SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT #70 BOARD
MONDAY, MAY 8, 2006
7:07 P.M., HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Minutes
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Carpenter (7:25), Carter, Chamberlin, Cheney (left approx 9:30), Fleischer, Gray, Sachsse (left approx 9:30), Vitt, Williams; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Edson, Williams; and seven members of the public.
1. Call to order
Chair Gray called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
John Chamberlin moved and Margaret Cheney seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of December 12, the organizational meeting of March 14, the special meeting of April 12, and the nonpublic session of April 12, as submitted. Changes to the March 14 meeting: C. Fleischer was not in attendance. Article #2, third paragraph, first sentence should read ... Linda Gray received the majority of votes...; paragraph four, second sentence should read ... The Board voted in favor...; paragraph five, second sentence should read... The Board voted in favor... The amended motion passed with Chip Fleischer abstaining from the March 14 meeting.
3. K-6 Science Curriculum Presentation
Curriculum Coordinator Joanne Roberts introduced the presentation with a brief overview of the work the Science Curriculum Committee has been doing for the past several years. She then introduced Sally Hair, Facilitator of the K-12 Science Committee, who presented her report in three phases: the purpose of the Committee work, a status report, and an explanation of the Scope and Sequences of the K-6 Science curriculum. She said that the primary purpose of the K-12 Committee was to align the Marion Cross School, Ray School, and Richmond School Science curriculums, so that students entering seventh grade would have a common background, vocabulary, and skill base. She distributed a summary of the K-6 Science curriculum which details the status of the K-6 curriculum as it is taught now, and said that the Committee is working on the 7-12 curriculum with the goal of completing this work and presenting it to the Board at the Board’s November meeting. The third phase of Ms. Hair’s presentation was an explanation of the Scope and Sequence of the curriculum, which consisted of three strands: Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth Science. She said the plan is to phase in the Scope and Sequence in the Ray, Cross, and Richmond Schools over the next three years.
Members of the Board and public asked questions and expressed concerns regarding commonality among the schools and resources, common assessments of the various units, how to measure the skills students arrive with in the seventh grade, and how the curriculum would effect the NECAP tests.
Marion Cross School Principal and faculty advisor to the Committee, Rob Edson, thanked the many people who have worked very hard to this point, and Board Chair Gray said that the Board looked forward to the 7-12 Science Curriculum presentation in the fall.
4. Report of Administrators
a. Superintendent’s Report - The Superintendent reported that the Administration is ready to move forward with the implementation of the PowerSchool. He said that in order to transition to the new software, he and the Administrators believe it would be necessary to hire a dedicated technology person to shepherd the process and to be available to help with questions and problems along the way. Dr. Gersen said that Judy Wilson would be willing to do this project as a consultant to help the districts with implementation, but he felt the SAU may need to fund a full time technology person in 2007-08.
John Aubin then discussed three alternatives for financing the new PowerSchool system, which will cost $51,660. One alternative would be to lease the software through the SAU, while another would be to buy the software outright resulting in a savings to the districts. He explained that under alternative one, the cost to purchase the software ($51,660) would be divided among the three districts proportionally using the SAU allocation formula. Under alternative two, $17,000 of the total cost to purchase the software would be allocated to the SAU, leaving the balance ($34,600) to be divided among the three districts. Under the third alternative, the districts would use a portion of their projected 2005-06 fund balance to pay for the entire cost of the software. Under this proposal, Mr. Aubin said that the $17,000 that the SAU would spend on PowerSchool in 2006-07 would be used to fund the consultant’s fees.
After discussion, the consensus of the Board was to move forward with the purchase of the PowerSchool software as outlined in the third alternative.
b. Assistant Superintendent for Business’ Report - Assistant Superintendent for Business John Aubin reported a beginning year balance of $56,668. He said with expected revenues of $959,863 and expected expenditures of $999,714, he anticipates an ending year balance of $16,817. This is approximately $14,000 less than projected in the SAU budget for 2006-07. Mr. Aubin cited the unexpected addition of two employees to the insurance plan and the failure to budget for health insurance for a newly retired employee as the reasons for the shortfall.
5. Business requiring discussion
a. Early Foreign Language Report - Ray School Principal Bruce Williams and Marion Cross School Principal Rob Edson presented their report to the Board in which they were asked to research the following questions: (1) How could the districts introduce foreign language at an earlier age? and (2) What would the consequences be for staffing, curriculum, and budget? The Principals summarized their document, which included a cost analysis and faculty survey. They concluded that (1) whatever is decided should be done together in both schools; (2) that there is not enough time in the student schedule to provide the amount of instruction that research supports; and (3) that there are organizational and funding issues that each district needed to resolve.
After discussion, the consensus of the Board was to delay any decision on the implementation of foreign language until after the Long Range Planning Committee’s roundtable discussions with parents, faculty, and the public, which will focus on how we can improve our schools. The feeling of Board members was that they could then look at this proposal as part of the whole picture that emerges from the discussions.
A member of the public asked that the Board consider providing classroom space for the Rassias Foundation to provide foreign language programs for students. At a discussion later in the meeting, the Board decided to include this topic on the Hanover and Norwich Board agendas.
b. Long Range Planning Committee Report - Linda Gray summarized the timetable for proceeding with the roundtable discussions designed to get community feedback to the question, “How can we improve our schools?” She said that most of the facilitators are in place and the Committee is in the process of sending out information to the public. Following the roundtable discussions, Ms. Gray said that the major task of the Committee will be to assemble the material collected and synthesize it. Board members discussed the importance of having Board representation at the roundtable discussions as well as having an on-line survey so that people who cannot physically attend the discussions can participate also. Dr. Gersen said that he is in the process of preparing such a survey, which the Committee will review at its Thursday, May 11 meeting.
c. Superintendent’s evaluation - Regulation CEI, the Superintendent’s evaluation instrument, was distributed to Board members with instructions to complete and return to either Margaret or Nancy by the time of the Dresden Board meeting. The Superintendent also distributed copies of evaluation questions he has used previously for his subordinate staff to judge his performance. The Board asked the Superintendent to email his goals and self evaluation to the members, so that Board members will have this information before completing the their questionnaires. Ms. Cheney said that she and Nancy will be conducting interviews as part of the evaluation process. The Board expects to have the evaluation completed by late August or September.
6. Business requiring action
a. Approval of nonunion salaries for 2006-07
Nancy Carter moved and John Chamberlin seconded a motion to approve SAU salaries as proposed and attached to the original minutes of the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Board members asked questions about staff evaluations, the method for calculating the percentage of raise, the use of performance pay, and changing the sequence of evaluating the Superintendent so that the evaluation comes before compensation is set. The Board discussed forming a committee to bring back rationale for formulating a calendar that puts evaluation before compensation. A Board member asked that the question of, “Do we want to do pay for performance for SAU staff?” be put on a future agenda. Superintendent Gersen said that he would follow up with a memo to the Board concerning this question.
The motion passed 8 yes, 1 opposed (Williams). Mary Sachsse and Margaret Cheney left the meeting before the vote was taken.
b. Resignation of Treasurer
John Chamberlin moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to accept the resignation of SAU Treasurer Joan Collison, effective immediately. The motion passed unanimously.
c. Appointment of Treasurer
Kari Asmus moved and Robin Carpenter seconded a motion to appoint Karen Clarkson as Treasurer until a successor is appointed. In response to questions, John Aubin said that the new Treasurer is bonded and that the books of the former treasurer have been audited. The motion passed unanimously.
7. Nonpublic session
John Chamberlin moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to enter nonpublic session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3 (II.a.) for discussion of compensation of employees at 10:35 p.m. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.
8. Return to public session
The Board returned to public session at 11:05 p.m.
9. Adjournment
Bob Bruce moved and Stan Williams seconded a motion to adjourn at 11:06 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 11:06 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary
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