Minutes

Cooperative School District Planning Board

Thursday, February 19, 2004Gorham Middle High School Library

 

Members Present

Donna Goodrich – Gorham, chairperson

Michael Waddell - Gorham

Wendy Niskanen – Shelburne

Tim Collia – Shelburne

David Carlisle -Shelburne

Robert Leclerc – Randolph

Lark Wood – Randolph

Charles Brown - Randolph

 

Others

Steve Welford – Interim Superintendent, SAU #20

Pauline Plourde – Business Administrator, SAU #20

Jacqueline Tetreault – Professional Development Assistant, SAU #20/

                                    Recording Secretary

 

Members of the public

Members of the press

 

ITEM I – CALL TO ORDER

Donna Goodrich, chairperson of the Cooperative School District Planning Board, called the meeting to order at 6:40 pm.

 

ITEM II – APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The following corrections were noted to the minutes of January 28, 2004:

            -pg. 1 – under ITEM II – APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES:

                        removal of the following:  who would represent each town

 

            Motion by Wendy Niskanen, second by Lark Wood

            MOTION:  to approve the January 28, 2004 minutes as revised.

            Vote on motion:  all were in favor; motion carried.

 

ITEM III – METHODS OF APPROPRIATION

The Board was asked if it wished to view other formulas regarding methods of appropriation.  It was requested that three different scenarios be formulated working with ADM for operating costs (75/25, 60/40 and 85/15) using the data from the current year.  It was also recommended that considering the broadness of this subject, that one meeting be solely devoted to discussing methods of appropriations.

 

S. Welford entered the meeting at 6:55 pm.

 

 

 

ITEM IV – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR TOWN MEETING

School district meetings are scheduled as follows:

            Randolph – Tuesday, March 9th at 5 pm

            Shelburne – Tuesday, March 9th at 8 pm

            Gorham – Wednesday, March 10th at 7 pm

 

It was shared that at each school board meeting, only members of the school board and residents of that town have the right to speak.  It was agreed that it was important for this Board to show unification at these meetings, and to show respect in each town.  All members in attendance did agree that only basic information should be shared.  Members from Randolph and Shelburne requested that only the chairperson of the Cooperative District Planning Board attend the town meetings.

 

Ms. Plourde shared that an updated breakdown of expenditures would be provided to the residents of all towns.  These costs have been divided equally among the three towns, and any monies not expended at year end will be returned equally to all three towns.

 

Members agreed that each town should hear from their local representative on the Cooperative District Planning Board.  These representatives should refer members of the public to the page in their annual town report for the report from the Cooperative School District Planning Board.  It was recommended that from this point forward, monthly meetings should be rotated between the three towns.  It was felt that it would be useful to get additional input from the other towns.

 

Michael Waddell entered the meeting at 7:13 pm.

 

It was questioned as to whether the agendas for the meetings should be specific to the towns where the meeting will be held.  It was shared that the work session on appropriations should be held in Gorham, and that the ‘rest of the work’ would be completed over time.

 

The Board did share that it would like the public involved during the meeting instead of only at the end of a meeting.  It was shared that during town meetings, the following information should be shared with the public:

            -Report of the Cooperative School District Planning Board in each town report

            -Additional sheets to distribute at town meetings explaining expenditures

            -Date of next meeting to be held as an ‘information gathering’ meeting

 

The following dates were recommended for information gathering meetings:

            Shelburne - Wednesday, March 24th at 6:30 pm at Shelburne Town Hall

            Randolph – Wednesday, April 1st at 6:30 pm at Randolph Town Hall

            Gorham – Wednesday, April 15th at 6:30 pm at Gorham Middle High School

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM V - PUBLIC COMMENTS

Members of the public in attendance shared that they believed it was important to listen to the concerns of the community members.  They also shared that there should be validity behind what the members of the Board share at the town meetings, and that members would have to share the different scenarios of the methods of appropriation at some future point in time.

 

ITEM VI – AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING

No agenda was decided upon at this time.

 

ITEM VII - ADJOURNMENT

 

            Motion by Charles Brown, second by Lark Wood

            MOTION:  to adjourn the February 19th Cooperative School District

Planning Board meeting.

Vote on motion:  all were in favor; motion carried. 

Meeting adjourned at 7:58 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted

 

 

Jacqueline J. Tetreault

Professional Development Assistant/Recording Secretary

SAU #20/Cooperative School District Planning Board