DUMMER
Minutes of School Board Meeting
Tuesday, December 13, 2004 at 7 p.m.
Dummer
Town Hall, Dummer, NH 03588
Members present:
Joan Belleau School Board Chairperson
Mariann Letarte School Board Member
Others present:
Patrick Low Superintendent
SAU20
Pauline Plourde Business
Administrator SAU20
Rebecca Herbert-Sweeney Director of Special Services SAU20
Malcolm Shute Recording
Secretary
Agenda Item No./Subject
Joan Belleau
called the meeting to order at 7:20 p.m.
II. Approval of
November 16, 2004 Minutes
Motion by Mariann
Letarte, seconded by Joan Belleau
Motion: To accept the minutes of November 16 2004 held in
Milan in conjunction
with the Milan School Board.
Vote: All
members voted in favor. Motion passed.
Motion by Mariann Letarte, seconded by Joan
Belleau
Motion: To approve the vouchers.
Vote: All
members voted in favor. Motion passed.
III.
Communications
Copies of the most recent draft of the AREA agreement were passed out. Patrick suggested that the Dummer and Milan School Boards meet together and reminded everyone that Dummer School Board must also meet with the Berlin School Board to discuss the tuition agreement with Berlin just like the students who go to the Milan Village School. It was agreed for Dummer to meet with Milan in early January 2005 and to meet with Berlin the third week in January. Patrick will contact John Moulis from the Berlin Public schools and ask him to attend.
Patrick also pointed out that it is OK to have the School Board meeting and a public hearing on the same afternoon or evening.
IV.
Superintendent's Report
A. Financial Report ( year -to-date)
Pauline Plourde reviewed this and
explained recent changes. She reported
that there is a projected $20,000 balance.
Rebecca Herbert-Sweeny, Director of Special Services SAU20, discussed
some changes in the Special Education budget.
She also mentioned that the kindergarten children receive free services
from the Milan School.
B.
Other
No
discussion.
V. Principal’s Report (Milan Village School Update)
Ž Patrick asked Sarah Sarette, Principal of the Milan Village School, to have her staff survey the percentage of time devoted to math, science, social studies and English.
Ž An
inventory of curriculum resources is also planned by the end of the third
marking period. With this information available, the SAU can provide an overview
to potential students and their families who may be comparing schools for their
children.
Ž
Initiatives
continue with reading and writing.
Ž An
emergency response plan review is underway in the Gorham schools. Greg Chaplin
is consulting with them. Highlights of this study are being forwarded from
Gorham to Errol and Milan. Sarah Sarette
is also working on similar plans with another. Patrick said this is a 2-3 year process. Patrick
stated that all teachers should have resource person, crisis response plans in
their rooms.
Ž Twenty volunteers attended
the last volunteer meeting.
Ž Patrick announced that
there is a concert on December 21, 2004 at the Milan Village school at 1 p.m.
and again at 6:30 p.m.
Ž There is only one bus in
Milan that does not have a video camera.
The Milan School Board suggested visiting with Mike Fortier from the bus
company.
Ž Brown
University representatives (Continuous School Improvement) visited the Milan
Village School recently and interviewed staff and school board members. Findings were positive.
Ž Joan Belleau mentioned
that two new students were registered; one is a senior and one is in the 8th
grade. Patrick mentioned the open house
at the FRC in Gorham on December 22, 2004 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and
invited everyone to attend.
VI. Budget
Development for
2005–2006
Pauline Plourde discussed the projected impact of the school budget on the Town of Dummer’s tax rate. The biggest increase is in the Tuition line due an increase in students and rate increase adjustments. Patrick pointed out that every $10,000 change in the General Fund results in 25 cents change in the tax rate. Joan Belleau said the town is re-evaluated every ten years and the next one is due in five years. Patrick said Todd Butler’s schedule is increasingly efficient this year. Rebecca Herbert-Sweeny said that the equivalent of a ½ para is needed for one Dummer student who is attending the Milan Village School. She also mentioned that if the Milan Village School preschool program for special education classes filled up, the children could go to the Cottage Program at the NH Vo-Tech.
VII.
Committee Reports
No report
.
VIII.
Other
None.
IX. Non-public Session
Not
held.
X. Next Regular
Meeting
Area
Agreement Meeting with Milan School Board will
be held on January 10, 2005 at the Milan Town Hall
Dummer
School Board Meeting February
14, 2005 at 7 p.m.
at
Dummer Town Hall
Patrick Low mentioned that three people from Dummer are needed in order to meet with the Milan School Board. Joan Belleau said there are only two on their board but Peggy Jones and Rose Soldano may be available to represent Dummer.
XI. Adjournment
The meeting
adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted by
Malcolm
Shute
Recording
Secretary
Dummer
School Board