DRESDEN SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING, PUBLIC HEARING, AND BUDGET ADOPTION
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2006
7:00 P.M., RICHMOND SCHOOL LIBRARY
***********DRAFT MINUTES***********
MINUTES SUBJECT TO CHANGE UPON BOARD APPROVAL
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Carter, Chamberlin, Cheney, Fleischer, Gray, Pilchman, Vitt; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Brush, Finer; Gillespie; and four members of the public. Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to Order – Chair Cheney called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
John Chamberlin moved and Linda Gray seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of December 12, and the budget meeting of January 10 and the nonpublic meeting of December 12, as submitted with attachment. The motion passed unanimously. The Board supported attaching a summary of the negotiated teacher and service staff contracts to the minutes.
3. Public Hearing on Proposed 2006-07 Budget (RSA 32:5)
Chair Cheney opened the Public Hearing on the budget for the Dresden School District in accordance with NH RSA 32:5. She noted that the public packet included a line item budget, which contained “all purposes and amounts of appropriations to be included for proposed 2006-07 expenditures.” The notice of the Public Hearing was published in the “Valley News” on January 16, 2006.
In his overview presentation, John Aubin indicated that the “due to construction” expenses associated with the building construction/renovation were ongoing expenses that will be initiated with this budget. In response to a question about the food service budget, Mr. Aubin reported that the high school deficit is much smaller compared to the previous year. The middle school food service budget, which has a larger deficit, needs to be analyzed to understand the influence of new investments such as the system for tracking food sold.
4. Approval of Contracts
Assistant Superintendent John Aubin announced that the Board reached an agreement with the HEA on a new health plan (Harvard Pilgrim Insurance), which would bring substantial savings to the proposed budget. The new plan is comparable in benefits, but its rates were 14 percent lower than those of CIGNA.
John Aubin distributed documents showing the cost of the Dresden/Hanover teacher contract settlement and the service staff contracts with the lower health insurance plan in the current year and for the coming fiscal year. Mr. Aubin also noted that the negotiated change to HMO coverage in the health insurance also resulted in substantial savings.
Mr. Aubin also emphasized that the negotiated agreement with the HEA established a corridor so that salaries may not increase more than 5.25 percent or less than 4 percent. The contract also includes a provision that reduces salaries by 1/2 percent if health costs increase by more than 10 percent.
An important aspect of the teacher contract is the plan for a study group including representatives of the teachers, administration, school board and the public to consider alternative compensation plans. The group will jointly try to develop a compensation plan to replace the step-and-track system that contributes to the cost escalation trends for teachers’ salaries.
John Chamberlin moved and Larry Pilchman seconded a motion to approve the three (3) year (2006-07 through 2008-09) collective bargaining agreement between the Dresden School Board and the Hanover Education Association, NEA-NH, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed with eight in favor and one opposed (Kari Asmus).
Kari Asmus provided some additional details about the service staff and the associated contract.
Nancy Carter moved and John Chamberlin seconded a motion to approve the four (4) year (2006-07 through 2009-10) collective bargaining agreement between the Dresden School Board and Local #1348 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 93, AFL-CIO, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
5. Adoption of 2006-07 Budget
Assistant Aubin reviewed the significant changes to the proposed school budget and the respective town assessments and tax rates.
There was public comment from a Dresden Finance Committee member regarding the premium paid to Dresden teachers compared to other school districts. He noted that the Dresden Finance Committee had not met to express whether it favors or opposes the proposed school district budget. Members of the Board expressed their belief that the bargaining team made progress on most specific issues raised by the Finance Committee prior to the newest teacher contract.
John Chamberlin moved and Linda Gray seconded a motion to adopt the 2006-07 budget in the amount of $19,588,021 to be placed on the warrant and voted upon by Australian Ballot on March 7, 2006. The motion passed unanimously.
6. Approval of School District Warrant
The numbers associated with the new contracts were to be inserted in the Warrant Articles and the amount in Article 6 was changed to $19,157,148.
Chip Fleischer moved and Linda Gray seconded a motion to approve the March 2/7 School District Warrant as proposed by the Administration, as attached to the original meeting minutes, and to authorize the Administration to make whatever technical changes that might be necessary in order to ensure that the Warrant is legal and accurately addresses the intent of the School Board. The motion passed unanimously.
After the Board motion and vote on the School District Warrant, the Public Hearing was then closed at 8:12 p.m. and the Regular Board Meeting was begun.
7. Communications and Reports
a) Report of Chair
Chair Margaret Cheney announced that the next Dresden School Board meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, 7:00 p.m. in the Hanover High School Library. It was further announced that the Annual School District meeting will be held on Thursday, March 2, 1:00 p.m., at the Richmond Middle School Gymnasium. This will be the discussion phase of the meeting; no voting will take place at the meeting. The voting phase of the meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 7, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the Richard W. Black Community Center in Hanover and Tracy Hall .
The chair announced that the Dresden School District has filing dates from Tuesday, January 17 until 5:00 p.m., to Monday, February 6, 2006. Filing for School District Officers can be done with either the School District Clerk, Deborah Carter, or at the SAU Office, 45 Lyme Road, Room 27, Hanover. Positions that are open include Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer, each for one year; and an Auditor for three years.
Assignment of Warrant Articles
The contract negotiators will decide which team members will present overviews on Articles 4 and 5. Article 2 will be explained by Nancy Carter. Article 3 will be done by Linda Gray and Article 6 will be shared by Kari Asmus and Mary Sachsse.
b) Report of the Council Representative
Alex Creighton reported on some of the council motions and announced that he felt that the students were becoming somewhat accustomed to the challenges posed by the renovation. A Student Life Committee is determining a list of empty classrooms where students might be able to socialize in lieu of the hallways. The Council is considering a motion to encourage a bus to transport Lyme students.
c) Report of the Director of Facilities
Jonathan Brush reported that the numerous fire drills in the high school were due to the renovation process during the demolition of the upper floors and the associated electrical work. Asbestos removal is complete on the top floors. In some areas, it proved more difficult than expected to remove the asbestos and some areas were found to have no asbestos where it was expected. The result was a “wash” in terms of costs to the District. The walkways between the buildings have been changed to crescent shapes and they have been plowed and salted to make them safe. He indicated that the gym is now scheduled to open in late spring and the cafeteria will be closed by mid May. As it stands now, the high school will have six weeks to move during the summer.
d) Report of the Superintendent
Superintendent Gersen reported about a meeting that he had with Hanover Town representatives regarding use of school gymnasiums. The School District suggests charging $3,200 for the use of the middle school gym at its current level with the understanding that if the town is interested in more extensive use of the gyms, more funding will be needed.
The administrators will meet with the neighbors who abut the high school fields to discuss the lights and sound during field use at night. The Hanover Planning Board will review the athletic field plans on February 21. The Board discussed a document outlining the proposed field use parameters.
Dr. Gersen announced that as of now the only new sport next season will be the boys junior varsity ice hockey. The swim team needs to address several concerns before it can be considered as a team sport.
The SDC Committee, which allocates enrichment grants to teachers is suggesting the community be invited to attend some of the teacher presentations in a Lecture Series. The Superintendent was asked to provide the Board with a list of enrichment grant projects.
e) Report of the Principals
Principal Gillespie reported that student exams at the high school were completed. She briefed the Board on a recent Martin Luther King school assembly, and also noted that guidance counselors have conducted visits to other schools to speak with prospective Hanover High tuition students. Ms. Gillespie also reported on an open house and meeting for incoming ninth graders and their parents scheduled for February 16. She tanked the middle school staff for their contributions of food, which helped keep the high school staff’s spirits high during the renovation.
Principal Finer reported on a visit and school tour by 30 Kendal residents. There was a very successful student production of a musical play. On February 2 the middle school will host a panel discussion and parents forum on “Technology Abuse.”
Report of the Committees
The Finance Committee met on January 10 and will meet again on January 25 at 4 p.m. at the Hanover Town Hall to discuss the budget and contract issues.
The Dresden Alternative Funding Committee met on January 6 and discussed opportunities to increase the number of tuition students. There were 150 such students at the peak and now there are about 70.
8. Business Requiring Action
John Chamberlin moved and Chip Fleischer seconded a motion to approve draft Policy IJ, Instructional Materials, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Robert Bruce moved and Linda Gray seconded a motion to approve revised Regulation EBH, Facility Use Categories & Rental Schedule, as proposed, amended and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Nancy Carter moved and John Chamberlin seconded a motion to approve Policy ILBA, Assessment, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Chip Fleischer moved and Robert Bruce seconded a motion to approve revised Policy ILBB, Assessment, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Nancy Carter moved and Larry Pilchman seconded a motion to elect Jessica Buster as a long term substitute at Track 1, Step 1, salary $14,842.53 (102 x $194.02 per day), for the remainder of the 2005-2006 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
9. Adjournment
John Chamberlin moved and Kari Asmusseconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:34 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 9:34 p.m.
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