Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Live reporting - Administration update and closing

6. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report

a. Enrollment Comparison 10-31-08 to 10-30-09
loss of 100 students will result in a loss of foundation funding
b. Capital Request Process
c. FHS Art Gallery 218
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
no reports

School Committee Liaison Reports
no reports

H1N1 - no real change, the vaccine is not available, school attendance has improved.

Completed our business in executive session earlier,

Motion to adjourn, passed 7-0


Live reporting - Action Items

5. Action Items

a. I recommend approval of the recurring field trip for the 3 middle schools to New York City to see Mary Poppins as detailed.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $500.00 from Amy & Dana Lilly for the Annie Sullivan Student Activity Account for in-house enrichment, supplies & scholarships.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,450.00 from the various sports boosters (as listed) for television installation at FHS.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
d. I recommend approval of the request of Corine Minkle to declare outdated reading and math materials and old text books surplus for disposal.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,800.00 from the Franklin Music Boosters for in-house enrichment at the FHS.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
f. I recommend approval of the Technology capital plan.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
g. I recommend approval of the Facilities capital plan.  motion to approve, passed 7-0
h. I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers and declassification as detailed.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

Live reporting - discussion only items

4. Discussion Only Items

First Reading – Policy JIEE Pregnant Students
DESE advised that we were out of compliance with the regulations where a student needed to provide documentation


Motion to move to second reading - passed 7-0




Subcommittee Review

Motion to dissolve strategic planning subcommittee - passed 7-0
motion to dissolve the FHS subcommittee - passed 7-0



Live reporting - 5 minute break

The meeting is taking a break and will resume with the discussion only items.




Live reporting - Capital budget Q&A

Q - What is the status of wireless?
A - JFK won out because it is small and easy to do. It also goes along with the teacher laptop request. Some of the others are much harder to accomplish.

Sabolinski - We won't to monitor the teachers use of the smart board. We have training planned and will be monitoring their use not just as projectors but with the clickers interactive with the instructional material.

Q - How has the downward pressure on technology prices affected us?
A - In the net books, in particular and competition is benefiting us quite well. I wish I had more money because I get get a lot for it right now.

Sabolinski - Tim negotiates a great deal usually getting training incorporated within the purchases as needed.





Live reporting - Technology budget proposal

 Maureen Sabolinski, Tim Raposa

Special Education Vans
Replace van 1 and 2 at a cost of $26,902 each for a total of $53,804.

Facilities
  1. Keller/Sullivan security system
  2. JFK replace outer doors
  3. Paving Parmenter
  4. Carpet Replacement/Parmenter & JFK
Facilities total - $400,000


Technology Capital Request FY 2010





 School
Product
Qty
Estimate
Extended
JFK
Teacher Laptops
27
$1,000
$27,000
JFK
Wireless Access
1
$10,000
$10,000
Elementary
Smartboards - Grade Level
24
$4,000
$96,000
All locations
AV over fiber solution
1
$67,000
$67,000
------------------
$200,000


JFK Teacher Laptops - Low-cost teacher laptops to take advantage of the newly installed wireless. Depending on price we may be able to extend this offer to other schools.

JFK Wireless access – Complete, secure wireless access throughout the school.
Elementary Smartboards – Interactive whiteboard technology for a grade level in each elementary school. Grade TBD.

AV over Fiber – Digital audio/visual system that will allow the distribution of content to designated schools over the proposed town/school fiber network. This will replace the current aging/failing video distribution systems at these schools. This is a foundation step that provides capability. Additional display devices (televisions, projectors, smartboards) will need to be purchased at some locations in the future to take advantage of the functionality this system offers.

This is the request that will be the School Department's as part of the Town capital budgeting process. The likelihood to actually get some capital is slim.


Live reporting - MCAS Q&A

Q - How has the budget cuts affected our results?
A - Loosing the curriculum team hurts. We could react quickly to the test results. We don't have the people to do that now. We can respond as timely to these results now. It is falling upon the administration and the principals to do this amongst their other duties. We can work on special projects but it is the only way to get at this.

Sabolinski - We are seeing our most vulnerable learners across the K12 grades in the subgroups suffer via the results.We lost our data analyst in this cycle. It forces the principals and teachers to look at the data directly.

Kingsland-Smith - Neither the State nor the Federal level are slowing down the AYP goals. We are being pulled in multiple directions.

Q - what is the process for a school that doesn't make the grade?
A - It is a rule of thumb that it takes two years to get into a problem and then at least two years to get out of it. It can be anomaly for one year due to special circumstances.If you are in Year 1 of improvement, the State expects that the district will be doing what it can to make progress. If you are in Year Two and not making sufficient improvement, the State can come in and direct some specific programs for improvement.

Cafasso - I would like to see a priority to address the ELA in the next budget process.

Q - How long do you have to comply with a change in curriculum?
A - The testing cycle is in progress when they make a release so it would usually be looked for in the next cycle. Franklin is fortunate to have stayed ahead of the curve because we have had a standing curriculum team. That team is no longer here. It really about professional development and professional learning communities for the teachers.