, etc. Mr. Storz
reminded the Board the SHAAC’s original intent was to boost student and
community participation in SHS sport activities, and to provide a “Friday-night
destination.”
Dr. Bacon concurred with a
recommendation to obtain a formal survey proposed by a local contractor at a
total cost of $15K, which included half for a field and riverbank assessment
and layout proposal, and half for a lighting and layout proposal. He reported of being advised there were
funds in an account established by the former SHAAC in excess of $5K (approximately
$3K from the Kittredge bequeaths, $2K from the Class of 2007, and 2-years of
Raven Football fees), however, Mrs. Rosa was having difficulty locating the
account and funds.
Dr. Bacon advised the Board he also contacted
an electrical contractor and was advised that four light towers would be the
recommended adequate number to light the fields, however because of underground
water, the placement and cost was currently undetermined. He said if and/or when approved it would take
up to 90-days for lights to be installed, therefore it was not a project
expected for the current year.
Dr. Pizzo expressed his concern
regarding the timing of the project, in consideration of both economic
conditions and potential taxpayer reaction, but also for the moral of the staff
after lying off a number of teachers in
the past two budgets. He said regardless
of intent the message to teachers and the community could be “building fields
and putting up lights are more important than teachers and education.”
Dr. Pizzo also said he had always
supported athletics in the school, but was very concerned with moving ahead
with this project at this time. He
stated the ongoing costs to maintain the fields, and cost of the lights would
be a fixed operating cost and expense that would have to be maintained in order
to use the investment.
Mr. Storz indicated the plan was to
support ongoing costs with increased gate fees, which was not widely accepted
as a given or near sufficient to support the expense.
Mrs. Pope expressed her concern that
expanding and lighting the fields in the hopes of moving night soccer, field
hockey, etc. to the SHS location could be detrimental and unfriendly to the
Mr. Storz reported that Mrs. Conti
invited the Mayor to the Facility meeting with the hopes that perhaps the
project could be supported in whole or part through funds recently bequeathed
to the City. However, Mrs. Pope assured
that many, many people and organizations were vying for a part of those funds. Other Board members questioned whether
conditions and/or ownership rights would occur if the City granted the funds
for the project.
Mr.
Storz made a motion seconded by Mr. Walz to hire a surveyor to conduct an
analysis of the field area and provide a layout, only.
Mrs. Pope asked if the intent of the
motion was to be cost neutral to the school’s current budget?
The maker of the motion and the second agreed to a friendly amendment to add: for a sum not to exceed $7.5K, and only if
the SHAAC funds were located and sufficient.
Mr. Cecchinelli expressed his
preference to wait until the funds were found and the Board knew how much was
available.
Mr. Storz
withdrew his motion and Mr. Walz withdrew his second.
Dr. Bacon agreed to bring information to the Board at
their next meeting.
On
a motion by Mrs. Malone seconded by Mr. Walz, the Board unanimously voted to
postpone action on this item until the August meeting.
E. Retreat
Agenda
The
Board discussed and agreed the
retreat would be August 17, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. with a light supper
provided. The agenda would include: touring
of the facility to view finished products of the recently approved maintenance projects
and view other facility needs, to discuss administration goals and
expectations, Board goals and expectations, the accreditation process, and
SU-wide goals and direction.
5. Old Business
None
*** With the
Board’s permission items on the agenda were taken out of order.
6.
Executive Session
A.
Teacher Hearing
At
7:00 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Storz seconded by Mrs. Malone, the Board
unanimously voted to enter into executive session, pursuant to Title 1 § 313,
to discuss a personal matter.
Dr. Bacon, Mr. Phillips, Mr. McMahon, Ms.
Chamberlin, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Drew and his representatives were invited into the
executive session.
At 9:42 p.m. the Board
exited executive session.
On a
motion by Mr. Walz seconded by Mrs. Pope, the Board unanimously voted to
continue the deliberative session of this hearing to a future date, to be set
by the Board, and to request that the Administration provide the Board with
copies of the documentation relied upon to support the recommendation of
non-renewal.
7. Executive Session
B.
Personnel Matter
At
9:45 p.m. on a motion by Mrs. Malone seconded
by Dr. Pizzo, the Board unanimously voted to enter into executive session,
pursuant to Title 1 § 313, to discuss a personnel matter.
Dr. Bacon was invited into the
executive session.
At
9:50 p.m. the Board exited executive session.
8.
Adjournment
On
a motion by Mr. Storz seconded by Mr. Walz, the Board unanimously voted to
adjourn at 9:51p.m.
Next
meeting Date:
Meetings are regularly scheduled for the
first and third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m., unless otherwise
noted. The first meeting is planned as a business meeting; the second
meeting is conducted as a policy review and working/discussion meeting.
·
The second July
meeting is cancelled.
·
The following regular business meeting is scheduled
for Monday, August 3, 2009, at 6:00
p.m.
·
The Board’s annual work session (retreat) is
scheduled for August 17, 2009, at
5:00 p.m.
·
The Board will
hold a regular business meeting on Monday, August 31, 2009, at 6:00 p.m.
·
The Board will
hold a policy review/working session
meeting Monday, September 21, 2009,
at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna
Holden