DRESDEN SCHOOL BOARD
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2006
7:45 P.M., HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Approved Minutes
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Carpenter, Carter, Chamberlin, Cheney, Fleischer (8:05 p.m.), Gray, Sachsse; Vitt, Williams (non-voting Board member); Administrator Gersen; School District Attorney Bradley; and six members of the public. Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to order
Superintendent Gersen called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. He opened the floor for nominations for Dresden School Board Chair.
Geoffrey Vitt nominated Margaret Cheney for Dresden Board Chair and John Chamberlin seconded the nomination.
A motion to close the nominations was made by Robert Bruce and seconded by Mary Sachsse. The Board voted with nine in favor and one abstention (Cheney) to elect Margaret Cheney the Dresden Board Chair for the 2006-2007 term.
Margaret Cheney took over the meeting as chair and opened the floor for Board nominations for vice chair and secretary.
Mary Sachsse nominated Robert Bruce for Dresden Board Vice Chair and John Chamberlin seconded the nomination. Robert Bruce was elected Dresden Board Vice Chair for the 2006-2007 term with nine in favor and one abstention (Bruce).
Kari Asmus nominated Stan Williams for Dresden Board Secretary and John Chamberlin seconded the nomination. Stan Williams was elected Dresden Board Secretary for the 2006-2007 term with nine in favor.
The Board decided to reorder the agenda so the Business Requiring Action section could be next on the agenda.
2. Business Requiring Action
A motion was made by Linda Gray and seconded by John Chamberlin to accept the resignation of Dresden School District Treasurer, Joan Collison, effective immediately. The motion passed unanimously.
A motion was made by Linda Gray and seconded by John Chamberlin to appoint Cheryl Lindberg as Dresden School District Treasurer until the next Annual School District Meeting or other election. The motion passed unanimously.
3. Business Requiring Discussion
a) Board Committee Assignments
The Board discussed the committees and members expressed interest in serving on various committees. Margaret Cheney indicated that she planned to make appointments at the next Board meeting. Board members agreed that those already serving on the Building Committee, Athletic Fields Committee, and the Alternative Funding Committee would continue serving.
Board members agreed that the Public Relations Committee be renamed the Communications Committee.
There was a recommendation that the High School Council liaison include two board members rather than a single member, so that attendance could be improved.
The Board discussed increasing the awareness of the teachers’ Committee on Instruction (COI) and it was suggested that a regular update be included on the Board’s monthly agenda.
b) Teacher Contract and Dresden Finance Committee Discussion
The Board discussed the timetable and legal obligations related to the teacher contract negotiations. The Board needed to decide who would be involved with the Negotiation Committee.
The Board discussed the fact that health costs in the existing teacher contract were higher than the new contract due to the switch to a lower cost provider. The Board discussed the need for public input to help create a favorable environment for a successful negotiation.
The Dresden Finance Committee reported on its meeting that afternoon regarding the recent Dresden vote results. It recommended:
· that the District negotiate a one year contract with the teachers;
· that changes are made in the following year from the existing compensation system to a new system that is performance-based;
· that no percentage increase be made across the board on all base salaries;
· that if there are increases in salaries, that those increases are larger for teachers at the lower salary levels; and
· that the health insurance agreements in the rejected contract be retained.
There was a suggestion that a cost-of-living index be found that is lower than the CPI. It was explained that the premium is defined as the difference of salaries between Dresden and the next highest school district at each step and track, but it does not include the cost of benefits.
The Superintendent indicated that more time would be required to develop and implement a new compensation system, noting that it entails finding a new system, costing it out for Dresden, and then negotiating the plan with the teachers. It was suggested that there were some people in the community who have experience in this area. It was also recommended that the Board consider using a hired negotiator for the renegotiations process.
After considerable discussion, the Board decided to hold a public meeting within a week, settling on the date of March 21. Board members felt a facilitator would be helpful in developing a constructive public discussion about the teachers and the school district. A committee was created to coordinate the meeting which included Mary Sachsse, John Chamberlin, Robin Carpenter, and Kari Asmus. It was also suggested that emails be welcomed from the public on the issue.
4. Nonpublic Session
The Board voted to go into nonpublic session at 9:21 p.m.
A motion was made by Linda Gray and seconded by John Chamberlin to enter nonpublic session in accordance with RSA 91-A:2 for discussion of negotiations. The motion passed unanimously. The roll call of the Board was conducted. The public session was reopened at 10:40 p.m.
5. Adjournment
A motion was made by John Chamberlin and seconded by Kari Asmus to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
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