NORWICH BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 4, 2006
7:00 P.M., MARION CROSS SCHOOL LIBRARY
Minutes
Present: Board members Cheney, Gray, Sachsse, Vitt, Williams; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Edson; and 17 members of the public. Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to order –Mary Sachsse called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM.
2. Approval of minutes
Linda Gray moved and Margaret Cheney seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 6, as submitted. The motion passed with three in favor and one abstention (Vitt). Geoffrey Vitt noted that he did not attend the meeting.
3. Communications and Reports
a) Report of Chair
Chair Mary Sachsse announced that there will be a joint meeting with the Norwich Select Board on October 25 at Tracy Hall and the next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 1, 8:00 p.m., at the Marion Cross School Library, immediately after the public informational meeting regarding the wood chip boiler project in the same location at 7:00 p.m. on November 1.
b) Reports of Administrators
Assistant Superintendent’s Report
Assistant Superintendent Aubin reported that he understated special education expenses by $70,000 in 2005-06. He indicated that as a result of this miscalculation, the fund balance will be reduced by the same amount. He noted that even after this adjustment, the 2005-06 fund balance is $125,000 above the budget projection. Mr. Aubin circulated three construction aid applications that require Board signatures. These applications involve the emergency repair of the boiler, the electrical upgrade, and the wood chip boiler project.
Principal’s Report
Principal Edson reviewed his written report, highlighting that the enrollment is now 314. He indicated that the educational assistant in the sixth grade has been increased to full time and there is a need to add a half teacher for third grade math. He reported that he held a faculty meeting on Differentiated Instruction and that NECAP testing has begun.
4. PTO Report
Deb Kaplan reported that the next PTO meeting is scheduled for October 16 at 3:30 PM in the Art Room. The gift wrap sale fundraiser is finished but the school will get credit if any gift wrap is ordered all year long on the Web site www.innisbrook.com under the Marion Cross heading. PTO applications for funding awards are now available with a November 1 deadline for submissions. There will be another opportunity for funding awards in the late winter. The PTO’s town library display will focus on math for the coming month.
5. Public Input
Irv Thomae commented on a proposal by the Vermont legislation that would replace the property tax with an income tax surcharge. He expressed his view that this proposal was dubious, and would have some unintended negative consequences. He indicated he would represent the Town of Norwich’s perspective on the issue.
6. Business Requiring Discussion
Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Rob Edson reported that he met with the state SRTS grant planner and the state’s transportation coordinator to gain a better understanding of the SRTS process. The Town of Norwich received a $1,500 grant to collect information and conduct a SRTS kick off event (Bike to School Day). A study will be conducted to gauge traffic in the area near the school and identify students who reside within a two-mile radius of the school. The SRTS planners hope to develop a student travel plan and an incentive program to discourage driving to school. The town’s Transportation Committee is and will be involved with the effort. The next aspect of the SRTS effort will involve applying for construction funding this winter through the Vermont Department of Transportation.
Enrollment Projections
Superintendent Gersen reviewed a document about projected enrollment at Marion Cross School. He indicated that student transfers from private schools other than the Willow School, are speculative, but the enrollment looks relatively stable for the next few years.
7. Business Requiring Action
Wood Chip Boiler
Mary Sachsse expressed the Board’s regret for not contacting abutting neighbors sooner about the proposed wood chip boiler project. Dr. Gersen briefed the Board on recent discussions with the Norwich Finance Committee regarding the operational savings and air quality issues. He reported that this project planning has been on a fast track because the District must secure voter approval for the project and submit its application with the State before January 1 because the State will lower its cost sharing from 90 percent to 70 percent on that date. Because many applications have been submitted to the State to take advantage of this cost sharinglegislation, the State Department alerted school districts that all applications will not be funded in the typical time frame, which could result in districts needing to secure revenue anticipation notes. The Board discussed the need for an air quality study and determined that the costs of such a study should be incorporated into the total project cost. The Board also felt that the costs for a higher smokestack and “Cyclone” scrubber should be included in the total costs even though these measures are not usually necessary for a project as small as the one planned at the Marion Cross School.
The Board members assured neighbors there would be a meeting at the Marion Cross School in mid-October and encouraged neighbors to tour the existing (but larger) wood chip boiler system at Richmond Middle School. Mary Sachsse indicated that the neighbors will be contacted with a definitive date to meet with experts who are involved with the project.
The Board discussed revised article warning semantics.
Margaret Cheney moved and Stan Williams seconded a motion to approve the wood chip boiler warning article for the November 7 Special District Meeting, as attached to the original meeting minutes with amendments, and further to authorize the Administration to make whatever technical changes are necessary in order to ensure that the Warning is legal and that the intent of the Norwich Board of School Directors is conveyed. The motion passed unanimously.
Margaret Cheney moved and Linda Gray seconded a motion to approve the 2008 Budget Guidelines, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Linda Gray moved and Margaret Cheney seconded a motion to approve the Board Educational Goals, as proposed and attached to the original meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Margaret Cheney moved and Linda Gray seconded a motion to appoint Norwich Police Chief, Doug Robinson, as Truant Officer for the Norwich School District for the 2006-07 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
Linda Gray moved and Stan Williams seconded a motion to appoint Deb Carter to a .5 third grade teacher at the Marion Cross School. The motion passed unanimously.
Linda Gray moved and Stan Williams seconded a motion that the Norwich School Board hearby resolves in accordance with VSA Title 24§1755 that the public interest of necessity demands the district engage in a project to upgrade the electrical lighting and the installation of photovoltaic solar panels at the Marion Cross School. The motion passed unanimously.
Linda Gray moved and Margaret Cheney seconded a motion that the Norwich School Board hear by resolves in accordance with VSA Title 24§1755 that the public interest of necessity demands the district engage in a project to install a wood chip boiler heating system, as well as associated upgrades to the heating system at the Marion Cross School. The motion passed unanimously.
Linda Gray moved and Stan Williams 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 Norwich Board entered executive session at 8:42 p.m.
8. Adjournment
Margaret Cheney moved and Stan Williams seconded a motion to adjourn at ? p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at ? PM.
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