board bulletin - Scotch Plains

BOARD
BOARD
BULLETIN
BULLETIN
HIGHLIGHTS
Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education
Public Meetings
January 2015
Open Agenda Meeting
January 22, 2015
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
Mrs. Bauer called the public meeting to order and reported that the Board met in Executive Session
to review legal matters, the HIB Report and the personnel Agenda.
INSTRUCTIONAL UPDATE:
Mrs. Bauer announced the recognition of the recipients of the Governor Educator of the Year
Program 2014-2015 at our District Level, and the Board passed resolutions that were presented to
each recipient to recognize these outstanding teachers and educational service professionals.
In turn, each of the Board members congratulated the recipients. Mr. Whitehouse, former Board
President, recognized the support in the room: principals, teachers, and family members. The
support the recipients provide and the support they get in return is what makes a great school district.
Mrs. Bauer acknowledged the responsibility of being a teacher and how, over the years, our
teachers have felt that responsibility and responded to it fully. We really appreciate what you have
done and what you all will continue to do for this district.
Dr. Hayes thanked all the teachers, educators, parents, and the SPFEA for supporting the district’s
participation in the 2014-2015 Governor’s Educator of the year program. She expressed her
appreciation to these educators sharing that despite all the additional challenges they face today, they
keep our students a top priority.
Congratulations to our Governor’s Educator of the Year Recipients:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Catherine Hoffman, SPFHS Guidance Counselor
Charlene Hall, Brunner Third Grade Teacher
Christine Segotta, School One Third Grade Teacher
Connie Salisbury, McGinn School Nurse
Darlene Tomasulo, Evergreen School Nurse
Diane Heath, School One Speech Therapist
Eileen Raszka, Coles School Media Specialist
Elizabeth Coleman, SPFHS Teacher of Language Arts
Heather Filipski, McGinn School Teacher of Music
Heidi Sweeney, Park Middle School Social Studies Teacher
Maureen Holler, Evergreen School First Grade Teacher
Michelle Emanuel, Terrill Middle School Teacher of World Language
Michelle Mallozzi, Coles School Second grade Teacher
Tiffany Aneese, Brunner School Occupational Therapist
Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools’ Governor’s Educator of the Year recipients gather with supportive students.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Shared Services Committee:
Mrs. Winkler reported that the committee met this morning. They briefly continued discussion of the
Brunner drop off. Under the Safe Routes to School Grants, Fanwood, Scotch Plains and the BOE
will work together to apply for these grants. These are Department of Transportation grants for
municipalities to install sidewalks around schools and along roads students may use to get to school.
In addition, the group discussed the issue of local cable TV coverage of SPFHS events.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT:
The Board approved the following items presented by Dr. Hayes
• NJDOE’s confirmation of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools’ Self-Assessments for
Determining Grades under the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights for the District and
the School Grade Report for 2013-2014.
• Approval of Field Trip Requests
o SPFHS students (approx. 20-35) to travel to the College of New Jersey on Wednesday,
February 25, 2015.
o Terrill MS Concert Band (approx. 130 students) to NJPAC on Friday, May 29, 2015 to
participate in a festival sponsored by USBANDS.
o SPFHS students (7-10) of the Gay-Straight Alliance Club will be attending the 8th
Annual GSA Leadership Summit at Dickinson College, on February 20, 2015.
Personnel Agenda: The Board approved the Superintendent’s Personnel Report dated January 22,
2015.
BUSINESS ITEMS:
The board approved the following as presented by Business Administrator, Deborah Saridaki. All
other business items were reviewed and will be presented for approval on January 29, 2015:
• Approval of Staff Training on the report dated January 22, 2015
• Related Services through Private Vendors
• Rep Theater correction to September Resolution regarding payment for Lighting Director
• Approval of Construction Change Order
• Approval of Architect to submit additional paperwork required by the State
• Approval of Participation Agreement for Cooperative Purchasing of Competitive
Telecommunications.
• Donation of marching band props
Good of the Order
• Nancy Bauer noted the amazing artwork from Evergreen School.
Regular Public Meeting
January 29, 2015
MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION:
Mrs. Bauer welcomed everyone to the Board of Education regular public meeting. After reporting
that the Board met in Executive Session and reviewed the Suspension and Detention report, the HIB
report and Personnel Report, Mrs. Bauer opened the meeting for public comment.
PTA Council President, Kathleen Gumpel commemorated Board Recognition Month
Kathleen Gumpel, the PTA Council President, recognized the Board of Education members for their
service to the community. She shared that January is not just about the snow; it is Board of
Education Recognition Month. On behalf of the PTA Council and our schools’ PTAs, Mrs. Gumpel
thanked the Board for their time and commitment to education in our communities. In appreciation, a
PTA President accompanied by students representing each of our schools presented resolutions and
gifts to each Board member.
Mrs. Bauer said the Board really appreciates the recognition, noting it’s a wonderful surprise and
great that the children are here. Dr. Hayes would have loved to be here but she had a critical family
matter to attend to. Dr. Kulikowski thanked everyone for coming out on a cold night; it means so
much! Mr. Whitehouse shared that we have such a fantastic PTA; your work is very critical. You are
out there in the school listening to teachers, principals, and the kids. We want to thank you for
working hard all the time.
Mrs. Cleary mentioned how great is to see everyone. Last year’s gift is still getting a lot of use; it
always reminds me of the relationship between the Board and the PTA. Mrs. Bauer mentioned that
there are some former PTA council members on the Board, and if you ever want to change your
volunteer role, you are welcome. Mrs. Bauer announced that annual Board-PTA Roundtable meeting
is coming up in March and we are looking forward to that.
Public Comment:
Mr. Ed Minall addressed the board and asked about creating a lesson plan on the topic of Shady Rest.
It was the first African-American club of its kind in the U.S., offering daytime sports and nighttime
socials. He thought it would be good for Black History month.
Mr. Minall also asked about the grants for safe routes to school regarding curbs and sidewalks. He
asked if we are applying for these grants. Mrs. Saridaki said that we are applying for these grants
through Shared Services and that the applications are due in August.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Finance:
Mr. Whitehouse said they were supposed to meet Monday but the storm delayed the meeting, and
they met before the BOE meeting tonight. The committee is reviewing the budget planning for 20152016. In addition, our district is having a difficult time getting good substitutes because of the daily
rate that we offer. Currently it is $70 for the first forty days and then it increases to $80. Most of the
school districts close to us start at $80 a day with a BA qualification and $90 a day if fully certified.
It is hard to get substitutes on Mondays and Friday due to some restrictions with the health care law.
Mr. Whitehouse asked to introduce a motion to increase immediately the substitute rate from $70 to
$80 a day.
Mr. Whitehouse also said it was time to look at Workers’ Compensation insurance. The current
provider has a lot of services in northern New Jersey, but more local services would be beneficial to
our employees.
Tentative 2015-2016 Special Education Budget Presentation
Dr. Mast introduced Business Administrator, Deborah Saridaki, and Special Education Director,
Linda Edwards, stating that we are beginning a series of budget presentations and that tonight will
focus on the Special Education Budget. Mrs. Saridaki’s PowerPoint presentation highlighted the
following:
Student Data:
• There are 733 special education students (2014-2015)
• 635 are served in district and 98 are in out-of-district placements, this is a reduction of 10
students in out-of-district from 2013-2014.
• The special Education portion of the total population is 13.49%
Placements of Special Education Students for 2014-2015
• 86.6% are served in-district
• 2.6% are shared-time students
• 4.6% are in Public School Placements
• 6.0% are in Private School Placements
• 0.1% are in Regional Day School
Special Education Tuition Costs Projected for 2015-16
(Expenditures to reimburse other educational agencies for instructional services to students residing
within the school district.)
•
•
•
Tuition costs have been going up each year
Total proposed special education tuition is: $5,969,024
IDEA (individuals with Disabilities Act) Tuition Funding for 2015-2016 is anticipated to be
$1,072,500
Special Education Transportation Projected for 2015-16
• Outside contractors and the Union County Education Services Commission (UCESC) have
been contracted to handle the majority of the transportation routes.
• Total budget allocation is $1,777,000 (including a $55,000 management fee with UCESC).
• No increase is expected in transportation costs.
Self-Contained In-District Classes Projected for 2015-16
• Multiple disabled classes account for $700,771
• Preschool special needs expenditure will be $254,600
• Total self-contained budget for 2015-16 is $955,371
Additional Costs for Special Education Programs Projected for 2015-16
• Resource program $4,833,924
• Related services (OT, PT, Speech, ABA therapy-some services are contracted from providers
outside the district) $2,828,600
• One-to-one aides $716,175
• Child Study Teams $1,361,067
• Extended school year $55,400
Special Education Totals Projected for 2015-16
Tuition: $5,969,024
Transportation: $1,777,000
Self contained classes: $955,371
Additional support: $9,795,166 (OT, PT, Speech, Resource Room)
IDEA Basic/Preschool: $1,072,500
Q and A:
Mrs. Saridaki asked if anyone had questions. Mrs. Woerner said the presentation was very clear and
thanked Mrs. Saridaki for doing a good job. Mrs. Woerner summarized what she took from the
presentation: there is a reduction in the number of students going out of district, however the cost of
the services in-district is increasing. In addition the Special Education Budget is relatively flat; one
category increases while another decreases. Mrs. Saridaki explained that we are required to provide
the least restrictive environment.
Mrs. Edwards explained the breakdown of the nine self-contained classes in the district. Brunner and
Evergreen each have one K-2 class. School One and McGinn School each have two self-contained
classes, K-2 and grades 3-4. Park Middle School has one self-contained class grades 5-7. The High
School has two self-contained classes. Support services are required to maintain these classes. Mrs.
Woerner wondered about the impact on the special education budget of the decline in private
placements, noting this has been as high as 76 and in the last few years had come down to 44. As
there are other costs that offset out-of-district tuition, such as technology, various therapies, and oneto-one aides, there is not a reduction in the overall budget.
Mr. Whitehouse stated that he had the benefit of seeing the budget numbers in the finance meeting, so
he can see where we are in relation to the proposed budget. Basically, the increase for in-district
costs offsets the reduction in out-of-district costs. The amount for 2014-2015 is an adjusted number,
and we will not know if the number of students for 2015-2016 will increase. During the budget
process, we should be asking the administrative professionals if they are comfortable with this
budget.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT:
The Board approved the following as presented by Dr. Mast:
•
•
•
•
An Out of District Placement to Center School, Somerset, NJ
The Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Report –based on the Superintendent’s decisions
in the 9 Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying cases reported during Executive Session on
December 11 and 18, 2014.
The Board approved the District Calendar 2015-2016 Draft B.
The Board approved the Superintendent’s recommendations for personnel on the Personnel
Report dated January 29, 2015.
Mrs. Cleary referenced the 2015-2016 school calendar and noted that in addition to students starting
on September 8th, we are also moving a professional development day from February to June. The
Twelve Month Employee Calendar was tabled until the next Board Meeting.
Mr. Whitehouse made the motion to increase the substitute rate from $70 to $80 effective day one
with no change on day forty. The Board approved the motion.
BUSINESS FUNCTIONS:
The Board approved the following items as presented by Business Administrator, Mrs. Saridaki:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Approval of Staff Training reimbursements on report dated January 29, 2015
Receipt of Disbursement Listings dated December 2014
Receipt of the district schools’ Security and Fire Drill Reports for December 2014
Approval of related services through Private Vendors for the 2014-15 school year
Election of a Board Delegate to serve on the NJ School Boards – Mr. Murray was elected
Approval of Aquarius Capital for GASB45 Roll Forward Calculation Services for fiscal Year
2014-15 at a cost of $8,500
Contract Renewal with Jersey Professional Management for 2015 at a fee not to exceed
$2,310 per entity totaling $6,930
Contract Renewal for DOT Testing with Prevention Specialist Inc. (PSI) during FY2015 at a
cost of $250 plus lab costs
Approval to Request Proposals for Auditor to Perform 2014-2015 Audit
Receipt of Board Secretary’s Reports, Treasurer of School Funds Reports, and Budget
Adjustments
Approval of Bill List for the period of December 12, 2014-January 23, 2015 in the amount of
$4,799,582.66
2015-16 Budget Review Process –Budget Assumptions and Guidelines
BOARD POLICIES:
The Board approved second reading and adoption of the following policies:
Policy #5200, R5200 Attendance
Policy #2412, R2412 Home Instruction Due to Health Condition
Policy #5339 Screening for Dyslexia
Policy #5756 Transgender Students
Mrs. Woerner asked what is different in the updated Policy on Attendance. Mrs. Winkler clarified
what is considered an excused or unexcused absence according to State guidelines.
OTHER BOARD BUSINESS:
•
•
Mrs. Winkler moved and read a resolution approved by the board designating the Month of
February 2015 as “Black History Awareness Month” in our schools.
The Board approved the list of Board Committee Assignments for 2015.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The Board approved the minutes listed below: Open Agenda Meeting - December 11, 2014, Open
Agenda Meeting- December 11, 2014- Executive Session, Regular Public Meeting -December 18,
2014, Regular Public Meeting -December 18, 2014-Executive Session.
Public Comments:
Amy Boroff of Fanwood, a member of the DLT at McGinn School, addressed the Board and said the
DLT at McGinn had discussions with regards to teacher conference week. They were wondering if
there was ever any discussion of offering virtual conferences for working parents and the possibility
of Skype for teacher conferences in order for both parents to be there. With regards to the NJEA
conference, they asked if it is mandated that schools have the days off? They also wanted to know
what the statistics are for the district with regards to how many teachers do in fact go to the
conference and what is their feedback.
GOOD OF THE ORDER
Mrs. Cleary announced the Scotch Plains Education Enrichment Foundation (EEF) fundraiser - a
BEEFSTEAK DINNER will take place on Thursday, March 5, 2015 from 6:30-10:00 pm at St.
Bartholomew’s Church, 2032 Westfield Ave., Scotch Plains. She reminded everyone to come out
and support the EEF; some of the board members are getting a table, and she hopes there will be a
good turnout. The tickets are available through the EEF website, http://www.spf-eef.org.
Mrs. Woerner said she had the pleasure of attending the Scotch Plains Public Library on Martin
Luther King Jr. Day. She noted that the presentation by Dr. Larry Leverett with regards Inequality in
Education was very interesting and there was good attendance.
Dr. Kulikowski announced the Give Kids a Smile free dental care program on Saturday, February 7,
2015, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at the School of Health Related Professions-Rutgers Department of Allied
Dental Education, 1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains. Call (908)-889-2410 for information and to
make an appointment. Dr. Kulikowski is going to Park Middle School tomorrow for their 8th grade
Career Day.
Mr. Whitehouse shared that one of Scotch Plains wrestlers, Brian Lapham, picked up his 100th career
victory at the John Goles Wrestling Invitational on December 27, 2014.
UPCOMING SCHEDULED MEETINGS:
Thursday, February 19, 2015 – Open Agenda Meeting – 7:30 p.m. – Administration Bldg.
Thursday, February 26, 2015 – Regular Public Meeting – 7:30 p.m. – Administration Bldg.