MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING –
PRESENT: Chairperson Anne Larner, Vice-Chairperson Susan
Albright, Gail Glick, Patricia Kellogg, Marc Laredo, Nancy Levine, Leslie
Schneider, Dori Zaleznik, Mayor David
Cohen, Annie Levine, student representative - Newton North High School
ABSENT: student representative -
OPEN SESSION
At
MOTION: It was moved, by roll call vote, to convene in
executive
session for the purpose of discussing issues
related to
negotiations.
If passed, the Committee will reconvene in open session at
(
7 - 0 - 2
Absent for vote: Zaleznik, Mayor Cohen
ROLL CALL VOTE BY WARD:
Ward I, “yes”
(Glick); Ward II, "yes" (Albright); Ward III, "yes"
(Larner); Ward IV, "yes" (Levine); Ward V, "yes" (Kellogg);
Ward VI, "yes" (Schneider); Ward VII, "yes" (
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Anne Larner
called the meeting to order at
Donna Cohen,
for a resolution. She has no doubt that the Committee will vote
to renew the Superintendent's contract this evening, despite the problems
facing this school system. She hopes
this year's elections will change the makeup of this body.
Bette Lupo, President of
the Newton Educational Secretaries Association (NESA), expressed concern about
the process of the reorganization in the
Josh Cohen,
Annette Baccari,
Vice-President of NESA, quoted from the Mass. General Laws and NESA contract
relating to reductions in force, which clearly state that when this occurs, all
certified Civil Service employees, followed by provisionals, must be placed in
vacated positions before anyone can be considered from outside sources. The secretaries being impacted have worked
many years in the system, have never received a negative evaluation, and are
extremely qualified. She urged the
School Committee to rectify this situation.
Mark Dimaderosian,
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES'
DISCUSSION
None.
RECOGNITIONS
None.
APPROVAL OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
None.
REPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL FINANCING STUDY
Mayor David Cohen stated
that his office has been working on examining the financial implications of the
large hybrid recommendation put forth by the Newton North High School Task
Force. In particular, he wanted to thank
Sandy Pooler, Chief Budget Officer, for the majority of this work. They have found that the $84 million proposal
is feasible, by relying on Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) until the School
Building Assistance Program (SBAP) funding becomes available, and that they can
retain their Triple A bond rating. Their
assumption is that this funding will be forthcoming in 2011 and they will
utilize 16-year bonds once the payments are in effect. They also understand
that there will be other significant city and school capital needs over the
next 20 years and they anticipate having $4 million available annually for
those purposes beginning in FY04. They
expect the debt service account to rise by approximately 2% a year and revenues
to increase by a greater percentage.
They currently spend approximately $6.2 million in debt service, which
is paying off old bonds. When those
payments expire, the money will be shifted into the high school account. Sandy Pooler will present this information in
more detail and then the Committee may pose questions.
Sandy Pooler began by
noting that this is basically a variation of the original plan for financing
the high school project. By changing
some of the assumptions and developing some policies, they are able to afford the
recommendation of the Task Force. The
assumptions that they worked with are:
1.) fund the Task Force's recommendation for a large hybrid; 2.) use
existing financial resources; 3.) SBAP reimbursement of 60% of the costs; 4.)
SBAP payments to start in FY11; 5.) Total cost of project will be $85.9 million
= $84 million for new hybrid and $1.9 million for previous expenditures; 6.)
funding possible because of use of capital reserve fund; 7.) interest rates -
bonds 5%, BANs 2%-4%; 8.) length of bonds = 16 years; 9.) General Fund (G.F.)
Debt Service approximately 3% of revenue; 10.) G.F. Debt Service target to grow
2% annually. He then went into more
detail on each of the assumptions. With
regard to policy, one of the most
important items that the
School Committee and Board of Aldermen will have to commit to is to put money
away each year so that it is available when needed.
Gail Glick asked how
secure they feel about SBAP reimbursement.
Sandy Pooler is assuming a
60% reimbursement on the high schools and 50% for future projects. Both schools are grandfathered and are on the
SBAP waiting list. SBAP has been willing
to listen to changes and proposals and expressed a willingness to work with
Marc Laredo asked about a
contingency if the State reduces the percentage of reimbursement or lengthens
the timetable.
Sandy Pooler replied that he has worked through many
scenarios and there is no problem as long as the City bonds at the same time as
receiving state funding. The wider the
time gap, the less they can afford, but a year or two would not make a
significant difference. If the
reimbursement changes drastically, that is a different story. They have to hope that the State is not going
to leave communities in such a position.
Mayor Cohen added that in the SBAP's 54 year
history, they have never changed the terms once they have made a commitment and
started paying.
Dori Zaleznik stated that it is important to remind
the public that they are working with new assumptions and have altered the plan
in a fairly conservative manner, so it is not as if they have suddenly found a
bag of money.
Mayor Cohen clarified that it was the policy more
than the assumptions that were altered.
The original plan called for a 10-year bonding period, while the new
plan extends that to 16 years. Their financial
advisors indicate that investors are looking for a good, solid plan. Not only does this plan address the high
schools, but incorporates all municipal buildings, which has been absent in the
past. The money that they will be
putting away every year is the key ingredient and they have to avoid the
temptation to use it during difficult times.
Dori Zaleznik was pleased to see that they will not
be neglecting other capital needs, which was her initial fear.
PRESENTATION FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
David Naparstek, Health Commissioner, introduced
Linda Walsh, Director of Clinical Services, and Sue Aries, Information
Specialist. An item of growing concern
is indoor air quality and they have been working on this
in a team approach with the school administration,
Linda Walsh talked about the emergency book
committee, which includes members of the police, fire, health, and school
departments, as well as their ambulance service. They have been developing a pamphlet that
pulls together all emergency situation information in an easily readable format
for staff. While the nurses and
principals have had training, the grant funding will allow them to do the same
for all staff. They have also been
working on a policy around life-threatening allergies, which they will present
to the School Committee in the fall. She concluded by noting that, in addition
to the traditional services that their department has provided to the schools,
their role is ever expanding.
David Naparstek mentioned their work with the Food
Services Dept. around upgrading facilities and the safe preparation and serving
of food. PTOs have been very involved in
these discussions and training sessions.
In addition, all lunchroom aides have been trained in how to deal with
choking situations.
Linda Walsh mentioned that the City uses PCs and
the school system uses Macintoshes and they have been working with the
management information systems (MIS) around data coordination. She spoke about the planning involved in
addressing the needs of students who require special medical care, such as
epinephrine pens, insulin shots, feeding tubes, etc. There is also the routine care and training
that occurs on an annual basis with staff, such as the Heimlich maneuver and
food allergy awareness. They talk with
elementary students around the importance of hand-washing, personal hygiene,
and playground safety. At the high
schools they address testicular and breast self-exams, sun safety, and
nutritional counseling.
David Naparstek added that despite the loss of the
grant for the smoking prevention program, they continue to conduct the
youth-risk behavior survey and hope to be able to continue that in future
years.
Linda Walsh stated that of the 94,253 office visits
to the health offices last year, only 5,878 resulted in dismissals. This was an important fact when there was
consideration given to cuts in the nursing staff and illustrates the importance
of having a full-time nurse in every building.
She thanked the Mayor for recognizing this and keeping them on board, as
well as the School Committee and administration for their support.
Susan Albright asked if the schools differ in how
they address the issue of food allergies.
Linda Walsh stated that there have been differences
in the schools around this issue.
However, the Health Department has adopted and standardized the
Department of Education (DOE) guidelines, which have several regulations around
this subject. Some schools go beyond the
DOE guidelines, which can be problematic.
However, the Health Department supports and assists those schools
through education of staff and parents.
In fact, they would go so far as to suggest the elimination of all food
brought into the system that is not controlled, for both allergy concerns and
the issue of childhood obesity. Some
schools have adopted no-food celebrations.
It is difficult to provide a balance where schools can retain their
individuality while following the DOE standards, so they have to do this on an
individual basis, where necessary. They
will need to return in the fall to the Committee for approval of an actual
policy in this area.
Patty Kellogg asked about the diabetes information
program proposed by Sarah Weiss using the Jordan Bennett-Weiss Fund as a
resource to pay for the materials.
Linda Walsh has not yet talked with the parents,
but she would never say no to an opportunity to increase knowledge and
awareness of this disease.
Anne Larner asked if they could discuss the
David Naparstek talked about the report and the
steps for remediation, which are divided into three issues: 1.) mechanical failure, 2.) improper design,
and 3.) human practices. Newton North
has both unit ventilators and diffusers.
During the inspection, it was discovered that 44% of the
units were turned off. Michael Cronin, Chief of Operations, is
looking into the feasibility of placing locks on the mechanisms that will not
allow any tampering. He is also going to
have each unit inspected. If necessary,
they will tighten belts, lubricate, and replace filters. This should help the air quality, as well as
lessen the noise, which is probably why so many of them were shut down. However, some of the noise is related to the
design of the component. The human
factor involves being sure people are
educated about not covering or blocking the units. They will be conducting an Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) designed program for staff around this issue. Nick Parnell, Building Commissioner, will be
working with the architect to determine if there are design issues that require
addressing.
Marc Laredo asked about plans for annual
inspections.
David Naparstek noted that they are now using
improved efficiency filters on the units, which are inspected by the
custodians. Any units not working will
be considered a high priority repair. As
far as follow-up testing, the literature around this indicates that education
is more meaningful than regular inspections, so it is something they have to
consider and discuss.
Marc Laredo agreed that education is key, but
believes that testing is also important, particularly to reassure people that
there are no problems. He asked what
else was tested other than carbon dioxide.
David Naparstek responded that they tested
temperature, humidity and carbon monoxide.
There were three very low detections of the latter. They are also reviewing areas such as technical
education and science labs, to be sure they are well ventilated and to see if
they can find alternatives to some of the chemicals being used. There is a consultant on board who is working
with them through the State's toxic use reduction program.
Dori Zaleznik asked if there were differences in
air quality between classrooms and larger central spaces.
David Naparstek responded that they did not find
any consistent patterns.
At this point the Committee took up discussion of
the
Heidi Black, Administrator of High School
Construction & Strategic Planning, announced that they are finishing the
final few punch lists items on Phase 1B.
The HVAC system has been turned on; grading and grass seed has been
planted; the fence has been installed around the playground; and today signage
was being installed. They hope to close
out
this phase of the project over the next couple of
months. Phase 2 is moving along as well
and they hope to have some of the building turned over for the opening of
school. By the middle of August, the
gymnasium and connecting wing of the new classes should be in use.
SUPERINTENDENT'S PERSONNEL REPORT
Superintendent Jeffrey Young referred to the
personnel booklet commemorating 63 retired employees (see attachment) for the
2002-2003 school year and thanked them for their years of service to the
system.
OPERATIONS STATUS REPORT
Jeff Young announced the appointment of Paul
Anastasia, Facilities Operations Manager.
He also mentioned the scheduling of 200 upcoming summer projects.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Anne Larner outlined the schedule of meetings with
the architects over the summer for the Committee to provide feedback for the
feasibility study. They will make every
attempt to publicize these meetings, although they understand summer can be a
difficult time for people given vacation schedules. Tonight they will begin with some general
discussion. She noted that several
members of the Task Force toured the site with members of the design team. Their recommendation was to avoid locating a
wing on any of the athletic fields.
Nancy Levine commented that the site is tight in
any configuration. She asked about the
possibility of a parking garage.
Anne Larner stated that they could provide the
architects with guidelines and they would then develop some options.
Nancy Levine suspects there are state regulations
with regard to the number of parking spaces.
Anne Larner added that the number of parking spaces
needed for the high schools has grown tremendously.
Patty Kellogg would like to see enough spaces so
that at least seniors can park at the school and possibly juniors. Otherwise, they are going to end up parking
around the neighborhood. This would also
allow for more space in the evening for community activities.
Marc Laredo asked if underground parking is a
possibility.
Anne Larner believes it may be best to tell the
architects what they would like to see in terms of numbers of parking spaces
and then let them provide several options for how to accomplish that goal.
Dori Zaleznik wants to think in terms of long-range
planning and flexibility for purposes that they cannot even anticipate or
define at this point. The future of
education in 20 years will look quite different than what it is now, so the
design should take that into account.
She would also like to know the impact of retaining core spaces, as she
wants to be certain that integrating those into the new features will not cause
the design to suffer.
Susan Albright would like to link the location of
the new wing to the issue of natural light.
If dense buildings are necessary in order to provide sufficient parking
space, she would not feel favorable to that design. There may need to be some tradeoffs with the
athletic fields. With regard to the
physical plant, she hopes there will be no dead ends and that it will be easy
to negotiate. It should be conducive to
creating sets of communities and connecting spaces that can serve large and
small groups. She feels that the office
spaces need to be placed for better supervision. Finally, the architects should feel free to
create a new
Mayor Cohen asked if the design team could look at
the compatibility of excess space and community use of the building.
Anne Larner stated that this would require input
from the school system, in terms of what they feel is acceptable and
compatible.
Gail Glick feels that the instructional space and
core facilities are the key elements, which will then drive the placement of
the new wing and parking.
Nancy Levine envisions an open atrium organic type
space with a round or octagonal design.
However, she realizes this sort of hub design with offshoots does not
easily fit into a rectangular building.
Currently there does not seem to be a connectedness in the building and
she would like to see that integration.
Leslie Schneider is concerned about moving forward
without a sequential process. She
questioned how the design team can be given a task before they have defined the
educational vision. She does not believe
they should rush this project.
Marc Laredo stated that they can provide the
architects with some general concepts, such as the importance of natural
lighting, the need for several
parking options, and preserving the athletic fields
where possible. He would also like to
see the principal's office located near the entrance to the
building and a theater that is easily accessed by
the public. He would also like to add a
discussion of the stadium to the list.
These are some of the items that the design team can begin work on while
the Committee continues its discussions around the educational piece.
Patty Kellogg is interested in the security aspect
of accessibility. Spaces for public
programs and events should have separate access points and be segregated from
the rest of the building. She likes the
idea of a multi-dimensional space vs. a long, linear hall with side rooms. She wants to be sure that the neighborhood
has opportunities for input and feedback.
In conclusion, she would like the facade of the building to gel with the
architecture of the neighborhood.
Susan Albright commented that the Committee should
be prepared to face some difficult decisions around the issue of parking. If the tradeoffs for accommodating parking
are not acceptable, they may have to eliminate student parking. She then asked if they could be provided a
copy of a report that was generated several years ago around a review of best
designs of high schools.
Jeff Young will see that the Committee gets copies
of the report.
Anne Larner mentioned several web sites that also
have useful information. She agreed on
the importance of natural light and quality sound as factors that impact on
teaching and learning. She supports the
notion of flexible spaces that can support both small and large groups, and not
having isolated areas without supervision.
Gail Glick stated that at some point they need to
prioritize their concepts and desires.
Anne Larner agreed to develop a synopsis of
tonight's discussion.
Leslie Schneider asked about the budget for the
design team.
Anne Larner stated that the project has been priced
in the general area of $84,000,000, based on a certain amount of square
footage, including demolition and renovations of existing space.
Leslie Schneider asked if this dollar amount
includes a review of the new high school option.
Anne Larner replied that the understanding is that
while the architect will not go into the same detail on a new high school as
that of the large hybrid, it will be part of their work product for comparing
and contrasting options.
ACTION ITEMS
CONTINUED DISCUSSION/VOTE ON FAMILY CAP FOR USER FEES
Susan Albright asked if they were able to have a
bus stop closer than 1.5 miles from the school.
Sandy Guryan stated that they have added a couple
of stops within the 1.5 mile radius.
While it is possible they could get one closer, they are attempting to
determine what the buses can accommodate in terms of numbers of students and getting
to school on time. The stops that have
been added can be considered walk-backs.
Students can walk the .5 mile back to the stop if they want to ride the
bus. This is also on a
first-come-first-serve and space availability basis. The first year will be a learning curve.
Anne Larner noted that in the public transportation
industry, it has been determined that the majority of people will only walk 1/4
of a mile for transportation.
Sandy Guryan will see if it is possible to add
something closer.
Susan Albright asked why the cap cannot be lower.
Sandy Guryan explained that the cap can be anything
the Committee determines. The rationale
behind the $550 cap was the $360 bus fee and then a 50% reduction on the
athletic fees ($360 + $190).
Marc Laredo asked if the family cap was projected
in the budget or if they are now reducing expected income.
Sandy Guryan replied that the original projection
was based on what they would collect in fees if every eligible rider used the
bus. When the cap was taken into
account, they also added students who were not bused in the past. There are different gaps associated with each
cap option.
Dori Zaleznik admitted that making the family cap
as low as possible is everyone's goal.
However, the $550 cap leaves too large a gap. She would suggest the middle option, of a
$700 cap, which will lessen the risks but not to the higher extreme.
MOTION: It was moved to approve Option #II, of a
$700 family cap on user fees.
(Zaleznik
- Levine)
Discussion:
Susan Albright noted that the potential gap under
this option is approximately $30,000, with an increased ridership of the same
amount. She asked why this would not be
a wash.
Sandy Guryan admitted that it could be a wash, but
the increased ridership is only one estimate of many. There are numerous complex layers
involved. Until they have concrete
evidence of how many people will continue to want the service and pay, how many
additional people will sign on, and how many will request waivers, there is a
lot of guesswork.
Jeff Young asked about the timeframe for when they
might have this information.
Sandy Guryan believes that by the end of September
or early October they will have a clearer picture.
Nancy Levine wondered if they could delay the vote
on the cap until they know ridership and have collected the first sports fees.
Jeff Young stated that this would be an
administrative ordeal. The letters are
prepared and ready to be sent to parents as soon as the Committee has taken a
vote, so that the planning process for both families and the school system can
begin.
Marc Laredo reiterated his opposition to fees and
they are now seeing the implications of these decisions. However, if that is the will of the
Committee, they should not err on the side of risk-taking and then have to find
the revenue at a later date.
Mayor Cohen stated that it would be more
disagreeable to have to come back in the fall and raise the cap due to
insufficient revenue. Given the
uncertainty around State funding, he would not want to see something passed
that could increase the gap. No one at
this table wants to impose any fees and the only reason they face this
situation is because of the State cuts in transportation. It is hoped that either through their budget
deliberations or action at the State level, that this will only be a one year
issue.
Gail Glick supports Option II as the one that makes
the most sense.
Nancy Levine asked if they will allow families to
ride the bus if they change their minds during the year.
Sandy Guryan stated that they will be as flexible
as possible, particularly since this will be the first year of the policy. They will accommodate people as long as there
is space available.
Susan Albright asked about the Massachusetts
Municipal Relief bill that would allow communities to charge people who in the
past they were mandated to bus.
Mayor Cohen responded that this is currently in a
conference committee.
Vote on motion to approve cap on user fees: 8 - 0 - 1
Abstained:
Mayor Cohen
VOTE ON REQUEST FOR WAIVER OF CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
PURPOSES OF EMPLOYING A RETIRED TEACHER (ZERVAS PRINCIPALSHIP)
Jeff Young acknowledged that they were not able to
agree upon a principal for the Zervas Elementary School for next year and, therefore,
are planning to hire an interim principal.
Ruth Chapman, former Principal of Angier Elementary School, will provide
stability and excellent leadership while they continue their search. State law requires the Committee to take this
action in these cases.
MOTION: It was moved that, having made a good faith
effort
to
hire personnel for the Zervas Elementary
Principalship
who have not retired, and having
been
unable to find qualified applicants for this
position,
the School Committee requests that the
Newton
Public School District be deemed to have a
critical
shortage of certified personnel in this field
and
be allowed to submit to the Massachusetts
Department
of Education a Request for Waiver of
Certification
Requirements for Purposes of Employing
a Retired
Teacher (Zervas Principalship),
for the
2003-3004
school year.
(Zaleznik
- Levine)
unanimous
Nancy Levine commented that she hopes this waiver
will be granted because this is a good choice for the system.
VOTE ON RENEWAL OF SUPERINTENDENT'S CONTRACT
MOTION: It was moved to extend the Superintendent's
contract
for an additional three years, effective
July
1, 2004 - June 30, 2007, and to authorize
the
Chairperson of the School Committee to
negotiate
the contract, subject to final approval
by
the School Committee.
(Albright
- Zaleznik)
Discussion:
Leslie Schneider will endorse this motion, but
noted that there are challenges ahead.
She cited the situation at Bowen Elementary School as one example. Both the Superintendent and School Committee
will need to redouble their efforts around the goal of effective communication
with the public. Engaging parents and
taking all perspectives into full consideration in a timely fashion is the only
way to create successful school/community partnerships.
Dori Zaleznik admitted that both the Superintendent
and the Committee can work to improve in certain areas. However, it is important to acknowledge that
he is the main target, particularly in difficult times. He has shown grace and leadership in handling
some very tough issues and Newton is fortunate to have him as Superintendent.
Patty Kellogg supports the Superintendent and
thinks he has handled the Bowen situation very well. She has confidence in the process and looks
forward to working with him in the future.
Nancy Levine noted that this is only one of many
difficult years the system has faced.
The one thing that has held true in all situations is that the
Superintendent has managed to bring new initiatives into the system and
increase opportunities available to children.
He sets an excitement about learning and is the kind of educational
leader that any community would be envious to have hired.
Gail Glick also believes the Superintendent has
done an extraordinary job and she fully supports this motion.
Mayor Cohen will also vote for this motion
enthusiastically. It is no small feat
that, in such turbulent economic times, the school system remains stable,
vibrant and thriving and this can be attributed to his leadership.
Marc Laredo added that Newton is fortunate that he
will remain with them for another three years and will support the extension.
Anne Larner echoed the sentiments and stated that
the best thing they can do for the Superintendent at this time is to take a
vote and let him go home to his family.