NEWTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING, JUNE 26, 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)

OPEN SESSION

MOTION: At 6:06 p.m., it was moved, by roll call vote,

to convene in executive session for the purpose

of discussing issues related to contract negotiations.

If passed, the Committee will reconvene in open

session at 7:30 p.m.

(Heyman - Glick)

8 – 0 – 1

Absent for executive session: Mayor Cohen

Roll call vote by ward:

Ward l, “yes” (Glick); Ward ll, “yes” (Murphy); Ward lll, “yes” (Larner); Ward lV, “yes” (Yeo); Ward V, “yes” (Heyman); Ward Vl, “yes” (Sokoloff); Ward Vll, “yes” (Laredo); Ward Vlll, “yes” (Zaleznik), Mayor Cohen, absent for executive session

CALL TO ORDER

Chairperson Dori Zaleznik called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Bruce Henderson, Zervas Elementary School parent, expressed surprise that Zervas was not on the list distributed at the last School Committee meeting of schools that have the greatest need for space problems. Zervas is projected next year to have more students per classroom than all but one of the schools listed. It is his understanding that the reason for Zervas not being listed is that the other schools show that they will be beyond current capacity but Zervas will not. He cautioned them in relying solely on this data because it does not take into account the actual space per child. Next year they will be in a three-way tie for the most crowded elementary school. They are down to bare minimum for common space, which has been carved up into classrooms, of which there are now four more than for what the building was originally designed. There are currently 26 homes for sale in their district. Next year’s 4^th grade will average more than 25 students. Adding just a few students to these classes would require an additional classroom. In addition, enrollment projections have not been very reliable and actual enrollments at Zervas have exceeded projections for the past six years. There are no quick fixes in their facility as they have utilized every bit of space. He requested that their school be considered for a modular and that they start planning immediately.

Geoffrey Epstein, Newton, talked about the contract negotiations with the teachers and the Superintendent, which are important issues that are conducted in closed session. He requested that as much as possible of that process be made public in order to let people know what is happening. While he understands the need to have some of what is being discussed kept confidential during the negotiations, it would be helpful to the community to know what difficulties they are facing, how things might be balanced, and to generally be informed in some manner. In terms of the teachers’ contract, there should be a way to strike a balance so that they can preserve the quality of the system while at the same time giving teachers a reasonable contract. In terms of the Superintendent’s contract, he suggested they allow the public some input.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES’ DISCUSSION

None

RECOGNITIONS

Jay Mayur, Neil Mayur, and Shane Lampert, sophomores at Newton North High School, were recognized for winning a $10,000 prize from Microsoft’s TIE Con East Plan Competition for their invention (“Ziggy Tech”), a device that can transmit a child’s temperature wirelessly to a hospital or home computer.

APPROVAL OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

MOTION: It was moved to approve the executive session

and regular meeting minutes of 3/16, 3/20

and 3/23.

(Larner – Murphy)

unanimous

VOTE ON RENEWAL OF SUPERINTENDENT’S CONTRACT

Dori Zaleznik explained the process around the renewal of the Superintendent’s contract. The reason this is done a year before the contract ends is because if either party decided they did not wish not to pursue renewal there would be sufficient time to hire a new superintendent. The Superintendent has informed the Committee that he desires to renew the contract. The Committee will respond and vote on this tonight and, if approved, a subcommittee consisting of herself, Susie, and Jonathan will then begin negotiations with him in the fall. She then relayed some information from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) showing that in the last four years 65% of superintendent positions in the State were open and of the 50 open since 2005 only five were filled with a superintendent with five or more years of experience. Newton is fortunate to have an experienced Superintendent. He is evaluated on many facets, including the Systemwide Goals. When he first came to Newton five core challenges were identified (responding to State Education Reform, providing consistent academics for all students, respecting human differences, improving management systems, and mobilizing public support). She believes they have come a long way in making considerable progress in each of these areas under his leadership.

MOTION: It was moved to renew the Superintendent’s contract

for an additional three years, effective July 1, 2007 –

June 30, 2010, and to authorize the Chairperson of the School Committee to designate a subcommittee to enter

into negotiations on the contract subject to final approval

by the School Committee.

(Heyman – Glick)

Discussion:

Susie Hyman has been very impressed with Jeff from the time she worked with him on the Education Collaborative (EDCO) board around negotiations and the desire to find mutual goals vs. differences. She was on the School Committee that originally hired him and believes he has been an inspirational leader. In his entire tenure he had only one year where he had sufficient money to do the kind of things he wanted to do in the system and the rest of the time has been working hard to determine how to make the least detrimental cuts. Sometimes people confuse the problems of the system with the person at the top. It is his leadership that has helped them preserve what is important to the system through very difficult fiscal times. He has very good relationships with many constituencies in the community. She is pleased that he is willing to stay on and face the difficult times ahead.

Claire Sokoloff stated that Jeff possesses the personal leadership qualities that have served this community well. She was reflecting today on the fact that despite all the cuts that have had to be made over the years, this is still an excellent system and one in which they should be very proud and she attributes a lot of this to his leadership. So many people move into Newton for the schools, which says a great deal about the system, but it also puts a great management challenge on the school department. The fact that they have and retain such excellent teachers and that their students and staff receive numerous awards and recognitions are other signs that this is a thriving system. Jeff has always talked about the importance of a student’s entire career in the schools and has followed those words with actions that are best for the system as a whole. Sometimes this is not what one particular constituency wants to hear, but it is the totality of the experience that he always keeps in mind.

Gail Glick has also been consistently impressed with Jeff’s dynamic leadership, as well as his ability to grow, adjust, and respond to situations in creative ways. He has been more than willing to make the budget process and other areas of the system as transparent as possible to the community to better help the public understand the challenges they face.

Jonathan Yeo believes Jeff has been an effective and positive leader for the schools. He has managed very well through some extremely difficult years. He is confident that he and those he selects in his administration will move the system forward.

Reenie Murphy talked about the fact that when Jeff arrived the 21 schools were quite independent and operating very differently. Jeff has overseen the process of moving toward standardized curriculum and processes without losing that creativity that is cherished in the system. Jeff is always willing to try something new rather than continuing to do things the way they have always been done. They now need to move ahead and work together around strategic planning and goals for the future.

Anne Larner also appreciates Jeff’s ability and skill as an educational leader, but in addition she appreciates his hands-on work and involvement in the buildings and facilities, particularly the many hours of time getting involved in the detail of the high school projects and working behind the scenes to bring out the best solutions. For someone who would most likely prefer to be dealing with the academic side of the job, it is to his credit that he jumped right into this work when it was not even on the radar screen when he took the job.

Mayor Cohen commented that he has spent a lot of time in various communities in this Commonwealth and in doing so it becomes very apparent how fortunate they are in Newton. The Superintendent is passionate about education and never loses site of his long-term vision for the system, despite the difficult problems that arise. He relates well to people from all walks of like in both academic and non-academic settings. Newton is lucky that he wants to remain here for another three years.

Marc Laredo also enthusiastically supports the Superintendent. He has been very impressed with his vision, energy, and enthusiasm, particularly in a job that has very high “burn-out.” He puts in countless hours both early morning and late into the evening, with a considerable sacrifice to his personal life. He looks forward to continuing to work with him for another three years.

Dori Zaleznik stated that Jeff’s willingness to work with the Committee has been excellent and she feels they have pulled together as a group. They have made outreaches to the community which she expects will continue and together they will define how to preserve what they value in education in Newton.

Vote on motion to renew contract and enter into negotiations with Superintendent:

unanimous

Jeff Young appreciates the support of the Committee, especially as they have dealt with many issues together. They have challenged him to do his best by setting high expectations, as well as helped him to achieve the balance in the system that they have talked about many times. He would never have made such progress without the assistance of the Central Staff and principals, who have helped him make and shape many decisions. He is grateful to the teachers, secretaries, custodians and all other support staff, as everyone is working toward the same goal of doing what is best for students. Parents and community members are very active in Newton and passionate about education and have helped him recognize the complexity of issues and to understand different viewpoints. Whether or not he ultimately agrees with someone on an issue they can be sure they have been heard. The students are the joy and pride of the system and he is proud of their many accomplishments. He also wished to thank his office staff – Mary Burns, Dede Reade, and Maureen McAdams – for their positive attitude, hard work and team effort in making the office appear to run smoothly even during the most stressful times. He concluded by thanking his wife and children for their love, patience, and understanding through many evenings when he was working or attending meetings instead of being at home.

REPORTS

REPORTS ON REVISIONS TO NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION SPECIFICATIONS (ED SPECS)

Dori Zaleznik noted that the purpose of this discussion is to put into the record the changes that have occurred in the ed specs, as people got more into the minutia and determined the needs and tradeoffs. These will be voted on in the fall. The net square footage remains the same because as space was added in one area it was taken away in another.

Jeff Young added that since the Committee voted the original ed specs six months ago they have continued to work with the design team. Sixty-four meetings took place between staff and the team to fine-tune the ed specs, square footage allocations, adjacencies, etc. While this is not the specifics of the final design itself, it makes sure everything is accounted for at this time. There have been a number of tradeoffs which are detailed in the material so that they could keep to the bottom line of 399,140 square feet.

Anne Larner expressed concern about the loss of the TV production space. As they move forward, she hopes they can look for flexibility to preserve options for these type of creative, hands-on programs, as these will rise and fall in interest among students and staff over the years.

Dori Zaleznik agreed and mentioned that one thing that may be helpful for this program is the move of New TV to larger quarters and the possibility of some partnerships developing.

Jeff Young commented that there may be some way of finding the flexibility for a small space for this program. They will continue to work with the architects over the summer. This has been an evolving document for six months and changes constantly as new information becomes available and new ideas arise.

SUPERINTENDENT’S PERSONNEL REPORT

Jeff Young brought attention to the booklet Commemorating the 2006 Retirees of the Newton Public Schools, which is in tonight’s packet.

Paul Stein, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, talked about this wonderful tradition of commemorating retirees at the end of the year. Fifty-nine letters of retirement are included covering various positions. These are an extraordinary group of people who work magic with students in whatever role they have played. Many people have commented on this booklet and the recollections it brings back in their lives as to certain favorite teachers they or their children had, a particular secretary or custodian who was a good friend, or a lunch room attendant who was very helpful. He is going to request that the Newton Tab publish this in the future because he feels it is something that the entire community should be able to view and something in which Newton Public Schools can show great pride. This truly shows the strength of the system.

Susie Heyman had some of the same feelings Paul expressed when she read these letters. She saw many of her child’s teachers and thought back to how wonderful they all were and this feels like she is looking at her family history. They need to ensure that people just like these follow in their footsteps and spend their careers here in Newton.

Jeff Young concluded by once more acknowledging Judith Malone-Neville, outgoing Assistant Superintendent of Schools, for her 34 years in Newton, 41 years in public education, and the thousands of lives she has touched and influenced. He has valued her advice and friendship and will miss her dearly and thanked her for all she has done for the Newton Public Schools.

UPDATE ON SHORT-TERM SPACE NEEDS

Jeff Young noted that this is a follow-up to the discussion at the last meeting, in which the Committee asked that the administration provide a reverse timeline so that if they decide to have modulars in place for September, 2007 they would know what decisions need to be made and in what timeframe. In addition, they need to identify and approve a funding source. Also included in tonight’s material is an enrollment update. In the short period of time between the last School Committee meeting and tonight the numbers have changed fairly significantly by about 59 students who will be leaving the system. This kind of fluidity is going to occur throughout the summer and all they can do is try to get the best handle on it as possible.

Mike Cronin stated that they have spoken with three modular vendors and it appears that the Committee needs to vote to approve a funding plan by 10/15/06 in order to have these in place by September, 2007. This timeline was modeled after the process of installing them at Countryside Elementary School a number of years ago. A lot of discussion was had in developing this timeframe with City departments, with whom they will have to deal with in this process.

Reenie Murphy appreciates this information but thought that this was only one piece that they would be reviewing and that they would also be talking about other options such as redistricting and Carr School.

Dori Zaleznik wondered if there is any flexibility in this timeline. They want to wait until October so that they have two years’ worth of enrollments that are from both the historical method as well as the anecdotal information from principals of what they are hearing in June compared to actuals in October. She asked if they can move the process along without speculating on the exact number of units that may be needed or where they will be placed.

Mike Cronin stated that in his conversations with the Building Commissioner, they discussed collecting data on all the site conditions and then putting together a package of four or five where they think they will need modulars. Then as they move through the various processes and approvals they may have some flexibility to make changes and decide whether or not redistricting may be a better option in some cases vs. modulars. They do not need to actually enter into a contract for the units until February. He will explore this in more depth with the Commissioner to see if this is doable.

Reenie Murphy is not comfortable with an assumption that they are going with modulars.

Dori Zaleznik stated that they only want to be sure that if they want them that they have sufficient time for getting them in place by September, 2007. This does not assume this is a given.

Jeff Young added that they have to consider a similar timeline for Carr School as well if they are adding that into the mix because that would require fairly significant renovations.

Claire Sokoloff believes it is essential to have this information, but agrees with Reenie that the idea of modulars arose rather suddenly and people need time to digest the information and put it into the context of other possible solutions for dealing with overcrowding. There are many variables associated with the various solutions that have to be considered and no doubt there are other creative ideas that have not yet been explored. She asked if the criteria for determining which schools will have modulars have already been determined or if there is room for some flexibility. There are schools that are presently experiencing space problems and she wondered if they will be addressed along with the short-term solutions or in the long-range facilities plan.

Dori Zaleznik believes this needs to be part of their full discussion and both are working documents that they can do with as they wish.

Claire Sokoloff expressed a desire that they look at the current uses of space as well as projected enrollment increases in their decision-making.

Susie Heyman believes that whatever the makeup of the subcommittee, in the short term they need to work this summer on a variety of issues, such as how to decide on the criteria for modulars, where they would be best placed, where the funding would come from, how to go about beginning to look at redistricting to see if that might solve some of the problems, how they might use Carr School if it were available, etc. Depending on the availability of Committee members over the summer, they might want to do some shifting in and out of the committees to be sure they are prepared to present the issue to the full Committee early in the fall.

Marc Laredo agrees with Susie in that they need to be prepared by no later than October to decide upon modulars if that is the direction in which they wish to head and they need to factor in time to hear community input as well.

Sandy Guryan noted that she has been having numerous conversations with people about enrollments and is happy to talk with anyone who would like to provide some input. As the Superintendent indicated, they conducted another survey with principals and some parents to focus more closely on particular schools. The method of data collection is complicated, with numbers constantly changing and she is anxious to see how the numbers pan out this fall. She mentioned that they also provide their data to the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), an educational consulting firm, which runs a check on their information to make sure they are not overlooking anything. Determining the baseline on the facilities from which they are going to decide space needs is a critical piece of the equation and she looks forward to working with any consultants that might help them evaluate this information.

Dori Zaleznik noted that the reduction of the 59 students from this week’s estimates from the principals brings them to within 12 students of the December 2005 projections. Clearly they are all awaiting the October’s numbers, which will include the actuals and anectdotals.

Anne Larner noted how difficult this process is, as what appears to be an unanticipated trend within the community is changing the dynamics of the projections. They are totally constrained on funding and have maxed out on space in many buildings. Given these circumstances they cannot afford to be wrong in their projections. They have a great challenge ahead.

Dori Zaleznik noted that she had raised the issue of possibly using some of the reserve money that had been committed to various CIP projects to purchase modulars. However, given that so many of these projects have been waiting for a long time to be completed and some have energy efficiency implications, she feels it is premature to go this route.

END-OF-YEAR REPORT ON SYSTEMWIDE GOALS

Jeff Young stated that the four key areas of the goals are 1.) Improvement in Teaching and Learning, 2.) Workforce/Organizational Development, 3.) Physical Assets, 4.) Public Engagement. As they go through them, he asked that they keep in mind certain themes that permeate all the goals, such as high standards, inclusiveness, and relationships.

In terms of high standards, they have grappled with the changes from Education Reform legislation to a more standards based learning environment with a sequential coherent program. For a system with such a rich history and tradition of innovation, creativity, and independence, it has been a difficult shift and has taken time and effort to find a balance. Alignment of the curriculum is something that needs to be monitored and tweaked. The high standards that exist in the program are getting consistently better and are partnered by high standards in the management of the system, which has also greatly improved.

The theme of inclusiveness involves the value they place on all students and especially those requiring special education services, in trying to keep them in neighborhood schools with support to the extent possible. Newton has a reputation as an excellent school system and is a magnet for people desiring to move here to give their children the best services possible. While it may pose difficulties financially and with space issues, it is something of which they should be extremely proud. Another component of inclusiveness is the Respect for Human Differences Mission Statement. He understands that to some this is a vague statement that some people are finding difficult to clarify and interpret in various situations. While they may wish to have more discussion about that aspect, he remains committed that there should be no double standards and that everyone should have a safe environment, equal access and opportunity, and be respected.

In terms of the theme of relationships, everything they do comes down to the people that implement the work, so it is important to build strong relationships so that people can perform at the highest level. An important component of this is the relationships with the unions, which while not always easy, particularly during negotiations, still give the system its strength.

He then highlighted some of the specific work involved in the goals. Under the teaching and learning goal, curriculum development continues. He mentioned the integrated English language arts & science/technology/engineering connection, which is innovative for the district. At the elementary level this means teachers are using science content and trade books as a way of developing literacy. At the middle schools they have been embarking upon reform using a national research model called Breaking Ranks in the Middle™: Strategies for Leading Middle Level Reform. Principals and staff will shortly be attending training on this program. Middle school staff will also be receiving laptops and attending a new form of iCamp called Windows Camp.

In the workforce/organizational development area, there is an extraordinary amount of compliance necessary under the No Child Left Behind legislation around highly qualified requirements for teachers. Newton is fortunate in that approximately 98% have received this distinction, but they need to continue that work toward 100% and to continue that effort as new staff arrive. The Human Resources Department deserves a great deal of credit for the ongoing work they do with union negotiations, search processes, and in particular the wonderful outcome of the selection of the new high school principals.

Under the physical assets goal, this is obviously a current and pressing issue given the space constraints and aging buildings. They are committed to working on the short- and long-term facilities studies and cannot wait any longer to begin this process. Enrollment and financial forecasting are critical areas on which they need to focus. The energy audit at Day and mini audits in the other buildings were very helpful in identifying potential energy savings projects, which they will begin work on over the summer. They have made a concerted effort not to cut charter maintenance for the past four years and while this has been helpful, level-funding the account is certainly not progress. They will need to find other ways to fund the needs of the facilities.

Under the public engagement goal, the subcommittee of the School Committee gave an excellent presentation on this last month and that is included in tonight’s material. They continue to try to engage the public in as many ways as practical and possible. Two interactive forums were held this year and during budget season a user-friendly booklet explaining the budget process was well received by the community. The School Committee has continued visits to the schools and attending PTO meetings and the feedback has been very positive on that score. People feel the Committee is truly interested in their issues and that is a powerful message. In conclusion, this is a strong and vibrant school system of which they should be very proud, particularly if it is viewed through the lens of a student’s entire career

Marc Laredo was struck by how much they have been able to accomplish. As a School Committee, they should take particular pride in the public engagement goal and the work they have done on this over the past couple of years. Clearly there is more work to do, especially in the area of technology, where they have not been able to appropriately fund the needs and need to think about different ways of accomplishing this goal. The same can be said for the facilities, on which they need to focus. While they may not ever be able to accomplish everything, they need to continue to set and work toward high standards.

Susie Heyman noted that they had to scale back on their plans to identify and support in-house staff for leadership roles and she hopes they can get back to this effort. She asked if someone could elaborate on the Breaking Ranks in the Middle™, which sounds like a very exciting program.

Jeff Young stated that the leadership program was a pilot and, if successful, meant to be held in alternate years. Given the turnout and feedback it will probably be introduced again next year.

Judy Malone Neville talked about their efforts to look at the structure, program and curriculum of the middle schools, which have sat on the back-burner for a number of years while the focus has been on the elementary schools and high school construction. They are looking at gathering feedback from students and parents as they roll out some proposed changes and attempt to reverse some of the cuts they have been forced to take over the past several years.

Carolyn Wyatt, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, stated that the middle school structure has been in place in Newton for approximately 10 years and it is time to reflect on the structure and content to make sure there is consistency, appropriate support for staff, and adequate resources. This is the level where they have found a need for change and to upgrade materials as they have worked through their curriculum review cycles. Last year they focused on the history/social sciences, with the implementation of the Geographic Information System (GIS), and this year they focused on mathematics materials. They need to plan for instruction and a balanced curriculum that will be rigorous enough to meet the needs of all students. Team size and the ability opportunities staff to work collaboratively are critical factors at this level. Breaking Ranks in the Middle™ will provide the first set of conferences this July, as well as another in the fall, which will help them reflect on how effective they are now in the program and what changes or revisions they might need to make over the next several years. It will be an interesting and exciting challenge.

Marc Laredo asked when they expect to have proposals for revisions brought back to the School Committee.

Carolyn Wyatt expects to be able to give an interim report by late fall or early winter around the progress they have made and by the end of the next school year should have some clear guidelines developed by the teachers and administrators.

Jeff Young added that by budget season next year they should have proposals or at least indicators of what is forthcoming for the following year.

Judy Malone Neville mentioned that the middle school principals and staff have been carefully reviewing data from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam including scores, grades, and portfolios, as indicators to students’ success.

Reenie Murphy commented on the Systemwide Goals document itself, which she feels they should refer to more often during the year, especially during the budget process, to check that they are on the right path. Perhaps they could call it by another name, such as strategic planning.

Anne Larner thought that changing the format of the document might be helpful because as it currently stands it can be quite overwhelming with too much detail. The way it is currently written may not be taking advantage of the opportunity to show the public the progress that is being made toward concrete goals. Perhaps over the summer they could take some time to think about ideas for combining text and graphics that might make the document more transparent. In terms of referring back to it at different points during the year, this was actually done once when they attempted to review it mid-year and it fell flat, so while the intent is a good one it needs to be thought out carefully in order to be effective.

Jeff Young noted that the attempt to review the goals mid-year was problematic because things were in flux and it was not ready to be presented, but they should be able to come up with some format that will address the concerns.

Dori Zaleznik wished to note that one of the obvious themes in this report is that as the system has had to cut back on professional development opportunities the Newton Schools Foundations has stepped up to the plate and supported so many efforts. She thanked them for their enormous contribution to the schools.

Marc Laredo likes the idea of thinking about a different way to present this material, much like the way they have been changing how budget materials are presented as part of their public engagement goal. Perhaps they might want to consider reviewing just one particular goal or area at different points in time rather than trying to digest the whole document and try to assess the progress even if it is incomplete.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

DISCUSSION RE: SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION

Jeff Young explained that the Mayor has provided the school system an additional supplemental appropriation of $150,000 for FY06 as a way to defray some of the unexpectedly large utilities cost increases. Tonight’s material includes the administration’s proposal for how to use those funds, which basically addresses purchasing of copier machines, textbooks, materials, and school furnishings, which were items that were frozen during budget deliberations. They are still expecting additional State aid and METCO funding, as well as some other potential funding sources, that they can use to carry forward for FY07 expenditures.

Dori Zaleznik noted that if these additional expenditures are forthcoming the Committee will meet over the summer to vote on how to use those funds and particularly to address personnel cuts.

Reenie Murphy noted that this is a one time infusion of money which if not used will be lost, so she supports this recommendation.

Dori Zaleznik mentioned that there is still a need for funding the long-term facilities study, so that should be added to the mix if they want to get the bid out in the fall and even if this money is not used for that purpose they need to find it somewhere in the budget.

MOTION: It was moved to approve the recommended

list of items to be purchased with the $150,000

supplemental appropriation, as outlined in the

memorandum of 6/23/06.

(Larner – Glick)

8 – 0 – 1

Absent for vote: Mayor Cohen

ACTION ITEMS

VOTE TO ACCEPT GRANTS

MOTION: It was moved to accept the grants totaling $4,358,990,

as outlined in the memorandum of 6/22/06.

(Larner – Glick)

8 – 0 – 1

Absent for vote: Mayor Cohen

COMMUNICATIONS

None.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Lucia Dolan, Newton, strongly supports having concrete, measurable goals that provide a vision for the system, which she believes is currently lacking.

Bruce Henderson commented that the way the system currently looks at enrollment projections is in a linear fashion and then adding other anecdotal material. What is throwing them off is not accounting for people moving into the City with school-aged children. Turnover of housing happens in clumps and they need to develop a model of population distribution in each district to see when they would be turning over. In doing a cursory look at this information the Bowen district stood out with a projected 5-7% growth, with high numbers of elderly people. He suggested utilizing college students to work on these statistics to determine the probability of changes in the neighborhoods.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.