BOARD OF EDUCATION
MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK
JULY 7, 2005
A regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, New York was held Thursday, July 7, 2005, at the Board of Education Office, 223 Wisner Avenue, immediately following the Annual Reorganization Meeting, Board President Vincent Crescenzo, presiding.
Mr. Crescenzo noted the recent write-up in the Times Herald Record about an eagle scout ceremony. He said that this ceremony was unique because two of the scouts attaining eagle rank were third-generation eagles. One of these new eagle scouts, Andrew Scott, is the son of Thomas Scott, the District’s Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. Mr. Crescenzo extended congratulations to the Scott family.
Mr. Estrada made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to approve the minutes of June 2, 8, 13, 2005.
Ms. Tobiassen said that the first page of the June 2 minutes should be amended to read that Mrs. Botti did not approve the process that was used for tenure determination. It was clarified that the sentence should read that “Mrs. Botti did not approve of the evaluation process that was used by the Middletown City School District for tenure determination.
With this correction duly noted, motion to approve the June 2 minutes, as amended, and the June 8 and 13, 2005 minutes was taken.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
No written communications were read.
Board Member Reports:
Mr. Perrino commended the students, parents and staff at Chorley for their recent testing accomplishment. Dr. Eastwood explained that the State uses a process to back check the students that take the fourth grade exam to see if the feeder schools are meeting State requirements. Chorley has been identified as doing well in preparing students to take State exams when they reach the fourth grade.
Mr. Perrino reported on the following:
- acknowledged the CSEA members who volunteered for the Orange Classic
- thanked all for their efforts with High School graduation
- noted a job well done on the Twin Towers Literary Magazine
- said that the Baccalaureate dinner and breakfast were very well done and thanked our Food Service staff for their work in this regard.
Ms. Perkins thanked those who supported her in her quest for a seat on the Board of Education. She said that it is an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board, acknowledging that it is an enormous task.
Mr. Geiger welcomed Ms. Perkins to the Board table. He said that our school year ended on a positive note at graduation, especially recognizing the efforts of our choral groups and bands. Mr. Geiger also said that the selections in the Twin Towers Literary Magazine are vivid and visceral, and encouraged everyone to take the time to read through the magazine.
Mrs. Botti noted that each Board member brings an area of expertise to the Board. She said that the OCSBA and NYSSBA conduct a number of workshops for Board members, on a variety of topics. Mrs. Botti also noted the number and dollar amounts of the scholarships awarded to our High School graduates.
Mr. Estrada said that the decorum at graduation should be applauded. He also reminded the Board that this year’s NYSSBA Convention will be held in Rochester in October. Dr. Eastwood said that a presentation will be given by Middletown’s Mentor Program at the convention. Mr. Estrada also noted that Carl Onken will be president of the NYSSBA this year. Mr. Onken has been our Area 9 Director for many years. Mr. Estrada said that a conference for new and veteran school board members will be offered in Albany in September.
Mr. Geiger said that the graduation ceremony is being broadcast on Channel 20. He also thanked Teacher Center Director Jan Nappo for the packet of information sent to the Board about the Center’s offerings.
Ms. Perkins thanked the Board for inviting her to attend the graduation ceremony and said she was very impressed with the number of scholarships awarded. She said that she was pleased with the District’s focus on improving the number of students who graduate with their cohort. Ms. Perkins also said that she has attended two Board member workshops which explain a lot about the structure and functioning of boards of education.
Dr. Eastwood said that the percentage of students graduating has increased. He also noted that that High School met State requirements in four areas – ELA participation and performance and Math performance and participation -- where the High School had been identified as a school in need of improvement. Dr. Eastwood said that while the High School is required to meet this requirement two years in a row, we are well on our way to being removed from the school in need of improvement designation. He commended the staff, faculty and administration at the High School for their efforts.
Mr. Perrino thanked Lori Worth and Irene Wall for their work on the decorations, etc. at the Baccalaureate dinner.
Mr. Crescenzo spoke about the rewarding experience of handing students their diplomas.
No visitors asked to address the Board.
Mrs. Botti made a motion, seconded by Mr. Perrino, to approve Personnel Memorandum #1, copy attached.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Perrino made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to approve Personnel Memorandum #2, copy attached.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Consideration of Personnel Memorandum #3 was tabled pending discussion in executive session to be held later in the meeting.
Ms. Tobiassen made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to amend the agenda to consider an additional Personnel Memorandum.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion to amend the agenda was unanimously approved.
Mr. Estrada made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to approve Personnel Memorandum #4, copy attached.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Perrino made a motion, seconded by Mr. Estrada, requesting personnel folders for the purpose of conducting personnel business in executive session.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Superintendent-approved budget transfer #1 was presented.
Mr. Perrino made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to accept the following International Student Exchange Students:
Wooje Chun - Korea
Sun Koo Lee - Korea
Amanda Lopez - Spain
Gabrielle Peixoto -Brazil
Carolin Beltz - Germany
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Estrada made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to approve the appointment of Impartial Hearing Officer Erne Levins for Case Identifier #14739.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Geiger made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Knapp, to approve Special Services Memorandum #1, copy attached.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mrs. Knapp made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to approve Financial Memorandum #2, copy attached.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Geiger made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to approve Alternates No. 8 and Alternate No. 9B to the General Construction Contract from Morris Park Contracting, Inc. for the MHS Project, as follows:
Alternate No. 8 Replace wood flooring system in gymnasium $140,000
Alternate No. 9B Replace Bleachers $135,000
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Scott said that JMOA Engineering has reviewed the proposals for the testing required on the High School project and has recommended that the following companies conduct the construction testing:
Eustance & Horowitz, P.C.
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Inspections
Adelaide Environmental Health
Asbestos Projecting Monitoring; Air Testing
Associates, Inc.
Atlantic Testing Laboratories, Ltd.
Construction Materials Testing and Inspections
Mrs. Botti made a motion, seconded by Mr. Estrada, to approve the testing companies as detailed above for the MHS Project.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
Discussion followed regarding air conditioning in our school facilities. Summer school and the possibility of year-round school were presented as reasons to air condition the buildings. Dr. Eastwood said in the next few years an HVAC project may be re-visited depending on the District’s financial situation.
No visitors asked to address the Board.
Roundtable:
Dr. Eastwood thanked Assemblywoman Rabbitt for her assistance in trying to acquire funding for school resource officers for our District. Member item funding, however, is usually for brick and mortar type projects, not for salaries. Dr. Eastwood said that the District’s current year budget provides for funding two SRO’s. One has been assigned to work at the High School; however, some jurisdictional issues have developed with having a single SRO cover our middle schools unless the services of the State Police or the Sheriff’s Department can be utilized. Some conversations have been held with the State Police, but they have indicated that there are no funds available for SRO’s, except for the school districts that already have State Police SRO’s in place.
Dr. Eastwood said that the City of Middletown has applied for funding several times for school resource officers through the Cops in Schools grant. However, a representative from the Department of Justice called today and advised that there are not sufficient monies in the appropriations for school resource officers, and chances are not good that the City’s application will be funded.
Dr. Eastwood recommended that the District wait until September to see if the growth money that has been reserved will be needed. If there is not significant growth in our enrollment, these funds may be re-allocated to fund an additional SRO. Discussion followed concerning equal access to State and Federal resources, the ramifications of placing an SRO in one middle school and not the other, and the number of police calls at each of our middle schools.
Mr. Crescenzo asked the Board to indicate their approval to allocate the remaining funds in the budget to place an SRO at Twin Towers. Ms. Tobiassen, Mr. Perrino, Mr. Geiger, and Mr. Crescezo supported this suggestion. Since this was not a majority approval, the straw vote was defeated.
Ms. Tobiassen asked the status of a meeting with the Middletown Teachers Association, and also requested information about the discontinuance of the MicroSociety at Mechanicstown and the Chorley play.
Mr. Crescenzo said that he is working with Sheila Esposito concerning dates for discussion with the MTA. He noted that this will be an open meeting.
Dr. Eastwood said that the District recently looked at all its grants and their purposes. He said that grant monies are provided for specific purposes and the expenditures must be appropriate given the parameters of the grant. The MicroSociety at Mechanicstown and some of the staff at Chorley have been funded through magnet school monies. Dr. Eastwood said that magnet funds were initially provided to school districts where there was an imbalance of poverty or racial mix, which our District had at one time. However, since the inception of the grant, attendance zones were re-drawn and the imbalance no longer exists. District staff recently went to Albany to meet with officials who supervise magnet funds distribution, and we have been instructed to use magnet funds to provide programs that help meet student performance requirements. Dr. Eastwood said that even though the District has staffed all buildings for programmatic and student needs, including the fine arts programs, schools can use the buildings’ discretionary funds for additional programs. As part of magnet funding, the District will also be providing a $15,000 allocation for each building through the Arts in Education program so they may contract with arts in education providers to present programs that are aligned with Math and ELA standards.
Responding to a question from Mr. Estrada, Mr. DelMoro said that the District has a middle school orientation program for students new to the middle school. Dr. Eastwood said that the Restructuring Committee is also looking at ways for students to successfully transition into the middle schools and the High School.
Mrs. Knapp asked several questions about the new Cross Point program. Dr. Eastwood said this new student information program should be on-line at the High School in September. The program will initially address scheduling and then individual student files. Staff will have training and support during this transition.
Responding to a question from Mrs. Knapp, Dr. Eastwood said that work has begun on the High School project. Fencing has been put up and contractors have opened up the old gym so that windows can be put in for classrooms. The next phase will be work on the steel wing.
Mrs. Botti suggested that time be allotted to address Board norms at the Board retreat in August. She also said that Technology staff is available for assistance with the new email system.
Responding to Mr. Perrino, Dr. Eastwood said that the District is reviewing all audits and committee recommendations to start mapping out priorities for next year.
At 11:00 p.m., Mrs. Knapp made a motion, seconded by Mr. Geiger, to have an executive session to discuss specific personnel issues. Motion was unanimously approved.
Public session resumed at 11:20 p.m.
Mr. Geiger made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Knapp, to approve Personnel Memorandum #3, copy attached.
Ayes: Estrada, Geiger, Knapp, Perkins, Perrino, Tobiassen, Botti, Crescenzo – 8. Noes: None. Motion was unanimously approved.
At 11:21 p.m., Mr. Estrada made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Botti, to have an executive session to discuss the employment history of a particular person. Motion was unanimously approved.
Public session resumed at 11:45 p.m. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at this time.
Respectfully submitted,
Alicia E. Olsen
School District Clerk
ENLARGED CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
OF MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK
PUPIL PERSONNEL/SPECIAL SERVICES
MEMORANDUM #1
TO: Board of Education
FROM: Selena Fischer, Director for Pupil Personnel & Special Services
DATE: July 7, 2005
RE: Committee on Special Education/Committee on Preschool Special Education
Resolved, that the special programs and services required by the recommendations in the Pupil Personnel/Special Services Memorandum No. 1 dated July 7, 2005, shall be implemented by the Board of Education within the time period provided by law, and
Be it further resolved, that the proposed appointments set forth below to the CSE and CPSE are hereby confirmed.
1. COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS REACHED AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING(S):
April 28, May 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, June 2, 6, 9, 2005
2. COMMITTEE ON PRESCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS REACHED AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING(S):
3. APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION:
MEMBER NAME POSITION EFFECTIVE
4. APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEE ON PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION:
MEMBER NAME POSITION EFFECTIVE
5. APPOINTMENTS OF SURROGATE PARENTS:
MEMBER NAME POSITION EFFECTIVE
ENLARGED CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
OF MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK
FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM #2
TO: Board of Education
FROM: Elizabeth McKean
DATE: July 7, 2005
RE: Financial Memorandum #2
1. Budget Transfer #1 Approved
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From:
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A.2110.8200.09.2100.07
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High School Equipment
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$11,660.00
|
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To:
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A.2110.8200.03.2100.07
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Chorley Equipment
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$11,660.00
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2. Donations Accepted
Vincent Monaco Scholarship
John Nania Scholarship Fund
3. Extension of Transportation Contract for Summer 2005 with Mid-City Transit Corp. Approved
Special Education Contract $175,700.00
District Operated Non-Special Education
(summer elementary and middle level) 78,700.00
Total Cost Summer Transportation $254,400.00