NEWFIELDS SCHOOL BOARD
November 19th, 2007 — 5:30PM
NEWFIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
In Attendance: Carolyn Bellisio, Joe Army, Michael Price
Administration: Nathan Lunney, Dennis Dobe
Treasurer: Maggie Doane
Secretary: Dennis Dobe
Visitors: None
3.1 October 15th, 2007 Board Meeting (Approved as amended: Motion— Carolyn Bellisio, Second—Michael Price; Unanimous)
4. Visitors – There were no visitors in attendance for this School Board meeting..
5. Business and Financial
5.1 Monthly Financial Report
School District Treasurer, Maggie Doane, stated that the Newfields School District had $335,425.32 cash on hand at the end of October. Mrs. Doane did not receive figures for the school district’s maintenance and parking lot accounts.
5.2 Newfields Tax Rate Calculation
Nathan Lunney described the process used to determine the Newfields tax rate and the school district’s impact on that rate. Mr. Lunney shared that the tax rate for Newfields in the coming year will be $22.67. The school portion of that rate will be $17.55.
5.3 NESDEC Enrollment Projections
Mr. Lunney shared a NESDEC document which suggests a slight decline in NES enrollments over the coming years.
6. Curriculum
6.1 School Centennial Projects
Dennis Dobe presented plans that NES teachers have developed to integrate the NES Centennial and local history into their academic programs. Mr. Dobe reported that students have been excited to learn about the school’s history and take part in centennial activities. Most of the related academic projects have occurred in the upper grades (especially Grade 5). Some recent and future local history learning activities include: historical exhibit study, historical exhibit scavenger hunt, NES Alumni Luncheon interviews, NES Alumni Oral History Project, period costume day, period newspaper publishing, and NES historical skit development and performance.
6.2 December 5th Early Release Inservice Report
Mr. Dobe informed the School Board of professional development activities planned for NES teachers during the upcoming early release teacher inservice to be held on December 5th. NES teachers will spend the afternoon participating in further training on ‘Moodle’ webpages and the electronic portfolio initiative. Teachers will refine their Moodle pages, and will begin to upload student artifacts into the student portfolios.
7. Superintendent / Assistant Superintendent Report
7.1 SAU Update
Nathan Lunney updated the Board on the continued development of the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School, with information on the school start-up, course offerings, and enrollment. Mr. Lunney also updated the Board on the national search for the next SAU 16 Superintendent of Schools, with additional information offered by Carolyn Bellisio who serves on the Superintendent Search Committee. Ms. Bellisio described many specifics of the superintendent search process set up by the search committee.
7.2 Enrollment Update
Nathan Lunney reported that the current NES enrollment is at 163 students.
8. Principal’s Report
8.1 NES Centennial Events
Mr. Dobe reported that there were several centennial-related events at the school. Some of
these activities include: a formal flag raising ceremony, an alumni luncheon, a centennial
mug sale, and much newspaper publicity.
8.2 School Activities
Mr. Dobe informed the Board about upcoming and recent NES activities to include:
centennial events outlined earlier, NES Craft Fair which raised $1,004.75 for Sargent
Camp(11/17), NES Thanksgiving Feast (11/20), Thanksgiving Recess (11/21-23), a child
literature storytelling assembly (11/28), and the NES Holiday Concert (12/11).
9. General Correspondence
The School Board discussed a request by the NYAA to place a drink vending machine in the MPR foyer next to the machine operated by Conner Bottling Co. The Board elected not to allow the vending machine relocation at this time. There was also some discussion of the annual field maintenance fee assessed to the district by the NYAA. The fee is budgeted for this year, and the Board will pay it, but may wish to speak to the NYAA about the fee for future years (given the school district’s new expense to maintain the Community Playground, and expenses related to the NYAA’s use of the MPR during basketball and baseball/softball seasons).
10. Personnel – There were no personnel matters discussed by the Board.
11. Building and Grounds
11.1 School Grounds Improvement Committee
The Board discussed the School Grounds Improvement Committee survey recently sent to Newfields residents. The Board also discussed parking possibilities on the school-owned adjacent lots. Mr. Price is interested in obtaining a price to make the lots ‘mowable’ and opening a rear access to the lots to accommodate primitive parking possibilities on the land.
11.2 Building Use Requests
There were two building use requests approved by the School Board.
11.3 Facility and Grounds Update
Mr. Dobe offered a brief report on recent and upcoming work done on the NES facility, to
include: installation of a donated stove for the NES kitchen, antique school sign
restoration and re-installation, substantial cleaning of the school’s front porch, new wiring
and outlets to be installed in the new addition connected to the new circuit breaker box,
work on our heating systems, roof drain leak repair, a new kitchen sink faucet installation,
and replacement of the kitchen screen door by Mr. Buxton.
12. Pupil-Related Matters – There were no pupil-related matters discussed.
13. Board Reports / Policy
13.1 SAU 16 Policy Committee -- Mr. Price attended the recent SAU Policy Committee
Meeting and reported on meeting activities. Policy JRA Student Records and Access, as well as a proposed policy on the evaluation of instructional programming and a school volunteer policy were tabled to the December meeting.
14. Old Business – N/A
15. New Business
Ms. Bellisio voiced a concern over inconsistent pick-up and drop-off times for Bus #20. Mr.
Lunney said that he would look into the matter, and left a message for the SAU 16
Transportation Liaison.
16. Next Meeting
16.1 Board Meeting: December 10th, at 5:30PM
17. Adjournment – 7:34PM
Mr. Price made a motion to adjourn the school board meeting, second by Ms. Bellisio. All in
favor. The Board then conducted a brief budget workshop.