Exeter Region Cooperative School Board Meeting Minutes
January 12, 2006 – immediately following the Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget FY 2007
Cooperative Middle School - Library
Board Present: Patty Lovejoy, Robin Scott, Lucy Cushman, Roy Morrisette,
Greg Kann, Kim Casey, Sally Oxnard and Kris Magnusson
Board Absent: Ray Trueman
Administration: Arthur Hanson, Nathan Lunney, Walter Pierce and Dick Wendell
1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Lovejoy called the meeting to order at 10:29 PM.
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC INPUT: None
3. CHAIR’S REPORT
3.1 Student Board Representatives’ Report: No report given since no representatives were present.
3.2 ERCSD Deliberative Session – Thursday, February 9, 2006 - 6:00 PM Board Meeting Room 116 followed by Deliberative Session at 7:00 PM – Talbot Gym: Patty reminded board and audience of this meeting.
3.3 Approval of FY 2007 Proposed ERCSD Budget: Patty explained approval was not needed since there were no changes to the budget and the board had previously approved it at the Budget Work Session on January 7, 2006.
3.4 Approval of FY 2007 Proposed ERCSD Warrant Articles (if necessary): The board is voting on whether to recommend or not recommend the following warrant articles (this is required if the article has an appropriation).
· Warrant Article #1: Shall the District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant, or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $43,565,480? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $43,248,367, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the District or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. (The School Board recommends $43,565,480 as set forth on said budget.) No action necessary since already approved and there were no changes.
· Warrant Article #2: Shall the District approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board and the Exeter Education Association covering the four year period from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2010 which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits totaling:
Year Estimated Increase
2006-07 $ 995,183
2007-08 $1,017,791
2008-09 $1,079,961
2009-10 $1,092,049
and further raise and appropriate the sum of $995,183 for the 2006-07 school year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the prior fiscal year? Motion by Lucy Cushman, seconded by Robin Scott and unanimously board voted (8-0) to recommend this warrant article.
· Warrant Article #3: Shall the District approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board and the Exeter Cooperative Paraprofessional Association covering the three year period from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2009 which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits totaling:
Year Estimated Increase
2006-07 $ 159,277
2007-08 $ 70,183
2008-09 $ 71,058
and further raise and appropriate the sum of $159,277 for the 2006-07 school year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the prior fiscal year? Motion by Greg Kann, seconded by Sally Oxnard and unanimously board voted (8-0) to recommend this warrant article.
· Warrant Article #4: Shall the District, if Article 2 and/or 3 are defeated, authorize the School Board to call one special meeting, at its option, to address Article 2 and/or 3 cost items only? Motion by Greg Kann, seconded by Roy Morrisette and unanimously board voted (8-0) to recommend this warrant article.
· Warrant Article #5: To see if the School district will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of up to $1,500,000 for the purpose of using $675,000 for costs associated with the completion of the new Exeter High School and for the balance to be added to the Capital Reserve Fund previously established at the 1998 District Meeting (this amount is equivalent to the interest earned on bond proceeds). Motion by Lucy Cushman, seconded by Sally Oxnard, to recommend WA #5 as amended by the Facilities Committee to read: Shall the District raise and appropriate the sum of the amount of the June 30, 2006 undesignated fund balance (surplus) up to $675,000 for costs associated with the completion of the New Exeter High School? (The amount is interest earned on bonds proceeds.) Discussion: Kris spoke against the motion; Kim spoke in favor of the motion; Roy is in favor of the motion since he feels voters have the right to say what they want the board to do; Greg, as Chairman of Finance Committee, feels that it should not be a deficit that it did not go through Finance, as it went through the Facilities Committee and could have gone either way and he supports this; Kris noted this was not brought up at last Finance Committee meeting where Patty was present; Kim feels we have had plenty of opportunity to look at this and discuss all the merits and deficits. No further discussion. Vote: 7-1 (Magnusson) in favor of motion.
· Warrant Article #6: Shall the District authorize the School Board to convey the real estate located on 56 Linden Street (Tax Map 82 Lot 13) currently known as the High School Annex, formerly know as the Exeter Area Junior High School, land and buildings, on such terms (including sales price) as the School Board shall determine are in the best interest of the District? (This authorization is in addition to Article 6 and would authorize the School Board to convey this real estate whether or not Article 6 is adopted.). Motion by Sally Oxnard, seconded by Roy Morrisette to recommend this warrant article. Motion by Kris Magnusson, seconded by Kim Casey to amend this article to read: Shall the District authorize the School Board to convey the real estate located on 56 Linden Street (Tax Map 82 Lot 13) currently known as the High School Annex, formerly know as the Exeter Area Junior High School, land and buildings, on such terms (including sales price) as the School Board shall determine are in the best interest utilizing an analysis with a current appraisal from a certified appraiser representing the school district for highest and best use of the District? (This authorization is in addition to Article 6 and would authorize the School Board to convey this real estate whether or not Article 6 is adopted.) Discussion followed that the term “highest and best use” is vague; Linden Street Re-Use Committee made recommendations to this board as to how to proceed in terms of district and community needs and if we agree to vote on your amendment, highest and best use without a definition does not take into consideration the findings of the Linden Street Re-Use Committee. Kris clarified her highest and best use concept. Greg wondered how long it would take to get an updated appraisal and are we getting ourselves into a place where someone could come forward with more than $250,000 and we have to sell it to them. Walter noted the last person who did the appraisal is booked for a couple of months. Discussion continued on the effect of changing this wording. Sally feels that one more appraisal is not going to change her vote and hard enough getting volunteers to do a project like this. Vote on amendment: 1 (Magnusson) to 7 – amendment failed. Vote on original warrant article motion: 7-1 (Magnusson with regrets) motion passed.
· Warrant Article #7: On petition of Maureen Barrows and others: Shall the District authorize the School Board to convey the real estate situated at 56 Linden Street, Exeter, NH (old Exeter AREA Junior High Land/Building Tax Map 82, Lot 13) to Squamscott Community Commons for use as a community center for Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) and on such terms and conditions as the School Board may determine? Motion by Sally Oxnard, seconded by Robin Scott to recommend this warrant article as presented. Discussion: Kris thinks this board made a mistake and feels we have failed in doing our due diligence since we do not have current documentation for the endorsement and feels the board should not endorse and let the voters decide. Roy is going to support and feels we have done due diligence and feels best use of property; Kris with regrets she cannot support. No further discussion: Vote: 7-1 (Magnusson) the motion passes.
· Warrant Article #8: On petition of Elizabeth Stevens and others: To see whether the Exeter Region Cooperative School District will vote to direct the Cooperative School Board to transfer ownership of a certain 26.36 acre parcel of land that is part of the Exeter River Watershed (Exeter Tax Map 111, Lot 3, Kensington Tax Map 17, Lots 19 and 31) to the Town of Kensington at no cost to the Town, to be managed by the Kensington Conservation Commission for conservation and protected from development with a conservation easement held by a qualified Land Trust. Kris spoke to article and would like to give Kensington first crack at this property and have them come back at deliberative session and would allow town of Kensington to work with us on this. Patty noted that now our only task is to vote whether or not we support this article as presented. Motion by Greg Kann, seconded by Sally Oxnard to recommend this article. Discussion: Clarification that if you vote yes for this motion, you are saying your recommend this warrant article; this warrant article came forward on Tuesday, the last day eligible for citizen petition warrant articles to be submitted and was presented to Facilities Committee this evening and they recommend that the board not support/recommend the article; Lucy spoke that all the information that has come about this has come forward in non-public session so have not spoken publicly of this; the basis for not recommending it is that it is not fiscally responsible; all SAU 16 school district towns have passed open space land articles except Kensington and they want us to give them the land; and again, we would have to pay $25,000 in timber rights to original land owners; Kris would like to stay neutral on this. Chair reminded board that you can only vote on this warrant article as it is presented. Roy moved the question. Vote: 3 (Kann, Oxnard, Scott) – 5 (Lovejoy, Cushman, Morrisette, Casey, Magnusson) motion did not pass to recommend this article.
3.5 Special Board Meeting on January 31, 2006 – EHS Transition Committee – Patty reminded board that this is taking place at CMS Cafeteria.
3.6 Contract with Exeter Cooperative Paraprofessional Association – Approval – Patty noted this was acted on under Warrant Article #3 above.
4. SUPERINTENDENT/ADMINISTRATION REPORT
4.1 Principals’ Reports – No reports this evening and there is a handout from CMS.
4.2 Nominations and Resignations: Superintendent would recommend the board accept the following resignation for the end of the 2006-07 school year: Exeter High School: Ronan Donohoe – Social Studies; John Ferguson – English; Gerry Kelly – English; Maryellen Morse – English; and Ann Warnock – English. Cooperative Middle School: John Hoyt – Social Studies and Deborah Sisson – Foreign Language. Motion by Kris Magnusson, seconded by Robin Scott, and unanimously board voted with no discussion to accept with regrets the resignations of the following EHS and CMS staff for the 2006-2007 school year: Ronan Donohoe, John Ferguson, Gerry Kelly, Maryellen Morse, Ann Warnock, John Hoyt and Deborah Sisson.
5. COMMITTEE REPORTS
5.1 Personnel, Policy and Communication: Chair Magnusson noted she needs to ask for two motions from the board this evening (see Attachment #1 pdf). Motion by Kris Magnusson, seconded by Greg Kann and unanimously board voted with no discussion to give permission to add Web blocking software at Exeter High School. Due to the late hours, the it was noted that more discussion on this should occur at a later date. Motion by Kris Magnusson, seconded by Roy Morrisette and unanimously voted with no further discussion to allow the Exeter High School staff to work on August 23, 2006 for unpacking purposes at the new high school and in return the staff will have the October 6, 2006 K-12 In-Service day as a day off. The next meeting of the committee is January 25th at 6:30 PM.
5.2 Facilities: Chair Cushman reported that the only new news from the Facilities Committee is that Walter reported that the telephone poles on Route 27 have been moved (see Attachment #2 pdf).
5.3 Curriculum and Philosophy: Chair Oxnard reported that the board needs to approve the following new course proposals for EHS that are recommended by Principal Victor Sokul: Intro to Business and the Economy 900; Tech Ed 900 – Intro to technology; Integrated Math I; AP Macroeconomics 100; Painting 900; Theatre Arts 900 (Theater II); AP Psychology 100; and Media literacy 900.(see Attachment #3 pdf) Motion by Sally Oxnard, seconded by Roy Morrisette to approve the above referenced new EHS courses recommended by Principal Sokul. Discussion: Question if new faculty was needed for any of those new courses and the response was no. Vote: The board voted unanimously in favor of the motion. Lastly, Sally reported that the presentation by the EHS Transition Committee was excellent. No January meeting and the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 7:00 PM at the SAU office.
5.4 Finance: No report
5.5 Technology: No report
5.6 Transportation: No report
5.7 SAU Chairs: Patty reported that the SAU Music Committee did a presentation and the remainder of the items discussed were reported out at the SAU Joint Board meeting in December.
5.8 SST: Kim will defer her report until next month.
5.9 NCLB: No meeting
5.10 SAU Policy Committee: Patty reported that the following policies are coming forward for a first reading: BIE – Board Member Indemnification; JH – SAU 16 Attendance, Tardiness and Truancy Policy; and JICH – Drug and Alcohol Use by Students. Please let Patty know before the February board meeting if you have any question or comments regarding these policies
A. December 13, 2005 – Regular Board Meeting: Motion by Kim Casey, seconded by Sally Oxnard and unanimously board voted with no discussion to accept the
December 13, 2005 board minutes as presented.
B. January 7, 2006 – Budget Work Session: Board chose to vote on these minutes at the February regular board meeting.
7. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: None at this time.
Motion by Robin Scott, seconded by Kim Casey and unanimously board voted to only video stream the public hearing this evening since the two meetings were over four hours long.
Respectfully submitted,
Sally Boyd, Secretary