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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - SC - 08/21/2019 � r y.COFiASS�T� �k'7y - 17 Cohasset School Committee Meeting School Committee Minutes Wednesday,August 21, 2019 Cohasset Middle-High School Community Use Room 143 Pond Street Cohasset, MA In Attendance: Ellen Maher, Chairman Jennifer Madden Paul Kearney Ashley Colleary Craig MacLellan Also in Attendance: Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Supt. Dr. Leslie Scollins,Assistant Supt. Michael MacMillan, Director of Finance& Operations Call to Order and Roll Call-Chairman Maher called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Roll Call Vote: Paul Kearney-Present;Ashley Colleary-Present, Ellen Maher-Present,Jennifer Madden-Present, Craig MacLellan-Present. Pledge-Recited. Public Comment-None. Supt.'s Report-School Resource Officer—Supt. Dr. Patrick Sullivan introduced and thanked Office Greg Taylor for his great work with the school. Officer Taylor introduced himself and described his role as liaison between the Cohasset Public Schools and the Cohasset Police Department. Office Taylor stated he along with Chief Quigley and Detective Sargent Lopes have been meeting with Supt. Dr. Sullivan and Ellen Maher to address the security of the schools and focusing on safety for after all school events. Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated there will be a Safe Schools night on October 15, 2019, 6:30pm-8:00pm presented by the Cohasset Safe Schools Committee with the Cohasset Police regarding safety in schools, Building Safety&Security, Bullying Prevention, Inclusive Practices and Social Emotional Wellness. Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated the new leadership team met with Chief Quigley, Detective Sargent Lopes and Office Taylor and reviewed all emergency polices and plans for Safety Days including ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) drills. In October, Norfolk County Advocates for Children will be coming to 1 discuss mandated reporting. Officer Taylor informed the Committee members that Chief Quigley has implemented a policy that every officer on shift will be responding to school when there is an evacuation including drills; officers will respond and pull away as needed. Office Taylor stated this may cause alarm in the community. Supt. Dr. Sullivan discussed having a high five Friday with the Cohasset Police and Fire Departments in an effort for students to get to know the police and vice versa. Officer Taylor discussed Text to Tell, an app (PS Campus—Select Cohasset Public Schools) on one's phone which allows one to send an anonymous tip; the app is available to everyone, it is monitored 24/7 and alerts are sent to Chief Quigley, Detective Sargent Lopes and Officer Taylor. Officer Taylor stated Chief Quigley and Supt. Dr Sullivan are working hard to complete the new Memorandum of Understanding before the start of school. Officer Taylor informed the Committee members that Massachusetts revised the juvenile law which has changed how police departments handle disciplinary action (e.g. police can't handle disruption of a school day). Officer Taylor stated he has moved his office to a more centralized location in the High School. The School Committee members thanked Officer Taylor. Chairman Maher stated she has worked with Detective Sargent Lopes and Officer Taylor over the last few years and it's a great partnership and the Town of Cohasset has been very supportive through funding the capital expenses. Mrs. Madden asked if Officer Taylor attends conferences with other SROs in the area. Office Taylor stated there are two conferences he attends with other SRO's and they communicate through email giving heads up on issues in their districts. High School Handbook-Principal Brian Scott presented the substantive changes to the 2019-2020 High School handbook which included minor changes of replacing CMHS to CHS; the expansion of language around emergency procedures; re-ordering of items based on Title IX review; inclusion of the Equal Opportunity language at the front of the handbook; and technical changes clarifying academic expectations around athletics. Mrs. Colleary asked if consideration could be made to pronoun use (e.g. he/she). Mrs. Colleary also asked if the district could look at the process of students and substance/alcohol abuse. Mrs. Colleary feels the current policy is not very robust. Principal Scott stated the handbook is meant to teach and to look for resources to get the student the help they need and take a more realistic approach based on the scenario. Mrs. Madden asked what is SBIRT screening. Principal Scott stated it is a state mandated model of pre-screening for substance abuse; Principal Scott, the school nurse, guidance and adjustments counselors are trained on screening;the nurse did the SBIRT screening as part of her 71" and 101"grade screenings. Principal Scott stated parents were mailed a sign off sheet for the handbook which included opt out language. Supt. Dr. Sullivan referred to page 10 of the High School Handbook which contains reference to the legislation of the Civil Rights Law and School and District Coordination Information. Motion by Mr. MacLellan to approve the Cohasset High School Handbook for the 2019-2020 school year,seconded by Mr. Kearney and the vote was unanimous (5-0). Middle School Handbook-Principal John Mills presented the substantive changes to the 2019-2020 Middle School handbook which included minor changes of replacing CMHS to CMS; the expansion of language around emergency procedures consistent with the Cohasset High School handbook; and a table of the governing School Committee policies consistent with the Cohasset High School Handbook. Mr. Mills stated this is a new opportunity and expects as the school year goes on issues will be found and the handbook will be revisited along the year and need to be aligned with district and school 2 committee policies. Mr. Kearney asked how the school gets the parents to read the handbook. Mr. Mills suggested that reminders could be tweeted out or a link to the handbook be made available in the school newsletter. Motion by Mr. MacLellan to approve the Cohasset Middle School Handbook for the 2019-2020 school year, seconded by Mr. Kearney and the vote was unanimous (5-0). Start School Later-Supt. Dr. Sullivan presented a proposal to the Committee members to change the start times for the 2020-2021 school year. The proposed new start times are as follows: 2020-2021 School Total Teacher Student Start Student End Teacher End Early Start Time Time Time Time Release CHS 6 hours 40 minutes :25AM :25AM :05PM 3:05PM 12:40PM CMS 6 hours 40 minutes :25AM :25AM :05PM 3:05PM 12:40PM DHS 6 hours 30 minutes 7:45AM :45AM 2:05PM 2:15PM 11:55AM JOS 6 hours 30 minutes :15AM :15AM :35PM 3:45PM 1:25PM Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated the proposal may need tweaking but feels logistically the change can be done and the proposed time changes stayed within the mandatory hours on learning at each school. Supt. Dr. Sullivan discussed the criteria used in evaluation alternatives to the current schedule to allow students at the High School to start later transportation, parents with students at multiple schools, high school athletics, splitting CMS and CHS, traffic congestion on Sohier Street and Pond Street, going to and from school in the dark, the impact on METCO students and driver start and finish times. Supt. Dr. Sullivan discussed the restrictions that limited the number of options that could be considered which included the length of day cannot change per the Teacher's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Superintendent Dr. Sullivan stated he has worked with Patricia Thompson, CTA President, and the CTA has approved the proposed change. Supt. Dr. Sullivan recognized all those involved in helping with the proposed new start and end times. Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated if the Committee approves the vote there is still work to be done with the Athletic Director, METCO,Transportation Coordinator, Leadership, CTA, and families in order to consider all of the implementation needs and requirements and how to best accommodate those who do not fit the proposed model. Chairman Maher recognized Supt. Dr. Sullivan's leadership and thanked everyone who participated in the proposal. Mr. Kearney thanked Supt. Dr. Sullivan, Dr. Kristal and Maura Sharry for their hard work. Motion by Mr. MacLellan to approve the proposed new schedule for the 2020-2021 school year as presented by Supt. Dr. Sullivan, seconded by Mr. Kearney. Roll Call Vote; Paul Kearney-Aye,Ashley Colleary-Aye, Ellen Maher-Aye,Jennifer Madden-Aye, Craig MacLellan-Aye. Chairman Maher stated notification must be sent by letter from the School Committee or the employer of record, accordingly Chairman Maher and Supt. Dr. Sullivan will co-sign a letter to the CTA and present the timetables to the CTA which could result in small changes to the start times indicated. 3 Hiring Update-Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated there has been movement on the elementary team chair. Supt. Dr. Sullivan updated the Committee members on the open positions which includes a Kindergarten Aide. Supt. Dr. Sullivan informed the Committee that Patrice Hoeft moved from the MHS Office Secretary to the Osgood Office Secretary which leaves an opening at the Middle High School. Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated they are in the final stages of hiring the 0.5 Middle School nurse. Mr. Kearney asked about the status of the hiring of the 1.0 custodian. Mr. MacMillan reminded Mr. Kearney the position wasn't part of the budget. Chairman Maher stated it's a budget issue, not the lack of desire to hire the 1.0 custodian. Chairman Maher tabled the discussion to the next Finance and Facilities subcommittee meeting. Kindergarten Enrollment Update-Supt. Dr. Sullivan reported the enrollment for Kindergarten as follows: 98 total which consists of 2 half-day and 96 full-day. Chairman Maher stated the district is not positioning for a half-time teacher. Mr. MacMillan stated one of the half-day students has requested transportation. Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated there is one family inquiring about half-day kindergarten. Mrs. Colleary asked how the district handles the transportation for the one half-day student. Supt. Dr. Sullivan stated the student has the right to transportation. Mrs. Colleary asked if a cost analysis has been done for a smaller vehicle to be used for kindergarten and athletics. Mr. MacMillan stated the vehicle must be a registered school bus and there are different requirements which he is looking into. Summer Curriculum Update-Assistant Supt. Dr. Scollins stated that it has been a pleasure to look over the summer work; she has been meeting with the various teams and will have met with all the teams by mid-September. Assistant Supt. Dr. Scollins is in the process of meeting with all staff to review their work. Assistant Supt. Dr. Scollins stated the enthusiasm and excitement from the teams is outstanding. She stated the 8th grade civics curriculum and 6th and 7th social studies curriculum is working together, dovetailing and aligning with the new standards. The elementary math team has done amazing work on the adoption of the elementary math program and the team is in the process of fine tuning the pilot at the elementary level. Mandated Reporter Training Update-Assistant Supt. Dr. Scollins presented a slideshow on State and Federal Mandated Training for all Employees of Cohasset Public Schools which is posted and available on the website. She reviewed the topics of training for both Civil Rights and Special Education.The Committee members were informed that all staff are required to view and sign off on the training by September 20, 2019 and all new staff will take this training at time of hire. Assistant Supt. Dr. Scollins presented the non-discrimination clause which must be on all correspondence including website, emails and letterhead. She stated there is additional option 51a Mandated Reporting training for all staff offered through the Middlesex County DA's Office. Finance-Monthly Update-Michael MacMillan reviewed the budget summary report for the month of July. He stated not much happened in July and there is a lot of activity in special education because he has encumbered the funds for special education tuitions based on current student enrollment. He stated the grants are mostly zeroed out for the year. He stated the revolving accounts including transportation and athletics are all in good positions. Mr. MacMillan stated the Use of Facilities 4 revolving account has a balance of$51,147 which is paying for the painting at the Middle School and the repair of the basketball hoops at Deer Hill. Vehicle Maintenance Update-Mr. MacMillan reported the new busses are good. He stated there have been a couple of repairs and the representative from the security camera company came out to train the drivers on how to use the new cameras. Mr. MacMillan stated the cameras include technology to conduct a system check to determine if cameras are working properly. He stated the new cameras give the drivers a view of the side and rear of the bus which increases the safety of the busses. Approval of Warrant-Motion by Mr. MacLellan to approve Warrant 20-035, seconded by Mr. Kearney. Roll Call Vote; Paul Kearney-Aye, Ashley Colleary-Aye, Ellen Maher-Aye,Jennifer Madden—Aye, Craig MacLellan-Aye. Motion to rescind previous vote for approval of Warrant 20-035 by Ms. Madden, seconded by Ms. Colleary. Roll Call Vote; Paul Kearney-Aye,Ashley Colleary-Aye, Ellen Maher-Aye,Jennifer Madden- Aye, Craig MacLellan-Aye New motion by Ms. Madden to approve Warrant 20-035, seconded by Ms. Colleary. Roll Call Paul Kearney-Nay;Ashley Colleary-Aye, Ellen Maher-Aye,Jennifer Madden-Aye, Craig MacLellan-Aye. Chairman Maher reminded Committee members that copies of all bills are available in the Business Office prior to the meeting for review and Michael MacMillan can answer any questions about the invoices. School Committee Comments and Communication-Finalize FY20 Goals-The Committee reviewed their draft goals for 2019-2020 and made edits. Ms. Madden will make the revisions to the goals and distribute to the Committee members. Motion by Mr. MacLellan to approve the FY20 School Committee Goals, seconded by Ms. Madden and the vote was unanimous(5-0). Reports from Sub-Committee & Liaisons-Mr. Kearney visited the Senior Center to introduce himself and asked the seniors to help rejuvenate the Skipper program. He stated the seniors were concerned with the amount of handicap parking and he assured the seniors handicap parking spots have been added. Mr. Kearney stated he attended the 7 t h and 8th grade communications meeting. He stated the students had some good feedback including concerns of hot classrooms and the leaks in the roof; and the use of Styrofoam cups in the cafeteria. Ms. Colleary attended the Safe Harbor fundraising meeting. She stated Safe Harbor is exploring the possibility of a more permanent location for a youth center and they discussed some fundraising ideas. Safe Harbor is holding an Overdose Vigil on August 27th in the Commons. Ms. Colleary stated the Unity Council held a meeting which Ms. Colleary and Aleisa Gittens- Carle, METCO Director attended along with two representatives from Scituate Public Schools and two representatives from Hingham. The Council discussed collaborating an event which would include watching "Dawnland", a movie about forced adoptions in indigenous communities in Northern New England. The Council set a tentative date of November 215T to show the movie in the auditorium. Ms. Colleary stated the Council is starting a community read which would be seasonal. She stated the first book would be "There There" by Tommy Orange. Chairman Maher stated she attended the Post 5 Employment Benefit (PEB) meeting. She stated PEB has two tasks ahead of them which includes creating an Investment Policy for Funding and a policy for funding their trusts. Chairman Maher informed the Committee members that the Special Town Meeting will be November 41" and all Committee members should be there. Chairman Maher informed the Committee members that Supt. Dr. Sullivan invited the Committee members to Opening Day on August 28, 2019. Supt. stated that all are welcome, and they will begin at 8:OOam. Approval of Minutes- Motion by Ms. Madden to approve the minutes of 7/11/2019 as written, seconded by Paul and the vote was unanimous (5-0). Chairman Maher stated she would like to defer approval of the July 17, 2019 and July 31, 2019. Chairman Maher would like to review the structure of the minutes with Mr. Kearney. Chairman Maher asked for a motion to go into Executive Session for Exemption#3 to discuss strategy with respect to negotiations with a union member. Motion moved by Mr. MacLellan and seconded by Mr. Kearney. Roll Call Vote; Paul Kearney-Aye,Ashley Colleary-Aye, Ellen Maher-Aye,Jennifer Maher-Aye, Craig MacLellan-Aye. Mr. MacLellan informed Chairman Maher that he believes the Chapter 39, Section 29 referenced on the Agenda is incorrect. The Committee went into Executive Session at 10:20 p.m. The Committee Exited Executive Session at 10:55 p.m. (Motion by Mr. Kearney, seconded by Mrs. Colleary, ) The Committee Adjourned Regular Session at 10:56 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Kearney, seconded by Mrs. Colleary.The vote was 4-0 Aye. Documents Used at the Meeting High School Handbook D-1 Middle School Handbook D-2 Start School Later D-3 Hiring Update D-4 Summer Curriculum Work D-5 Mandated Reporter Training Update D-6 FY20 Monthly Update (July) E-1 Vehicle Maintenance Update E-2 School Committee FY20 Goals G-1 Minutes H-1 6