John Lambert (chair), Kathy Rocklin, Alicia Clapp, Sandra Cummings, Anthony DeChello, Stephen DiCapua, Suzanne Donofrio, James Hogan, and Joseph Nuzzo.
Sara-Jane R. Querfeld, Superintendent of Schools
The Board of Education actually puts its minutes up on its website (although only going back to April 2006). Below are links to the meeting minutes.
However, much of the Board's work is done in its committees, and minutes have not been available for these; hopefully they will be in the future. Finance and Operations meetings are held at 6:30 on the evenings of regular Board of Ed meetings, in the business office or the boardroom, depending on the number of citizens who attend. Curriculum meetings will be noticed on the home page. Personnel meetings are irregular, depending on the status of labor negotiations, and will be noticed on the home page; but these meetings are often in closed, executive session, considering the nature of the committee's responsibilities).
4-12-2007 Rocklin abstained in the vote to approve the minutes. Unanimous approval of resignation of John Crist, Director of Business & Operations, who was hired in Nov. 2006, but became ill. Unanimous approval of Edward Gomeau to replace him. Report on the NEASC high school evaluation. Budget report for March.
4-5-2007 Special Meeting. Executive session concerning Superintendent's decision not to renew the contract with the boys varsity basketball coach. Unanimous vote to support this decision.
3-8-2007 Hogan asked about 165% increase in legal fees, told that due to mediation and arbitration of union contracts. Unanimous approval of new student discipline policy, recommended by the law firm Shipman & Goodwin, to reflect changes in state law, mandating expulsion of students caught selling or distributing drugs, or engaged in weapon behavior, outside of school (explanation in response to question by Janet McCarty during public comments). Budget report for February.
2-8-2007 Budget approved (will soon be available here). Rocklin suggested public meeting to allow community to ask questions about education budget. Querfeld asked permission to adjust the budget, if necessary. Approved 2007-8 Calendar. Discussion about procedure to evaluate and end the employment of long-serving coaches. Policy amended to allow annual evaluation of all coaches by the athletic director. Short executive session on personnel issues (according to FOI Act, the topic of executive sessions should be more specific; Superintendent Querfeld recognizes this and will improve the descriptions in the future). Unanimous approval of teachers contract. Budget report for January.
1-11-2007 Agenda amended unanimously to allow public comments up front, since so many people wanted to speak about the boys basketball coach (Note: This sort of thing never happens at Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and other board and commission meetings.] New security system is up and running. Executive session; no topic mentioned. Contract with Support and Clerical Union unanimously approved.
12-14-2006 Presentation about inclusion of special ed students in regular classrooms. Discussion about certain budget items. Executive session re non-union central office staff pay increases.
11-9-2006 Unanimous approval of hiring John Crist as Director of Business & Operations. Chartwells, a food service company, will have point-of-sale machines in middle and high schools. Healthy food certification made unanimously. In ACES report, it is noted, "insurance carriers will be switched, providing ACES with a million dollars in savings." If only the town would have switched from its no-bid insurance contracts long ago! First Alert calling system for announcing school closings is operational. Register reporter Ann DeMatteo asked for an explanation of the 504 plan, but no explanation appears in the minutes. Executive session to evaluate Superintendent and determine her raise (unanimously approved).
10-12-2006 Discussion of school security approaches.
9-14-2006 Discussion of test scores. Re-appropriated budget unanimously approved. New bidding protocol approved by Finance and Operations committee. Unanimous ratification of 22 new teachers. Resignation of Michael Santogatta, Director of Business Operations, unanimously accepted. When Register reporter Ann DeMatteo later asked for comments on this resignation, his letter of resignation was read (no information in it re reason for resignation). Unanimous acceptance of school-wide rubrics for academic expectations, and then discussion of rubrics. Clapp strongly recommended bidding out insurance contracts. Public comments: Committee meetings are open, but it is not stated when they are held
7-13-2006 All but Ms. Clapp approved the bid award of the cleaning service contract to the long-time no-bid contractor, Master Custodial. Clapp questioned the closeness of the bids, whether the manager would be English-speaking (an ongoing concern; no answer), and the employees' failure to wear uniforms and name-tags. Unanimous approval of designation elementary school district policy, that children go to school in district where they live. Discussion of this policy. Public Comments: Tom Wilkinson, pres of Advantage Maintenance, which bid for the cleaning service contract, asked how Master Custodial could take $150K off their contract, and why a company that had been so overcharging could be rehired. Querfeld said that due to the savings of bidding out the contract, several positions had been saved [later the town administration contradicted this, saying that there was no such savings, because Master Custodial was doing less under the new contract, and the schools would have to do the extra work themselves]. Janet McCarty asked several questions regarding the cleaning service contract. 2006-2007 Budget.