NORWICH BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS
PUBLIC HEARING and BUDGET ADOPTION
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2009
7:00 PM, MARION CROSS SCHOOL

Minutes

Present: Board members Addante, Callaghan, Mackall, Sachsse, Vitt; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Roberts, Kelley. 19 public attended. Recorded by C. Edwards

1. Call to order – Chair Carey Callaghan called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. and notified the public that the Board would enter Executive Session immediately to discuss a personnel matter.

Linda Addante moved and Jim Mackall seconded a motion to enter Executive Session in accordance with Title 1, Section 313 for discussion of a personnel matter. The motion passed unanimously. The Board entered Executive Session at 7:04 p.m.

The Board re-entered the public session at 7:13 p.m.

2. Approval of minutes
Mary Magavern Sachsse moved and Geoffrey Vitt seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting and Executive Session of January 8, 2009, and the Budget Deliberations meeting and Executive Session of January 15, 2009, as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

3. Chair’s Report

Chair Carey Callaghan announced that the next Board meeting will be Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 7:00 p.m., at the Marion Cross School Library.

There are two (2) school board seat openings in March, one (1) for a three-year term (Sachsse), and one (1) for a one-year term (Mackall, to complete the two-year term for French). Filings take place any time from now until January 26, 2009. Candidates must present a petition with 35 signatures to the Norwich Town Clerk.

Additionally, the Dresden School District has filing dates from Wednesday, January 14 through 5:00 PM Friday, January 23. Filing for School District officers can be done with either the School District Clerk, Deborah Carter, or at the SAU office at 41 Lebanon Street, Suite 2, Hanover. Positions open include Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer for one-year terms, and three Auditor positions for three-year terms.

4. Public Hearing on the Proposed 2009-10 Budget
Assistant Superintendent for Business John Aubin explained that this is the meeting where the Board adopts the budget to take to the voters in March. He noted that last week the Board discussed the budget impacts of Special Education, physical-plant issues and full-day kindergarten. He distributed budget change sheets and noted the two changes: Medical insurance costs decreased $7,330, and $30,000 was deleted for network rewiring since the board decided to pay for that work with the Reserve Fund for Repairs and Capital Maintenance. The total reduction from the original budget is thus $37,300.

He calculated that the tax rate for Norwich residents would increase 2.85%. He also noted that if a Vermont resident’s income is under $90,000, that resident is eligible for tax reductions. These calculations assume the Dresden cuts tentatively adopted at the January 20 Dresden School Board meeting, and includes full-day kindergarten and the expansion of the technology and art programs.

Chair Callaghan invited public comments. Al Converse, a member of the Norwich Finance Committee, noted that the Norwich Finance Committee recommended that this year’s budget increase the Norwich tax rate by less than 3%, and this budget achieves that goal. Three members of the public spoke in favor of full-day kindergarten because they believe it is better for children, might draw more people into the district, and because Norwich is bracketed by two towns with full-day kindergarten.

Neil Odell, president of the Child Care Center in Norwich, asked the Board to consider the negative impact on the center if full-day kindergarten is instituted. He noted that if there was bus service from the Ray School to the Norwich Child Care Center it would help sustain the center. Mary Magavern Sachsse replied that the appeal should be made to the Hanover School Board. Two Board members said that the Board should support such bus service, and Chair Callaghan offered to write a letter of support.

Sachsse commended Dr. Kelley, her staff and the SAU administrators on creating the budget, but noted that a huge proportion of the 5% decrease in the 2009-10 budget is because of good fortune due to the drop in special education costs. She felt that the all-day kindergarten initiative was responsive to wishes of young families in Norwich but questioned the additional FTEs in art and technology. Dr. Kelley explained the need for the technology teacher to work full time given the school’s intense use of technology and elaborated on the role the art teacher plays in providing differentiated teaching methods to reach all students.

Governor Douglas’s Proposal
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas recently asked Boards of Education in the state to delay their school budget votes in light of the recession and a very tight state budget. He proposes that budgets for the 2009-2010 year not exceed those for 2008-2009. Superintendent Gersen explained that to delay a vote on the budget would require a complicated process that arguably violates State law. He noted from a practical perspective that delaying the vote endangers hiring teachers. The board was opposed to delaying budget adoption.

Geoff Vitt moved and Jim Mackall seconded a motion that the Board reject the governor’s proposal to delay elections on school budgets. The motion passed with four in favor, one against (Addante).

5. Business requiring action
A. Adoption of the 2009-20 Budget

Chair Callaghan called for a vote on the proposed budget.

Jim Mackall moved and Mary Magavern Sachsse seconded to approve the 2009-10 budget in the amount of $4,633.651. It passed unanimously.

B. School District Warning

The Board reviewed the School District Warning. Wayne Gersen said that he wants legal counsel to review it one more time. The warning and budget bottom line might be changed following a special board meeting in advance of the Dresden Board meeting on January 27.

Linda Addante moved and Mary Magavern Sachsse seconded that the Board approve the warning as attached and amended. The motion passed unanimously.

6. Adjournment
Jim Mackall moved and Mary Magavern Sachsse seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM.