NEWTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING, JUNE 12, 2006

EDUCATION CENTER, FRAZIER ROOM, 7:30 P.M.

PRESENT: Chairperson Dori Zaleznik, Vice-Chairperson Marc Laredo, Gail Glick, Susan Heyman, Anne Larner, Reenie Murphy, Claire Sokoloff, Jonathan Yeo, Mayor David Cohen, Superintendent Jeffrey Young

ABSENT: student representatives (graduated)

CALL TO ORDER

Vice-Chairperson Marc Laredo called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. and noted that the Chairperson has been detained and will be slightly late to the meeting.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Sarah Ecker, Cabot Elementary School parent, reported on a community meeting recently held at their school to address the future needs of their building and thanked the members of the administration, School Committee, and Board of Aldermen for attending. She is leaving materials behind this evening that include the slide show on the current building conditions and architects’ ideas for renovations, as well as information regarding enrollment projections. There are currently 391 students in their school and they are expecting 429 next year. Over the past few years the principal and administration have tried very hard to keep a dedicated space for art, although it is not ideal, but they do not want this to become a permanent situation. The literacy program will occur in a small space at the end of the hallway being constructed for that program. Relegating it to that space makes it appear as if they do not care about this important initiative. It is also where they currently do tutoring. Their school does not have an auditorium, cafeteria, or multipurpose room, so any move pushes people out. They are advocating for a modular and she is pleased to see that the Committee will be discussing these issues later this evening. They are also open to other options, such as a discussion regarding redistricting. Finally, she urged them to be careful where they choose to locate magnet type programs. It is their understanding that Cabot may host a special integrated kindergarten program for children on the autism spectrum next year. While they are very supportive of these programs, they are concerned about numbers and space.

Paul Green, Countryside Elementary School parent, talked about how their school is expected to see an additional 13 students next year, with no plans for renovation or redistricting. This will be the 20^th year that Countryside holds the record for the largest population of all the elementary schools and projections indicate it will remain so until 2011. The recent policy voted by the School Committee to re-open the out-of-district policy to try to address some of these concerns seems to be a transfer of responsibility from the system to parents. Project 40B developments are inundating the City and they need an engaged, active, and vocal School Committee with the fortitude to ensure equity among schools.

Beth Maloney, Peirce Elementary School parent, thanked the Committee for taking the first steps to address the issue of space in the schools, in which the problems are significant. Peirce is the second smallest elementary school in the system. Additional space is going to be needed by the 2007-2008 school year, so they are advocating for a modular at this time. They have maximized every nook and cranny in the building. They have converted basement space into classrooms and next year will be adding another to this area. The enrollment projections in the material in tonight’s packet appear low for their school given what they are seeing in terms of the number of families moving into their district. The only space left in the building that could be converted is the auditorium, but to take that away would be a terrible disservice. Wonderful things occur in that space such as school concerts, creative arts presentations, town meetings, and the March Madness Reading Program, to name a few.

Karen Fisher, Peirce parent, thanked the Committee for addressing concerns around space and enrollments, as well as past Committees and administrations who have done a great job in attempting to keep class sizes as low as possible by using a variety of strategies. However, space is now being used that should never be used for educational purposes, such as closets, hallways, etc. There are a lot of people willing to help in whatever way they can to get a handle on the enrollments, push for the lead time necessary for modulars, and assist in determining where best to place those units.

Richard Galgano, Horace Mann Elementary School parent, talked about the notion of their school possibly receiving a modular unit. Another option has been mentioned by some neighbors who are civil engineers and that is that the school could support some type of an additional third floor to its structure.

Mary Beth DeNucci, Horace Mann parent, is pleased to see how far the system has come in researching the space issues citywide. At Horace Mann their art room is in a converted boiler room in the basement with no windows. Occupational therapy is conducted in the hallways. The English Language Learners (ELL) program is located in half a classroom. Current enrollment is 352 and anticipated to be 402 next year, so they will need space for an additional classroom. She supports the notion of a modular for the short-term solution while the long-range plans continue to evolve.

Peter Mahoney, Mason-Rice parent, addressed the handicap accessible ramp project at their school. He once again thanked the Committee and administration for their support, but also continues to be concerned about the timeline. He wants to be assured that this is in place by the opening of school. While he understands that this may be a minor project compared to some of the other major renovations occurring in the buildings, it is of extreme importance. This is

not only an accessibility issue, but a safety one as well, as those with wheelchairs have to currently be brought outside, along a very steep path, to transfer between floors. That can be dangerous at any time, but particularly in inclement weather. It is also an issue of dignity, so he asks that attention be paid to this request.

Marc Laredo commented that this will be discussed later this evening under the Operations Status Report.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES’ DISCUSSION

None.

RECOGNITIONS

The following recognitions were acknowledged:

· The 2006 recipients of the Newton METCO Scholarship Fund:

Newton North High School Newton South High School

Donalin Cazeau Amber Holtzclaw

Brett McLean Amanda Wood

LaShea Monroe Akilah Alleyne

Bristian Justice

Alexis Mongo

Kymira Woodberry

Khalel Pritchard

· The following staff who were recognized by the Association

of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts (ATMIM) for

their presentations in the ATMIM Spring Conference:

Mary Eich, Mathematics Coordinator

Marilynne Quarcoo, Principal – Cabot Elementary School

Lisa Robinson, Preschool Coordinator

Joan Martin, Elementary Mathematics Curriculum Specialist

David Ettingler, 3^rd grade teacher – Underwood Elementary School

· Jie Gao, World Language teacher, for being selected from over

1,000 applicants by the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher

Training Corp., to be involved in a research and training

program which will support colleagues nationwide in implementing

research-based best practices through workshops.

· Jeffrey Handler and Bobby Chen, Bigelow Middle School students,

for receiving awards from the Greater Framingham Community Church

Board of Christian Education for their submission to the Martin Luther King

Jr.’s Creative Writing Contest.

· Ann O’Halloran, 4^th grade teacher at Angier Elementary School,

for being awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2006 Preserve America

History Teacher of the Year program.

APPROVAL OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

MOTION: It was moved to approve the School Committee

meeting minutes of 3/13/06.

(Larner – Murphy)

unanimous

REPORTS

REPORT FROM BURR SCHOOL COUNCIL

Jeff Young noted that at the last meeting the Committee discussed the First Amendment Center Project, which involved groups on opposite sides of the political spectrum coming together to talk about ways to create an environment for people to converse respectfully about issues related to homosexuality without suggesting any desired outcome. As was mentioned, Burr Elementary School had been involved in a similar type of process and tonight the representatives from Burr will talk about that experience and answer questions.

Cindy Bencal, Principal of Burr, introduced the members who participated in this project and then outlined the events that lead to their initial work. On 5/17/04 she did her usual Monday public announcements and one of the things she mentioned was the fact that it was the day same sex marriage became legal in the State. There was a lot of reaction in the community after this occurrence regarding mentioning sexual orientation in elementary schools. It was obvious that there was a wide diversity of viewpoints and the exchanges did not dissipate. The Superintendent suggested a community meeting to acknowledge these differences and attempt to find a way to grapple with these issues in a respectful manner. As a result of that meeting, a steering committee was formed that researched consultants and ultimately chose Public Conversations Project (PCP), a group that was active in national talks between the pro-choice and pro-life groups several years ago.

PCP’s method is to organize and implement small group discussions. Sixty-eight people participated in groups of six to eight. Each group had members representing different opinions. Following these discussions PCP shared the themes and trends that came from these small groups back to the larger community. It was then determined that three specific areas needed more work – clarification of the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement, improved home/school communications, and community building. Subcommittees were formed for each area. The steering committee then dissolved itself and the School Council became the umbrella organization that the subcommittees would report back to with their work.

With regard to the clarification of the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement, the first task of that subcommittee was to approach the school system for assistance in clarifying the Mission Statement. They attempted to work at this, but soon realized that it was not going to be a quick and easy process and, therefore, decided instead to approach it in a question and answer (Q & A) format. The subcommittee generated a list of questions posed by parents around the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement. This was then shared at an administrative council meeting in an attempt to determine whether this would be a systemwide sponsored approach or if it were to be solely Burr’s project. It was agreed that it was an elementary school issue and that the elementary principals would review the material. They then hosted a community meeting at Burr, which was attended by 40 people, who provided some good feedback to their work. They will now take this information and make some additional revisions to the document over the summer.

Kalpana Guttman, 5^th grade teacher at Burr, added that the best thing about the PCP model was that it created a safe place for people who did not agree with one another to have difficult conversations without feeling that they had to give up their beliefs. The moderators were neutral parties, which gave credibility to the work. There were guidelines that they followed to have civil conversations which everyone agreed to at the outset. One interesting outcome of these types of small group conversations is that they do not allow for anyone to be anonymous. Each person spoke only for themselves and did not feel they had to represent a particular interest group. This allowed nuances to appear in people’s beliefs and for genuine conversation to occur. People saw each other as individuals vs. representing a particular side.

Jim O’Hanley, Burr parent, talked about being skeptical about the approach of PCP when they were first chosen. However, as time went on he became more convinced of the power of the process, which allowed people with very deeply held beliefs that were at odds with each other to discuss their viewpoints and potentially diffuse a volatile situation. The process is not about coming to a resolution as much as providing a safe environment for people to speak and listen to one another. One thing that was a surprise to him was to learn how difficult it is for teachers and administrators when facing these situations. While they are trying to follow the Mission Statement, they are often not sure how to interpret that document in various situations. They sometimes feel pushed by various constituents to move in a direction that they may not necessarily feel comfortable with or other times are uncertain how to react, so do nothing at all. This is why he feels strongly that there needs to be clarification on the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement. While this process was an excellent one, it only diffuses things rather than getting to a concrete solution. Also, the representation did not truly represent the demographics. They found that the participants were not as diverse as they would have liked. They have some theories around this that they are continuing to discuss.

Lisa Mirabile, Burr parent, stated that while they are proud of their work as a whole, it is important to emphasize that the lack of clarity in the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement continues to pose problems for all. The document is too vague and difficult to interpret in specific instances. It does not provide enough guidance for teachers and administrators and leaves parent confused as to what to expect. This lack of specificity is a hindrance and gives rise to various interpretations and they would like to have more concrete guidance.

Mayor Cohen asked if they were able to reach any common ground and if they have any specific suggestions for clarification of the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement.

Jim O’Hanley stated that the process got them to a certain point, but they were then stymied by how far they could go as a school vs. a system. Perhaps there is a way to hold similar discussions in a broader platform.

Mayor Cohen noted that their experience may help in future situations. He asked if the process is ongoing.

Cindy Bencal reiterated that they will be revising the Q & A document Since this is all new to them as well, they are not sure where to go from here, but are ready and open to continuing to work on these issues.

Mayor Cohen responded that breaking new ground is not necessarily bad and this could be a guidepost for other schools.

Dori Zaleznik stated that it might be good to broaden this issue to conversations not only about sexuality, but areas where people have equally deeply felt beliefs, such as religion, race, culture, etc. Even without an agreed upon conclusion, it is just as important to model for children civil and respectful discussions. The Committee may want to think about looking at both the national guidelines and Newton’s own mission statement to see if they can craft something that might be more useful. However, it is difficult to anticipate what the issues are going to be in the future at different schools.

Claire Sokoloff is very impressed by the headway they have made in finding common ground to respectfully talk to one another about very complex and difficult issues. She asked if they feel they made enough progress to justify their effort and if this process has built into the system the capability of handling new conflicts that might arise.

Cindy Bencal replied that they have gained skills from watching the moderators and are trying to model what they have learned in staff meetings. They hope to be able to use what they have learned to address any future issues as well.

Kalpana Guttman added that the need for transparency is something they learned throughout this process. In addition to inviting people to participate, they need to make sure everyone is aware of the conversations that are taking place.

Susie Heyman stated that their struggles are clearly heard, but not unexpected. It is difficult in an outcome-oriented environment not to be able to come to a solution on something. They should be congratulated and very proud of their work, which will be very valuable to the system.

Reenie Murphy asked if they can comment on the sense of the community around this process.

Jim O’Hanley responded that he believes they have managed to diffuse the situation and gone a long way to heal the wounds and start to move toward some common ground. At best people are aware that there are no hidden agendas and everything is transparent. A common theme seems to be the question of why Burr is doing this alone and a feeling that the system is not buying into the process.

Dori Zaleznik thanked them for tonight’s discussion, which has provided the Committee and administration with a lot to think about.

SPECIAL EDUCATION UPDATE

Reenie Murphy asked about the out-of-district placements, which seems higher than normal.

Margie Daniels, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, stated that these numbers are pending. There will be a certain number of students graduating, as well as some re-entering from outside placements, so by the time she reports in the fall it probably will not be as dramatic as it currently appears.

REPORT ON SHORT-TERM SPACE NEEDS

Dori Zaleznik began the discussion by providing some background. This issue has been brought to the table as a result of a lot of community concern about increasing enrollments and space issues. This is the beginning of the process and they will need to gather more information, so tonight’s material is just a current snapshot. They need to better understand and decide on whether the projections for the last 10 years or the ones they are currently seeing are right, so they will need to assess how they do projections. Another issue to talk through will be whether redistricting could accomplish something more than just adding temporary space and whether that is worth the upheaval that families will experience. Finally, they are also going to review modulars and the places where those are most needed.

Jeff Young added that there are three levels involved in this issue – short-term, mid-term, and long-term and tonight’s discussion will focus on the first two. The long-term aspect will involve the facilities study that they hope to get underway soon, which will review the physical condition of all the buildings, as well as program. With regard to short-term, this relates to what is going to happen this coming September. There are five elementary schools that have been identified as having particular crunch situations – Burr, Cabot, Countryside, Lincoln-Eliot, and Peirce. They have had to plan for measures in these schools in order to accommodate them for next year’s projected enrollment. Mid-term refers to the following school year (’07-’08), which is where they get into the ideas of modulars and redistricting. He concluded by thanking staff, students, and parents for living with difficult situations that are far from ideal and their ability to adjust and adapt while they work through these issues.

Sandra Guryan, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Finance & Planning, talked about the demographics and enrollment projections. Enrollment projections are not an exact science and get even more complex as they get down to specific schools and grades. Normally they do their Enrollment Report in December, after all the numbers are recorded in the fall. For tonight’s discussion they did an interim projection using some of the same methodology, but also including information from the principals regarding what they are expecting from contacts they have received at the schools. It is important to remember that this is the snapshot they are using to project out over a number of years and this information is going to change over the summer, as people move in and out. The information from the principals anticipates an additional 85 more students than their projections in the Enrollment Report. Another uncertainty is the status of housing development in Newton. They have been gathering as much information as possible from the City’s Planning Department and the developers themselves and have included this in the materials.

Michael Cronin, Chief of Operations, stated that these numbers are then used to craft the allocation for staffing, which determines the number of classrooms needed. As the report indicates, there are several buildings that require modifications to spaces to accommodate the projections. Burr, Cabot, Countryside, Lincoln-Eliot and Peirce will all need some construction and, as was stated previously, people are being very creative in their design for educational spaces and many are certainly not ideal.

Anne Larner thanked them for this substantive report. She stated that the 2002 enrollment projections for elementary schools is 485 students less than what is now being projected in this interim report, which is actually an entire school population. The 2004 report is 250 less than what is now being projected. In all her years associated with the school system she has never seen these type of variances. There is obviously some dynamic occurring that is not being captured in the traditional enrollment projection methods. There seem to be some changes occurring in the turn-over of housing in neighborhoods for which they have not been able to plan. In order to have modulars in place by September of ’07 they would need to be ordered by this November. They have a lot of work cut out for them in a short time period.

Reenie Murphy talked about her neighborhood in the Cabot district, where there were four two-family homes that were converted to condominiums that are now on the market, as well as three single family homes that are being torn down and replaced by two-families. Somehow they need to determine how to include these trends in the projections and that may mean including the anecdotal information in the numbers.

Claire Sokoloff agrees that they need to somehow try to see if they can achieve greater accuracy in their projections. Last spring there were a number of “for sale” signs in the Bowen district, which saw an increased school population. Now they are seeing the market change and houses not selling, so they need to figure out if it is possible to get a handle on these trends.

Susie Heyman stated that sometimes there are blips where there are unanticipated increases or decreases in enrollment projections in a given year and if those blips continue they become trends. The problem with using historical data for projections is that a trend appears but it is not visible for a few years. The elementary population is apparently growing faster than they had anticipated and the facilities need both work and space. While they can continue to try to clarify their projection methods, the key point is that they have a lot of work to do over the summer so that they can deal with the short-term issues and get the Request for Proposals (RFPs) in place for the longer term solutions.

Marc Laredo stated that there seems to be a number of factors occurring recently that they need to try to understand better and that is both the changes in the housing stock and where that is occurring, as well as in the trends of when people are moving into the City and the size of their families. They are going to be facing more problems if they continue to rely only on historical data. The long range facilities plan will be very helpful for making decisions about the future needs in the buildings and priorities.

Jonathan Yeo asked about the current modulars in the system and their life expectancy.

Michael Cronin replied that there are a half dozen modulars currently in place and they are built to last approximately seven years. However, it is also possible to do repairs to extend their lifespan, which they did when they moved the units from Memorial-Spaulding to Carr and then to Horace Mann. However, those units will not be able to handle another move.

Jonathan Yeo asked about used units.

Mike Cronin is reluctant to purchase used units since they would be nearing their life expectancy and they would spend nearly the same amount for a new one because it would have a longer lifespan.

Jonathan Yeo asked if the City would bond to pay for modulars.

Mayor Cohen stated that they are projecting $1.75 million available for capital projects next year for the entire City and if this is determined to be the Committee’s priority they would plan to use bonding.

Reenie Murphy asked if there is space available to place modulars at the schools.

Mike Cronin stated that each space is different. Some may require variances from the Building Department and others may have to be located in not the most desirable space, but it appears doable in all instances.

Dori Zaleznik suggested they also investigate double-decker modulars that could be utilized in a place such as Cabot, which is very tight, and then move the modular that is currently at that location to another school.

Susie Heyman suggested the formation of a short-term facilities committee.

Mayor Cohen suggested the long-range facilities committee serve both functions since some of those decisions will be determined by the short-term needs. The short-term solutions need to address the issues that they currently face and the long-term study should include things such as changing methodology, changes in buying and selling patterns, etc. He also noted that they can tailor specific questions on the City census that will help tease out information.

Dori Zaleznik noted that they have been using several different methodologies in the last couple of years by including the principals’ data, so this fall should be helpful in verifying that information. She feels it is also important to isolate specific areas in the City because some appear to be more volatile than others. Looking across the board and failing to look at these variances could be problematic.

Anne Larner asked if they could have a timeline for the ordering of modulars and the process involved for the next meeting, so that they can determine the timeframe for what needs to be discussed and decided upon. They need to be sure they can preserve the option of ordering modulars to be in place by September ’07 if it is determined that is what is needed.

Claire Sokoloff noted that there are some schools currently living with less and losing space and she wondered how they factor that in between the short and long-term needs.

Susie Heyman stated that one of the goals of past facilities studies was to come up with guidelines that the school community believes all schools should have and then what the community can afford. There are 15 idiosyncratic buildings and all have good and bad features. It is difficult to compare which are in worse shape than others, but they will have to develop some agreed upon directives. They have this data and will now review and update the material since needs have changed.

Dori Zaleznik asked Committee members to contact her regarding their preference about the makeup of the short and long-term facilities subcommittees.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

None.

ACTION ITEMS

CONTINUED DISCUSSION/VOTE RE: INTERNET POLICY

Judith Malone Neville, outgoing Assistant Superintendent of Schools, noted the revisions made to the policy as a result of their discussions at the last meeting. These involve clarification and specificity in terms of privacy and confidentiality around student records.

Marc Laredo suggested one more addition. Under the consent of the individual they should add that in the case of a minor that is a parent or guardian. It does not necessarily have to change the policy, as long as it is clear administratively.

MOTION: It was moved to approve the Internet Policies, as

outlined in the 6/8/06 attachment.

(Larner – Glick)

unanimous

PRESENTATION OF METCO PLANS

Jeff Young noted that tonight’s material level-funds this budget until such time as they are assured by the State that they are going to receive additional funding. However, they are anticipating approximately an additional $125,000 more and they will brief the Committee on their plans for what they plan to do with that additional money once it is formally approved by the legislature.

Lisa Reed, Newton METCO Director, thanked the Committee for signing onto the letter to the Governor in support of the increase for the program along with all other METCO communities. Next September Newton METCO will celebrate its 40^th anniversary. A gala will be held on 9/15 and there will be other events surrounding that milestone at different schools. This year 29 students graduated from the program (18 from Newton North and 11 from Newton South). There were 419 students in the program this year and their goal is to keep the numbers between 415-419 as the target population. The increased funding last year allowed them to pilot a tutoring program at Brown and Oak Hill Middle Schools and they plan to extend that next year to Bigelow and Day if additional funds become available. They also instituted a summer reading program for incoming 6^th-graders and want to repeat that again next year. The budget was also able to support the Newton School Volunteers Program, which helps tutor students in 2^nd and 3^rd grade in mathematics and they also plan to continue to support that effort. She thanked all the volunteers who have done a remarkable job in this program. This year she spoke before the PTO Council, which she had not done since she took on this role six years ago. She was pleased to be invited and it was a very informative evening for parents and a way to get people involved in some of the initiatives of the program at their individual schools. She has been involved in both the Math Curriculum Review and Progress Report Committees, which are coming to an end, and will be looking to sign on to some new ones next year. She participated in the Critical Friends Groups (CFGs), where she met with other administrators monthly to get support, feedback, field problems, etc. This was a very valuable experience and helped her with some difficult issues. If they receive the additional funding for next year, she wants to provide some academic support for high school students given the high stakes nature of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam.

Gail Glick asked to what extent they lose high school students to schools such as Boston Latin.

Lisa Reed responded that they usually lose about three students on average in 7^th grade to schools such as Boston Latin. If high school students leave they tend to go for performing arts schools, such as Boston Arts Academy.

Susie Heyman thanked Lisa for helping them keep the volunteer math program going because it benefits all students and hopefully it can be expanded at some point in a similar initiative as the literacy program.

Judy Malone Neville added that METCO funds have also been used to support other early intervention initiatives at the elementary level, such as affinity groups and enabling students to participate in activities before and after school.

Dori Zaleznik thanked Lisa for her leadership. Newton is fortunate to have her and is very proud of this program.

Lisa Reed concluded by noting that tonight’s material includes an article by Dan Shaugnessy of The Boston Globe, which highlights a wonderful relationship that developed between a Newton and Boston METCO student and talks of the lifetime bonds that develop among families.

END-OF-YEAR REPORT ON SYSTEMWIDE GOALS

Due to the lateness of the hour and desire to have a full discussion on this item it was decided to table it until the next meeting.

FY06 BUDGET UPDATE

Jeff Young noted that the budget update is similar to last month’s in that they hope to be able to end barely in the black.

Sandy Guryan added that the $150,000 additional money from the City is not included in this report, so that would be a surplus to the bottom line. This money could allow them to purchase some items they were not able to buy because of the freeze on the budget, particularly in the area of copy machines and technology, unless the Committee has a desire to use it for other things.

Dori Zaleznik stated that she will poll Committee members about this and transmit that back to the administration.

OPERATIONS STATUS REPORT

Jeff Young noted that there have been a lot of concerns expressed over the past couple of weeks regarding the heating system at Newton North. A number of locations experienced extremely warm temperatures, such as the library and the Little Theater, and it impacted on some events that were being held in these locations. The problem is that they have to choose a date in which to switch from the heating to cooling systems and it takes a week for that conversation to be completed. It is never an exact science to determine the precise moment to do that because no one can predict the weather. He has suggested moving it a week earlier for next year because it is easier to get warm in a cold building by adding a sweater vs. getting cool in a hot building.

Mike Cronin added that the target date for this switch-over has been mid-May -- the Friday before the 15^th. This year it was very cold and rainy at that time so they pushed the change off by a week. What happened is that it went from cold to high 80s and humid in a very quick period of time and the system had not had the sufficient amount of time to switch over. Next year they will stick to the original plan despite whatever weather they are facing.

Marc Laredo asked if they would be able speed up the conversion from heat to air-conditioning if they had more manpower.

Mike Cronin explained that it is not a matter of personnel but rather a labor-intensive manual process.

Mayor Cohen asked about the Mason-Rice lift.

Mike Cronin replied that today Public Buildings faxed over the draft Request for Proposal (RFP). They now need to meet with the Principal and other Mason-Rice community members to discuss the drawings. While they are operating on a tight timeframe, they did build in some flexibility and are still on schedule for the opening of school.

Mayor Cohen offered to expedite the process through the City.

Mike Cronin thanked him for that and noted that if they come across any glitches he will certainly make everyone aware.

Marc Laredo asked about the Newton South High School bathroom faucets.

Mike Cronin explained that the fixtures are of a specific gooseneck variety. They replaced some of them with these same types of fixtures and in other more remote bathrooms they went with a shorter version that will have less ability to apply torque to break. Every sink that was damaged is now working.

Jonathan Yeo asked about the pilot bathroom project.

Mike Cronin responded that last summer they sampled a new type of epoxy flooring without any tiled seams, which means liquid does not get trapped in the seams, pool and cause odors. These floors are easy to clean, with a drain in the center of the room. It has held up nicely this year so they hope to roll this out into more locations this summer. The quote on the RFP will determine how many they can complete.

HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT

There were no questions on the report.

CONTINUED DISCUSSION/VOTE RE: SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY & GUIDELINES

Judy Malone Neville noted that tonight’s material includes the revisions from discussion at the last meeting. Some of the wording from the guidelines was moved into the policy itself, which strengthens the document and makes it more clear as to the charge. A few additional changes were made to make it consistent with the Life Threatening Allergies (LTA) policy. This will continue to be a living document, as the goal is to have an ongoing committee that will continually review the material.

MOTION: It was moved to approve the Wellness Policy, as

outlined in the 6/8/06 memorandum.

(Larner – Glick)

unanimous

VOTE TO ACCEPT RECOMMENDATIONS OF CLASSIFICATION/ COMPENSATION STUDY

Anne Larner noted that the subcommittee is looking for the full Committee to provide a directive to move forward with the classification study and begin work over the summer to frame a series of specific policy issues that need discussion and ultimately votes by the School Committee. In addition, they found that there were six positions in the lower to mid level non-union status whose salaries were well below where they should be according to the survey. Therefore, in consistency with the recommendation of the consultant, they would like the Committee to vote an increase to bring them to the minimal level of the classification system retroactive for 2006. These positions are as follows: 1.) Manager of Information Systems, 2.) Assistant Budget Director, 3.) Director of Business Services, 4.) Director of Community Education, 5.) Senior Budget Analyst, 6.) Staffing & Benefits Manager.

Marc Laredo commented that the studies made clear that they are not overpaying staff and, in fact, need more administrative help. While he supports the concept of the classification study, his dilemma is in the lack of data because there are few communities in Eastern Massachusetts similar to Newton. He does not feel they have enough information to support this recommendation. This is not a reflection on the individuals serving in this position, who do good work, but rather a data driven issue.

Reenie Murphy stated that she recalculated some of the salaries by taking out the higher end communities and, in her opinion, it did not have much of an impact on the end fair market salary. She believes that these six positions deserve adjustments to level the playing field.

Anne Larner added that because of Newton’s size there are positions that do not exist in some other communities, so it becomes difficult in comparing data points. While she understands Marc’s concerns, her background is in the financial area, of which a number of these positions fall, and she has a degree of comfort in knowing the marketplace and in making this recommendation.

Dori Zaleznik noted that she, Reenie, and Anne served on the subcommittees for both of these studies, so they had more of an opportunity to work through the methodology. This recommendation only brings these positions to a level playing field and even on the lower end.

MOTION: It was moved to approve the recommendations

of the classification/compensation subcommittee,

including the increases for the six positions identified

by the HRS study, as outlined in the 6/8/06 memorandum.

(Glick – Heyman)

8 - 0 - 1

Opposed: Laredo

VOTE TO ACCEPT DONATION

MOTION: It was moved to accept the donation of $5,849

from the parents of graduating fifth-graders over the

past several years for the purchase and installation

of a new stage curtain for Mason-Rice Elementary School, and the donation of $4,000 from the Newton Brokers Association, for scholarships for graduating seniors of Newton North and Newton South High Schools.

(Larner – Murphy)

unanimous

Dori Zaleznik mentioned that the system has received a donation offer from Michael Striar for $50,000 to pay for the salary of a 5^th grade teacher at Mason-Rice. Given that their policy addresses equity and donations being earmarked for specific purposes, and the large sum being offered, she feels the Committee needs to have some discussion about this issue.

Marc Laredo appreciates Mr. Striar’s generosity and wished it had been offered as an unrestricted gift for the system. Unfortunately, he does not believe they can accept this donation, which could set a precedent, and which goes against the notion of what a public school system is all about.

Susie Heyman echoed Marc’s comments. While it is difficult to turn down such an offer in hard financial times, public education must remain a level playing field. Parents need to be assured that resources are distributed equitably across all schools.

Jonathan Yeo agreed and noted that there are many areas where this money could be used productively and equitably, such as donating to the Newton Schools Foundation, a modular classroom, or for energy conservation.

Dori Zaleznik noted that she mentioned the Newton Schools Foundation to Mr. Striar in their conversation but the suggestion was not well received.

Reenie Murphy noted that another area that could be considered for use of the funding is the lift at Mason-Rice, which would still benefit Mr. Striar’s particular school, yet not be something as specific as buying a teacher. She hopes he will reconsider the restriction of the gift.

Dori Zaleznik added that there are many schools in the system which could benefit by having an additional teacher and it is the role of the administration to determine these priorities.

Gail Glick concurred with her colleagues statements, not only in regard to the equity issue, but the notion of purchasing personnel, which is the purvey of the school department and not the public.

Jeffrey Young recommended the Committee not accept this gift, although it is a generous offer, because it violates the principle of equitable distribution of resources. When he received Mr. Striar’s letter, he wrote back expressing interest in further discussions about some of Mr. Striar’s creative ideas for fundraising for the schools and hopes that he will take him up on this offer.

It was the consensus of the Committee not to accept this donation.

COMMUNICATIONS

Dori Zaleznik announced that the Superintendent’s contract calls for him to tell the Committee whether or not he is interested in pursuing contract negotiations for another term at the end of the second year of the three-year contract. The Superintendent has notified her that he is interested. The Committee is currently in the process of evaluating him and will vote at the next meeting regarding renewal of the contract and entering into negotiations.

Reenie Murphy congratulated the recent graduates of Newton North and South. Both ceremonies were rainy but joyous occasions and it was wonderful to see the achievements of so many students. She also wished to acknowledge Jocelyn Rice, sophomore at Newton North, who spearheaded the effort to raise money for the Vietnam memorial plaque, which was dedicated this past weekend outside the Little Theater at Newton North.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Elaine Whalen, Copresident of the Zervas Elementary School PTO, finds it unfortunate that schools seem to be pitted against one another for upgrades to their facilities. She was under the impression that the long-range facilities study was already underway and would be completed soon, so she hopes the Committee accelerates that plan. Zervas is the smallest school physically, with 25% less square footage per student than the average elementary school. Their auditorium was given up years ago to accommodate the need for additional classes. There is no cafeteria, basement, attic or storage space. Special education services take place in the hallways. The school was built to house 250 students and next year there will be 325. They are only several students away from needing an additional classroom, of which they cannot have because there is no space. She was extremely disappointed not to see their school listed as a priority for a modular, particularly when they invited the Assistant Superintendent of Schools to a PTO meeting last year to talk about this need. Houses are being rebuilt in their neighborhood and put on the market and families are moving in with young children. Parents are even talking to realtors when a house goes under agreement to find out if there are children in the family so that they can stay ahead of the curve. They encourage the administration to do the same.

Dori Zaleznik noted that the long-range facilities study was help up by the Board of Aldermen, so they are looking at other means of funding.

Ron Sanders, parent member of the Zervas School Council, talked about the neighborhoods that are seeing a large increase in housing turnover in Newton, with Zervas being one. They are seeing more young families moving into their neighborhood over the past three years. The facility is in deplorable shape, with skyrocketing heating costs, so it is a bad situation which is quickly deteriorating.

Karen Nacht, Zervas parent, talked about the impact the space situation has on their program and the diversity of the school. Next year they will not be able to accept any METCO students, which is very disheartening given that Zervas was one of the first schools to accept students into this program. Last year they came close to having to turn away siblings of current METCO students in their school. While other schools may talk about not wanting to lose some of their space, such as an auditorium, Zervas has not had such luxuries in years.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 10:25 p.m.