October 17, 2006

Wellesley Public Schools
School Committee Meeting - Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Wellesley High School Library

The meeting was called to order by the Chairman at 7:30 pm. Mr. Young , Ms. Allen, Ms. Jablonski, Ms. Littlefield, and Ms. Newman were present. Also present were Dr. King and Ms.Wong.

PERSONNEL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Retirements
Sherry Birkholz, Elementary Teacher, effective June 30, 2007
Joyce Tolken, Director of Fitness and Health, effective June 30, 2007

Appendix A Appointments
Judith Boroschek, Administrative Mentor
Sarah Steinberg, Advisor, Middle School Art Club
Appendix A Coaching Appointments
Weylin Chin, Part Time Assistant Coach, High School Girls Volleyball, $40 Per Diem to Maximum $1,000
Laura Diliberto, Part Time Assistant Coach, High School Girls Field Hockey, $40 Per Diem to Maximum $1,000
Chris Forde, Coach, Middle School Football, Group I-D, Step 3
Sean Smith, Part Time Assistant Coach, High School Boys Soccer, $40 Per Diem to Maximum $1,000

CONSENT AGENDA
Upon motion made by Ms. Littlefield, seconded by Ms. Allen, it was unanimously VOTED:
Minutes
To approve minutes of Regular School Committee meetings dated September 19, and September 26, 2006
Acceptance of Gifts
Contribution ($5,000) for tuition assistance, WINGS Program, from Wellesley Hills Junior Woman’s Club
Contribution ($7,174) for two projection systems at Upham School, from Upham PTO
Contribution ($395) for Wellesley Middle School Library, from various contributors
Contribution ($500) for Wellesley Middle School Library, from Wellesley Hills Junior Woman’s Club
Contribution ($1,700) for Professional Development at Upham School, from Upham PTO
Contribution ($3,596) for two projection systems at Fiske School, from Fiske PTO
Contribution ($100) for METCO Program/WINGS 2007 from Joseph Mullany, Wellesley, MA

RECOGNITIONS
Following the unexpected death over the weekend of High School Data Manager Jan Demetrius, Dr. King read a tribute to Jan written by Rena Mirkin and described various ways in which the high school faculty and staff covered for Jan’s secretarial colleagues in the immediacy of their shock and grief. Also this month middle school faculty provided class coverage during their planning and preparation periods, thereby allowing many others to support their colleague Adam Blumer in attendance at the funeral of his mother, State Representative Debbie Blumer.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Architects are developing preliminary design concept options for renovating the high school. Wellesley Education Foundation will launch a challenge fundraising campaign for its Permanent Fund on October 19. A matching fund grant of $500,000 has been received by WEF for this campaign. Modular classroom construction at Schofield and Fiske is nearing completion.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE’S REPORT
Workers on the middle school project are working to assure adequate heat and circulation, as heating season nears. The Playing Field Task Force has filed an application for funding with the Community Preservation Council in anticipation of addressing abatement at the Sprague field. Two possible approaches to abatement are (1) lay down a protective cover and add soil and turf or (2) lay down a protective cover and add a synthetic field. Since the schools own the Sprague land, their name must be included in the application. The Playing Field Task Force also considered a request from the Little League to spend unused contingency funds from the Schofield modular project to relocate a field on the Schofield property that was impacted by the construction.
At the October Central Council meeting Becky McFall presented regarding elementary math professional development. The WEF Bee will occur on November 2. The first round of WEF grants this year will be awarded soon. The Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a gala on December 2, proceeds of which will partially benefit WEF. The high school project land task force is continuing its efforts to examine possible parcels adjacent to the high school. Ms. Allen requested that school committee add to its agenda for the next meeting a discussion of executive salaries. Ms. Littlefield read aloud a written report to School Committee from Student Congress , which is preparing to review and vote a position on a grade weighting and levels.

CITIZEN SPEAK
FRANK CHANG, Precinct A: Mr. Chang expressed concern about school bus traffic in the early morning on his street, a private way. He referenced verbal discrimination experienced by his daughter, who graduated from Wellesley High School in the 1990’s.
NANCY CHANG, Precinct A: Ms. Chang supported her husband’s assertions about school bus traffic and urged that the new superintendent of schools work to eliminate discrimination in the schools.

DISCUSSION ITEMS
Enrollment Report
Business Manager Ruth Quinn Berdell presented the annual enrollment report. The ten-year forecast is predicated on a 3 year birth average of 274. At the elementary level, with an expected peak enrollment in 2007-08, it is expected there will be insufficient surplus classrooms to allow consideration of the closure of a school until at least 2015. Some elementary schools may temporarily have to forfeit dedicated space for instruction in art and/or music when enrollment is at its peak. In-migration continues to be very significant, accounting for a net of 132 students system wide. At the middle school, the addition of 6 classrooms and 1 science lab through the building project will provide adequate space for a peak of 1171 students in 2013-14 without requiring a relocation of the central office. It will be necessary to explore options at the high school to accommodate the additional 73 students expected in 2008-09. The final year of the ten year projection shows a total enrollment of 1517 high school students in 2016-17.

FY08 Capital Budget Ms. Wong presented a capital budget request for FY08 of $5,168,774, of which $4,291,963 covers infrastructure improvements. Consideration is being given to separating into a debt exclusion question the $3,128,155 designated for infrastructure improvements at Fiske. Another large item on the FY08 capital request list is replacement of the boiler at Hardy School. If Town Meeting approves funding for a high school project, line items in the capital budget for high school modular classrooms and for conversion of auto shop to classrooms would be removed from the capital column and rolled into the project. Following sub committee review, school committee expects to vote its capital budget request on October 24.

High School Project Update School committee considered several questions in anticipation of preparing to request schematic design funds from Town Meeting. . . . What is the program? Does the design address enrollment variability? Were community needs considered? Will the program fit on the land available? Have we looked for other land options? Can education continue uninterrupted? Have we maximized chances of MSBA reimbursement? What is the range of costs? How will we balance costs with program? What compromises have been made? Is our work sufficient for PBC to proceed with schematic design if the program is authorized? School committee will endeavor to keep all constituencies informed of progress on the high school project. A community forum is scheduled for Monday, November 6 in the Wellesley High School library, and meetings with the visioning team and the faculty will be held before that date.

ACTION ITEMS
Superintendent Search
The sub committee summarized its process to identify a search consultant. Four responses were received to the Request for Proposal. After interviewing each of the respondents the sub committee evaluated their proposals and cross checked references. The sub committee recommended contracting with JA Roy Associates. The committee further noted that superintendent searches are underway in Walpole, Winchester, Duxbury, Dover-Sherborn, Canton and Boxboro.

Upon motion made by Ms. Jablonski, seconded by Ms. Littlefield, it was unanimously

VOTED: To contract with JA Roy Associates (Jackie Roy) as consultant to the School Committee for purposes of the Superintendent Search.
The motion CARRIED unanimously (5-0).

High School Project
Mr. Young announced that the school committee will hold a workshop meeting about the high school project on Wednesday, September 27, 2006, at 10:00 am in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room at Town Hall. The meeting will be video recorded.

CITIZEN SPEAK
Suzy Littlefield, in follow up to the first Citizen Speak of the evening, noted that an ADL program is in place at the high school, which provides training to students and faculty regarding issues of discrimination.
CURT SMITH, Precinct A: As a representative of Wellesley Little League and Wellesley Girls Softball League, Mr. Smith described a problem affecting the fields at Schofield due to installation of new modular classrooms on that site. Acknowledging his understanding that surplus contingency funds from the modular project may be applied to rectify the situation and thereby allow continued use of a field, he expressed concern that there would be sufficient funding for the purpose from that source and suggested that school committee include a request for additional funding through the capital process in order to ensure that the field can be relocated in a timely and proper way for use in the spring of 2007.

ADJOURNMENT
The public session was adjourned at 9:25 pm

Executive Secretary