MONADNOCK REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Board Meeting Minutes

                                                     January 5, 2004

   Monadnock Regional Junior and Senior High School Library, Swanzey, N.H.

 

Present: Don Arguin, Dixie Gurian, Chairman Robin Marra, Sam Johnson, Winston Wright,  Alan Gross, Karen Cota, Gus Lerandeau, John Morin, Richard Thackston and William Felton. Absent: Larry Colby, Patricia Smith and Bruce Tatro.

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 Troy, Roxbury, Gilsum and Sullivan also would have an open seat. C. Dreyfuss explained that she has been to all the meetings and some of the committee meetings. She feels that she is up to speed and would like to join the Board. T. Clark explained that he was concerned with public education. He explained that he did run for a Board seat several times but came very close. He said he would like to help out and give a hand in the budgeting process. W. Felton asked how each candidate stood on the budget process and running on a default budget. He asked them how they felt about the building and facility space problem and asked if they thought the Board was going in the right direction. T. Clark explained that he was on a building committee at one time. He is a little disappointed that things do not go a little faster. He feels that it is the Board’s responsibility to have a facility for the students that would give the students the best education possible. C. Dreyfuss explained that she thought the Board was doing a good job on what is needed. She would like to see more classrooms for less money. As for the budget she has been talking to the Supt. about that and is keeping informed. VOTE: T. Clark 2.200/C. Dreyfuss 6.795/absentee 2.135. R. Marra swears C. Dreyfuss as the new Swanzey Board member.

 

 

1.         CONSENT AGENDA:

Minutes of December 16, 2003 Board Meeting. MOTION: W. Felton MOVED to approve the minutes. SECOND: J. Morin DISCUSSION: W. Felton asked the Facilities Committee Meeting and the Community Relations Committee if they had a quorum. D. Gurian explained that a quorum was not present and G. Lerandeau explained that a quorum was present but no action was taken. A. Gross asked that his comment about the intramural program be explained in more detail. He especially wanted to thank the volunteers for their effort toward the special needs students providing an inclusion environment to all the students.   VOTE: 9.333/0/2.976/2.691 Motion Passes.

 

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 Jan. 13, 2004 at 5:30 PM. C. Cardine told the Board that the honor roll lists have gone out. 

 

2. Facilities Committee: G. Lerandeau reported to the Board that the committee met on Jan. 5, 2004. L. Biron gave an update on the cleaning of the schools after the meningitis issue.  The next meeting will take place on Jan.16, 2004 at 8:30 AM in the maintenance building. 

 

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 Keene Middle School from Monadnock. He explained that the student is attending the other school through the MRPSOC grant and that no district funds are being used.

  

 

 

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 Jan. 10, 2004. D. Gurian said that the last posting day for articles is on Jan. 23, 2004. VOTE: 6.72/4.493/1.114/2.691. Motion fails. (2/3 vote required).

 

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./ Sr. High School. He explained work that had been done on the building and the work that is proposed for the future. He presented this information to the Facility and Finance Committees.  C. Dreyfuss asked what room had the asbestos removed. C. Cardine explained that the arrow pointed to room 52 and that rooms in this area would be done first.

 

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 Mt. Caesar has an increase in Kindergarten which will be moving through the system. W. Felton asked if the budget the Board just passed would eliminate the 2 trailers. C. Cardine said that they would investigate if it would be allowable to use the remaining amount of the from the $60,000 in Article 8 to make two rooms to replace the trailers.   VOTE: 11.288/1.021/0/2.691. Motion passes.  

 

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 January 20, 2004.

 

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 Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 9:00 AM at MRHS. It will be a 4-hour session around the No Child Left Behind Legislature.

 

R. Marra announced that the chairs of the standing committees would be meeting on Feb. 2, 2004 at 6:00 PM in the conference room at MRHS.

 

 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,

 

Laura Aivaliotis

MRSD Board Secretary