Boxborough School Committee

Special Session – Town Hall

April 26, 2006 – 6:30 PM

 

School Committee members present were: Carol Geist, Bruce Sabot, Becky Neville, Liz Markiewicz, and Raid Sulieman.  Others present were: Mac Reid, Interim Superintendent/Principal, MaryEllen Driscoll, Assistant Principal, and Sandy Daigneault, Special Education Director.

 

Ms. Markiewicz called the meeting to order at 6:33 PM.

 

The Committee reviewed what slides to use at the Town Meeting presentation and what slides to use for back-up.

 

Ms. Markiewicz adjourned the meeting at 7:00 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Rebecca Neville

Clerk

 

 

BOXBOROUGH SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Special Meeting Minutes

March 29, 2006

Blanchard Memorial School

 

School Committee members present were: Carol Geist, Bruce Sabot, Rebecca Neville, Elizabeth Markiewicz, and Raid Suleiman. Others present were: Mac Reid, Interim Superintendent/Principal, and public.

 

Ms. Markiewicz called the meeting to order at 7:33 PM.

 

The Committee reviewed staff, administration, and parent input on Curtis Bates and Jonathan Landman. The Committee also reviewed references.

 

Motion by Ms. Neville, seconded by Ms. Geist: To offer the Superintendent/Curriculum Director position to Curtis Bates. Vote 5-0.

 

Motion by Mr. Sabot, seconded by Mr. Suleiman: To offer the position to Jonathan Landman if Curtis Bates declines our offer. Vote 5-0.

 

Ms. Markiewicz will call both candidates and inform them of the Committee's decision.

 

The Committee reviewed the prioritized list from the Facilities Audit.  Motion by Ms. Geist, seconded by Mr. Sabot: Move to seek $68,700 for capital improvements at Town Meeting. Vote: 5-0.

 

Ms. Markiewciz will write the recommendations for the warrant.

 

Ms. Markiewicz polled members to go into Executive Session for the purpose of negotiations: Markiewicz-yes, Sabot-yes, Geist-yes, Suleiman-yes, and Neville- yes.

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Rebecca Neville

Clerk

 

Boxborough School Committee

Special Meeting Minutes

Blanchard Memorial School

March 14, 2006 – 7:30 PM

 

School Committee members present were: Carol Geist, Bruce Sabot, Becky Neville, and Elizabeth Markiewicz.

 

Ms. Markiewicz called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM.

 

The Committee discussed what information they would like from the Search Committee going forward. It was decided to ask Mr. Reid, Interim Superintendent/Principal to forward the candidates names in alphabetical order and to not rank order them. We also would like Mr. Reid’s interview notes when we deliberate after we have interviewed the candidates.

 

The Committee created a list of questions they will be asking the candidates.

 

Ms. Markiewicz reported the there needs to be work done on the leech field.  It will be done by GPR and they will bill the school. The bill will be paid from the existing warrant article.

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Rebecca Neville

 

 

Boxborough School Committee

Staff/Community Forum Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Sessions:  3:15 PM and 7:30 PM

 

Chairperson Ms. Markiewicz called the meeting to order at 3:20 PM.  Members present were: Carol Geist, Rebecca Neville, Raid Suleiman, and Bruce Sabot.  Others present were the school administration, faculty members, parents, and community members.

 

The committee presented to the audience the presentation it prepared to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two remaining models:  Superintendent/Business Manager and Superintendent/Curriculum Director.  The reasons that the Regionalization model was dropped were also presented.  The following comments and questions were recorded during the forum.

 

 

Comments During Community/Staff Forum

 3:20 PM Session

 

  1. Two principal models side by side – Rita Grossman
  2. Both options have full-time principals – Rita Grossman
  3. Are both models cost neutral?  - Open for discussion – Rita Grossman
  4. Superintendent/Business manager – will we lose Curriculum focus?  – school is our gem – Rita Grossman
  5. Superintendent/Curriculum director – teachers currently are chairing committees in school and with EDCO. Will that change? – Erin Whyte  
    1. Raid replied, “no.”
    2. Should Curriculum director take over the chair?  Needs to be discussed further.
  6. Teachers feel uncomfortable telling peers that you have to do this program. – Phyllis Luck
    1. Many people would feel nice if director did chair – there is accountability.  Takes responsibility off of teachers to implement – Mary Pavlik
    2. Is director subject specific?  No there are many that still have committees.  Teachers on committees would help lay out curriculum and the director would approve and implement.  Flexible model
  7. Superintendent/Business Manager – seems very top heavy with administration. – Pam Lavin.
    1. Do we need all these business people for a 1-school district?
    2. What should be our focus?
  8. Part time principal – would it be a faculty person?  One day a colleague; the next day an evaluator.

 

Meeting was suspended at 4:30 PM.

 

 

 

Comments during Community/Staff Forum

7:30 PM Session

 

  1. Growing number of Superintendent/Business Manager – the pool is growing more business managers being certified as Superintendent – Mary Brolin
    1. Should not lose focus on the education piece.
  2. Could we advertise it both models in the newspaper ad?
  3. Charlie Mahoney was at MASBO meeting today and said 1/3 of attendees had Superintendent certification.
  4. Have we thought into the future about how the school will look if the school grows (i.e. separate schools, etc.)? – Mary Brolin
  5. Superintendent/Business Manager will be responsible for managing the grant expenses. – Mary Brolin
  6. Would part-time assistant to the business manager be a teacher or would the person be hired from outside?
  7. How much time is the Superintendent role?  30% - Libby 
    1. Is Superintendent/Business Manager a reasonable role?
  8. Did we think about entertaining the old model now that regionalization was gone? – Libby 
    1. No thought
  9. Superintendent/Business Manager – perception of town people would be we are adding more people, not positive – Don Wheeler

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Bruce Sabot

Vice Chairperson

 

 

 

 

Boxborough School Committee

Special Meeting

Monday, November 7, 2005

7:30 PM – Blanchard Memorial School Library

 

Agenda

 

 

  1. Comprehensive Educational Services (CES) Contract – Vote

 

 

  1. Administrative Structure Review Process (ASRP) Presentation - Discussion

 

 

 

Boxborough School Committee

Blanchard Memorial School

Special Meeting

October 5, 2005 - Library

 

1.            Opening

Ms. Markiewicz called the meeting to order at 8:04 PM.

 

2.            New Business

Ms. Markiewicz reported that the item of business was to hear the findings report from the Administrative Structure Review Process Subcommittee on the different administrative structure model options.

 

Mr. Reid reported that the Subcommittee was established by the School Committee on July 12, 2005 to gather information on administrative options for the Blanchard Memorial School. The Subcommittee was made up of nine members including Mac Reid, Sandra Daigneault, Sandi Pitcher, Brigid Bieber, Jeanette Millard, Lauren Grady, Mary Pavlik, Rebecca Neville, and Carol Geist.  The responsibility of the Subcommittee was to research the different administrative structure model options, getting ideas from School Committee members, staff, and the community.  Part of the charge was to look at administrative structure model options that would function within the current budget.

 

The ASRP Subcommittee came to the conclusion that there were five options after studying their findings over the last few months. The options were:

 

1.                    Union Model – shares a superintendent with another community and a full-time principal.  The research did not support this model.

2.                     Regionalization – with Acton Public and Acton/Boxborough Regional Schools. The Subcommittee spent time talking about it, but more information is needed, i.e. financial, services, regional agreement.

3.                    Superintendent/Business Manager – provides a full-time principal, a part-time assistant principal, and a part-time business assistant. It would make the chain of command clear and provide additional administrative support.

4.                    Superintendent/Curriculum Director – provides a full-time principal.

5.                    Superintendent/Principal – provides a full-time assistant principal (current model).

 

The Subcommittee’s extensive research included:  checked with the Department of Education, contacted various school superintendents, reviewed current job descriptions and drafted job descriptions that the School Committee worked on last spring, listened to staff and community members, created and distributed questionnaires and held staff and community forums.

 

Mr. Reid reported that Ms. Grady and Ms. Bieber counted the surveys received and found that 104 individuals chose a full-time superintendent/business manager, 88 individuals chose regionalization K-12, under 112 individuals chose superintendent/principal, 37 individuals chose the union model and 93 individuals chose the superintendent/curriculum model.   

 

Mr. Reid acknowledged Ms. Jeannette Millard for doing a great job as moderator at the forums and Dr. Daigneault and Ms. Millard for their report on the administrative option model advantages and disadvantages, and Mr. Sabot for creating a PowerPoint presentation.   

 

Mr. Reid reported that the Subcommittee produced three products:

 

1) A loose leaf notebook that includes the process, agenda and meeting minutes, job descriptions, model options, information on the forums, summary of surveys, and emails sent by staff and community members.  School Committee members have a copy of the binder and a copy will be located at Town Hall, Blanchard School and the Sargent Library.

 

2) An executive summary that includes the process, a PowerPoint presentation, an executive summary of the process, and an executive summary of the surveys. The executive summary would be distributed to each School Committee member and located at the same locations.

 

3) Surveys with an executive summary which would be located in the school office.

 

Mr. Reid reported that the job of the Subcommittee was to provide the School Committee, staff and community with all the information necessary to find the best administrative model for Blanchard.  The Subcommittee has two recommendations: 1) the Subcommittee does not feel that there is strong enough support for the union organization of administration, and 2) the Subcommittee felt that there is enough positive support for the four other model options and that the School Committee should review these options and narrow it down at the next School Committee meeting scheduled on October 11th.

 

Mr. Reid informed members that the last task for the Subcommittee was to answer any questions the School Committee may have and thanked the Subcommittee for doing a great job.

 

3.            Public Input

Ms. Markiewicz asked if there was any public input.  Community members shared their input and asked the School Committee and ASRP Subcommittee members questions.  Subcommittee members each shared their input as to how they decided what they thought the best administrative model option was for Blanchard and why.

 

Ms. Markiewicz reported that the School Committee would flesh out each model and narrow down the options to two or three options based on feedback received at the next School Committee meeting scheduled on October 11th.  Then, another round of forums and discussions would be scheduled.  In December, the School Committee would make a choice, write job descriptions and post advertisements in January.

 

4.            Adjourn

Ms. Markiewicz moved the meeting to adjourn.  Mr. Sabot motioned the move and Ms. Neville seconded the motion. Ms. Markiewicz adjourned the meeting at 9:10 PM.

 

 

Respectfully submitted by:                                                         Approved by:

 

 

Kathy Bower                                                                            Rebecca Neville

Executive Secretary                                                                  Clerk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boxborough School Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

8:00 PM – Blanchard School Library

  

Agenda

 

 1.                  Opening

 

2.                  New Business

Comment:  Administrative Structure Research Process Subcommittee (ASRP)

to report their findings.

 

3.         Public Input

 

4.                  Adjourn