DRAFT
HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2005
7:00 P.M., RAY SCHOOL MULTI-ROOM
Minutes
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Carter, Chamberlin, Fleischer; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Williams; 3 members of the public; Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to Order – Chair Chamberlin called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
Nancy Carter moved and Chip Fleischer seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of November 16, as submitted with changes. The motion passed unanimously. The changes: the report to the Board about tax rates showed the drop was from $3.35 to $2.94 and another big drop is expected in 2006/07. Hanover School District tax rates were lower than projected. In item 4, Board members felt that the SAU Board would be responsible for a decision to move forward on the immersion program in the School District.
3. Communications and Reports
a) Report of Chair
Chair John Chamberlin announced that the next Board meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, January 4, 7:00 p.m. in the Ray School Multi-room and that this meeting is the first of three budget meetings. The second meeting on January 11 will be devoted to budget deliberations and the third meeting on January 18 will be a regular Board meeting, public hearing on the budget and budget adoption.
It was announced that Board member Matt Slaughter has been nominated for the President’s Council of Economic Advisors and his remaining two year term will be voted on at the March 2006 electio0n with the two three year term vacancies.
b) Reports of Administrators
Principal’s Report – Ray School Principal Williams reported that the Holiday Concert is coming up on the following Monday and Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. and the PTO will be serving coffee at 8-9:00 a.m. The Tuesday performance will have more available seating.
c) Committee Reports
Education Committee
Nancy Carter reported that the Education Committee discussed the foreign language in earlier grades. At this point, no additional meeting has been scheduled. The committee will wait for direction from the SAU Board and the administration on the issue of early foreign language instruction.
Communication Committee
Kari Asmus reported that she met with the Superintendent and his Administrative Assistant, Mary Davis, to discuss the annual report improvements. She distributed an example of how she planned to expand the explanations for the warrant articles. Petition articles would need to be submitted by mid January if they are to be included in the publication mailed to Hanover residents. She suggested the Howe Library staff might help the public post petitions and warrant articles through the use of computers.
4. Public Input
A member of the public asked if a fifth classroom was budgeted for next year’s fifth grade, and asked for a clearer explanation about he staff assigned to this year’s fourth grade. Bruce Williams reported that five classes were budgeted for the fifth grade in 2006-07 and reviewed the staffing in this year’s fourth grade. In response to another question, Bruce Williams announced that after the holiday break, a discussion at the school about sing-a-long will be scheduled with the PTO.
5. Business Requiring Discussion
Dr. Gersen reported that after a lengthy discussion, the SAU Board asked the administration to confer with the elementary school principals to consider how to offer foreign language at earlier grade levels and to outline the ramifications on the budget, space, staffing, and other related issues. The Principals will examine three different levels of programs including immersion. Parents will be invited to visit schools that have such programs as part of the process.
The Board reviewed Draft Policy IJ, School Instructional.
The Board also discussed the draft of Regulation EBH regarding renting and leasing the school facilities. Dr. Gersen indicated the community’s interest in using the new middle school has brought this issue to the forefront. He noted the proposed changes to the language which he hoped clarify facility use categories that relate to non-profit and profit-oriented organizations and the need for charges for custodial service beyond the regular work week. He noted that the Norwich School Board suggested that groups that charge a participation fee be considered the same as those that charge an entrance fee, a change he intended to make in each Board regulation. The Board expressed its interest in finalizing facility use guidelines for the principals to abide by, but did not anticipate if there would be substantial increases in demand for the facilities or the amount of time such facility use decisions might require for the principals. John Aubin estimated that currently the fees for Hanover High result in revenues of $10-15,000. He estimated that Richmond Middle School could annually raise $5-10,000 and Marion Cross School could annually raise $3-4,000.
In the review of that Draft Policy ILBA, the Board recommended changing the title to “Local Student Assessment Program.” The Board also reviewed Draft Policy ILBB, Curriculum Assessment.
6. Business Requiring Action
Chip Fleischer moved and Robert Bruce seconded a motion to defer any consideration of the expansion of the foreign language program pending the issuance of the report on introduction of an earlier foreign language program from the SAU Committee. The motion passed unanimously.
Nancy Carter moved and Chip Fleischer seconded a motion to accept the resignation of Lois Roland effective June 30, 2006, with regret. The motion passed unanimously.
Nancy Carter moved and Kari Asmus seconded a motion to accept the resignation of Mary Gardner effective January 27, 2006, with regret. The motion passed unanimously.
Robert Bruce moved and Kari Asmus seconded a motion to adopt the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 Amendment Resolution as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
The Board expressed its appreciation for the gifts from the PTO and the Hanover Friends organizations.
Robert Bruce moved and Kari Asmus seconded a motion to accept the PTO Gift proposals for 2005-06 as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Robert Bruce moved and Kari Asmus seconded a motion to accept the Friends Grants for 2005-06 as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
7. Adjournment
Robert Bruce moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to adjourn at
8:40 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
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