Ms. Alcorn called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
Members present: Ellen Alcorn-Chairperson, John Coyne, Jason Toothaker, Lori Gramlich, Stephen Spring, Jonathan Radtke, Susan Hopkins, Otis Thompson, Joshua Waxman, Sarah Muzzy
Members not present: Benjamin Meiklejohn
Ms. Alcorn asked for a motion to reverse the order of the evening’s agenda.
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Mr. Thompson and voted unanimously to reverse the order of the evening’s agenda and to begin with the workshop session.
1. Legal questions regarding Board roles and responsibilities – Legal Counsel
Mr. Pringle addressed the Committee regarding the roles and responsibilities of the Committee.
The Business Meeting began at 7:45 p.m.
Ms. Alcorn announced:
· That the December 21, 2005 school committee meeting is cancelled. The next meeting of the Committee will be on Wednesday, January 4, 2006
· That she is convening a small working group to look at the strategic planning document and invited any interested members to join the working group
Superintendent O’Connor:
· Spoke about last week’s storm and the wrong decision that was made about holding classes. She discussed the process used in determining whether or not to hold school.
· Mentioned the Greater Portland Neighborhood Conference held at the Holiday Inn early in the day. She and Stephen Spring were participants in a panel discussion on building bridges between schools and communities.
Joshua Waxman, Student Representative, addressed the Committee regarding the December 7, 2005 School Committee business meeting.
Jason Toothaker – reported on the Elementary Facilities Task Force which met prior to the evening’s meeting. The Task Force is looking at the elementary facilities configuration. Next meeting Jan. 11, 4 p.m. in Room 340. Meeting on Monday, Dec. 19, 2005 at 3:30 in Room 209 at City Hall to discuss funding for the Clifford project.
Stephen Spring – mentioned the Greater Portland Neighborhood Conference he attended earlier in the day and the message he kept hearing of “keep us informed”.
Consent Items - None
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Mr. Coyne and voted unanimously to approve the meeting minutes of the December 5, 2005 meeting. (Students voted with majority)
Ms. Gramlich moved, seconded Mr. Thompson and voted unanimously to approve the superintendent’s compensation July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007 in the amount of $111,959.
(Students voted with majority)
Personnel - None
Mr. Spring moved, seconded Mr. Toothaker and voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Jo O’Connor
Superintendent of Schools