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Mr. Picker also acknowledged that Ms. Koning and another parent had done similar planting at both the Hanscom Primary School and the Hanscom Middle School, and he expressed his appreciation.
Mr. Birney inquired about the status of the facilities inspection at the Hanscom campus. Mr. Picker proposed that the matter be discussed later in the agenda when the Lincoln School facilities study process would be discussed.
Mr. Naso also summarized the status of the work of the Lincoln School Principal Search Committee which had completed its interviews and made recommendations to the Superintendent.
Mr. Brandmeyer thanked Sherice Horton, who had been the METCO Representative to the School Committee, for her service. He proposed that with the consent of the Committee he would send Ms. Horton a letter of appreciation. The Committee consented. Mr. Brandmeyer reported that he expected to hear soon from the METCO Parent Group about their new Representative.
Mr. Brandmeyer also reported an announcement from earlier in the day of the legislature�s intention to level fund Chapter 70. He also mentioned that there are proposals to increase circuit breaker funding by 60% and to provide an additional $2,000,000 in funding for METCO.
Mr. Picker disclosed that he had a conflict.
Ms. Dobrow disclosed that she had a conflict.
Mr. Brandmeyer explained that the �rule of necessity� allows School Committee members to acknowledge the conflict but still participate in the deliberations. Without this exception, the Committee would be unable to have a quorum for votes on such matters as fees. The Town Counsel will document in a letter to the School Committee that the conflict was disclosed and that the rule of necessity was invoked. The Counsel then sends that letter to the State Ethics Commission. Mr. Brandmeyer does not see a reason that the Ethics Committee will object. It was expected that the School Committee would receive that letter by the May 20th meeting, prior to any action being taken on the fee proposal.
Mr. Picker clarified the task. The Committee received a proposal from Mr. Brandmeyer. The purpose for the agenda item was to give feedback on the big questions in the proposal. Mr. Picker expected that at the next meeting the Committee would attempt to agree to and approve a fee structure for the athletics program.
Mr. Brandmeyer explained his proposal, which applies specifically to the Lincoln School, as there are no fees for the Hanscom school athletics program.. He began by asserting that a strong athletic program is a critical component of a school. It provides a significant opportunity for learning. He explained how the proposal includes data about the program and its fees as well as comparative data from other districts. Reflecting on the range shown in the comparative data, Mr. Brandmeyer said that he is concerned about the magnitude of the Lincoln fees.
Mr. Brandmeyer provided an overview of the sports offered in the athletic program in each season, the fee structures and the provisions for scholarships. Costs for scholarships are included in the budget. Included in Mr. Brandmeyer�s overview were details about revenues and costs associated with each of the sports.
Ms. Hessler urged that more opportunities be found to have students participate in support roles such as managers and scorekeepers. This may increase interest and contribute to the overall sense of pride in the school.
Ms. Koning inquired about whether increased numbers could reduce costs. Mr. Brandmeyer anticipated that this would necessitate adding sports or teams, at added costs. Mr. Picker suggested that this might also result in an insufficient field capacity.
Ms. Dobrow expressed the hope that the recent acquisition of field hockey goals would make it possible for there to be home games for that team. Mr. Brandmeyer said that this would allow a full schedule, with home games, for that team. Ms. Dobrow also inquired about whether having a nurse on call is a requirement.
Mr. Brandmeyer responded that it is generally regarded as �good practice.�
Ms. Dobrow and Mr. Picker requested that careful consideration be given for updating uniforms and seeking consistency so that students do not feel some teams have �cool� uniforms and others do not.
Mr. Brandmeyer suggested that the Committee consider what some districts do, i.e. charge admission, especially for indoor games.
Mr. Picker identified two philosophical issues that need consideration: Whether the fee for each sport should be the same even when there may be a different number of contests; and whether the fees should vary because the length of seasons may vary.
Mr. Peery proposed that the number of times a team comes together and has the team experience matters more than the number of contests.
Ms. Dobrow and Ms. Hessler discussed other fundraising possibilities and what occurs in other communities. Ms. Dobrow suggested speaking with the PTA and asking whether they might extend their enrichment concept and perhaps have one fundraiser a year for the sports program. Mr. Brandmeyer also discussed the possibility of forming a Boosters� organization.
Mr. Peery inquired about whether it could be possible to pre-buy services that might allow lower fees for next year. Mr. Brandmeyer responded that there may be ways to consider the use of this year�s funds, and offered to explore options with the Finance Committee. Mr. Picker urged Mr. Brandmeyer to investigate these possibilities, in the context of absorbing some of the costs of the athletic program in the school budget in order to reduce fees.
Mr. Picker suggested to the Committee that at their next meeting they hear what Mr. Brandmeyer has learned and then give him directions for next steps. Among the questions to be considered are�
Should scholarships be leveled out?
How much more needs to be budgeted for scholarships?
Mr. Peery requested a model depicting consistent figures for every season/sport and then how that translates to additional funding they may seek in discussions with Finance Committee, and a comparison with a chart showing needs if there were different revenues and costs per season/sport. Mr. Birney cautioned that leveling fees may lead to requests to cut less popular sports.
Ms. Dobrow agreed to follow up with the PTA. Mr. Peery and Mr. Brandmeyer will follow up with the Finance Committee.
Ms. Hessler inquired about whether the participation estimates were reasonable. Mr. Brandmeyer explained that Scott Burke was confident that they were.
Mr. Brandmeyer also proposed that the School maintain the same sports offerings for next year.
Mr. Brandmeyer reviewed the concerns he expressed last year about the need to bring the program under the district�s management. He explained that the packet includes data about programs for both the Lincoln School and the Hanscom Middle School programs. Also included is information from other school districts.
Mr. Brandmeyer proposed that instead of the Director managing the registration fee and deriving his compensation in that manner, the Director should be given a fixed stipend. The balance of the registration fees should become part of the program�s operating budget and should contribute in some way to improvements to equipment (e.g. purchase of new pianos).
Mr. Picker also invited members of the public present at the meeting if they wished to comment on this matter. There were no comments.
Ms. Hessler and Ms. Dobrow observed that the proposed fees are consistent with what is being charged for music lessons in the area.
Mr. Picker asked the Committee members to review the proposal in preparation for continued discussion at the next meeting, with the intent of voting to adopt a specific fee structure at that time.
Mr. Brandmeyer explained the current projections and his recommendations for number of sections in each grade. The projections showed the same number of sections at each grade as were planned during the FY05 budget discussions.
Mr. Peery suggested that someone inquire, perhaps through an exit interview, to learn about reasons for withdrawal.
There was some discussion about classes with lower enrollments. Mr. Brandmeyer did not see reason in those instances to consider a reduction in number of sections.
Mr. Peery moved that the Committee accept the enrollment report and vote to enroll 10 Boston resident students in Kindergarten, and to enroll the balance of the district METCO slots (91) in grades 1, 2 and 3, with a preference for grade 1. Ms. Dobrow seconded the motion. The Committee unanimously approved the motion.
Mr. Peery urged Mr. Brandmeyer to remind the employees that there is not a guarantee that siblings will also be enrolled.
Mr. Peery moved that the Committee accept the admission of the three students identified as children of employees. Ms. Dobrow seconded the motion. The Committee unanimously approved the motion.
No projection about costs exists at this time. Mr. Jack noted that there was a study of the Hartwell Complex conducted in 2000, but there is no recent analysis of the Lincoln School. Mr. Jack suggested that the district conduct such an analysis and that the district and the Town is better served if outside experts come in to do that analysis, as a prelude to next year�s requests to the Town Capital Planning Committee.
Mr. Picker discussed the source of the funding for such a study. He inquired about whether the Finance Committee would consider a reserve fund transfer for this purpose as they had done last year for the study of the Public Library. Mr. Steinbrook from the Finance Committee was present at the meeting and he acknowledged that the Finance Committee would be receptive to such a proposal.
Mr. Peery suggested that there not be a discussion of the state of facilities without also looking in some way at program needs.
Mr. Picker asked the Committee what guidance they wish to give Mr. Brandmeyer on this matter. Mr. Birney urged that the administration confirm that there is not already a study, comparable to the Hartwell Complex study, conducted for the Lincoln School. Mr. Jack assured the Committee that there were no other studies available.
In response to a question from Ms. Hessler, Mr. Brandmeyer explained the process that would be used if the district were to invite bids from firms for a facilities study.
The Committee directed Mr. Brandmeyer to prepare a request for proposals and to contact the Finance Committee regarding the funding for such a study.
Mr. Brandmeyer and Mr. Jack also provided an overview of the status of the Hanscom facilities study being conducted by the federal government. There has been contact with Mike Cheney, of DDES, who has arranged for a visit by a team of engineers from Baker Associates. The team recently completed their on-site visit. Mr. Jack observed that the team was extremely thorough. Their analysis will result in a report that calculates the cost of repair and compares the cost effectiveness of repairs versus new construction. Even if there is a decision to pursue new construction there may be funding available for short term funds. Mr. Cheney is urging Baker Associates to complete their report in time for consideration in the next fiscal year.
Mr. Brandmeyer announced that Mira Vale, a seventh grade student at the Lincoln School, is the winner of the Robert Cormier short story writing competition at Fitchburg State College.
Ms. Dobrow moved that the Committee approve the policy with the clarifying edits. Ms. Hessler seconded the motion. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the Policy.
After discussion about the best timing for the report from the Middle School Study Committee, it was agreed to have the report submitted on June 8th. In addition, the meeting that had been tentatively planned for June 24th was rescheduled to June 14th, so that it would occur before the close of school. Additional discussion related to the report from the Middle School Study Committee is slated for the June 14th meeting. The School Committee agreed to these changes in dates.
Mr. Brandmeyer asked the School Committee to consider whether they wished to schedule any meetings during the summer and if so they should forward availability dates to him.
Mr. Birney requested that Mr. Brandmeyer provide information regarding the district’s conformity to the state’s time on learning requirements.
Ms. Dobrow asked the School Committee if it wished to do something as part of the Town’s July 4th celebration. Mr. Picker said he would pursue this.
The Committee asked the subcommittee to proceed with their first planned coffee, scheduled for early June.
Mr. Brandmeyer reported on a meeting he and Mr. Peery had with Robert Steinbrook and John Robinson of the Finance Committee. They requested that as a matter of record an explanation of their understanding regarding the Kindergarten Grant and the use of the Circuit Breaker Funds be read into the School Committee minutes.
Mr. Brandmeyer summarized as follows:
The School Committee and Finance Committee discussed the use of outside funds in the development of the FY05 Budget. Two new revenue sources have provided additional funding.
The district will receive Special Education Circuit Breaker Funds and $105,000 has been allocated to the FY05 Budget. Any balance will be held in a revolving account and further discussions between the School Committee and Finance Committee regarding the use of Circuit Breaker Funds will take place prior to the development of the FY06 Budget.
Additionally, $31,800 from the anticipated Kindergarten Grant was also incorporated into the budget and will offset the cost of classroom assistants. In the event the district is not eligible for these funds the Finance Committee has agreed to support the positions with a transfer from the Reserve Fund.
The Committee concurred that Mr. Brandmeyer’s summary accurately reflects their understanding.
Respectfully submitted by
Paul Naso, Assistant Superintendent