ENFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION

MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING

February 14, 2006

A regular meeting of the Enfield Board of Education was held at John F. Kennedy Middle School, Cafeteria, 155 Raffia Road, Enfield, CT. The meeting was called to order by Mrs. Racine at 7:30 PM.

MEMBERS PRESENT Judith Apruzzese-Desroches, Donna Corbin Sobinski, Andre Greco, Joyce Hall, Albert Harrison, Charles Johnson III, Susan Lavelli-Hozempa, Samuel McGill, Sharon Racine

MEMBERS ABSENT none

ALSO PRESENT Dr. John Gallacher; Superintendent of Schools, Anthony Torre; Assistant Superintendent, Student Representatives, Megan Cooper, EHS and Olga Ndoci, FHS.

Chairman Sharon Racine introduced and welcomed Councilmen Ken Hilinski and Brian Peruta to the meeting.

1. CALL TO ORDER Sharon Racine

2. INVOCATION OR MOMENT OF SILENCE Al Harrison

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Al Harrison

4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Ms. Hall moved, seconded by Mrs. Corbin Sobinski, that the minutes of January 31, 2006 be approved.

There were no corrections, omissions or changes.

A vote by show of hands, 9-0-0, motion passes.

Ms. Hall moved, seconded by Mr. Greco, that the minutes of February 7, 2006 be approved.

There were no corrections, omissions or changes.

A vote by show of hands, 9-0-0, motion passes.

5. BOARD GUESTS

a. Budget Advisory Committee

Mr. Thomas Pisano, Chairman of the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) introduced all the members of the committee as follows: Rebecca Olesen, Ryan Skukowski; EHS Student Representative, Rosanne Desautels, Patrick Droney, Ron Army, Tim Neville, Bridget Birchall, Keith Pixton, Carolyn Cardopoli; FHS Student Representative and Susan Hart.

The BAC presented a power point presentation outlining key information, a chart of actual budgets from 2002-2006, ERG comparison, fixed cost increases, a BAC analysis of the needs request by each department, the BAC recommendation and justification for recommendation and the BAC educational efficiencies recommendations.

The BAC recommends a 7.5% increase in Enfield Board of Education funding for FY2006-2007 over FY2005-2006. The BAC outlined each department recommendation in the presentation as well as the efficiency recommendations for each department.

All information included in the Power Point presentation was distributed to the Board and Town Council Members’ for their reference. The information will be placed on the Enfield Schools web site for viewing at www.enfiedschools.org.

In closing, Mr. Pisano stated that the BAC recognized that the recommendations presented tonight are vast but vital. Vital to ensure that a quality education is delivered to all students. Vital to ensure that the Professional Staff of the school department has the resources necessary to deliver a quality education and vital to ensure that compliance is met in mandated regulatory directives. A number of these recommendations have an eye on the future. Long range planning is essential to future success. The committee feels that continued under-funding of the budget will lead to consequences that may not be entirely measurable in monetary terms.

6.  CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS

- Suffield Vo-AG memo distributed by Mrs. Corbin Sobinski to be addressed later on the agenda.

7.  AUDIENCES

Rebecca Olesen, Marshall Rd. Mrs. Olesen stated she has two children at Parkman School and is a member of the BAC. She stated that she learned a lot about the Town of Enfield by serving on the BAC. She learned that schools cannot operate like a business. It is time to commit to change and stop spending money on reactionary fixes that end up costing much more in the long run. Some taxpayers view education as expensive and others view education as necessary. Elected officials need to commit to a bold and brave change in education funding for the long term process.

Susan Hart, Cynthia Circle Mrs. Hart thanked Chairman Sharon Racine for selecting her to serve on the BAC. She stated that this community is headed for mediocrity in education if we do not make a commitment now. We need to reach beyond adequate yearly progress (AYP) and challenge and engage students with a full range of offerings. Elected officials need to show that Enfield places value on excellence for all its citizens. She challenges all parents to take a stand on education and voice those opinions at budget hearings.

Peter Reale, Brook Rd. Mr. Reale is a student of MLC who introduced himself to the Board in Chinese. He is twelve years old and part of his educational experience since entering MLC is learning foreign languages. He stated he has many unique opportunities at MLC and thanked the Board for allowing him to attend. He urged the Board to continue their support for Schools of Choice.

Gina Reale, Brook Rd Mrs. Reale urged the Board to continue their support for Schools of Choice. She stated there are so many Schools of Choice out there that it is not fair to compare them. She stated that the Schools of Choice offer opportunities that are not for everyone, but students who show an interest in attending a different type of school should be allowed a chance to try.

Bill Bowker, Gary Rd. Mr. Bowker stated he is representing the FHS Instrumental Music Program. He urged the Board to fund the music request fully for FY2007. The BAC is recommending approval of the repair and maintenance of our musical instruments. There are over 345 students playing school owned instruments. Without a budget to repair and maintain these instruments, it will cost the school system in the long run much more. Preventive maintenance is important.

Bob Liddell, Foxcroft Rd Mr. Liddell stated that he supports the music department proposed budget. Cuts to the music budget over the past few years have resulted in a 59% decrease. The number of students taking music courses has grown in the secondary schools but is starting to drop off in the elementary level. That is not a good outlook. He also supports an additional teacher, supplies and stipends. FHS placed first in the New England States marching band competition. Unfortunately they could not go to the nationals because of budget constraints. Mr. Liddell urged the Board to invest in the music program.

Patricia Collin, Stephen Dr. Mrs. Collins stated that she supports funding the Schools of Choice. She attended the MLC Open House and is very impressed with the opportunities afforded to a MLC student that she does not find in Enfield Public Schools. She likes the diverse population at MLC as well. She urged the Board to allow the students a chance to find out that there are a lot of opportunities for them to reach for.

Lynn Kostek, Teach St. Mrs. Kostek supports the music program in our schools. Her children have become stronger individuals and have more self esteem and culture because of this program. She urged the Board to fund the proposal for our music program for next year.

Keith Pixton, Teach St. Mr. Pixton stated that he is a member of the BAC. He stated the Town is in need of a serious strategic vision to provide growth to the students of Enfield. The Town cannot continue to budget each fiscal year by deciding what it can fund for one year by replacing another item that is not deemed important for that year. We need to develop long range 3 to 5 year plans, so you can actually accomplish a goal that you set. Why don’t our public schools offer what Schools of Choice offer? Proper planning could afford us that opportunity. Every year there just seems to be cuts and no growth in our education. The town needs to look at the processes and the work flow and find out where the efficiencies are both in the school system and the town systems.

Rosanne Desautels, Armstrong Rd. Mrs. Desautels stated that she is a graduate of the Enfield Public Schools. When she went to school here, there was a State of the Art Planetarium, swimming pools that were part of the physical education program and French, Spanish, Italian, German and Latin Language courses as well as Gifted and Talented programs. She wants to know where all that has gone. Years ago, our town invested in education for a growing and prosperous town. We built schools every year, invested in supplies and tools for the teachers, maintained our facilities because we believed in education.

The school system has been receiving increases that don’t even cover inflationary costs. The cuts in programs and supplies have resulted in outdated materials, furniture and textbooks. The budget is like a rubber band and it has been stretched to its limits and is ready to snap. She wants to know when the town will support education to the extent that we need to and do the right thing.

Cathy Magill, Highland Park Mrs. Magill urged the Board to continue to support Schools of Choice. Her son is in a wonderful program at MLC and gets to participate in opportunities that our school system can’t provide.

Pat Droney, Bobolink Rd. Mr. Droney thanked Chairman Sharon Racine for allowing him to serve on BAC. He stated it was an eye opening experience. He understands the impact that a budget request means to the tax base in Enfield. He stated he always thought the town wasted money especially in the schools. He learned much differently serving on BAC. The administration has done an astounding job with the funding they get especially when dealing with the unfunded mandates due to NCLB, constantly increasing fuel costs and so on. He urged the Board to consider the 7.5% increase proposed by BAC.

Bridgette Birchall, Farmstead Circle Mrs. Birchall thanked Chairman Sharon Racine for allowing her to serve on BAC. She also thanked EPS Business Manger, Chris Drezek and Facilities Director, Art Pongratz for all their help in supplying information for the BAC to review. She stated that her concerns are with the Capital Improvements. She feels that Capital Improvements should be used for things that need planning over multiple years. She thanked the Town Council and Board of Education for beginning with fuel cost planning together. However, for the school department, items such as computer leasing and textbook replacement is critical to education and should be considered in the CIP budget because those items cannot be funded in one year. It would be more cost efficient to allow the Board flexibility in funding items in a timely manner and over multiple years. She urged the Board to consider the 7.5% increase by BAC. The request is not just to remain status quo but to move forward in a very slow and steady manner.

Lori Prouty, Yale Dr. Mrs. Prouty urged the Board to support MLC and Schools of Choice. There are at least 15 new applications for MLC and possibly more. She thanked the Board for their support over the past years and urged the Board to allow students a choice in their education.

Greg Stokes, Steele Rd. Mr. Stokes urged support of the LEAPS program as specified in the BAC recommendation. Mr. Stokes stated his concern about the process of setting a budget. It starts with the BAC recommendation, then the Board makes it a little more reasonable, then the Town Manager makes it a little more reasonable before it gets to the Town Council who then determines what is reasonable. By then the budget has been cut so much that it is no longer a reasonable budget to operate a school system. He urged the elected officials of the town to unite to remove the education budget from the political landscape and together, republican and democrat, do the right thing at the right time for the right kids. It can be done, because that is what happened for the athletic fields. It was the right time to fix the fields and when both parties united, the referendum passed without a problem. Education should not be political.

Ryan Skukowski, Burnham St. Mr. Skukowski stated that as a student representative who also served on the BAC, we cannot continue to cut education funding year after year. You should be able to provide an education to students so they don’t have to look to Schools of Choice but rather stay in Enfield for their education. The students have enormous potential and would like to see the Board help us to reach that potential.

Roy Reale, Brook Rd. Mr. Reale stated he is very moved by the pro-education audience here tonight. It proves that we will make a commitment to education. He feels education is the exclusive currency of tomorrow. The ability to enhance your intellect and self-teach yourself to operate in today’s business starts with a sound education. Every generation makes a sacrifice and Mr. Reale proposes that education be our sacrifice to our children. The payoff in this investment would be great. Our tax base would grow because people will move to where there is commitment to the future. Without that commitment, people will move away and Enfield will struggle.

Jack Sheridan, Buchanan Rd. Mr. Sheridan stated he has heard a lot of good comments regarding education for which he approves. He questions what will happen to the people who built those schools as taxpayers so many years ago and are now retired and living on fixed incomes. You need to consider if those people will be displaced if 7.5% increase goes through the same year as re-evaluation. He stated that he sees no reason to raise the cost of education above the cost of inflation. Taxpayers on fixed incomes are not afforded a cost of living increase.

8.  BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Ms. Hall expressed her sincere thank you to the BAC. She stated that they did a tremendous job with such a short time and with such detail to this year as well as consideration to detail from previous years.

Mr. Greco thanked all who served on BAC. He stated that they did a great job and gave a great deal of time to the committee. He stated he was very disappointed that only two Town Council members showed up tonight to hear this most important presentation and the audience feedback to education funding, considering they are the ones who will decide how to fund our budget. It is this audience that we need to make sure we are putting forth our best effort as a Council team and a Board team to take care of them so they can take of their kids.