Board of Education Meeting Minutes

June 24, 2008

ATTENDANCE: Susan Hamilton, Chair; Jody Bishop-Pullan; Glenn Iannaccone; Bruce Kimmel; Greg Burnett; Jack Chiaramonte; Rosa Murray; Shirley Mosby; Migdalia Rivas

STAFF: Dr. Salvatore Corda, Superintendent of Schools; Sheri McCready

OTHERS: Tony Daddona; Alan Lo; Dr. Lynne Moore; Melissa Petropolos; Mark Judkins; Roseanne Fullim; Marge Cavanaugh; Allyson Valerie; James Yetsie; Jill Cress; Stacy Colcone; Curtis Law; Marcia Capo; Karen Burke; Dolores Cunningham; Nicita Codo; Lisa Henderson; Lisa Anzalone; Joe DeVelis; Natalia Martine; Steve O’Connell; Christina Anzalone; Bruce Mellion; Roberta Wilmont; Lyle Gardener

I. CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 P.M. – Rm. A300

Ms. Hamilton called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Ms. Hamilton led those present in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. DISCUSSION OF APPOINTMENT AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION (EXECUTIVE SESSION ANTICIPATED)

Resume Public Session (approximately 7:45 p.m.)

Ms. Hamilton resumed the public session at 7:42 p.m.

Dr. Corda asked that everyone observe a moment of silence for Ms. Natalia Rodriguez, who passed away on June 15, 2008. He said that Ms. Rodriguez was an employee of the district for 33 years, had held various positions in the school system, and had left as a Parent Coordinator. She was a voice for the Hispanic community and was deeply committed to the children of Norwalk, to their parents and to Norwalk as a community.

IV. SPOTLIGHT ON NORWALK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Mr. Iannaccone read the following statement:

Dr. Lynne Moore, West Rocks Middle School principal, was named Carver’s “Woman of the Year”. Dr. Moore was recognized at the Youth Development Program’s 38th annual testimonial dinner on Friday, June 20th. The dinner recognizes the accomplishments of students in addition to the individuals who have contributed to the success of Carver programs.

Alexa DiCambio, a Norwalk High School student, received Arts awards from the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS). The CAS Arts Recognition Awards, inaugurated in 1995, recognizes annually seniors in each of the high schools for outstanding ability in the performing or visual arts. Two hundred seventy-five students from 140 high schools received awards this year. The Arts Awards Banquet is sponsored annually by the CT Association of Schools and the Westfield Corporation.

V. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT 2008-2009 Budget Reconciliation

Dr. Corda congratulated Dr. Moore on her recognition. He noted that Dr. Karen Lang, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, was present and that this would be her last Board meeting as she is retiring. He said that Dr. Lang was the principal architect of the curriculum revision work that took place and during her 6 years here, she assumed the responsibility for the leadership of the curriculum revision in every content area. He acknowledged Dr. Lang for her tremendous contributions.

He noted that Mr. Tony Daddona was present also, and that he would be presented to the Board as a candidate for the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction. He said that Mr. Daddona held a variety of positions over 30 years in the district, most recently as Director of Secondary Education. He also was the Interim Principal of Norwalk High School for 3 years.

Dr. Corda then spoke on the budget reconciliation. He said that they were faced with the task of reducing the budget by $1.4M. They re-examined the staffing needs and identified where it would be possible to make reductions. Several meetings were held with the Budget Advisory Committee. He said the reductions do not impact the educational program. They were able to reduce the number of high school staff in Business and English as some students enrolled in elective courses that the Board of Education approved of outside of those departments.

At the middle school level, he noted that they had added staff in previous years due to increased enrollment. At this point in time, Dr. Corda said that reductions are needed due to declining enrollment.

Dr. Corda said that they made a difficult decision regarding the closing of the newsstand downstairs. It was a job coaching program for students with special needs, and they were able to effect some savings by moving the program, not the newsstand, to Norwalk High School.

Dr. Corda said they were not able to increase the number of staff in order to serve English Language Learners. While there will be some additional staff, it is not what they hoped it would be.

Beyond that, the changes involved revising some budget estimates and reducing some allocations across the district. By doing so, they were able to present to the Budget Advisory Committee a reduction of $1,390,000 that is necessary in order to balance the budget.

VI. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Please note that these public comments are not to be considered verbatim.

Dr. Lynne Moore, 813 Foxboro Drive, West Rocks Middle School Principal, said that West Rocks Middle School will lose 6.1 staff members if the budget reconciliation is passed. She said the cuts are programmatic. Two Language Arts/Social Studies teachers will be cut. Two Math/Science teachers will be cut. These courses are tested on the CMT’s. Norwalk is a district in need of improvement as determined by the Federal legislation of No Child Left Behind. The current budget reconciliation reduces the number of guidance counselors to 3, which means the ratio would be 224 to 1. Without the services of the 27 ½ hour clerical position in the guidance office, services to the ELL families will be diminished. Mrs. Codo, whose position in the guidance office would be cut, offers translation services and parental guidance support, among other varied responsibilities. As Principal, she has rarely seen upper level administration visiting the schools. Cuts should not be made without talking to the Principal. She requested that they maintain the two 8th grade teachers for 2008/09. There will be 240 8th grade students. Education is not simply an arithmetic problem to divide numbers by sections. She requested that the clerical position in the Guidance Department remain in the budget. She requested that at least a .50 Guidance Counselor be assigned to West Rocks, with the remaining to be shared with Ponus. Currently the enrollment at both schools is exactly the same. She asked that the Board consider the statements she made in her document. She provided copies to all the Board members.

Melissa Petropolos, 3 Michael Street, a 5th grade teacher at Rowayton School, said she has been a teacher for 19 years. She and her husband, also a teacher, are Norwalk natives and have their children in the Norwalk public school system. Their oldest daughter has attended Rowayton School since Kindergarten, even though it is not their district. They expected their youngest daughter to attend Kindergarten at Rowayton School but were told no for being out of district. There were spots being held as a buffer for potential Rowayton students. Ms. Petropolos explained the problems that arose for her youngest daughter from not being able to attend Rowayton School, and she said that her child’s well-being seemed less important than that of a child who could have but might not have moved into Rowayton. In November, they were granted permission for medical reasons to attend Rowayton School. The student made a seamless transition and had a successful year. Ms. Petropolos explained that they will have to go through the same process each year. She said that Norwalk teachers who choose to live and work in Norwalk should be rewarded for their loyalty to the city. As a matter of courtesy, she asked that children of teachers be given the opportunity to attend the school where their parents teach.

Mark Judkins, 9 Bain Court, has an incoming 8th grader who would be directly affected by the teacher cuts. He said that there are multiple position being taken from West Rocks, but not from other schools. He asked that they reconsider and not pass the budget reconciliation tonight.

Roseanne Fullim, 46 Harborview Avenue, said she is a resident, teacher and parent who has lived and worked in Norwalk since 1987. She spoke directly to the elimination of the clerical position at the West Rocks MS Guidance Department as it would affect teachers and the Guidance Department. The position has been in existence for over 17 years, and it also supports the Special Education teachers. There are many responsibilities involved with this position, including scheduling PPT’s, maintaining minutes of PPT meetings, maintaining the accuracy of IEP Direct, and by failing to do these tasks could result in West Rocks being out of compliance and being denied due process. She said that by adding clerical responsibilities to the teachers, it takes them away from their legally mandated student instruction. She strongly urged them to continue the funding for this position.

Marge Cavanaugh, a Guidance Secretary at West Rocks MS for 20 years, said that they can’t do without the clerical position. A large number of students are serviced by the Guidance Department for a variety of reasons. Three of the four middle schools in Norwalk have two people in the Guidance Office. West Rocks has a larger population, so it doesn’t make sense. She said that it would be an incredible amount of work for one person. She said that they need the position of Nicita Codo to be reinstated.

Allyson Vallerie said the statement she made regarding the proposed cuts at West Rocks MS at the last meeting still stand. She reiterated some points, saying that children cannot respond to counseling if it is not available to them. A ratio of 224 students per guidance counselor is unacceptable. It is a far larger ratio than Roton’s 165.4 per counselor. West Rocks MS would have 25% more children per counselor, and it’s one of the largest middle schools in the district. She asked that they please take another look at the budget and be fair from school to school. There should not be such large discrepancies between schools with West Rocks having such a disadvantage compared to the other middle schools in the Norwalk district. If cuts must be made, make them fairly. There should be equity among middle schools in the same district. No Child Left Behind.

James Yetsie, a Board of Education Food Service employee for 24 years, said he fully supports the Whitson’s program. They offer healthy alternatives for menu selections in the elementary schools. It is an asset to the district and the school lunch program.

Jill Kress, a Norwalk Public School Central Kitchen employee for 6 years, said she worked with Mr. Harris and Whitson’s, and he ran a tight ship. He strives to make sure healthy meals are being offered. It would be a great asset to the City to approve the Whitson’s contract.

Stacy Colcone, 3 Yale Street, is a Kindergarten teacher at Jefferson School who supports the Whitson’s lunch program. She has noticed that there are healthier choices for the student’s lunches. She feels that it has had a vast improvement in the school system. She thinks they are doing a great job. She hopes that the contract is extended.

Curtis Law, 71 Governor’s Avenue, Milford, Director of Norwalk Housing Authority, spoke in favor of the appointment of Tony Daddona to the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. He asked that they approve the appointment.

Marcia Capo said she is part of the bi-lingual clerical staff at West Rocks MS and is the parent of 3 children. She credited all the teachers who work in the school, saying that they contribute to the academic success of each child. She said that if they had to pay for translators, the cost would be astronomical. She said that there are many parents who don’t speak English and would be very confused if there was not a bi-lingual staff member at the school. She asked them to remember that when they make their budget decision.

Karen Burke of 5 Bowen Road said she is opposed to the staff cuts at West Rocks MS. She said that this is unacceptable. Counselors are a vital necessity to the growth and achievement of the middle school students. Teacher cuts will leave the classrooms overcrowded with reduced effective learning. She asked them to look at the numbers again and reconsider making cuts that would directly affect the children’s learning and well-being.

Dolores Cunningham of 25 Morehouse Lane has been a Guidance Counselor at West Rocks MS for the past 12 years. It has always been the largest middle school in Norwalk. Previously, the enrollment increase warranted additional teachers and staff to handle the increased workload. The caseload was 270 students. Due to budget constraints and due to declining enrollment, they would lose a .6 Guidance Counselor to Ponus, and the part-time guidance secretary. She asked that those two positions be reinstated.

Nicita Codo said that she is the part-time bi-lingual secretary in the Guidance Department at West Rocks MS that whose position is slated to be eliminated. She lives at 110 Chestnut Hill Road and has a daughter at Norwalk High School and a son coming into the West Rocks MS special education program. She explained that she is the liaison between the special ed teachers, the specialists, the guidance counselors and the families. There is a tremendous amount of work involved, with scheduling, copying, phone calls, translation, etc. She asked them to reconsider reinstating her position, as she was looking forward to being there for many years in a job she enjoys.

Lisa Henderson, 21 Apple Tree Lane, said she has four children in the Norwalk Public Schools. She is a native of Norwalk, a homeowner and a business owner, and she attended Norwalk Public Schools also. She felt that the staff was being cut unnecessarily at West Rocks MS. The classroom numbers are getting close to what the limit is. She felt it was not worth the disruption at the school to cut positions to save money. She hoped that the budget would be sent back for a fresh look, and she asked that they don’t eliminate the staff and teachers at West Rocks MS.

Lisa Anzalone, a resident and Norwalk Board of Education employee for 9 years, has two teenage children in the Norwalk Public School system. She said that for as long as she could remember, about 30 years, that as a professional courtesy, children of Norwalk Board of Education employees were able to attend the school of their choice. Her daughter is at Brien McMahon High School and her son hoped to attend there in the Fall. She said they are both devastated by the news that they would not be allowed to attend Brien McMahon HS. She followed procedure each year by applying for out of district placement, and she would never have allowed it if she knew it wouldn’t continue. She suggested a possible solution and addendum to the policy, (perhaps a grandfather rule) that if an employee is hired after a certain date, that employee would not be entitled to their child being able to attend the school of their choice. This would phase out the professional courtesy that has been in place for approximately 30 years. Another possible solution and addendum to the policy would be to allow any student of a Board of Ed employee that is in grade 4 or higher as of a certain date be allowed to have the professional courtesy of the school of their choice.

Joe DeVelis, a Guidance Counselor at West Rocks MS, said that he left Harding High School in Bridgeport 11 years ago after 12 years of employment because the Guidance Staff was not being respected. They were the first to be cut when reductions had to occur. Due to the short-staffing, students were kept out of school until their paperwork was in place or told to come back in a few days when it was processed. He spoke of the Guidance Department always handling increased responsibilities and always handling them well. He asked that they leave the Guidance Office alone and keep the Clerical Assistant in place. He said that by doing so, they would be allowing the students to be the best they can be. He doesn’t want to have the same situation that he had in Bridgeport.

Ms. Natalia Martine, of 18 Heritage Hill Road, expressed concern and support for the teachers and staff at West Rocks MS. She is a Latino parent and is in agreement with what was said earlier this evening regarding the importance of having a bi-lingual secretary at the school. She felt that the cuts are programmatic. She expressed her support of Dr. Moore and those who spoke ahead of her this evening.

Steve O’Connell, a teacher and building steward at Columbus Magnet School, addressed the issues regarding the abatement and construction project. He said that he provided a list at the previous month’s meeting that was prepared in haste. He provided another list this evening, with staff surveys and responses provided. He specifically noted the building ventilation system and the P.A. system as not working properly.

Christina Anzalone, daughter of Lisa Anzalone who spoke earlier, said that if she had to switch to Norwalk High School from Brien McMahon High School in her sophomore year, it would be like being a freshman again, but without any of the orientation guidelines offered to freshman. It would be difficult and it wouldn’t be fair.

Mr. Bruce Mellion said that the full board meetings should be held in either the council chambers or the community room, as parents who come out for the meetings have a standing room only situation. He felt there should be a thorough exam of the elementary Assistant Principals. He spoke of the teacher evaluations, which consists of an appraisal, a directed professional growth, and a self-directed professional growth. It is not one fitting all. He said there is a strong need for additional technical support for both teachers and non-certified personnel. He spoke of the West Rocks MS staffing cuts, saying that the work can’t be done with the proposed reduction in staff. If the professional courtesy is phased out, it shouldn’t be done in a way that would hurt students and families. The number of 10-20 students affected is not a large number. Fair notice should be given of the transition. He said that there are serious problems at Columbus School that need to be addressed. He distributed a survey from the leadership of the NFT regarding Dr. Corda.

Roberta Wilmont, 25 Westport Avenue, said she and her partner Felicia run the school cafeteria at Naramake School. She said she is now in favor of the Whitson program, saying they are very service oriented and offer healthy menu selections for the students. She asked that they please consider extending the Whitson’s contract.

Lyle Gardener, 4 Van Zant Street, has worked for Mr. Harris at Whitson’s for many years. He originally was not in favor of the program, but after two years he has seen the improvement in the lunch program and how hard Whitson’s works for the benefit of the students. He mentioned that there are many families that owe lunch money to the school system, and he mentioned that there are many school/office items that are thrown away on a regular basis. He mentioned these two points as potential revenue items for the city.

VII. ACTIONS

A. Consent

1. Personnel actions

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL ACTIONS.

** MS. MURRAY SECONDED.

Dr. Corda mentioned that the correct resignation date for Christina Lawson is 8/31/08, not 6/30/08.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

B. Approval of minutes (April 1, April 22, May 6, May 20, & June 3, 2008)

Minutes of April 1, 2008

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF APRIL 1, 2008.

** MS. MURRAY SECONDED.

The corrections to the minutes of April 1, 2008 are:

On page 6, at the top under Policy, it should read: “The Policy Committee is recommending the removal of all consequences for Personnel and adding it to the Personnel 4000 Series.”

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Minutes of April 22, 2008

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF APRIL 22, 2008.

** MR. BURNETT SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Minutes of May 6, 2008

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF MAY 6, 2008.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN SECONDED.

The spelling corrections to the minutes of May 6, 2008 are:

Carol Seirup Bruce Mellion

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

May 20, 2008

** MR. BURNETT MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF MAY 20, 2008.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

June 3, 2008

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JUNE 3, 2008.

** MR. CHIARAMONTE SECONDED.

Ms. Mosby noted that some comments under the Superintendent’s Report relating to the reorganization of the Central Office were not mentioned. It was decided to table the approval of the minutes of June 3, 2008 until the tape can be reviewed.

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO TABLE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF JUNE 3, 2008.

** MS. RIVAS SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Ms. Murray mentioned that she would like to see the approval of the minutes done in a more timely manner so they don’t have a backlog of minutes.

C. Appointment of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

** MR. CHIARAMONTE MOVED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

** MS. MURRAY SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED WITH SEVEN (7) VOTES IN FAVOR (CHIARAMONTE, BISHOP-PULLAN, IANNACCONE, MURRAY, HAMILTON, RIVAS, MOSBY), ONE (1) VOTE RECUSED (BURNETT) AND ONE (1) VOTE OPPOSED (KIMMEL).

D. Approval of field trip(s)

** MR. IANNACCONE MOVED TO APPROVE THE FIELD TRIP(S).

** MR. CHIARAMONTE SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

E. Approval of curriculum and/or textbooks (Social Studies – Comparative Religions and AP Psychology)

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE CURRICULUM AND/OR TEXTBOOKS (SOCIAL STUDIES – COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS AND AP PSYCHOLOGY)

** MS. RIVAS SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

F. Extension of contract with Whitson’s for 2008-2009 school year

** MR. BURNETT MOVED TO APPROVE EXTENSION OF CONTRACT FOR WHITSON’S FOR 2008-2009 SCHOOL YEAR.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

G. Approve entering into an agreement for a District-wide Special Education Evaluation with Capitol Region Education Council (CREC)

** MR. IANNACCONE MOVED TO APPROVE ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR A DISTRICT-WIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION WITH CAPITOL REGION EDUCATION COUNCIL (CREC).

** MS. RIVAS SECONDED.

Mr. Kimmel said he is looking forward to seeing the results of the study.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

H. Columbus Elementary Capital Project Complete

** MR. BURNETT MOVED TO APPROVE THE COMPLETION OF THE COLUMBUS ELEMENTARY CAPITAL PROJECT.

** MR. IANNACCONE SECONDED.

Mr. Kimmel said that he was under the impression that all of the issues directly related to the construction project, but not all of the issues in the school, have been addressed. He felt that if that was not the case, there could be some serious consequences down the road. He wanted to be clear that the punch list related to the construction and the scope of work has been addressed adequately.

Mr. Burnett spoke as the Board Rep to the Norwalk Construction Committee and reminded everyone that at the last Board meeting, they tabled closing both the Columbus and Tracey School projects and asked for representatives from the NFCC along with Mr. Gorian to meet with each of the building principals to agree that all of the items on the punch list were complete.

Mr. Kimmel noted that the City had been previously tied up in legal suits regarding punch lists and ventilation systems. He said he was hesitant to close this project out if he was not totally assured that the ventilation system work had been completed.

Dr. Corda clarified some information that was incorrect. He said that Mr. Gorian did attend the meeting at Columbus but was unable to attend the meeting at Tracey. Mr. Alan Lo explained that the project has been on-going for 1 ½ years and items on the original punch list have been completed. Items now in need of attention are appearing on a separate list that are maintenance items and not necessarily related to the construction project. Mr. Lo offered to provide and review specific information regarding the punch list items for the Board members if needed. A lengthy discussion took place among the board members and Mr. Lo about the construction project, the timeline, the warranties, the punch list, and the new list. Mr. Burnett confirmed that the punch list was signed off by Mr. Gorian and Mr. Shamas. It was suggested that Mr. Gorian, Mr. Shamas and Mr. Lo attend the next Board of Education meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 1, 2008 and provide the documentation that the ventilation system work was completed.

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO TABLE APPROVAL OF THE COMPLETION OF THE COLUMBUS ELEMENTARY CAPITAL PROJECT UNTIL THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED WITH SEVEN (7) VOTES IN FAVOR (CHIARAMONTE, BISHOP-PULLAN, KIMMEL, MURRAY, HAMILTON, RIVAS, MOSBY) AND TWO (2) VOTES OPPOSED (BURNETT, IANNACCONE).

I. Tracey Elementary Capital Project Complete

** MR. BURNETT MOVED TO APPROVE THE COMPLETION OF THE TRACEY ELEMENTARY CAPITAL PROJECT.

** MR. IANNACCONE SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

J. Approval of curriculum and/or textbooks (Social Studies – African American History & Heritage)

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE CURRICULUM AND/OR TEXTBOOKS (SOCIAL STUDIES – AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & HERITAGE)

** MS. MURRAY SECONDED.

Mr. Kimmel thanked the staff members and said it was an excellent textbook.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

K. Approval of Budget Reconciliation for 2008-2009

** MR. BURNETT MOVED TO APPROVE THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION FOR 2008-2009.

** MR. KIMMEL SECONDED.

Mr. Kimmel said that they had addressed the equity issue regarding the .4 Guidance Counselor being moved from Roton MS to West Rocks MS. That was clearly decided last week at the Budget Advisory Meeting. He asked Dr. Corda about the elimination of the 7.338 middle school position. Dr. Corda said that Mr. Daddona conducted research at each of the middle schools. Nathan Hale MS and West Rocks MS had one more clerical position that the other 2 middle schools. The recommendation is to reduce one aide position at West Rocks MS and one aide position at Nathan Hale MS. The outcome would then be all four middle schools having the same number of aides. The deployment of the clerical staff is at the discretion of the building Principal.

Mr. Burnett asked for point of clarity regarding the elimination of the aide being referred to many times as an ELL aide. Dr. Corda explained that the reconciliation document shows the aide position listed as a .33 aide position at Nathan Hale and West Rocks, and not as an ELL aide. The ELL aide refers to the recommendation that the number of ELL aides and ELL teachers be increased.

Some discussion took place regarding the amount of teachers in each school, and the recommended reductions in staff in each school. Mr. Daddona clarified that there are secretaries, clerical aides, and instructional aides. Dr. Corda said that there was an error in reporting the personnel in the West Rocks MS English Department at 13.2 – it should be 12.8. The total number of teachers at West Rocks MS is 61.7 compared with 59.4 at Ponus. That number takes into account the reduction of two teachers in Grade 7. The budget reconciliation adds another two teachers to that. At Ponus, there are 12 English teachers, 4 to each of the 3 grades. What they are recommending in the reduction at West Rocks for the 8th grade will result in the same number of English teachers. The enrollments are almost identical.

Ms. Mosby said she was uncomfortable tonight to find out that someone might be losing their job. She had asked that question in previous meetings and it didn’t appear that would be the situation. She felt that there could be other avenues they could look at. Dr. Corda clarified that whenever possible, their intent is to absorb jobs through attrition. He further explained some information regarding other opportunities, seniority, and assignments being made in the best interest of the district. A suggestion was made to examine the Elementary Assistant Principals positions, especially in schools with less than 400 students. Also, it was suggested to have 2 lower enrollment elementary schools share an Assistant Principal. Category: Minutes