Board Meeting Minutes
Present: Don Arguin,
Also present: C. Cardine, Supt., K. Dassau, Asst. Supt. and D. Most,
Asst. Business Manager. Principals: B. Tatro, S. Rashid and D. Dahl.
Interview Candidates for Vacant Swanzey Seat: R. Marra asked the
candidates to explain why they would like to sit on the Board for the next five
meetings. At that time a new election
will take place and they will have the option to run for one of the three seats
being opened in March. He also mentioned that
1. CONSENT AGENDA:
Minutes of
2.
CORRESPONDENCE AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS: R. Marra announced that on behalf of the Board he would like to extend
his thanks and appreciation to the principal, the assistant principals and other
district personnel for the quick response and fine efforts on the meningitis
issue. R. Marra commented that Brady Ells is in rehabilitation and the Louis
Gilman is now home. C. Cardine informed the Board that information on
meningitis went home with every elementary student and the high schools
students received information by mail. R. Marra will have information on how
many students received the medication from the schools. C. Dreyfuss added that
some of the students received medication from their own doctors.
R. Marra has been asked how
a person could join the Monadnock Taxpayers Association. R. Bauries informed
the Board that they could write to PO Box 10082 Swanzey and that information
would be sent by email to keep them informed.
3.
STUDENT COUNCIL CONCERNS: C. Cardine informed the
Board that the Student Rep. was not aware of the date change on the meeting.
4. PUBLIC
COMMENTS:
None
5. Other School Board Business:
A.
Board Committee Reports:
1.
Community Relations
Committee: D.
Gurian informed the Board that the next meeting will be on
2.
Facilities Committee: G. Lerandeau reported to
the Board that the committee met on
3.Finance Committee: R. Marra reported that the committee met and Superintendent. Cardine brought the committee up to speed on the expenses,
grants and cost to the district of the MC2 School. C. Cardine passed out the MC2 budget to the Board Members. The school is renting space at Antioch New
England and the rent is being paid through the MRPSOC grant. W. Wright asked if
the rental amount was in the report. He
replied that it was.
R. Marra wanted to clear up an issue raised
in a letter to the editor about a student being sent to the
4. Policy Committee: D. Arguin explained that the
committee has not met and a future meeting would be discussed with the members.
B.
New Business: K. Cota asked the Board to
consider a warrant article she would like to have added to the ballot. The
article is for an expendable trust fund for the excess revenue, which could be
used for the buildings. W. Wright asked if this would conflict with the
existing Capital Reserve. C. Cardine explained that that account is surplus on
the budget rather than excess revenue. K.
Cota felt that a better choice would be to save the money
and use the funds to help improve the buildings. R. Thackston asked about the
existing Special Education Fund. C. Cardine explained that that account is also
a budget surplus account. R. Thackston asked which funds receive the surplus
first. D. Gurian explained that the Board needs to have a clear answer on what
they are going to use this money for. W. Felton asked for a point of order. He said the motion should be in writing with a
rational. He would like to defer
discussion until the Board pending receipt of such. R. Marra explained that he
would accept a motion to suspend the rules. MOTION: R. Thackston MOVED to
suspend the rules for the purpose of considering K. Cota’s
motion. SECOND: J. Morin. DISCUSSION: G. Lerandeau asked when the
last date to accept the articles was. C. Cardine responded
Supt. Cardine passed out sheets on the final tax information on
each town in the district.
Supt. Cardine
passed out a diagram of the Monadnock Jr./
Supt. Cardine
passed out the guidelines from the state on the building capacity. He explained
that the state does not give a percentage or specifics because then it would be
an unfunded mandate. W. Felton commented that it is important for the teachers
to have the appropriate space for preparation.
C.
Old Business: 2004-2005
Budget: C.
Cardine passed out budget information to the Board Members. MOTION: D. Gurian MOVED to accept the 3.83% increase on the total tax rate for
2004-2005 with modifications -adding back the Jr./Sr.
high school late buses for $25,000.00 and adding back the elementary school
field trips for $24,420. SECOND: R.
Thackston DISCUSSION: W. Felton he
would not vote for anything less than what the administration asked for in the
beginning. We are basing our calculations on what the Budget Committee told us.
They are not running the schools. We need to do what is best for the children.
C. Dreyfuss agrees with the adding of the late buses. R. Marra explained that at a Budget Meeting N.
Moriarty voted a target figure of not more than a 4% increase on the tax rate
and the Budget Committee adopted the motion. K. Cota stated she will
be voting no on all the budget issues
because she believes that the process has faults. A. Gross is concerned with
the cuts. He says that the Board needs stand up and present what the children
need. D. Gurian commented that for three years the District has been working
with default budgets. She said that it is important to put forward a budget that
will be supported by the voters and provide what children need. W. Wright asked
at what level the late buses were cut? C. Cardine said they are out of level B.
D. Arguin feels the motion is responsible to the taxpayers. He will agree with the motion. R. Thackston said that he agrees with D.
Gurian that it is critical that the budget is passed. MOTION:
G. Lerandeau MOVED to a
five-minute recess. SECOND: A. Gross VOTE: 12.379/0/0/0. Meeting resumes
after recess: S. Johnson said that he would support the motion but would not
support any pay-as-you-go. MOTION: G. Lerandeau MOVED to call the question. SECOND: W. Wright. VOTE: 10.883/1.426/0/2.691. Motion
passes. VOTE on main motion: 10.883/1.426/0/2.691.
Motion passes.
Building Capacity: MOTION: D. Arguin MOVED to adopt the architects number of
930 students and 75% utilization for the Monadnock Jr./Sr.
High School. SECOND: S. Johnson. DISCUSSION: R. Marra read the minutes
for the Facility and Finance Committee Meeting in which the motion was voted
on. R. Marra answered that the motion is to adopt as a target. D. Arguin
commented that the Board needs to recognize that there is a definite space
problem and we need to do something about it. C. Dreyfuss asked what issues are
associated with building capacity and classroom utilization. C. Cardine said that he just reread the report
and that this effort would indicate that a five-year plan would begin
confirming that we are doing something next year. C. Dreyfuss asked if voting
positively it would help with the report. C. Cardine responded yes. VOTE: 11.288/1.021/0/2.691. Motion passes. MOTION: D. Arguin MOVED to plan for up to 600
student-capacity addition to the core facility. SECOND: K. Cota. DISCUSSION:
D. Arguin explained that when talking to the architect the construction needed
to be planned around a set amount of students. R. Marra said that in July the
Board asked the administration to make a recommendation grade configuration.
The recommendation from the administration was a middle school model. R.
Thackston asked if there was overcrowding in the Swanzey elementary school. C.
Cardine said that at this date it is not overcrowded but
D. Curriculum Report: No report
E.
21st
Century Report: No report
F. Action on
the Manifest: Due
to the rescheduled board meeting action was deferred to
6. Superintendent’s Report: Supt. Cardine informed the
Board that he attended a workshop on meningitis.
7. PUBLIC COMMENTS: N. Moriarty commented that he was glad to see
that the Board has a plan to move forward. He said that the Board needs to move
forward on the middle school issue. R. Marra explained that after the March
vote the Board would hold town meetings in the elementary schools to discuss
the middle school concept.
J. Gomarlo commented that
Cutler has a classroom in the basement and modulars.
She says there is an overcrowding problem.
8. Board Chairman’s Report: R. Marra reported that as of now a Board retreat
will be on
R. Marra announced that the chairs
of the standing committees would be meeting on
9. SETTING UP THE NEXT MEETING’S AGENDA:
1.
Committee Reports
2.
S. Rashid Report on CBIS (Behavior Plan)
3.
Propose school
calendar for 2004-05
10. NON PUBLIC SESSION
9 :20 PM S. Johnson MOVED
to enter into non-public session for the purpose of approving the minutes
of the non-public session on December 16, 2003 and personnel. SECOND : W. Wright VOTE : ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Respectfully submitted,