Verne Vance called the meeting to order at 7:3o p.m.

Mary Ellen McAndrews, 25 Ridge Rd., Waban, Co-chairperson of the Newton South High School Council, spoke about the impact of the budget cuts on their school. The loss of seven full-time faculty at South, in conjunction with increased enrollment, has been detrimental to teachers and students at all grade and curriculum levels. She quoted some specific examples of large classes in a variety of subjects. Study halls are an oxymoron, as they are so large in numbers that students cannot fit into rooms and there is little, if any, studying occurring. Students in these situations are not getting any individual attention. Given that teachers have to review additional homework and grade extra papers and tests, there is less time to spend assisting those who may be having trouble or encouraging shy students to participate in class. Questions are often left unanswered and only the most confident and articulate students are successfully connecting with at least one adult in which they can confide. She hopes the administration and School Committee will take these issues into consideration when developing the FY03 budget and will focus on the needs of students at this level.

Zoe Schwab mentioned that class sizes at Newton South have increased significantly. In addition, the food line in the first period lunch often opens five minutes late. Given that lunch is only 1/2 an hour and 15 minutes of that time is spent in line, that leaves only 10 minutes to eat and students are often late for classes. With regard to the parking issue at their school, there is a resolution before the Board of Aldermen to allow parking adjacent to the soccer field on Brandeis Rd. Finally, she would like to see additional funding for the music program at Newton South. Her jazz combo class has 16 students vs. 7 last year and it is nearly impossible for the teacher to provide individual attention. The room in which they practice is inadequate, with poor audio and a loud heating system. She is frustrated that more funding is spent on transportation for sports than the entire music program at their school.

Lindsay Dahlben mentioned that people are upset that the heat will not be turned on at Newton North until October 14^th, even though the building is extremely cold.

James Marini, Associate Superintendent for Secondary Education, explained that industrial heating units are not like home units, where a simple flip of a switch on the thermostat turns on the heat. There is a process to turn the system over from a cooling to a heating unit and it takes several days for that to reach fruition. The same holds true in going from heating to air-conditioning in late spring. The turnover date is a specific preset timeframe.

Michael Cronin, Chief of Operations, added that what they are currently feeling is not air-conditioning blowing through the system, but fresh air. Therefore, the indoor will reflect the outdoor temperature. Given that they do not have the luxury of having two independent systems, there is little they can do to predict the precise date to begin the turnover, particularly given the constant changes in temperature this time of year.

Daniel Elkind mentioned that the heating units and the intercom in the new science wings at Newton South do not work.

Michael Cronin stated that the steam pipe was relocated and repaired this week to provide heat to this part of the building. He will check to see whether the unit was turned on and if it is in working order. He will also investigate the intercom issue.

The following recognitions were acknowledged:

Tyler Markman, Newton North High School student, who was chosen as one of the more than 3,500 Achievement Program participants who were commended to U.S. colleges and universities, for scoring in the top five percent of 110,000 Black Americans who requested consideration in the program.

Pat Rand and Mary Loew, for their volunteer landscaping efforts to beautify the grounds of Bigelow Middle School.

The following students who received National Merit Scholarship Letters of Commendation:

Nick Albertson Benjamin Heidlage Shimrit Paley

Brandon Arber Kathleen Hornby Joanna Peterson

David Avery Noah Isaacs Zoe Piel

Graham Babbitt Laura Jekel Katherine Pomeroy

Nathan Beit-Aharon Emily Kadish Marcus Ruopp

Daniel Belenky David Katzman Kelsey Ruppel

Emily Burns Chris Kelley-Hoffman Jacob Samuelson

David Carroll Gent Kepuska Sara Sedgwick

William Cohen Jennifer Kunzendorf David Shankman

Claire Collins Katherine Lavalle Michael Strom

Thomas Duncombe Rachel Lax Remle Stubbs-Dame

Marissa Eisenberg David Lebowitz James Tierney

Ilsa Falis Eben Lichtman Eva Tseng

Benjamin Fash Isaac Livshetz Zoe Tseng

Jess Fishken-Harkins Cassity Miller Dena Weisberg

Naomi Forman Maria Nardell Julia Werb

Benjamin Glerum Jeffrey Newton Klementyna Weyman

Katherine Harrold Ari Ofsevit Avram Williams

Lisa Zusman

Lindsay Kuo Dave Wang

Benjamin Kurland Rachel Winter

Nicole Landzberg Jeffrey Woodward

Dian Lefkowitz Andrew Yousef

Erica Lessem Diane Zhang

Vivian Leung

Roberta (Bobbie) Dollase, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, mentioned that the aides hired are approximately equal in number of experienced vs. those who are new to the system. While they are virtually fully staffed in certified positions, they have not yet completed the hiring process for aides.

Rodney Barker asked for the definition of instructional support staff and if those people can be instrumental in addressing the issue of large classes at Newton South, as was mentioned by several speakers this evening.

Bobbie Dollase explained that instructional support staff are substitutes who are hired for a specific number of days (usually three) and who work in the school as part of the faculty. This way, students and staff get to know these people and can count on them to have a commitment to the school and their position. They are in the process of hiring four people who will serve in this role five days a week. Two of these positions will be at the elementary level, one at the middle schools, and one for the high schools. They will then evaluate the impact of having these people full-time and whether or not that best meets the needs of the system. On days when they are not substituting for an absent teacher, their duties vary depending upon the school. While they certainly can serve in classes to address large numbers, is not a predictable situation and, therefore, cannot be very helpful to a teacher in a large class on any consistent basis.

Bobbie Dollase explained that the report indicates that they came within .08 full-time equivalencies (FTEs) in what was projected for staffing vs. what was actually budgeted. It includes current staffing levels systemwide, including yearly comparisons and comparisons by categories.

Sandy Guryan added that this document will allow them to carefully reconcile staffing against the budget throughout the year.

Sandy Guryan explained that tonight's Budget Update includes a document that outlines the final FY02 School Committee Approved Budget, as well as a review of spending to date. Beginning next month, she will include a forecast through the rest of the year, including some items from the Comptroller's Office that will settle accounting transactions. Also included is a list of potential risk areas, of which charter maintenance is at the top.

Anne Larner thanked her for this very clear report. She suggested that the summary on page 5 be brought to the front of the document so that the first thing people see is the broader picture before getting into the details.

Susie Heyman mentioned that if they are able to recoup the money spent on the Zervas air-quality project conducted over the summer, they may be in a better position in charter maintenance.

Rodney Barker asked about the $650,000 METCO reimbursement.

Sandy Guryan explained that last June they received a commitment from local legislators that additional METCO funding for Newton would be forthcoming. Once that is received, it will be reflected in the METCO grant budget, as a reimbursement to the school system for instructional teaching costs. Those dollars were counted toward reducing the budget gap and have been anticipated in the teaching line items. Presently the State budget remains unresolved and the funds have not been formally secured.

Nancy Levine noted that under the utility accounts, it appears that a large portion of the fuel oil allocation has already been spent.

Sandy Guryan noted that the funds have been encumbered, which means they are set aside for an anticipated obligation rather than actually having been spent.

Carol Daynard, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, stated that this is the first of her monthly special education reports, which project the expenses for her department, particularly in four volatile areas: aide assignments, contracted services, tuition accounts, and transportation.

Anne Larner asked if she could address the issue of the vacant aide positions.

Carol Daynard replied that since this report was drafted, they have hired at least half the number of unfilled positions. They have been covering vacancies with existing staff and are anticipating filling the remaining positions. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to hire qualified people in this area, but this could change as a result of a downturn in the economy. This problem is not endemic to Newton. Fortunately, they have been able to fill all the professional staff positions, unlike some other communities.

Rodney Barker asked about the qualifications required of aides.

Carol Daynard responded that most districts only require a high school diploma. Newton requests that people have college degrees and some experience working with children, although they are flexible, in some cases, if people have past experience in the field.

Susan Albright would like to discuss the process of staffing and budgeting for the special education budget and suggested it could be incorporated into one of the monthly reports.

Verne Vance asked if she is confident that the special education budget contains sufficient resources to meet the needs of students this year.

Carol Daynard replied in the affirmative. Additional funding has been added in areas where there was concern and volatility. While they can never predict the number of students that will enter the system with complete accuracy, they believe they have a good handle on trends and projections.

Sandy Guryan outlined the report, which furnishes statistical data on the number of students who left Newton Public Schools last year, which is slightly less than previous years. Also included is a breakdown by gender. What is not covered this year, but which will be incorporated in next year's report, is the anecdotal information from parents around the reasons they chose to take their children out of the system.

Susan Albright commented on the large number of students who left Bowen Elementary School.

Sandy Guryan agreed that the numbers are higher than anticipated, as was the case with Countryside last year, both of which are unusual patterns. She is in the process of gathering specific data about Countryside to see if the trend has continued again this year. Further information will be made available in the upcoming enrollment report.

Susie Heyman mentioned that Bowen historically has been more volatile in

terms of enrollments and has been difficult to accurately project.

Verne Vance added that Andover-Newton Theological Seminary is in the Bowen district and a number of people come there to teach for a year or two. This may account for some of the turnover in that district.

Carol Bock, Director of Capital Planning & Operations, provided some history on the report. Last year they had 16 capital projects totaling approximately $2,000,000. Because of the budget freeze, only three were completed with capital funds, for a total of $450,000. A couple of others were paid for out of the operating budget and 10 were carried over to this year's list. Again this year, they are requesting $2,000,000 for 18 projects, which are divided and prioritized into two $1,000,000 lists. Every year projects continually get bumped back and they are focusing now on those related to health and safety. She concluded by talking about the capital planning management software system they have included on the list, which is designed to provide them with more accurate information and estimates, to better manage and plan in this area.

Susie Heyman commended the administration for doing so much with so little. However, she is concerned about their lack of success in bringing all of the middle schools up to par with one another, which was a commitment made back when they were reopening and renovating the middle schools. She is particularly thinking about the science labs at Brown. She asked if they could investigate the cost for this project.

Rodney Barker expressed frustration over the fact that items continue to get carried over from year to year.

Carol Bock agreed that without a new source of financing or increased funding, it is unlikely that the scenario will change.

Anne Larner requested a comparison list that outlines the Capital Improvement Plan requests and actual dollars spent over several years.

Susan Albright commented that what has changed over the years is the quality of the items on the lists. The majority of projects now are only absolute necessities.

Verne Vance noted that as frustrating as it may be to work with so many projects with so little funding, it is still imperative to determine the needs and to prioritize those lists, so that when money becomes available they have a plan for how it should be spent.

Anne Borg asked about the life-span of boilers.

Michael Cronin replied that 40 years would be a generous life-span and much of that depends on how successful one is with patchwork.

Anne Borg wondered if in the long run they would save money by installing more efficient units than trying to continually fix the current ones.

Michael Cronin replied that they could conduct a return on investment justification study that would address this issue.

Anne Larner noted that these are the type of things that a capital planning management system could identify regardless of the funding source.

Michael Cronin agreed and noted that the software would help them to predict the necessary funding for the needs over a period of several years.

Rodney Barker stated that it is clear that bond funding is necessary to address all the needs of the system.

Susie Heyman commented that for the next several years the high school renovations are utilizing the bonding capacity, so they will have to do their best to prioritize from other sources.

Andy Vizulis asked about the Newton North High School scoreboard.

Carol Bock stated that there has been a longstanding request for replacing this piece of equipment. She will find out when the current unit was installed.

Verne Vance mentioned that at some future point the bonding capacity will be freed up for other school and city projects, at which time hopefully they will be in a better position.

The School Committee had some preliminary discussion about the purpose of this instrument.

Anne Larner stated that this tool has been used for different purposes over the years and, at one point, it was something requested by the City. She asked if the

administration could provide a brief history.

Sandy Guryan noted that in the past a subcommittee of the School Committee would develop this tool. Since she has come on board, she has attempted to summarize the major factors that drive the operating budget. They have begun to work with the document in different fashions to include various assumptions around collective bargaining, staffing, technology, special education rates, charter maintenance, turnover savings, etc. The document is a good tool for a few years out but becomes less reliable in later years. She is in constant communication with City officials around these assumptions so that they can be built into the City's forecast. School Committee's input is important in the development of these assumptions, so that policies and goals can be incorporated into their work.

The Committee discussed the Superintendent's proposed timeline around policy issues they need to address on this subject. With regard to the issue of field trips, the Superintendent has put into place an interim administrative policy that requires the submission of a written itinerary two weeks in advance of any out-of-state trips or trips that involve travel between midnight and 6:00 a.m. These field trips also require final approval by the Superintendent and Associate Superintendent. The Superintendent also reserves the right to cancel any field trip, at any time, depending upon world conditions and travel advisories.

Rodney Barker does not believe two weeks leaves people sufficient time to be notified, as plans are often made far in advance. If possible, he would like to have the final field trip policy discussion held before he leaves the School Committee, so that he can participate.

Verne Vance announced that the Budget Guidelines Subcommittee, comprised of Susan Albright, Anne Larner and Nancy Levine, will work with the Superintendent to develop this document and will return to the full Committee with a proposal. This change in process will allow for the Superintendent and his staff to have input from the outset.

The Committee discussed the calendar and noted that the only major change is that there will be no classes on the Monday following Thanksgiving, which is a systemwide professional development day.

The Committee discussed the proposed resolutions, in order to provide some direction to Anne Borg, who is serving as the Committee's voting delegate at the annual Massachusetts Association of School Committees/School Superintendents Annual Convention.

It was noted that the Vote on Redistricting Issues, scheduled for 11/26 , should be moved to 12/10, as the Committee has a standing policy of not voting on items the first evening they are up for discussion.

Proposed School Committee Docket Items, as

amended.

(Levine - Larner)

8 - 0 - 1

Absent: Mayor Cohen

MOTION: It was moved to approve the 2001-2001 Systemwide

(Levine - Larner)

8 - 0 - 1

Absent: Mayor Cohen

equipment to Newton South High School, as

outlined in Attachment L.

(Barker - Albright)

8 - 0 - 1

Absent: Mayor Cohen

Anne Borg asked how the early literacy intervention grant for Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School fits into the current Primary Intervention Reading Program (PIRP).

Roseli Weiss, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education, explained that PIRP will remain at Memorial-Spaulding. The benefits are similar in that both programs involve working with small groups of children. The difference is that the early literacy intervention involves a trained teacher, whereas PIRP relies on aides. The benefit of having both programs is that they can review each and determine what works best to address the needs of students.

$11,300, as outlined in Attachment M.

(Levine - Heyman)

8 - 0 - 1

Absent: Mayor Cohen

Verne Vance noted that Susie Heyman and Carol Daynard will represent the school system on the City's subcommittee that will draft policy recommendations concerning memorials and/or commendation structures throughout the City. Also, the Suburban Coalition is asking if the Committee would like to join as members. It was decided that Susan Albright would attend one of their meetings and come back to the Committee with a recommendation with regard to their participation.

There were no members of the public who wished to address the Committee at this time.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.