Draft:  January 9, 2008

                                                            Approved:January 23, 2008                                             

                                                            School Committee meeting January 9, 2008

                                                            Under Report of the Secretary

 

At  7:07pm Mr. Coyne called the meeting to order.

 

Members present:  Robert O’Brien, John Coyne, Jaimey Caron, Susan Hopkins, Sarah Thompson, Peter Eglinton, Rebecca Minnick, Jules Szanton, Christopher Pulsoni, Joshua Tingley

 

Members not present:  Lori Gramlich Kate Snyder

 

Report of the Chair

Today the State Board of Education voted 5-3-1 to approve the site selection for new school project.   Mr. Coyne briefly spoke about committee members supporting as a whole the board’s vote new project vote.

 

Report of the Superintendent

Interim Superintendent Whynot-Vickers:

·        Announced the School Nutrition program price increases.  Portland Public Schools will be applying for a waiver for middle school prices to go to $2.25.  Bill Verrill spoke briefly regarding the price increases. 

Current lunch prices                    New lunch prices, effective February 1, 2008

Paying students K-12     $1.75   Paying students K-5        $2.00

Adults                                $3.50   Paying students 6-12       $2.25

Adults                                $4.00

Ala Cart items                 As applicable

 

Ms. Whynot-Vickers recognized Mr. Verrill and Dawn Pottle who are also overseeing the warehouse.

 

·        Announced resignations:  Nathan Ghiglieri      Social Studies/PHS

 

·        New School Project – Ms. Whynot-Vickers indicated that a building committee will need to be established and the first mission will be looking at demographics of the new school.   Mr. Coyne – mentioned that on Dec. 19th he wrote a letter to Mayor Suslovic requesting the formation of the building committee.

 

·        Introduced Michael Johanning, WBRC, who spoke about the New School Project. Mr. Johanning reviewed cost, time frame, and process needed to have site approval packet ready in March 2008.

 

Report of the Secretary

  1. Consideration and action to approve the meeting minutes of December 12, 2007 and December 19, 2007

 

Ms. Thompson moved, seconded Mr. Caron and voted  7-0 to approve the meeting minutes of December 12, 2007 and December 19, 2007 (Students voted with the majority).

Report of Committees

1.      Policy Committee–no report.

  1. Finance Committee – Mr. Eglinton – Finance Committee met twice during the week to discuss budget time line and current budget status as well as the business manager’s hiring process.   Ms. Whynot-Vickers spoke about the budget time line and budget presentation to the committee.  State aid calculations have been delayed at the state level so this is delaying the local budget process.  State is also requiring a new chart of accounts, which now will require every line item in the current budget to be transferred into the new chart of accounts.    
  2. Legislative Affairs Committee – No report
  3. Elementary Facilities Committee – No report
  4. Portland Education Partnership – No report
  5. Other Committees and/or member concerns –Ms. Hopkins also attended State Board of Education today.  Felt that public comments supported a dual track process.  Also felt that the State Board understands that some of the regulations seem to prevent historic buildings from being considered for renovation.

 

Ms. Thompson requested a workshop on Safety protocols.  Mr. Coyne spoke to this request.

 

Consent Items -None

 

Old Business - None

  

New Business

1.      Consideration and action to revise the sunset clause in policy IKC-R Class Rank, to 2013, which will apply to the current seventh grade class.

 

Ms. Hopkins moved, seconded  Mr. Eglinton to revise the sunset clause in policy IKC-R Class Rank, to 2013, which will apply to the current seventh grade class.

 

Mr. O’Brien spoke to the motion.

 

Ms. Thompson -  asked if 8th grade students would fall under current policy or the new Latin Honors System.  Mr. O’Brien – all this motion would do is put weighted grades back in place at this time.

 

Debate:

Ms. Hopkins -  disappointed that there is no alternate system in place. 

 

Mr. Tingley – strongly feels that middle school students need to be involved with the decisions being made with any changes to the current process.

 

Vote:  It was voted unanimously to revise the sunset clause in policy IKC-R Class Rank, to 2013, which will apply to the current seventh grade class. (Students voted with majority)

 

  1. Consideration and action to approve a contract agreement between the Portland School Committee and the Benefit Association of School Employees effective July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.  This action is pending ratification by B.A.S.E.

 

Ms. Thompson moved, seconded  Ms. Minnick to approve a contract agreement between the Portland School Committee and the Benefit Association of School Employees effective July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.  This action is pending ratification by B.A.S.E.

 

Ms. Hart – spoke to the motion.

 

Public Comment:   Al Higgins spoke to the motion.

 

Debate:  Mr. Caron – indicated he would be abstaining since he had not been able to review the contract prior to the vote.

 

Vote:  It was voted  6-0-1 to approve a contract agreement between the Portland School Committee and the Benefit Association of School Employees effective July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.  This action is pending ratification by B.A.S.E.(Students abstained)

 

  1. Consideration and action to approve a contract agreement between the Portland School Committee and the Portland Education Association for Educational Technicians and Bilingual Facilitators effective September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2010.  This action is pending ratification by the Educational Technicians and Bilingual Facilitators.

 

Ms. Thompson moved, seconded  Ms. Minnick to approve a contract agreement between the Portland School Committee and the Portland Education Association for Educational Technicians and Bilingual Facilitators effective September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2010.  This action is pending ratification by the Educational Technicians and Bilingual Facilitators.

 

Ms. Hart – spoke to motion.

 

Public Comment:  Maryann McKinnon, Ed Tech on the negotiation team, spoke to motion.

 

Vote: It was voted 6-0-1 to approve a contract agreement between the Portland School Committee and the Portland Education Association for Educational Technicians and Bilingual Facilitators effective September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2010.  This action is pending ratification by the Educational Technicians and Bilingual Facilitators. (Students abstained)

 

  1. Consideration and action to request the Portland Public Schools’ high school administration continue research and stakeholder vetting of a new grades reporting system and to make a formal recommendation to the School Committee no later than June 2008.

 

Mr. O’Brien moved, seconded  Ms. Thompson to request the Portland Public Schools high school administration continue research and stakeholder vetting of a new grades reporting system and to make a formal recommendation to the School Committee no later than June 2008.

 

Mr. O’Brien spoke to motion.

 

Debate:  Mr. Caron – requested that the Policy Committee finalize the proposed grade reporting system before being brought to the Committee as a whole.

 

Mr. Coyne – supports motion.

 

Vote:  It was voted  7-0 to request the Portland Public Schools high school administration continues research and stakeholder vetting of a new grades reporting system and to make a formal recommendation to the School Committee no later than June 2008. (Students voted with majority)

 

  1. Consideration and action to authorize the hiring process to begin for the vacancies listed:

Position

FTE

Location

Annual Salary (pro-rated)

Funding Source

Rationale

Social Studies Teacher – Long term sub

.5

PHS

13,890.00

Local

To continue teaching 63 students scheduled in 2 sections of a mandatory (for graduation) US History class.  There are 30+ students in each section.

Ed Tech III

1.0

Special Services

$9,008.30

Local

Health Assistant needed to cover at Presumpscot, East End and Longfellow.

 

Ms. Thompson moved, seconded  Mr. O’Brien to authorize the hiring process to being for the vacancies listed.

 

Interim Superintendent Whynot-Vickers spoke to the motion. 

 

Vote:  It was voted  7-0 to authorize the hiring process to being for the vacancies listed.(Students voted with majority)

 

Personnel

  1. Consideration and action to approve the following personnel item listed:
    1. Business Manager

Herbert Hopkins                                   $37,500(pro-rated) 

           

Ms. Hopkins moved, seconded  Ms. Minnick to approve the personnel item listed

 

Ms. Hart spoke to the motion.

 

Ms. Thompson, Mr. Eglinton, Mr. O’Brien, Mr. Caron spoke to the motion.

 

Mr. Hopkins spoke briefly to the Committee.

 

Vote:  It was voted unanimously to approve the personnel item listed (students voted with majority)

 

Committee Focus on Educational Issues  

1.  Co-Curricula Athletic Presentation – Mr. Kunin spoke to the Committee regarding the Athletic Committee’s requirement to cut $150,000 from the FY08 budget and the status of the co-curricula programs to date as a result of this funding cut. 

 

Public Comment Prior to 11:00 PM on any items not on the evening’s agenda

Martha Shiels spoke to the Committee regarding the new building project.

 

Adjournment

Mr. Caron moved, seconded  Ms. Thompson and voted  unanimously to adjourn the meeting (Students voted with majority)

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Jeanne Whynot-Vickers, Interim Superintendent