PLAINFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Plainfield School Board Meeting

Monday, April 3, 2006

Plainfield Elementary School

 

APPROVED MINUTES

 

The meeting was called to order at 6:37 pm. Present were Board members Reynolds, Ferguson, Bucklin and Forman. Also present were Superintendent Collins, Principal Langsner and members of the public.

 

Public Comments

Town member Dennis Girouard asked the Board where they stood on the request he made at the February 27 meeting to tape board meetings and make them available on the internet. Superintendent Collins said he had done some investigation into the request. Board Chair Reynolds said she would like to first understand how the process would work and suggested Girouard submit a written outline to the Board explaining the technicalities. Superintendent Collins will try to put this on the agenda for early May for further discussion.

 

Reynolds welcomed Jennifer Anderle to the meeting. Jennifer is a representative from the Student Council.

 

Consent Agenda

A. Minutes March 20, 2006

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to accept the public and non-public minutes of March 20, 2006 with the following revisions: the third sentence under Announcements, Communications should be, “Reynolds also announced the results of the vote for when to hold future School District meetings…..”; add to the third paragraph under Business for Discussion the following, “The Finance Committee expressed support for this proposal, noting that if there was any additional surplus above what was itemized in the 2006-07 projected revenue report, it would not be money that the public was expecting to be used to reduce taxes in the following year”; the second and third sentences in the third paragraph on the last page should read, “Board Chair Reynolds stated that the Board was not reluctant to renegotiate but that it was a practical matter given the limited amount of time between the meetings. She again stated that the opportunity to send the Board for renegotiating rests with the voters this Saturday”; add “from equipment and supplies” in the fifth paragraph on the last page after $13, 424.

 

B. Renominations of Professional Staff

To be discussed in non-public session at the end of this meeting.

 

Reports

A. Finance Director’s Report

Superintendent Collins spoke for Bill Moorman, stating that Moorman will complete the MS-22 at the end of the week. Collins requested that Board members stop at the office to look over and sign the MS-22 on Thursday.

 

B. Principal’s Report

Principal Langsner reported on the following:

·        The school had a successful “Fruit and Veggie Boogie” during Nutrition Week.

·        “Read to Feed” has currently earned enough to buy 5 cows.

·        The Circus Camp is set to go this summer.

·        The Beaupre Community Service Day is being planned. Langsner walked some trails with Steph Berman and they talked about getting as much support from the community as possible. Langsner also stressed that getting students to give of themselves was an important part of the idea for Community Service Day.

·        Langsner met with the fifth grade to discuss the Putnam Memorial. They are hoping to have something in place by next December.

·        The entire school will be graded on a quarterly basis next year. A poll taken by Langsner indicated parents are overwhelmingly in favor of more feedback and the quarterly grading process. Teachers are split down the middle.

 

Reynolds asked Langsner to explain why students are still doing the Terra Nova test when there is NECAP testing now. Langsner explained that Terra Nova is a nationally normed test (where the NECAP is not) and it is the only continuous assessment they have to determine progress through many years. Langsner told the Board that she is currently trying to enable the school’s computers to run another nationally normed test, the NWEA, which could be used instead of the Terra Nova. The NWEA test would be much more effective because testing results can be obtained within 24 hours and the test could be given to all students up to four times per year.

 

C. Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Collins reported that he spoke with Bill Taylor about the easement for the Meriden Village Water District which the school’s attorneys have looked over. Collins asked if the Board would authorize Board Chair Reynolds to sign the easement if it is completed between tonight’s meeting and the May 1 meeting. Board members agreed to allow Reynolds to sign the completed easement.

 

Collins reported that he requested the Facilities Committee recommend what work they want to complete with the additional $20,000 authorized in the regular budget at the School District meeting for building repairs.

 

Collins met with Town Manager Steve Halleran to discuss the town emergency plan for a flu epidemic. Halleran requested the use of the school for an inoculation center because the school has everything necessary and school would be closed anyway given such an occurrence. The Board agreed to allow use of the school for an inoculation center if necessary.

 

D. Committee Reports

Nutrition Committee – Board member Ferguson reported that the Wellness Policy is being revised using feedback from staff and parents. The revised policy will be returned for approval to all the people who submitted feedback originally and a final draft will then be presented to the Board.

 

Health Insurance – Board member Bucklin told the Board that she plans to bring in an insurance representative to educate staff on moving from POS to HMO insurance, which is cheaper. She also recommends that the Finance Manager continue to compare the three insurance plans on a yearly basis.

 

Business for Discussion and or Action

A. Athletic Issue

Judy Houde Hardy, representing the Athletic Committee (A.C.), presented the committee’s recommendation for participation by out-of-district students in the Plainfield School athletic programs. The recommendation states that out-of-district students who request to participate on a Plainfield School athletic team be allowed to participate only when all of the following criteria are met:

·        their participation enhances the existing team structure because it provides the minimum roster number necessary for each team:

o       Soccer – Out-of-district participants will be considered only if there are fewer than 14 Plainfield student-athletes on the team.

o       Basketball – Out-of-district participants will be considered only if there are fewer than 8 Plainfield student-athletes on the team.

o       Baseball – Out-of-district participants will be considered only if there are fewer than 11 Plainfield student-athletes on the team.

o       Softball – Out-of-district participants will be considered only if there are fewer than 11 Plainfield student-athletes on the team.

o       Track – Up to four out-of-district student-athletes may be accepted onto the Plainfield team.

In the event that more out-of-district students seek enrollment than the established limit, applicants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

·        there is no comparable program for the out-of-district student-athlete in their home district

·        they are prepared to abide by all academic and behavioral expectations set by the Plainfield School

 

The Board discussed the coach/athlete ratio on the track team and the concern that accepting out-of-district athletes would cause the need for more track coaches. Houde Hardy said she would put this concern on a future agenda for the Athletic Committee.

 

Leslie MacGregor, the track coach, told the Board that she currently has an out-of-district request for the track team that meets the criteria listed above. The Board directed MacGregor to have the athlete send a formal request to join the track team to Principal Langsner.

 

A few changes were suggested. Houde Hardy will make the corrections. Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board unanimously accepted the recommendation of the Athletic Committee for participation by out-of-district students in the Plainfield School athletic programs.

 

Houde Hardy explained to the Board that the parents currently serving on the Athletic Committee are parents of eighth grade students and will not serve on the committee next year. She asked the Board to recommend a mechanism by which to fill committee vacancies. Houde Hardy described a letter she received from Doug Beaupre asking that vacancies be filled based on the expertise applicants would bring the group rather than by random drawing by criteria as was used last time. The Board discussed the advantages to having a variety of people on the committee which can be obtained by a random drawing.

 

Reynolds suggested that a compromise be made by adding one or two “at large” positions to the committee that would be selected for their expertise. The Board discussed whether adding up to two more people would make the committee too large and lessen their productivity. Houde Hardy said that this year’s committee has been very productive even given the present large size (10 members) and she felt two more would be manageable. Leslie MacGregor, also on the A.C., suggested that the Board make the selection process clear and also make clear the reasoning behind the process.

 

Houde Hardy recommended that the present seventh grade students on the Board not be replaced, unless they ask to be replaced, because they are just getting “up to speed”. She asked the Board to revisit keeping or replacing students on the committee on a regular basis.

 

Superintendent Collins asked Brandon Feid to describe for the Board his idea for two summer camps. Feid described two week-long day camps that he wishes to start at Plainfield Elementary School this summer, one during the last week of June and one during the third week in August. The June camp would be a baseball/softball camp and the August camp would concentrate on soccer in the morning and tennis in the afternoon, utilizing KUA’s tennis courts for the afternoon session. Feid said he discussed the camps with the A.C. and their responses were favorable. Feid said he will need access to inside the school in case of rain, he will try to keep the cost of the camps low, and he will try to hire local high school students to work as counselors. Board member Bucklin expressed concern over the regulations for hiring high school students and with putting the camps under the school’s insurance policy. Superintendent Collins said he has seen similar camps run successfully by other schools and noted the benefits to parents for having them available. The Board reached a consensus to allow Mr. Feid to operate the summer camps he described, with the caveat that the camps be self-funded.

 

B. 2006-2007 School Calendar

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board approved unanimously the 2006-2007 School Calendar, as presented.

 

C. Board Committee Assignments

Board Committee assignments were made, as follows:

Chris Forman – Athletic Committee

Doug Cogan – Facilities Committee, KUA Committee

Carin Reynolds – KUA Committee

Audra Bucklin – Professional Development Committee

Myra Ferguson – Policy Committee, Nutrition Committee

 

Non-public Session

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to go into non-public session pursuant to NH RSA 91-A:3,II (b) at 9:10 pm. Discussions on Professional Staff renominations took place.

 

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to go back into public session at 10:02 pm.

 

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board approved unanimously to offer contracts for the 2006-2007 school year to the members of the Plainfield Elementary School Professional Staff as presented.

 

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 10:03 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Annette Moore

Recording Clerk