Green Mountain Union High School
Board Minutes
June 26, 2008 5:00 p.m. UNAPPROVED MINUTES
Board Present: Bill Bourque – Chair, Arne Jonynas, Gene Bont, Jack Coleman, Mark Huntley, Geralyn Donohue
Administration Present: Tom Ferenc – Principal, Tom Burke – Associate Principal
Public Present: Peggy Svec, Bruce Johnson -SAPA-TV, Diane Reynolds – Vermont Journal, Dan Bustard – Eagle Times, Janet Currier – Recording Secretary
Call to Order: Chair called meeting to order at 5:04 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of June 12, 2008: Jack moved approval of minutes as presented. Board approved.
Review of Student Attendance Procedures: Tom explained that the changes are under definitions and are italicized. He read the different valid causes for absences. Bill said he feels that better wording is needed for classes taken at outside institutions. He feels it should state “school approved” classes. Arne made motion to accept the Student Attendance Procedures with changes as noted. Board approved.
Bank Borrowing Approval: Bill said that money must be borrowed to run the school until tax money comes in. The amount to be borrowed is $1,804,592.00. TD BankNorth rates are 2.95% borrowing rate, Money Market will earn 2.6% and the interest for money in the C.D. will be 3.5%. Meredith recommends staying with T.D. BankNorth for another year. Gene made motion to approve the contract for borrowing money with T.D. BankNorth for the 2008/2009 school year. Board approved unanimously.
Bill then presented a contract for the computer lease and said it is a little more money than was budgeted. The three year contract is for $17,845.32. Mark made motion to approve the contract. Bill said we have a deal with Apple and the Tech Coordinator, Rick King takes care of this. Our current contract expires, the end of June, 2008. Board approved the computer contract.
Hiring: Tom Ferenc said he has four applicants for board approval. He said Deborah Franks is the recommended candidate for the English Teacher. She will be a 2/3 FTE 9th grade English teacher. Deb is originally from Vermont and she has seven years experience. Geralyn made motion to hire Deborah Franks as a .66 FTE 9th grade English teacher in the amount of $29,262.00. Board approved.
Tom then presented information on the Technical Support person – Greg Styles. This position is a not more than 20 hours per week for 38 weeks at $17.00/hour. Greg has been a technology teacher for 12 years at Dorset, Vermont and he is also certified as an Apple repairman. Jack made motion to hire Greg Styles for the Technical Support position. Board approved.
Green Mountain Board Minutes 6/26/2008 Page 2
Tom then recommended Frank Balch for the Transportation Supervisor. Frank is a current Green Mountain bus driver and was the Transportation Supervisor in Ludlow, Vermont. Arne made the motion to hire Frank Balch for the position of Transportation Supervisor. Board approved.
Tom said that he would like to hire Ausra Brooks for the Athletic Director. She is now a half-time Physical Education teacher at Green Mountain. He asked to hold a decision on this position until after an Executive Session discussion.
Reports:
Superintendent: Joan Paustian is away on a few days vacation.
Principal’s Report: – Staffing Update: Tom said he does not expect to hire anyone else for the professional staff. D&E Committee: Tom said this is the Diversity and Equity Committee. He asked the board to review the information he dispersed and to come back with questions at the next meeting. He said this committee was started because when he came on board, there was a pending civil rights case. This committee will explore different social learning methods to take place within the school. Tom said the students will learn “We are different but we are similar as well”. This is to help kids learn how to treat others and to talk about how they want to be treated. These changes were mandated by the Civil Rights Commission
and he said that here at GM they have put together a three to five year plan to cover the mandated requirements. Guidance Functions: Tom asked the board to read these items in their packets and it will be discussed at the next meeting. AlertNow Test: Tom Burke said a brief announcement test was done about 10 days ago and it was sent to the entire staff. The system told him who had received the test and who was not reached and why they weren’t reached. He said they then contacted the staff members that the test did not reach. He said that during the week of August 18th a test run will be done for all GM students. This will let them know what phone numbers are correct and which ones aren’t so these can be corrected. In the first test there were only two numbers that were incorrect. End of Year Report: Tom Ferenc reviewed the summer newsletter and the items covered in the
newsletter. HCRS Grant Position: Tom said he has a confirmation letter that GM received a grant for about $18,000.00 to hire Tracy Kerr a drug and alcohol counselor for the GM students.
Student Representative Report: Tom said that if Joseph was present he would be doing this part of the report. Tom asked the board to read the GM Academic Honor Principle and said this will be in the new Student Handbook. He asked the board to let him know what they think of it after they have a chance to read it.
Board – Board Retreat: Bill said this is all set for July 14th at 4:00 p.m. at Jackson Gore. Part way through the Retreat there will be a working dinner. Hiring Committees; Structure and Process: Geralyn said she will email this to all the board members for the August 14th meeting.
Committee Reports – Facilities Committee: Arne said the vendor for the auditorium chairs has been narrowed down and it is the Lord Company. Arne said they chose this company for the service and their reputation. They will need about 2 weeks to install the
Green Mountain Board Minutes 1/10/08 Page 3
chairs. He would like to get a group of parents together to take the old chairs out to save $8,000.00 to $10,000.00 on the project. Tom said they need a motion and approval to send a letter of intent and a Purchase Order number. The company needs 16 weeks to turn our order around. Tom said changes have to be made in the seating to meet the Disabilities Act and we will probably have to give up about six seats. Arne said in the middle of July there will be a substantial percentage price increase. Gene moved, Geralyn seconded to approve that a letter of intent be sent to the Lord Company for the auditorium chairs to be ordered. Board approved. Arne said the carpet vendor is about ready to be pinned down as well. Tom Ferenc said the stage curtains made of flame retardant
materials is one of the pieces still to be done and the last piece will be the lighting, to update and improve lighting to be efficient in costs. Education Committee: Gene said this committee met today and they are in the process of reviewing some reports but there is nothing to report on at this time.
Public Discussion: Tom thanked Bruce Johnson of SAPA-TV for recording the Graduation this year. Bruce commented on what a wonderful ceremony it was. Diane Reynolds suggested putting the auditorium chairs and curtains on Craigslist.com to see if there might be some buyers out there looking for these items. Tom said they will be trying to find someone interested in them and won’t just be throwing them away.
Executive Session – Jack moved to enter Executive Session at 5:57 p.m. to discuss personnel issues. Board approved.
Geralyn made motion to come out of Executive Session at 6:12 p.m. Board approved.
Arne made motion to hire Ausra Brooks as Athletic Director for the 2008-2009 school year at a salary of $12,500.00. Board approved.
Other Business: Gene said he is worried about the Governor of Vermont stating he is going to get rid of the State Board of Education and that he is also looking to do away with the Commissioner of Education position.
Adjournment: Jack moved to adjourn meeting at 6:17 p.m. Board approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Currier
Recording Secretary
Green Mountain Union High School APPROVED MINUTES
Board Meeting Minutes
June 12, 2008 5:00 p.m.
Board Present: Bill Bourque – Chair, Alison DesLauriers – Vice Chair, Jack Coleman, Gene Bont, Arne Jonynas, Mark Huntley, Marlee O’Neil, Joseph Dexter
Administration Present: Joan Paustian – Superintendent, Tom Ferenc – Principal, Linda Waite – Assistant Superintendent
Public Present: Kaitlyn Merritt-SAPA-TV, Janet Podnecky, Dan Bustard – Eagle Times, Michael Caduto, Diane Reynolds – Vermont Journal, Paul Dexter, Daryl Houk, Brad Houk, Allan Garvin, Mrs. Merrill, Janet Currier – Recording Secretary
Call to Order – Bill Bourque called meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of May 22, 2008: Jack made motion to approve minutes as presented. Board approved as written.
NECAP Results – Linda Waite: WSWSU Assistant Superintendent – Linda Waite distributed hand outs and reviewed AYP (Annual Yearly Progress). She said that Green Mountain grades 8 and 11 were given NECAP tests in October 2007 in reading, math and writing. She reviewed the results and talked about how scoring levels 3 and 4 are combined for proficiency results. Linda said these scores are just a snapshot of the student’s abilities. She said we need to set priorities based on the scores. Tom has been working with the Department Chairs and the teachers will all look at these scores during their in-services. Linda explained how they are going to start looking at and working on improvement of scores. Alison asked if anyone has looked at the data of
places where math is a yearlong course. Does block scheduling hurt our students? Linda said that some areas, i.e., algebra, and geometry have been looked at and considered for yearlong courses.
Jack asked what the administration and faculty responses were to these scores. Linda said it was alarming to see the results but they also looked at the State data and they feel this needs to be addressed at the State level. Linda said we are going to look at ways for improvement of scores.
Students need four math courses to graduate. Paul Dexter asked what the consequences are for not making AYP. Linda said the first year is a checkmark, two consecutive years of checkmarks and the school is put on an improvement plan overseen by the State. She talked about other things that happen if the school doesn’t meet AYP. She then explained the benefits to the school when they do make AYP.
Bill said that because several people had to leave the meeting at 6:00 we would be dealing with the most important items on the agenda and not following the items as they appear on the agenda.
Approval of Policy F-35 – Enrollment of Children of Non-Resident Teachers: Alison made the motion to approve policy F-35 – Enrollment of Children of Non-resident Teachers. Board approved the policy.
Reports:
Superintendent: Teacher Contracts – Joan said that resumes and hiring appointment forms are in front of each board member. Mindybeth Gutzwiller has a BA in History and a Masters in secondary education has been hired as a Social Studies teacher. Her salary is $42,036.00 and
Green Mountain Board Minutes June 12, 2008 Page 2
Tom said he feels very lucky to have her as a new teacher at Green Mountain and he is very impressed by her.
Keith Hill II, has a Bachelor’s degree and no experience. He went through five years of rigorous courses at Clark University. He has a great way with the students and did an awesome job teaching a class. Keith is a Green Mountain 1999 graduate and grew up in Chester. His salary is $38,101.00. Gene made motion to approve contracts for Mindybeth and Keith at the aforementioned salaries. Board approved. Alison noted that Mr. Willis would be greatly missed.
French Club Trip 2009: Janet Podnecky told those present that there are about 20 students who want to go on this trip, they have 3 or 4 adults who will chaperone and about 5 adults who are willing to work on fund raising. She said this would be for upper level French students and they must be in good standing in their classes. She said the estimated cost per student at this time is $2,300.00 but the final cost will depend on the number going and the actual dates of the trip.
She said they would be exploring Paris and Loire Valley. Janet said that Explorica is the same organization they used last time and everyone had a very enjoyable trip. Alison made the motion to approve the French trip for the 2009 school year. Board approved trip.
Committee Reports: Forest Trails Project: Bill said they received one $5,000.00 grant but this grant has to have matching funds. They are hoping to get the trail work done this year and then go back and put in kiosks and signs next year. Bill distributed handouts showing different phases of the projects and the budget they have developed. He said Phase I is completed. This project is to be used as an outdoor classroom for environmental studies, track and also for the public enjoyment to use the trails. Allan Garvin, a committee member and GM teacher, said they have spent many hours on this project. Bill explained the budget that was included in the handout. The Chester Conservation Committee has volunteered their services saving us a lot of
money.
Michael Caduto, a committee member said about 2/3 of the project is marked and laid out, but there is still some areas that have to have some “from scratch” work to be done. Michael told about some of the classes that are already using the area and some of the ways the area will be used in the future. Bill asked if the GM Board would be willing to donate matching funds to this project to match the $5,000.00 grant. He said they would continue to apply for grants. Arne made motion to have GM match the $5,000.00 grant funds with an additional $5,000.00. Board approved.
Superintendent: Joan said we have all of our sports contracts and extra-curricular activities reports except for two so these people will be receiving their pay for their services. She read a list of people who have met the requirements to receive their pay. Joan will also have the last two extra-curricular advisors paid as soon as their reports are received.
David Farrar – Varsity Baseball - $2,656.00
Howard Paul – Varsity Softball - $2,656.00
Jon Peters – Varsity Track - $2,656.00
Kristine Levefre – Track Assistant - $1,660.00
Jonathan Rice – Track Assistant - $1,660.00
Gerald Cassels – Varsity Golf - $2,656.00
Michael LeClair – J.V. Softball - $2,158.00
Theresa Buskey – M.S. Softball - $1,162.00
Paul Dexter – M.S. Baseball - $1,162.00
Green Mountain Board Minutes June 12, 2008 Page 3
Sharon Jonynas – 9th Grade Advisor - $463.00
Mary Barton – National Honor Society - $830.00
Cynthia Austin – M.S. Student Government Advisor - $332.00
Frederick Wendlandt – M.S..Drama Director - $332.00
Frederick Wendlandt – Band Director - $1,660.00
Karen Surma - 7th Grade Advisor - $332.00
Norman Merrill – 8th Grade Advisor - $332.00
Stephanie Smith – 10th Grade Advisor - $463.00
Dylan Bate – 11th Grade Advisor - $1,500.00
Allyson Oswald – Yearbook Advisor - $2,821.00
Janet Pringle – Newspaper Advisor - $1,328.00
Norman Merrill – Middle School Coordinator - $2,000.00
Joan reported that Linda Waite has been working hard on the CFP (Consolidated Federal Program) Grants. Jackie McCuin has been working to pull together the IDEA-B Grant. She said that Tom and the teachers have been doing a great job. Joan said she has read all of the teacher observations that Tom has written this year.
Joan then read a resignation letter from Greg Harrington effective as of June 30, 2008. She said he has accepted a job as Supervisor of Transportation and Grounds at Flood Brook Union School. Board approved Greg’s letter with regrets and said he leaves big shoes that will be hard to fill.
Joan said that at the last board meeting in June the board would have to vote on borrowing. Joan will not be at that meeting as she will be on vacation. She talked a little about Tom’s evaluation and said she will create two formats for board members and will bring them to the board retreat.
Joan will also write an evaluation for Tom. Joan said we are required by Federal law to archive our emails and we are not in compliance with this law. The Tech people and Linda Waite are working on this and are also looking at a policy that determines the length of time the emails must be archived. The total cost of all the schools will be $5,035.00. Flood Brook is already using Learning Networks to archive their emails and the rest of the S.U. will be changed over to Learning Networks over the summer as well. Each school will pay for their share of archiving costs.
Joan, Gene, Mark, Alison and Janet had to leave at 6:00 p.m. so the meeting was adjourned at that time, as there was no longer a quorum present.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Currier
Recording Secretary
Green Mountain Union High School APPROVED MINUTES
Board Meeting Minutes
May 22, 2008 5:00 p.m.
Board Present: Bill Bourque – Chair, Alison DesLauriers – Vice Chair, Jack Coleman, Geralyn Donohue, Gene Bont, Joseph Dexter
Administration Present: Tom Ferenc – Principal, Tom Burke – Associate Principal
Public Present: Kaitlyn Merritt-SAPA-TV, Peggy Svec, Jonathan Rice, Dan Bustard – Eagle Times, Diane Reynolds – Vermont Journal, Stacia Spaulding, Julie Walton, Maddie Bourque, Taylor White, Janet Currier – Recording Secretary
Call to Order – Bill Bourque called meeting to order at 5:05 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of May 8, 2008: Jack made motion to approve minutes as presented. Geralyn had an addition – when Linda Waite was reporting on AYP, Geralyn asked if they were looking into the effect of block scheduling with regard to math testing. Minutes were approved as amended.
Approval of Exchange Student Policy: The board did not have any changes so Gene Bont made motion to approve policy as presented. Board approved.
First Read of Policy F-35 – Enrollment of Children of Non-Resident Teachers: Gene Bont noted that the policy mentions both Green Mountain and Chester-Andover and he asked if this would cover Cavendish Elementary as well. Alison said it could be brought to the board if it should come up. This will appear on next agenda for approval.
Reports:
Superintendent: Joan is attending the Vermont Superintendent’s Conference at Lake Morey.
Principal –Tom Ferenc – Tom reported that Jon Rice and Joan Paustian attended a dinner in Montpelier last night for the four Teacher of the Year finalists. He and the board wished Jon good luck. Tom said he received a letter from the University of Vermont and the Department of Math and Science recognizing Kevin Surma. A dinner will be held on July 3rd in Montpelier to recognize Kevin and others. Tom had contracts for Robert Speers (student teacher at GM) and Norm Merrill to teach Math and English at the middle school summer school at GM. He asked the board to approve these contracts in the amount of $1,700 for each teacher. Tom said the after school program has had positive results. The students in this program cannot play sports until they
complete the program and have brought their grades up. He said he hopes to include the 9th grade in this program and eventually all the upper grades as well. Alison moved approval of the summer school contracts for Robert Speers and Norm Merrill to teach summer school. Board approved.
Drama Co-Curricular Contracts – Tom said Fritz Wendlandt and Cindy Austin who served as Drama Club advisors had submitted their reports so they can receive their stipend. Interview Update – Tom said they have moved 3 Social Studies candidates to the step where they will teach a lesson and hope to have a candidate for next week. They are interviewing English/Language Arts candidates now for the part-time position. Presentation on Grand Canyon – Dr. Rice, Julie Walton, Maddie Bourque and Taylor White were present to give a short
Green Mountain Board Minutes May 22, 2008 Page 2
talk on the trip. Jon Rice gave an overview of the many activities that they participated in while
at the Grand Canyon. He said it was definitely a vacation but they included a lot of educational activities as well. Dr. Rice thanked the board for approving this trip as it was absolutely awesome. Maddie Bourque said her favorite part of the trip was going through the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River, a 3-hour trip. They went to a ghost town and they asked local people about ghost stories.
Dr. Rice reported that Joseph Dexter went to ISEF in Atlanta, Georgia for a week and Dr. Rice went as a mentor. Joseph was awarded a medal for his entry. The board congratulated Joseph for his accomplishments.
Student Representative Report – Joseph said the Booster Club sponsored a luncheon for students who made Principal’s List. The national honor Society students were inducted last night. The Student Government has reviewed polices and made improvements for the student handbook. The Student Government elections will be held next week. The Chester Police and Fire Department and the Interact Club held a mock crash reenactment the week before the Prom. This was followed by a student assembly. Joseph said they would like to make this a yearly event prior to the Prom. The Junior Prom was held on May 17th and everyone had a wonderful time and he congratulated everyone for the Prom and thanked everyone that worked on the Prom for the hours they put getting the
decorations, etc. done.
Tom Ference thanked Jeff Holden – Chester Fire Chief for all he did working on the mock crash event. Geralyn added that an Arts night was held on May 14th.
Joseph explained that about 4 months ago the Student Government started reviewing the student handbook. They went through current policies on attendance and made some possible changes and came up with a working draft. It has been given to the Department Chairs and the faculty. When they have come up with a final recommendation he will bring copies to a board meeting and review the changes. Joseph wants the Policy Committee to review one passage in particular. He summarized the major changes and said they looked at areas of the policy that are not being enforced, but Mr. Ference is going to make sure they are covered next year. They reviewed reasons for absence excuses and broadened the excused absence reasons. The board thanked Joseph for all the work.
Board Report – Board Retreat Date – Janet reported that Okemo is available for July 14th and she is waiting for the information to be emailed to her. Bill is going to follow up with a possible speaker and will give more information at the next meeting.
Committee Updates –Forest Land – Trails – Bill reported that three grants have been submitted. One has been approved already. He said if anyone would like a copy he would get one for them. They hope to get money to begin the project this summer. The grant from the State was turned down. Facilities: Auditorium – Tom reported that he, Shawn and Arne met last week and they are looking at carpeting, seats and curtains and they hope to have all three bids in next week. The turn around time will be 16 to 18 weeks so school may be in session before project is finished.
Tom said that tomorrow is Senior Community Service Day and some seniors will be in the community but some will be working at the school. The Interact Club will also be involved.
Education Committee – Gene said this committee met at 4:00 today and two subjects discussed were: 1) Virtual Classrooms and how they will be handled regarding grading for students as they
Green Mountain Board Minutes May 22, 2008 Page 3
do not currently count towards GPA as these classes are harder to evaluate. The Committee and Administration will work on this issue. 2) Schools on the Move and Individual Learning Plans
as recommended by the DOE and State School Board were also discussed. This committee will be meeting on a monthly basis. Alison said they will research what other schools do and what their practices are regarding Virtual Classroom courses and will try to come to a decision. These courses are electives, not core classes. Others - Alison said the Finance Committee is still hoping to break even on the budget for this year.
Discussion with Public: None.
Other Business: Alison said the board must approve use of Medicaid funds in the amount of $1,588.00 to pay for additional camera equipment. Gene made motion and board approved.
Jack distributed an article regarding how bad situations are in our high schools in the U.S.
He wants the board to spend time looking at how we can get our high schools to shoot higher. He wants to find out how we can create more enthusiasm with our students. He would like to have the Educational Committee discuss this item.
Executive Session- Personnel – Geralyn made motion to enter Executive Session at 6:07 p.m. Board approved.
Alison made motion to come out of Executive Session at 6:20 p.m. Board approved.
Alison made motion to hire Tom Burke as Assistant Principal for the 2008-2009 school year for a total of 210 working days with a total compensation package not to exceed $60,000.00. Board voted in the affirmative.
Adjournment – Gene made motion to adjourn at 6:23 p.m. Board approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Currier
Recording Secretary
Green Mountain Union High School APPROVED MINUTES
Board Meeting Minutes
May 8, 2008 5:00 p.m.
Board Present: Bill Bourque – Chair, Alison DesLauriers – Vice Chair, Arne Jonynas, Jack Coleman, Mark Huntley, Geralyn Donohue, Gene Bont, Joseph Dexter, Marlee O’Neil
Administration Present: Joan Paustian – Superintendent, Tom Ferenc – Principal, Tom Burke – Associate Principal
Public Present: Kaitlyn Merritt-SAPA-TV, Peggy Svec, Paul Dexter, Linda Waite, Diane Reynolds, Janet Currier – Recording Secretary
Call to Order – Bill Bourque called meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of April 10, 2008: Jack made motion to approve minutes as presented. Gene seconded. Board approved.
Reports:
Superintendent: Joan said Linda Waite is present and is going to talk about AYP (Annual Yearly Progress). Joan reported that Karla Waite a GM Para is out on FLMA due to illness. Janet Pringle GM English teacher is not returning as she has been hired by one of the Rutland Schools. Janet’s letter of resignation must be accepted. Alison made motion to accept Janet Pringle’s letter of resignation. Gene seconded. Board approved with regrets. Joan said that Sharon Jonynas would be moving to middle school English as a full time teacher. Joan said this is Teacher Appreciation Week and she wants the teachers to know that we are very proud of them and she hopes they know how much they are appreciated.
Linda Waite then gave her presentation on data regarding AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) and information handouts were given to the board. Linda explained how a determination is made as to whether schools meet AYP or not. Grades 8 and 11 scores in Reading and Math were discussed. Linda explained that the 7th grade scores are included in the elementary scores because the teaching year testing was done when the 7th graders were in the 6th grade. There were 119 grades 8 and 11 students tested at Green Mountain in Reading and 120 students were tested in Math. Linda talked about the target scores schools are expected to meet and every three years the target scores are increased. She explained the indicator of the graduation rate and how it affects the AYP.
Alison said she thought a drop out rate should be figured into the AYP as well. Linda said she would come to another meeting to talk more about this and about NECAP testing results. Jack asked the Superintendent and Principal if anything can be learned from these tests that reflect on the individual teacher. Joan said yes and gave an explanation how this is done. Linda said next time she will show how these tests would be teacher specific over a three year testing span. Linda will return for the first meeting in June.
Approval of Exchange Student Policy Revision – Geralyn said the Policy Committee is not recommending any changes at this time. This will be on next agenda for approval.
Policy – First Read – F-35 – Enrollment of Children of Non-Resident Teachers – Geralyn explained the changes they would like to make and then bring it back to the next board meeting for a first read. Discussion ensued.
Green Mountain Board Minutes May 8, 2008 Page 2
Principal –Tom Ferenc –Programming and Personnel Update for H/S and M/S – Tom talked about the positions that are open and the 4-step interview process.
Grand Canyon Trip Update – Tom agreed at the last minute to accompany the students on this trip as a chaperone. He said they took 23 students to the Grand Canyon during the April vacation. They had a wonderful time and the students would like to come to a board meeting and give a presentation. He thanked Dr. Rice for setting this trip up. Tom said regarding Dr. Rice, there were people at Green Mountain today to visit and get information regarding Dr. Rice’s nomination for Teacher of the Year. He is one of the top three finalists.
Alert Now - Tom reported that Rick King is in the process of doing the computer work for this system. He thinks by the middle of June they will be able to do a test. Alison asked if the tiers would be explained for people to choose from and Tom said he thinks people are either on the Alert Now system or off. They can’t have just certain information tiers, it will be all or nothing.
Brief Review of the Year – Tom said he has worked on the culture and the climate at school and there is still more work to do but all in all he feels the year has gone smoothly.
End of Year Dates – Tom passed out a list of upcoming events for Green Mountain. Joan asked Tom to give the Elementary Principals a copy as well. Copies of the Green Mountain Gazette were also made available to the board and public.
Joseph gave an explanation of the Academic Reception that is scheduled for May 14th. He said the Booster Club used to sponsor this activity but Guidance sponsors it now.
Student Representative Report – Marlee invited all the school board members to the Grand March at the Jr. Prom on May 17th. Joseph reported that this is AP exam week and that this has expanded over the years. Joseph said the Student Government has been reviewing the student attendance policy for the student handbook. The faculty is in the process of reviewing it now. He told the board that the Student Government is in the process of elections for Student Government officers and for a replacement to take his position on the board for next year.
Board Report – Board Retreat Date –Arne said he feels a retreat would be a good thing especially with all the new board members. The board opted for a weekday retreat and Monday July 14th was chosen. Janet will contact Okemo to schedule this.
Committee Updates –Alison said the Education Committee needed to schedule a meeting. Gene suggested meeting prior to a GM board meeting. Gene would like to have Tom Ferenc on this committee as well. Education Committee will meet prior to the next board meeting at 4:00 p.m.
Gene made motion to change all future Green Mountain board meetings to 5:00 p.m. Alison seconded. Board approved. The August Green Mountain board meeting will be on August 14th at 5:00 p.m.
Gene said we should be very proud of our GM students who won Math and Science awards and scholarships.
Green Mountain Board Minutes April 10, 2008 Page 3
Facilities – Arne said they held a meeting and there are three bids in for the flooring in the Auditorium at this time but there might only be one bid for the seating. Joan will check for State requirements on bidding. The work will have to be done over the summer. Arne said they had questions about the Capital Fund five-year requirements. Arne said the Facilities Committee will review the list of things in the school that need attention and try to prioritize these items. He said they might update the PA system and front doors and acoustic tiles in the Auditorium as well.
Discussion with Public: None.
Other Business: Alison informed those present that students entering 7th grade will have to have a second chicken pox inoculation if they have not had the chicken pox.
Jack asked to have a discussion regarding the process of evaluating the superintendent and principal. He wants to be able to tell these positions what the boards are expecting of the administrators. Alison said a new evaluation form is being developed by the Executive Board to make it a better process than in the past. Joan explained the principal evaluation.
Executive Session- Geralyn made motion to go into Executive Session for personnel issues at 6:15 p.m. Board approved.
Geralyn made motion to come out of Executive Session at 6:25 p.m. Board approved.
Adjournment – Geralyn made motion to adjourn at 6:25 p.m. Board approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Currier
Recording Secretary
Green Mountain Union High School UNAPPROVED MINUTES
Board Meeting Minutes
April 10, 2008 5:00 p.m.
Board Present: Bill Bourque – Chair, Alison DesLauriers – Vice Chair, Arne Jonynas, Jack Coleman, Mark Huntley, Geralyn Donohue, Gene Bont, Joseph Dexter, Marlee O’Neil
Administration Present: Joan Paustian – Superintendent, Tom Ferenc – Principal, Tom Burke – Associate Principal
Public Present: Kaitlyn Merritt-SAPA-TV, Peggy Svec, Paulette Martel, Dan Bustard – Eagle Times – Paul Dexter, Patricia Dexter, Mrs. Merritt, Linda Waite, Leo Graham, Janet Currier – Recording Secretary
Call to Order – Bill Bourque called meeting to order at 5:03 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of March 20, 2008: Jack made motion to approve minutes as presented. Board approved.
Reports:
Superintendent: Joan reported that the administrators have received AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) information but the Commissioner has embargoed it until April 28th. Linda Waite will come in May to present information on the NECAP exams and on AYP as well. Joan passed around Quality Counts information to the board and reviewed how Vermont did on different indicators. A paper on Successes in Vermont Schools was also shared with the board. This shows good things that have happened in Vermont and survey results as well. Joan said the River Valley Technical Center attended a Vermont Skills Conference and Green Mountain had a number of students attending and 4 Green Mountain students won medals. RVTC had 21 students attending this conference. The last day of school for
Green Mountain students will be June 17th (a half day) and teachers will go through June 19th. Approval of Exchange Student Policy Revision – This was tabled until the next meeting.Policy – First Read – F-35 – Enrollment of Children of Non-Resident Teachers – Joan said this policy will be sent to the policy committee and will then come back to the board.Co-Curricular Contracts – Joan read the following co-curricular contracts and asked the board for approval:
David Farrar – Varsity Boys Baseball - $2,656.00
Howie Paul – Varsity Girls Softball - $2,656.00
Jon Peters – Varsity Track - $2,656.00
Jon Rice – Track Assistant - $
Chris Lefevre – Track Assistant - $
Mike LeClair – Girls J.V. Softball - $2,158.00
Paul Dexter – M.S. Boys Baseball - $1,162.00
Theresa Buskey – M.S. Girls Softball - $1,162.00
Gerald Cassels – Golf Coach - $2.656.00
Arne made motion to approve contracts as presented but to have track assistant contract salaries double-checked. Board approved.
Joan distributed lists of all Green Mountain faculty and staff with salaries. An Executive Session will be needed to set salaries for those not covered by a master agreement.
Green Mountain Board Minutes April 10, 2008 Page 2
Discussion of Local Assessment Plan – Joan said the last one done was in the year 2006-2007. A new plan does not have to be done every year; we just have to have one in place. Joan explained the Assessment Plan. Tom said he and the Department Chairs have met and they reviewed the plan and there is an updated plan to be reviewed by the board. Copies were distributed. Tom reviewed the new Assessment Plan which shows the test given, the areas tested and the schedule for when the test is given. Discussion of testing ensued.
Principal –Tom Ferenc –AlertNow System – Tom explained that system works by telephone and it calls up to 6000 homes in about 5 seconds and leaves a message. He feels this a good tool to improve Green Mountain communications with parents. He is asking the board to approve $279.00 for the remainder of this year and $1,161.00 for FY 2009 in July when the new contract takes effect. Joan talked about the different levels of service that can be purchased. This will be great for emergencies – i.e., early school closings; games canceled: and reminders for events such as parent/teacher conferences. Geralyn asked about parents who might not want to be on the list to receive these calls, discussion ensued. Alison made a motion to the request as stated but to
have concerns that have been stated looked into. Joan said the company administers the entire program. Board approved.Staffing Update – Tom said Mr. Willis is retiring as Social Studies teacher after 39 years. There are 53 applications to date and the first interviews will be held Tuesday. Tom said he nominated Dr. Rice for Teacher of the Year and Jonathan is in the top three finalists in the state.Professional Learning Community Staff Development Update – Tom said the staff just finished a 37-hour course on working as a Learning Community.
Failure is Not an Option - Update – Tom said the students did not like the name so a new name is now attached to the program: E.S.P. – Educational Support Program. Tom reported that students that have completed the program would have exit interviews. Some students who completed the program have requested to remain in the program. He passed out a packet showing numbers and student comments. Tom said they have found that teacher to student ratio is a very important part of this program. Students are working with both teachers and aides.
Student Representative Report – Tom told the board that Joseph Dexter won the State Science Project and will be going to the National Science Fair in Atlanta, Georgia. The board congratulated Joseph. Joseph then gave a presentation on the independent science research he has done as a GM student. He did research on plant growth hormones in the 8th grade. He worked on Vermont/New England orchids. Last fall he did an ecology and conservation study on the Lady Slipper Orchid. Joseph talked about articles he has written and had published in horticultural magazines and he passed them around for the board to review. Joseph gave thanks to Dr. Rice who got him started on the independent research and for letting Joseph use his closet in his classroom as a laboratory. Joseph also talked about his current study with a photo lab and the process he is using for analysis.Marlee said she is one of the co-founders of the recycling club at Green Mountain and they have been doing the recycling
since January. Shawn Lambert said there has been between $1,000 and $1,500/month savings in dumpster charges. The board thanked Marlee for doing this project.
Joseph said the Student Government is reviewing the student handbook and policies and they are looking at the attendance policy currently.
Green Mountain Board Minutes April 10, 2008 Page 3
Board Report – Committee Organization –Bill handed out the board committee’s list and asked for input at the next meeting.
Retreat Date – Bill would like to schedule another Retreat at the next board meeting hopefully to schedule it for July and maybe at Okemo again. He asked the board members to bring their calendars to the next meeting so a date can be chosen.
Committee Reports – Finance – Alison spoke with Ruth regarding the budget and Ruth feels that Green Mountain will be in at least a break-even situation this year
Discussion with Public: None.
Other Business: Joan asked about holding a meeting on April 24th, it will be vacation week and Tom will be on the Grand Canyon trip. The board decided to hold the next meeting on May 8th at 5:00 p.m.
Executive Session- Alison made motion to enter Executive Session at 6:25 p.m. to discuss contracts. Arne seconded. Board approved.
Mark made motion to come out of Executive Session at 6:47 p.m. Board approved.
Jack moved, Gene seconded to approve the increases of 4% for staff not covered by master agreements with the exception of the Assistant Principal which was tabled until the next meeting.
Adjournment – Mark made motion to adjourn at 6:50 p.m. Board approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Currier
Recording Secretary
Green Mountain Union High School APPROVED MINUTES
Board Meeting Minutes
March 20, 2008 5:00 p.m.
Board Present: Bill Bourque – Chair, Alison DesLauriers – Vice Chair, Arne Jonynas, Jack Coleman, Mark Huntley, Geralyn Donohue, Gene Bont, Joseph Dexter, Marlee O’NeilAdministration Present: Joan Paustian – Superintendent, Tom Ferenc – Principal, Tom Burke – Associate Principal
Public Present: Bruce Johnson -SAPA-TV, Peggy Svec, Katherine Svec, Dan Bustard – Eagle Times, Leo Graham, Anne Kipp, Shane Putnam, Paul Dexter, Katie Karkowski, Jeff Hand – Attorney, Janet Currier – Recording
Secretary
Call to Order – Joan Paustian – Superintendent called meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
Re-Organization of Board
1) Election of OfficersChair –Joan asked for nominations for Board Chair. Alison nominated Bill Bourque, Arne seconded. Voted in the affirmative.
Vice Chair – Bill asked for nominations for Vice Chair. Jack Coleman nominated Alison DesLauriers. Arne seconded. Board voted in the affirmative. Board Clerk – Bill asked for nominations for Board Clerk. Alison nominated Jack Coleman, Jack declined. Arne nominated Mark Huntley. Alison seconded. Board voted in
the affirmative.
2) Set Meeting Date and Time – Alison made motion to set date and time of meetings for the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 6:00 p.m. Arne seconded. Board voted in the affirmative.
Joan read letter of resignation from Alonzo Neff to not continue on the GM Board because of his job requirements. Alison made motion “To accept Alonzo’s letter of resignation with regret and thanks for all the time he put in as a board member”. Board approved.
Bill asked for nominations to fill Alonzo’s position on the board. Alison made motion to nominate Geralyn Donohue to fill open Chester position. Board approved unanimously. Geralyn was asked to join the board at the table.
Executive Session – Alison made motion to enter Executive Session “To discuss a pending legal matter where public disclosure of the school’s position would substantially prejudice a decision.”
Arne seconded. Board approved. Board entered Executive Session at 5:20 p.m.
Jack moved to come out of Executive Session at 6:15 p.m. Board approved.
Call to Order – Bill Bourque called open session meeting to order at to order at 6:22 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of February 26, 2008: Jack made motion to approve minutes as presented. Board approved.
Reports:
Superintendent: Joan said that Fred Willis, retiring teacher has asked if his retirement stipends can be made in January of 2009-2010-2011 instead of the month of July. Alison made motion to
Green Mountain Board Minutes March 20, 2008 Page 2
pay his stipends in January instead of July. Board approved.
Joan said the NECAP scores are reported in two ways, the teaching year and the testing year. Linda Waite will break down the NECAP information and it will be presented by grade level to the board at a future date. She said that Professional Development was held last Friday at two schools and the GM teachers did assessment. Linda Waite reviewed the NECAP released tasks testing items with teachers to see how the teachers can use the information. Joan, Jackie McCuin and Linda have been meeting since the first of the year to talk about Strategic Planning. Grades 4-8 curriculum and transition curriculum between 6th and 7th grades are some of the areas they have targeted and they are also looking at differentiated instruction. Joan gave the board members a list of GM teacher salaries for their information. Joan asked the board to approve payment for extra curricular events for the coaches who have turned in their end of season reports. Alison said as long as requirements have been
met they can be paid. The coaches who will receive their stipends are: Eric Anderson, George (Terry) Farrell, Robert Gilliam, Elise Lisle, Michael Morse, Steve Nelligan, Gary Pelton and Jennie Suydam.
Bill welcomed the three new board members; Arne Jonynas, representing Chester, Mark Huntley, representing Cavendish and Geralyn Donohue (replacing Alonzo Neff who resigned because of job commitments) representing Chester.
Principal –Tom Ferenc – Tom welcomed the new board members and then turned the meeting over to students Shane Putnam and Katie Karkowski for: Student Government Presentation – The students reviewed the student climate study survey results with the board. Shane reported that in January of 2008 the Student Government conducted this student climate study with
grades 9-12. Two-thirds of the student body took the survey. Katie reviewed items on the survey. The results of this survey will be shared with the faculty and student body. Jack Coleman requested a copy of the survey and said he would like the actual numbers for the answers as well. Tom said
the next step is for the students to give their “stories” of why they do or do not feel safe at school. The board thanked the students for all their work. Further questions regarding the survey were asked. Joseph Dexter said the Student Government is in the process of putting together an honor code for students for academic integrity. They would like to do a survey on this as well. He feels this is not a major issue at GM but more of a preventative measure. Tom said the Student Government is also going to go through the student handbook to look for possible changes.Teacher of the Year Nomination – Tom told the board that Dr. Jonathan Rice has been nominated to the Vermont State Teacher of the Year and he hopes that he wins.
Student Representative Report – Joseph Dexter congratulated the GM Drama Club saying they competed at Harwood High School at the Vermont District Drama Festival and they were picked as one of the top two high schools. April 4 and 5 will be the Vermont State Drama Festival and he hopes that GM wins.
Board Report – Budget Vote- Bill thanked the voters for their support and passing of the GM budget. Jack thanked Alison and Bill for their work on the budget and getting the information out to the public. TOLIV –
Bill said the person that ran this program left to go into private practice and he would like to see if the board wants to talk about this and maybe start the program up again. At the time the program was paid for with Medicaid funds. Alison said she thinks the former director of this program would come in and talk to Tom Ferenc about the
Green Mountain Board Minutes March 20, 2008 Page 3
program. Bill will try to get more information to share with the board for the next meeting.Graduate Follow-up – The board has discussed this in the past and Bill wanted to follow up on
what is being done. Tom explained the plan for putting this in place over the next several years. This will be brought up again in May or June. Committee Assignments – Bill asked the board members to let him know what committees they will be interested in serving on. Bill will email the board members a list of committees and descriptions. Meeting Schedule - Bill said he did not think another meeting would be needed on the 27th. He asked if the board could meet on April 10th at 5:00 p.m. Board agreed to meet at that time.
Committee Reports – Finance – Alison spoke with Meredith and Ruth regarding the budget and they will meet again in April. They feel right now we might have a “hopefully break even year”. Armory Committee – Bill and Arne Jonynas toured the Armory today and measured the areas. Joan is working on the application. Bill said they are looking at areas to put the central office, Opportunities In Learning and Early Education/EEE Programs. The building will be basically free from the government if the criteria’s are met and Green Mountain will be applying for ownership. Trails Committee – Bill said this committee is in the process of applying for grants for the trails/ outdoor classrooms project.
Other Business: Joseph Dexter said he would like to bring a revision to the Exchange Student Policy to the next meeting. Jack wants a serious discussion regarding testing. Jack asked if these tests show the effectiveness of an individual teacher. Joan said we do not get teacher effectiveness break down from test scores. Further discussion of testing took place. Discussion of High Schools On The Move and Carnegie Credits will be on a future agenda.
Discussion with Public: | 