EARLY EXECUTIVE SESSION – 6:40 PM
Dr. Eaton recommends the Minutes of the meeting held on December 12,2006 be approved. Dr. Eaton recommends the Warrant for the period of December 31, 2006 be approved.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
Commendations
Dr. Eaton commends:
· Mr. Fred Rothman, Mr. Steve Andrus, High School Department Chairs, Guidance Counselors and Office Support staff for their excellent kick-off meeting to introduce and give parent access to high school students grades and assignment/test histories online. Great job done by all. This same event is coming to the Middle School in February 2007.
· The teachers and students in 3-5 for their work on the state assessment in English and Language Arts during the week of January 8-12.
· The teachers and students in grades 6-8 for their work during the week of January 16th for the English and Language Arts state assessments.
· Lisa Staccone-DeRitis and Rich Mathy, Vacancy in Paradise, Drama Club students at the high school production on Friday and Saturday nights, January 12 and 13, 2007.
· Mike Hakes and his government class for a job well done. They appeared on Fox 40 news on January 11, 2007.
Correspondence
None at this time
Policies
None
Comments From The Public
1. OLD BUSINESS
a. Current and Renovation Update
Jeff L’Amoreaux will report on the status of the Renovation Project. The construction teams for the first project have “deployed” their staging or working areas at the upper campus and the lower campus, adjacent to the bus garages. Mr. L’Amoreaux will review the staging of the work during the winter and time line of the current project, going into spring.
b. Facilities Planning for the Second Renovation Phase
Dr. Eaton, Mr. L’Amoreaux, and Mrs. Hibbard will review the following in regard to the Facilities Planning for the Second Phase of Renovation:
· Review of the subcommittees working on gathering information for the next three facilities meetings. Please see the Subcommittee Rating Sheet enclosed.
· Grades 4-8 Consolidation Planning Committee reports and input to date. Materials on Grade Configurations are included. Discussions to date have been focused on the building renovations’ planning. Much more discussion and input gathering will occur with parents and community.
· Overview of the timing of the second project and what components will be included.
c. 2007-08 Budget Update
Dr. Eaton will comment on the dates of the future meetings when the budget will be presented as well the meetings when hearings need to be convened to discuss the budget proposals for the Board and the public in general. The second February Board meeting date needs to change from the third Tuesday to the fourth one, due to the February vacation period.
2. NEW BUSINESS
a. Financial and Treasurer’s Report
Dr. Eaton recommends Board approval for the enclosed Financial and Treasurer reports.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
Mr. L’Amoreaux and Dr. Eaton will give a brief update regarding the status of the current year’s budget and the projection to the end of the year.
b. Committee on Special Education
Dr. Eaton recommends Board approval of the attached recommendations of the Committee on Special Education. Please consult the explanation for all placements as needed.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
c. Shared Decision Making Report: Mr. Dan Sweeney, Principal
Mr. Dan Sweeney will present the Middle School shared decision making plan for the Board. The plan and the presentation are included in the agenda materials.
d. School Bus Vote Information
Mr. L’Amoreaux will review the bus vote information for the Board and the public. The vote on the bus replacement is February 6, 2007, the high school cafeteria from 1-8 p.m. The information below will appear in a short WPCSD newsletter that will be printed and sent out prior to the vote on February 6th.
School Bus Vote
One of the most frequent questions is why we need to buy buses every year. We currently have thirty-four large passenger buses in our fleet, eight cars, and six vans and two handicapped vans. The district has been replacing three large buses per year for over twenty years. These buses usually range in age from eleven to thirteen years, and have approximately 100,000 to 150,000 miles on them. Due to the decreasing enrollment in the District, we have been able to reduce the number of bus runs we have from 33 runs down to 29 per day. Due to this, the District will not have to purchase three large buses this year. However, due to the increasing amount of special needs runs (BOCES placements, special education placements, etc.) we are seeing an increased demand for smaller passenger vehicles and handicap accessible vehicles. Due to this, we purchasing two new handicap accessible vans, two other vans, and one school car.
As most people are aware, school buses not only drive to and from places, but make numerous stops to pick up students. This constant stop and start is not good for the engines of the buses and tends to wear them out quicker. On top of that, every bus is inspected by the NYS Department of Transportation every six months. This is a very thorough inspection, and all DOT findings must be fixed before a bus can be put back on the road. The older the buses get, the more problems they tend to have, just like your vehicle would.
Another question is how we can afford to purchase $250,000 worth of buses in these tough budget times for schools. New York State reimburses school districts for their transportation expenses and this amount varies based on the needs of the district. Whitney Point Schools is reimbursed for 90% of the expenses it occurs for transportation. The district borrows the money for the buses in order to have the reimbursement from New York State coincide with the payment of the money it borrows. Otherwise, there would be a one-year gap in paying for the bus and getting the reimbursement for the bus from the state. So the true cost to our district for purchasing buses at a cost of $250,000 is $25,000. According to our head mechanic, Rick Crowe, this cost is less than the total maintenance cost and labor hours we would incur if we did not replace the older vehicles every year. The older buses that are taken out of service are also sold at auction each year. The district usually receives anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 for these buses, which helps to offset the cost of the new buses.
e. Superintendent’s 2006-07 Salary and Contract Extension
Be it resolved that the 2006-07 salary for the Superintendent, Dr. Carol Eaton, will be $132, 728, retroactive to July 1, 2006. This represents a 4.1% increase, following the completion of the evaluation of Dr. Eaton.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
Be it resolved that the current contract for Superintendent, Dr. Carol Eaton, be extended from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
f. Field Trip Request
Dr. Eaton recommends Board approval of the attached field trip request from Lisa Thomas, Family and Careers teacher at the High School. Information regarding the trip are on the request.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
h. Recommendations of Employee Appointments
Dr. Eaton recommends the following appointments for Board approval.
Patrick Schultz, High School Spanish teacher, effective January 18, 2007.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
Paula Stetson, Cleaner, Middle/Intermediate Schools effective December 15, 2006.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
i. Resignations
Dr. Eaton recommends the acceptance of the following resignations:
Rosalie. M. Doane. Bus Monitor, effective , January 8, 2007.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
Rick Stanton, Cleaner, High School, effective December 15, 2006.
Moved by ______Seconded by ______
_____ Aye ______Nay _____ Abstained APPROVED/REJECTED
Public Comment
For Your Information
January 1 Enrollment Information
Health Consortium Meeting on Friday, February 9, 2007
USA Today impact of the NCLB testing (opinion piece)
Rural Schools Association News
Executive Session
For the purpose of a personnel discussion
Future Board Dates:
February 6, 2007: Bus Vote
Renovation Update
Facilities Planning Committee Report
Treasurer’s Report/Financial Report
Budget Update
February 27, 2007: 2007-08 Budget Presentation
Renovation Update
High School Shared Decision Making Team Report
Facilities Planning Committee Report
4-8 Consolidation Report/Update
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