Town of Carver, MA - SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES

II. Comments from EAPC - Negotiations for a new contract will begin with a meeting set for 12/11/07. The EAPC negotiation team will consist of: Gloria Rice (HS); Janet Kent (ES); Connie Koffman (PS)’; Dave Wechter and Lorraine Folsom (MS).

III. John & Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipients – Kay Spencer read the names of the 32 recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. These Class of 2008 seniors qualified based on their performance on the Spring 2006 Grade 10 MCAS tests. These students scored in the advanced or proficient categories and are in the top 25% of our district. These students received correspondence encouraging them to apply for the Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Award, which provides a tuition waiver to Mass. state colleges and universities. The committee offered their congratulations to all these students.

IV. Introduction of New Staff - The superintendent introduced the following new staff: Donna McCarthy, Speech/Language Pathologist assigned to the Pre-School/Primary School; Regina Hayes, Athletic Trainer and Christopher Guilfoy, Groundskeeper.

Representatives from Captain’s Council were not available for this meeting. Erica Kierstead and Kayla Morrison, Student Advisors reported the following: Grade 9 are putting together food baskets for the Colon Family for the week of 12/17. Grade 10 went caroling in the community, Grade 11 is participating in Relay for Life and the Seniors went on their annual trip to Newport, RI. For Student Council, the HS Birthday dance was cancelled due to lack of interest; however, the Jolly Elf dinner planned for 12/13 has huge staff/student participation.

A letter received on 11-30-07 from the Community Preservation Commission (CPC) advises the school department the application for funding to replace the old track has been denied.

A report, compiled by a private citizen from Duxbury, regarding the legal fees expended by area school department was distributed as informational to the school committee.

A. Enrollment/Class Size - Monthly enrollment report and also a comparison from last year to this year was distributed. The loss from last year is 28 students.

B. Migration – data from each school for students both enrolling and withdrawing for the month of November was distributed. A total of 26 students withdrew or enrolled throughout the district in this month.

C. School Building Authority Updates – The Massachusetts School Building Authority (SBA) just released the names of the 89 projects under consideration for funding in the initial phase of the newly organized SBA and Carver made the list. After a comprehensive self study by the Carver Space Needs Committee, we identified the most significant issues in our school buildings. The Governor John Carver Elementary School and the Erwin K. Washburn Primary School both have major needs in terms of age and infrastructure.

The Carver School Committee joined with the Carver Board of Selectmen to submit a statement of interest to the SBA. We identified the needs in both buildings. The SBA asked all of the districts which submitted a total of 423 projects to identify only one project per school district. We identified the elementary school as most in need.

During the summer of 2007, two architects and a member of the SBA visited the elementary school to make a further determination of need. We explained that in many ways the buildings functioned as one. The elementary uses 8 classrooms in the primary and the media center and lunchroom. After a tour of both buildings they began to understand that it was difficult to consider one building and not the other. We were reminded that the SBA was trying to limit the scope of a project to one building in a district. We were not encouraged.

On November 28, we were officially notified that we were selected to go forward in the process. We were issued a feasibility invitation. This means that we will take representatives from the school committee, board of selectmen, superintendent and the chief operations and financial officer to meet with the SBA on January 18. They will look at our previous feasibility study and discuss a plan to further study and discuss a plan to study our needs. The school department will then be considered for a formal planning process to plan a solution for our needs. If we “pass” the consideration phase, we will be recommended for funding for a project that is agreeable to all parties. This is extremely encouraging. We know our needs are substantial and will present these needs to the SBA in January.

D. AYP Report – Each year every school is given a “report Card” on progress towards the goal of “all students will be proficient in English Language Arts and Mathematics by 2014”. This is part of the education reform initiative of No Child Left Behind. Adequate Yearly Progress is the method of measuring each school’s and each district’s movement toward that requirement. The Superintendent gave a presentation indicating the snapshots of subgroups in the elementary, middle and high schools.

E. AYP Plan of Action for Middle and Elementary Schools – Lynn Bastoni, MS Principal and Patricia Sullivan, Gov. John Carver Elementary Principal each gave a presentation regarding the plan of action at their school for meeting AYP. At both schools, the students have not met AYP in math. Among the remediation plans in place are a new math program that spans the Primary and Elementary programs called EVERYDAY Math. The Middle School has started the year with the inception of a Math Lab which all students are required to take and instruction is data driven and based on individual student needs, implementing RTI (response to intervention) and offering faculty differentiated instruction program which uses varied instructional techniques that tap the talents of every style of learner.

F. FY’09 Budget Calendar - The FY’09 budget timeline was distributed to the committee. The preliminary numbers have been put together based on information from each building principal and directors of departments. Brief education programmatic overview, how and what we do will be presented to School Committee (No $ discussed) in January; School Committee review of budget line items will be February 11, 2008; and School Committee Public Hearing on the budget will be March 10, 2008.

A. Private School Policy – The superintendent contacted our attorney and has checked the language of this policy through their legal team. It is the superintendent’s recommendation to approve this policy. Randy Webster motion to approve, Mary Kaminski second. All in favor. Mary Kaminski volunteered to be the school committee liaison to the team who will visit the Christopher Donovan Center to ensure all areas of checklist are being met. Other members will be Liz Sorrell, Laura Tilton, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology, and Maureen Gaughan, Director of Special Education.

B. Recycling Science Books –a list of textbooks no longer in use by the High School Science department was submitted for approval to recycle. Randy Webster made a motion to allow the recycling of the texts, Mary Kaminski, second. All in favor.

The committee had their annual retreat on Saturday, December 8, 2007 and made significant preparation for starting negotiations with the E.A.P.C. and also the FY’09 budget.

The committee reminded the community that the Primary/Elementary, Middle and High School concerts would take place the week of December 17^th. Also the community was advised the Central Offices would be closed on December 24 and