MILAN

Minutes of School Board Meeting

Thursday, December 9, 2004 at 1:00 p.m.

Milan Village School, 11 Bridge Street, Milan, NH 03588‑9702

 Phone 603 466.3632      Fax 603.466.3870     Web http://schools.ncia.net/milanvs

 

 

Milan Members Present                                        Others Present:

Sarah Sarette, Principal Milan Village School                   Patrick Low, Superintendent SAU20       

Jacqueline Quintal School Board Member                        Pauline Plourde, Business Administrator SAU20

Andrew Mullins, School Board Chairman              Malcolm Shute, Recording Secretary

Patricia Shute, School Board Member                             Rebecca Herbert-Sweeny,                                                                                                                      Director of Special Services SAU20                    

 

I.          Call to Order

Andrew Mullins called the meeting to order at 1:07 p.m.

 

II.       Approval of November 16, 2004 Minutes

A.  Correction

Jacqueline Quintal said the reference by John Moulis, superintendent of the Berlin Public  schools. to RSA :195 in III.  Public Comments, A.  Area Agreement, where John  said: in the current document was to replace all references to RSA:195, which has been repealed, to reflect RSA:198" is in error based on her research.  RSA:195 is still in effect and has not been canceled.  The minutes will be corrected.

 

B.  Minutes of October 5 , 2004 Were Not Approved

                  Motion by Jacqueline Quintal, seconded by Patricia Shute

Motion:    To approve the minutes of October 5, 2004 and November 16, 2004.

Vote:        All in favor.  Motion passed.

 

III.        Public Comments

None.

 

IV.         Communications-Written

  None.

 

V.        Visiting Guest Presenters-Staff & Others

None.

 

VI.       Principal’s Report

A.  Food Donations

 Sarah Sarette said donations were received from Ultramar and the others   continue to come in.                                                                                

 

 

 

 

B.  Support Staff Health Insurance Benefits

The Milan School Board received a letter from Natalie Caron, Administrative Assistant, requesting a buy back for not taking Health Insurance.  Presently, lump-sum payments, which are normally given to teachers who do not choose to participate in the SAU’s health insurance plan, have not been made to school support personnel.

 

Pauline Plourde stated that initially Dennis Rossignol, a custodian, was not on the school’s health plan and didn’t receive any buy back.  Jackie felt that there is need for a new sheet describing benefits for full-time support staff and another one for part-time support staff. 

 

Pauline stated that Gorham teachers are presently getting $2,500 and support staff $1,500.  Jackie suggested that Milan remain at $3,000 for teachers and full-time support staff for the 2006-2007 school year.

 

Motion made by Patricia Shute, seconded by Jacqueline Quintal.

Motion:    To make health care benefits for full-time school staff the same as they are for full-time teachers and make lump-sum payments retroactive to the beginning of the school year.

Vote:        All in favor.  Motion passed. 

 

            C.  Tuition

Andy said that the official residence of a student  is still questionable.  He said he discussed this with John Moulis regarding who pays the tuition. Patrick said he would follow up.

 

VII.     Superintendent’s Report

A.  Financial Report

Not discussed.

 

B.  Purchase Orders

No current purchase orders.  Caron Building Supply submitted two invoices with two separate numbers for two separate days.  Pauline requested that purchase order numbers be called into the Central Office for processing.

 

 C.  Vendor Sign-In Log

   Sarah said this log is still not being used and she will call the vendors who       are involved.

 

 

 

 

 

   D.  Transportation

       Patrick said the camera for the third bus is now operational. Patrick will                       follow-up to be sure the bus drivers use a new tape every day as originally                   planned. Andy felt that a fourth camera is necessary and felt that it should                   be supplied by the bus company. 

 

  E.  Street Safety Flasher

   Sarah said that the blinking yellow school light on Route 16 has been out-of-order several times. The State people said the box will not last much longer and a new one costs $250.00.  Sarah will follow-up to purchase a new box.  Tricia mentioned that a blinking light on Bridge Street should be considered as well as   possibly at the bottom of Milan Hill Road.

 

     F.  Café Services

     Patrick said that the café personnel have issued an apology as requested at the last school board meeting.

 

     G. Meeting with Milan Village School Staff Update of 11/29/04

     Not discussed.

 

     H.  Furnace/Honeywell (archive servicing files)

Pauline contacted Carlene Aceto at Honeywell and stated that she will be on the email list to notify her when servicing takes place.

 

     I.   Recent Half Day Prior to Thanksgiving Vacation

 This was discussed and compared to past years in Milan and it was agreed   that nothing has changed and there will be no half-day prior to    Thanksgiving vacations for the time being.  Patrick mentioned that the     school year requirements are contained in RSA 945 for kindergarten and  in RSA 995 for all others. 

 

           J.  Other

Pauline invited the staff to attend an Emergency Management session hosted by Mike Wallace at the Gorham Middle/High School Building on Monday, January 17, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  The session is open to the community including firemen and policemen.

 

                      Patrick mentioned some instances of bad behavior on buses and at school                        bus stops.  He asked the school board to consider extending all school rules                      to include areas where two or more students are picked up by a Milan                               School bus. He said these areas can be considered an extension of the                            school campus, allowing the rules to be enforced.   There is national                                 precedent for doing this and he suggested a meeting be set up in the future                      to process this.

 

Patrick described the parent/teacher conferences in the Gorham Schools as being held only during the normal school day.   Sarah said the Milan teachers are available all day and until 7-8 p.m. as needed.

 

VIII.    Milan Village School Building Project

A.  Update on Winterization Status

! Insulation                                                     

   Andy reported that insulation has been added for above-elevation areas           including over the white room for the 4th grade.  Faucets continue to be run.    

! Invoice

   A bill for $4,600 was received on 01/04 by SAU.   On 12/10/03, 12/18/03, 01/15/04, and 01/16/04 Pauline had contact with Paul Kent at Wrenn to try to resolve this payment which the SAU feels is payable by Wrenn.

 

! Ray’s Winterization Bid

  Patrick said the bid received from Ray’s Electric is for $98,000.  Not accepted.  No Board interest.

 

B.  Performance Update Bond

Not discussed.

 

IX.      Authorized Regional Enrollment Agreement (AREA) updates-review process           

A. Updates

Joan Belleau tabled this item at the November, 2004 Dummer/Milan combined meeting so that Dummer could finish their first reading of the Milan/Dummer agreement. The Milan/Berlin agreement is undergoing a first reading now by the Milan School Board.

 

B.  Review Process

Pauline said committees need to be formed from Milan-Dummer and from Milan-Berlin who are involved in this agreement and they must meet, agree and sign for any amendments they make per RSA 194.17.  Each town must have three representatives on its committee, not necessarily school board members.  The process then goes to Sarah Browning. 

 

Patrick suggested that the Milan Committee meet with the Berlin committee preceding or following the next Milan School Board meeting in January 2005.  Prior to that, Jacqueline said the Milan Committee would meet with the Dummer Committee for their agreement. They will also touch base with the Berlin Committee for assurance that all is going in the correct direction.  A

 

 

 

 

public notice regarding this meeting will be made.  Pauline suggested that it could be combined with the February Public Hearing on the Budgets.  Patrick referred to Item III-B from the Milan School Board Meeting Minutes from last month.

 

X.  Budget Development for 2005-2006

 

A.  Special Education

Copies of the proposed Special Education Budget for 2005-2006 were passed out and Rebecca Herbert-Sweeny reviewed the changes. Jackie questioned the certification of Paula LaBrecque, a new Special Education teacher, who is being certified.  Rebecca said Paula is basically finished with her training now and it is just the process of receiving the paperwork that remains to be done.  She should be certified around the third week in January 2005.  Pauline Plourde summarized Paula’s salary position as shown below:

 

! Her salary is now 90% of the full-time Step 1 Schedule

! Her salary will be at Step 1 for the rest of this year

  (2004-2005) from the date certification is received.

                                                ! Her salary will be at Step 2 next year (2005-2006).

 

B.  Milan Budget one-page summary

Pauline passed out this summary of the budget for years 2005/2006.   She asked for feedback.   It was grouped into four sections and contained explanations for changes.  Salaries are expected to remain status quo. She mentioned the Community Library staffing.  She also said federal funding for Guidance Counselor is not known at this time and can’t be fully counted on.  If these resources are being used, they need to be funded, per Patrick.

 

 

XI.      Non-Public Session

A non-public session was entered into at 1:17 p.m. and ended at 2:45 p.m.          

 

XII.     Other

            Sarah Sarette noted that total school enrollment is anticipated to be 115 students next year (2005-2006), which will result in some teachers having more time to devote to specials for their students. The enrichment studies affected are music, art, library and physical education and they are scheduled over two-school days. Several suggestions were offered.  Tricia suggested, and   Patrick agreed, that the teachers should be asked for their input.

 

XIII.    Next Regular Meeting

Regular Milan School Board Meeting at the Milan Village School on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 at 6:30 p.m.

 

Possible combined, Milan-Dummer, AREA agreement meeting on Monday,

January 10, 2005 at the Dummer Town Hall.

 

XIV.   Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Malcolm Shute, Recording Secretary

Milan School Board