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APPROVED MINUTES
PROPOSED SEPTEMBER 21, 2006
MINUTES REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF EDUCATION
of the of the
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Held in the Senior High School, Room 11
Conklin, New York, County of Broome
MEMBERS Mrs. Janice Young
PRESENT: Mrs. Eleanor Hamilton
Mr. John Pollock
Mrs. Mary Haskell (arrived at 6:40 p.m., personal)
Mrs. Christine Moriarty
Mr. Rusty Storm (arrived at 6:36 p.m., personal)
Mrs. Julia Bowers
Mr. Kevin McGuigan
Mr. Bill Yelverton
ALSO Mrs. Carol Boyce, Superintendent
PRESENT: Dr. Renee Stalma, Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Mark Gorgos, Legal Advisor to the Board
Ms. Diane Kalmen, District Clerk
Ms. Irina Pecheny, Central Business Office
Mr. Jim Hull, Public Information Specialist
Ms. Brenda Lehtonen, Lourdes Center for Oral Health
Ms. Lucy Bianco, Lourdes Center for Oral Health
Newschannel 34
Ms. Marcia Guardia, Country Courier
22 residents, 7 students
Mrs. Young, Board President, called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m.
Executive Session – Mrs. Moriarty made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton, that the Board of Education meet in
Executive Session to discuss personnel. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (7 yeses)
At 6:35 p.m. the Board met in Executive Session
At 7:06 p.m. the Board adjourned Executive Session
Mrs. Young, Board President, called the Regular Meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. and led the salute to the American flag.
RECORD OF ATTENDANCE – Mrs. Bowers made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton, to accept into record the attendance for the September 21, 2006 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Mrs. Moriarty made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Bowers, to approve the minutes of the September 7, 2006 Special Meeting of the Board of Education. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
Presentation – Ms. Lucy Bianco and Ms. Ms. Brenda Lehtonen gave a presentation on the Lourdes Center for Oral Health. They have a mobile unit which will go to schools to provide services for children unable to access services at dental offices.
VOICE OF THE PUBLIC #1 – Mr. Gerald Kane stated that the administrators and teachers did an outstanding job helping the community at the Relief Center after the flooding. Mr. Kane asked that two Pennsylvania bluestone benches at Cedarhurst, purchased in memory of deceased SV personnel, be moved to one of the other schools and a plaque placed that the benches are in memory of deceased SV personnel. Mr. Kane also talked about a black walnut tree, which was planted at Cedarhurst in 1958 when SV employee Ed Butler passed away. Mr. Kane thinks it would be a nice gesture for classes to take a walnut and plant it at the other schools.
Ms. Connie Fuller, Ms. Kelly O'Dea, Ms. Kathy Lipski, Ms. Kathy Godbout, Ms. Elizabeth Godbout, Ms. Judy Larkin voiced their concern that the Saber Swim Club will not be allowed to use the pool this year. They talked about the success of the program and how it can be a feeder program for SV's swim teams. Mrs. Larkin asked for information about the other organization that will be coming in to use the pool, if they would be paying per hour pool time. Mrs. Boyce reported that the organization will be treated the same way as other non-school organizations. Mrs. Larkin asked for a meeting with Mrs. Boyce and Mr. Wilson to talk about the use of the pool and the decision regarding the Saber Swim Club. Mrs. Boyce asked that Mrs. Larkin call her secretary to have this meeting set up.
Ms. Holly Finch gave an update on the Relief Center. Needs are changing and different items are needed now, such as winter clothing and appliances. Ms. Finch showed an article in Casual Living magazine regarding Jewels of Java in Endicott donating truckloads of furniture for flood victims. Holly stated that they would like to keep the Relief Center open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays and asked if it would be possible to have the Center open when sports teams are using Cedarhurst in the evenings. Mrs. Young stated that the Facilities Committee is reporting to the Board later in the meeting and will be making recommendations.
Ms. Chris Miller voiced her concerns with the retaining of the services of Aswad and Ingraham for a personnel matter. Mrs. Miller asked about paying for these services and if the evaluation process was followed. Mrs. Miller stated that cases such as this can drag out for years and she feels a cap should be put on the expenditures. Mrs. Young replied that this is a personnel issue and cannot be discussed. Mrs. Miller stated that everyone knows that SV could be facing hard financial times and the bad press the District has received lately does not help. Mrs. Miller stated that in 2004-05 the Board had the responsibility of hiring a superintendent and that this was completed although it was not a unanimous vote. Mrs. Miller feels that new Board members started in July 2005 and now members are trying to undermine the decision of a previous Board and are trying to get "their top candidate" in place. Mrs. Miller feels the Board should go back to the basics and reread the Board Handbook, the Bylaws and the Code of Conduct. Mrs. Miller stated that she is not for or against the Superintendent, she is for the Susquehanna Valley Central School District and what is in its best interest and the best interest of the students and the taxpayers. Mrs. Miller stated that the elementary students took the hit for the District this year and they better not be hit with the budget slashing yet to come. Mrs. Miller asked that the Board think long and hard about the decisions they are making or not making and how the public image of SV is affected by these decisions.
Mrs. Mary Rader stated that this is a very difficult time for the school community and that this did not happen over night. Mrs. Rader stated that she feels she is partly to blame with her last few years on the Board and the decisions that were made. Mrs. Rader stated that SV will always be a part of her life. Mrs. Rader stated that she disagrees with a lot of the comments made and what has happened has broken her heart. She feels the community is upset and divided. Mrs. Rader would like to see a census done, that there is a need to see where people are. Mrs. Rader feels that the Board and administration need to work together, that the worst thing that happened was the leak of the article that appeared in the paper.
FINANCIAL REPORT – Ms. Irina Pecheny reported that the audit went very well and a report will be given to the Audit Committee. Mrs. Hamilton made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Bowers, that the Board acknowledge receipt of the August financial reports. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT – Mrs. Boyce
Resolutions – Mr. McGuigan made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Moriarty, to approve the following resolutions:
Instructional Resignation – that the resignation of Helga Jensen, Spanish teacher, RTS Middle School, be accepted effective October 11, 2006.
Volleyball Activity Account – that a student activity volleyball account be opened for the 2006-07 school year: Gianni Cordisco, Meghan Snell, and Kathryn Gorgos as unpaid staff advisors; Samantha Hiza and Jennifer Zonts as student advisors. Mr. McGuigan asked if the students would receive training on managing the account. Mrs. Boyce replied that the students will be working with Nancy Rose in the High School Main Office.
2006-07 Department Chairpersons – that the following Department Chairpersons be approved as follows:
Jeff Renner HS Art $4360
Kathleen Searing HS English 6010
Sharon Rowe HS Foreign Language 5750
Jayne Benson MS Library 4325
Ann Laczak MS Life Skills 5840
Evan Romer HS Math 6090
Lorraine Buckley HS Science 6050
Gina Rachmaninoff HS Social Studies 6010
James Apicella HS Music (split) 2875
Gail Markstein HS Music (split) 2875
Extra Class Stipend – that Ann Laczak receive an extra class stipend of $5000 for the 2006-07 school year.
2006-07 Assistant Coach – that the following winter 2006-07 coaching appointment be approved:
2006-07
Level & Sport Name of Coach Began School Year Salary
JV Assistant Football Robert Neira 2006-07 1st year As Per Contract
Instructional Tenure – that Stacey DiRenzo be granted tenure in Mathematics, effective 11/3/06.
Donation – that be it RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby accept a donation from
Journalism/Newspaper Club for the following:
1 Nikon Coolpix L4 Digital Camera
1 SD Memory Card
1 4-6 Hour Rapid Charger
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Education extends its sincere appreciation for this generous donation.
Audio-Visual Coordinator – that Krista Clapper be approved as the High School Audio-Visual Coordinator at a stipend of $1100, for the 2006-07 school year.
K-5 Art & Library Supervisor Stipends – that the following K-5 Supervisor stipends be approved for the
2006-07 school year:
K-5 Art Supervisor Maxine Rosenberg $2035
K-5 Library Supervisor Jayne Benson $2435
Resignation – that the resignation of Mike Baird, custodian, be accepted effective September 14, 2006.
Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
Early Release Days – Mrs. Hamilton made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Moriarty, that the following early release days be approved for staff development: September 29, December 8, January 26, and March 29. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
Mrs. Boyce reported on the busing of displaced students. Currently there are 40-45 students being transported in a manner different from their regular routes. Two students have returned to the District this week. Updated reports will be given to the Board at each meeting. Mrs. Haskell asked for a whole transportation report on how everything is going with the changes from three elementary schools to two, the amount of time students spend on the bus, and the number of students on each bus. Mr. Yelverton asked for a report on the appeal process also. Mrs. Elizabeth Finch stated that it was promised that the transportation routes would be looked at again for cost effectiveness. Her daughter is now on the bus for an hour and fifteen minutes and last year she was on the bus for an hour. Mrs. Young replied that this could be included in the transportation report, cost efficiency, the routes, and plans for the future.
Mrs. Boyce reported that there are coolers at Cedarhurst that are not being used. Mrs. Boyce would like to recommend that Binghamton City School District be allowed to purchase one of the coolers for $500. Mrs. Moriarty stated that restaurants would quickly purchase the coolers. Mrs. Haskell stated that the coolers could be worth more and it should be looked into to make sure we are getting a good price. Mrs. Hamilton stated that this recommendation was not on the agenda and she would like it on the agenda before it is discussed. More information regarding the coolers will be provided including cost factors.
Mrs. Haskell asked about a grant through BOCES that other districts will be benefiting from to promote child health. The program will enable schools to offer a variety of healthy activities using equipment shared through BOCES. BOCES will administer the grant and supply professional training in the use of the equipment. The equipment to be purchased will include stationary bikes, elliptical orbiters, aerobic steps, dumbbell sets, exercise balls, roller blades, mountain bikes, pedometers and heart-rate monitors. The schools involved are Binghamton, Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Johnson City, Newark Valley, Union-Endicott and Whitney Point. Mrs. Boyce and Dr. Stalma will look into this.
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTÕS REPORT – Dr. Stalma stated that a report on special educations services will be given to the Board next month.
Mr. Yelverton stated that now would be the time to explore the sharing of services with other Districts. There was an article in the newspaper that Union-Endicott and Maine-Endwell are looking into sharing bus maintenance services. Mrs. Boyce reported that after the last Chief School Officers' meeting she has an extensive conversation with Windsor about sharing services. There will be ongoing conversation and when something more concrete is developed it will be brought to the Board. Mrs. Young asked if there was anything new with the BOCES committee looking into consolidation. Mrs. Moriarty reported that there was nothing new and that she will provide the minutes of the last meeting to the Board. Mrs. Ruffo reported that the committee work has been disappointing, data presented to the committee was not accurate and that savings are not what the committee thought they would be. The committee will continue to meet. Mrs. Ruffo stated that individual districts trying to consolidate on their own may be the best way right now. Mr. Yelverton asked if there were state sponsored incentives for consolidating. Mrs. Ruffo replied that there were not.
BOARD OF EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT REPORT – Mrs. Hamilton stated that beginning a new school year is always very busy and exciting and reported on the opening events. On September 5 there was a tour of the elementary schools. Everyone seemed anxious to start the new school year and the buildings looked bright, shiny and new. On September 6 kindergarten orientation was held at the elementary schools. It was an introduction to parents, as well as children, with an active lesson of riding on a school bus. On September 13 and 14 Open Houses were held at Brookside and Donnelly. Everyone, parents and teachers alike, were very excited about starting the school year. The happiest, though, were the children, who were quick to point out their works and introduce their teachers. On September 19 Mrs. Hamilton attended a meeting on curriculum mapping. Representative teachers and administrators are excited about this concept and are working on introducing curriculum mapping to all of the staff. On September 27 the BOCES Legislative Committee will be meeting to discuss this year's agenda. On September 28 the Budget Advisory Committee will be meeting in the Library at 6:30 p.m.
Policy Committee – Mrs. Hamilton reported that the Policy Committee met on September 19. The process of updating the Policy Book is a very time consuming undertaking. The committee is recommending looking at the services of Erie BOCES to update the policy book. Mr. Yelverton reported that they read the material from Erie and will distribute it to the Board. Having Erie BOCES work on updating the policy book would allow Board members to turn their attention to other matters. Mr. Yelverton talked about the computer program that is used, it is user friendly and has search and update capacity. The District would provide information from which the first draft of the policy would be written. Mrs. Boyce reported on the cost, which is state aidable. The total cost is $7900, after aid the cost to the District is $1728, spread over two years. The optional procedures manual would be $869 and an extension for ongoing maintenance would be $595 per year. This is the better option when compared to an hourly attorney fee. The Board agreed to have Erie BOCES come to a Board meeting and give a presentation.
The 1st Reading of Policy #1170 Qualification of Voters is being deferred until it is determined whether the services of Eric BOCES will be used to update policies.
Facilities Committee – Mrs. Miller gave a report on the Facilities Committee meeting. The Facilities Committee would like to keep the Relief Center open until December 1 and have everything cleaned out by January 1, 2007. The Board thought this sounded like a good timeline. They would also like the Center open on evenings when sports teams are using Cedarhurst. Mrs. Boyce or Mr. Ranieri will let Holly Finch or Sue Sutton know the schedule.
Mrs. Ruffo reported as SV's BOCES representative and will report on a more regular basis. Mrs. Ruffo provided the Board with a BOCES Open House schedule for the different Learning Centers. Mrs. Ruffo asked that the Board let her know if they would like a presentation on any BOCES area. Mrs. Ruffo reported that the grant to promote child health was related to demographics of schools and that Doug Titus could give the Board more information on the grant. Mrs. Ruffo will let Board members borrow materials she gets at conferences if they would like to look at them. Also, Mrs. Ruffo suggested that transportation to conferences could be shared between districts.
Mr. Pollock reported on the Budget Advisory Committee meeting. Mr. Jerry Derrick and Mr. Jack Bell are serving as co-chairs, Mr. Pollock is the board liaison and Mrs. Hamilton is serving as the secretary. The minutes from the meeting will be posted on the District website. The committee talked about the loss of property values and enrollment in the District. Town supervisors and tax assessors are being invited to come and talk to the committee. The committee agreed that the number one priority is to determine the extent of anticipated financial loss arising from the flooding and to convey to our state representatives the need for substantial financial aid. Musical instruments, the repairs they need, and the inadequate money in the budget for the repairs were discussed. Mr. Derrick asked for information on mandated staff and/or staff functions, compared with those staff or staff functions which are not mandated by law. This was requested in order to properly assess areas where expenses could be reduced.
Mrs. Young stated that having a census done would be a valuable tool Mrs. Moriarty replied that with the buyouts people may not know until next April where they are going to be. Mr. Pollock asked if this should be taken to the Budget Committee and suggested that Bev Collins, the last person to do the census, should be contacted for information. Mr. Gorgos talked about what doing the census entails and what a big job it is going into everyone's homes. Mrs. Boyce will talk to the other Chief School Officers to see what they are doing.
Mr. Pollock asked when the first the monthly report from Aswad and Ingraham could be expected. Mrs. Young will talk to them and find out.
Executive Session – Mrs. Hamilton made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Haskell, that the Board of Education meet in
Executive Session to discuss negotiations and personnel. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
At 8:52 p.m. the Board recessed
At 9:07 p.m. the Board met in Executive Session
At 10:59 p.m. the Board returned to Regular Session
Resolution – Mr. Storm made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Bowers, that monthly reports on costs on grievance and labor practices from Coughlin and Gerhart be provided. Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
MOTION TO ADJOURN – Mrs. Haskell made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton, that the meeting be adjourned.
Upon vote the motion was approved unanimously. (9 yeses)
There being no further business, Mrs. Young adjourned the meeting at 11:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Diane M. Kalmen
School District Clerk
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