Board of Education Meeting Minutes

September 19, 2006

ATTENDANCE: Thomas Vetter, Chairman; Jody Bishop-Pullan; Richard Fuller; Rosa Murray; Bruce Kimmel; Gregory Burnett; Midaglia Rivas.

STAFF: Dr. Salvatore Corda, Superintendent of Schools.

OTHERS: Mark Gorian, Gilbane Construction; Bruce Mellion, NFT; Lorraine Montross; Sharon Cadden, NHS Parents; Jill Griffin-Wells; Roberta Schneider; Lynn Massey, PTO Council Co-President; John Wickham, Whitsons.

I. CALL TO ORDER

Mr. Vetter called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Mr. Vetter waived the Pledge until the public portion of the meeting.

III. CONSULTANT FOR NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SEARCH RE: DISCUSSION ABOUT CANDIDATE PROFILE

Discussion followed.

(The secretary arrived at the meeting at 7:35 p.m.) IV. SPOTLIGHT

Mr. Fuller read the Spotlight report into the record.

V. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Dr. Corda informed the Board that he has had the opportunity to visit five schools since the start of the new school year. He wanted the Board to be reinforced about the commitment of the staff to the students of Norwalk’s schools. Dr. Corda said they should value and appreciate the work that staff and administration do, but they still must do more and get better, with the ultimate goal in mind of no child below the proficiency level. He said his comments were directed to their not forgetting the work staff and administration do, and their level of commitment to the children of Norwalk.

VI. PUBLIC COMMENT

Mr. Bruce Mellion, NFT, addressed the Board.

Ms. Lorraine Montross of Norwalk stated that parents have formed a committee to create a better Norwalk High School. She briefly discussed the sports programs and stated the committee is requesting improvements be made to Testa Field and Andrews Field to facilitate the NHS sports programs, with the idea that hopefully money could be found within the budget for the school construction that could be set aside and used for such things as replacing turf and draining Andrews Field. She appealed to the Board for their support in the matter.

Ms. Sharon Cadden echoed Ms. Montross’s comments and said they have proposals for the NHS athletic program such as changing the softball field into an all-use field. She asked the Board for their help in moving ahead.

Ms. Jill Griffin-Wells said her remarks were the same as Ms. Cadden’s and Ms. Montross’s. She is concerned with the condition of the playing fields. She also is seeking the Board’s support to create a multi-use field at Norwalk High School. Ms. Roberta Schneider commented that her son attends Norwalk High School and she recently visited the school and was shocked at the condition of the building. She asked if the air quality was safe and questioned how the quality of the air was measured and whether the results of such measurements are available to the public. She also agreed with what the other parents have been saying about the school fields.

Mr. Opdahl remarked that air quality measurements are taken on a regular basis and are monitored frequently in order to keep the environment safe for the students and staff. He stated that Ms. Schneider could speak with Mr. Gorian about her concerns on the air quality at the school.

Ms. Lynn Massey, PTO Council Co-President, said the Board is due kudos from the PTO Council board regarding the CAPT and CMT test open forums and presentations. They were very informative and educational.

VII. ACTIONS

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOTIONED TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE OF THE SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY TO INCLUDE THE PTO COUNCIL. ** MR. POLLEY SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

A. Consent

1. Approval of personnel actions 2. Approval of budget transfers.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS. ** MS. MURRAY SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. B. Approval of minutes (August 1, 2006)

** MR. BURNETT MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 1, 2006 MEETING. ** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN SECONDED.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan questioned why the heading of Dr. Corda’s discussion of the Food Management Program in his Superintendent’s Report was left out of the minutes. After brief discussion it was agreed to table the minutes for revision until the next meeting.

** MR. FULLER MOTIONED TO TABLE THE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 1, 2006 MEETING UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, PENDING THEIR REVISION. ** MR. KIMMEL SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

C. Approval of field trips

** MS. MURRAY MOTIONED TO APPROVE NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL GRADES 10-12 ITALIAN CLASSES FIELD TRIP TO ITALY ON APRIL 13-22, 2006 AND NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL LATIN CLASSES TO ITALY ON APRIL 12-21, 2006; AND NATHAN HALE MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADE 8 TRIP TO GETTYSBURG, PA., MAY 9-11, 2006. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

D. Approval of ED042 – Roton Middle School

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE FINAL PLANS AND PROFESSIONAL COST ESTIMATE FOR THE REDESIGN PHASE OF THE ROTON MIDDLE SCHOOL EXTENSION & ALTERATION PROJECT NO. 103-0232 E/A, PHASE 2 OF 2, AND AUTHORIZE FILING FORM ED042, REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF FINAL PLANS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. ** MS. RIVAS SECONDED. Mr. Opdahl stated that this information was brought to the Board by Ben Birdsall at the last meeting. He said the budget for the project has been reallocated and the plans have been revised. The revised plans and specifications are ready for review by the State for approval and certification. Then it is expected that construction will begin in February 2007 with completion of the project expected by the fall of 2007, with minor work to be completed in the summer of 2008 if necessary.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

E. Approve transfer of funds for Ponus and Nathan Hale projects

** MR. FULLER MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO THE PONUS RIDGE AND NATHAN HALE BUILDING PROJECT ACCOUNTS. ** MR. BURNETT SECONDED.

Mr. Opdahl briefly outlined why they need to transfer funds and where the funds are coming from. Part of the funding comes from unallocated capital funds and another part comes from the Jefferson account.

Mr. Burnett asked if the windows project at West Rocks Middle School would be revisited in the near future. Mr. Opdahl explained that this was slated to be done in 2008. He said windows are being redone at several schools and will save approximately $16,000 on each building.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

Mr. Opdahl remarked on the comments from parents regarding the sports fields at Norwalk High School. He said the fields are not directly the responsibility of the schools, but rather were the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Dept. He said there is still some money that can be relocated to the fields if the City should allow.

Ms. Murray asked if the lighting at Testa Field could be expanded in order that the field may continue to be lighted for use until at least 10pm at night, and if this could be done on a continual basis. Mr. Opdahl said it could be, but the Board can expect to hear from residents in the area if this is done.

VIII. INFORMATION & REPORTS

A. 2006/2007 Enrollment Information

Mr. Opdahl commented that Brien McMahon’s enrollment has increased significantly and is now close to enrollment at Norwalk High School, and if enrollment continues to increase, the hiring of an additional housemaster for 2007/2008 will be recommended. He indicated there were charts in the Board members’ information packets comparing enrollment from 2005 to 2006, and reminded the Board that there are still students who have not yet returned to school. Mr. Opdahl indicated that middle school enrollment is down, as is elementary school enrollment.

Mr. Vetter asked how these projections compare with the numbers at the high schools and middle schools. Dr. Corda said that when enrollment increased two years ago, they added two teachers, and this is something that is reviewed when they go through the budget process. Dr. Corda indicated it could have some implications when they prepare the budget for next year.

Mr. Kimmel asked if the data could be compared with other districts to see if they are also experiencing the same thing. Dr. Corda said it probably could. He also indicated that this is only September 19th, and by September 30th the numbers may be different.

Ms. Rivas asked if these projections include transfers from other schools. Mr. Opdahl explained that if a student transfers, all their records go into a “dead” file.

Mr. Kimmel asked if “no-shows” were included. Mr. Opdahl said they were.

B. Food Services Update

John Wickham of Whitsons said that they were able to compare numbers from September 2005 with this year’s numbers through September 8th, and the comparison indicated that breakfasts were down by 15 meals per day but lunch is up by 696 meals per day. He said he had attended the elementary level principals’ meeting. There was discussion on the operation of the kitchens at elementary schools. Mr. Wickham said that now they can settle down and focus on the problems that have come up.

Mr. Burnett asked if there was a suggestion box for students to utilize. Mr. Wickham said there was not at this time, but that one could be created. He said they plan to hold student meetings near the end of October for feedback purposes. Ms. Murray suggested the meetings be open to the entire student body and not just to the leadership of the Student Council.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan was concerned about the number of registers at Brien McMahon High School and indicated that there had been comments made of the time it took for students to pay for their meals and move through the lines.

Mr. Kimmel asked if there was a comparison of how much food was being eaten between this year and last year. Mr. Wickham said there has not been, but he could pull records and see if he could create a comparison. He commented that there was a lot of talk about the pizza and was concerned that pizza continues to be a focus of meals.

Ms. Murray questioned if a student wanted only an entrée, would they be forced to purchase an entire meal. Mr. Wickham explained that students could purchase parts of meals separately, but that the focus was on purchasing an entire meal; that the components of meals were created to deliver a healthy and balanced offering for students, and the hope was that students would eat more full meals as opposed to purchasing only parts of meals. Ms. Murray said there had been comments received about the cost of the full meals and that costs have increased. Mr. Wickham said the costs have increased, but that was because the number of components in the full meals has increased.

Mr. Fuller asked if the new meal plans are fully functioning. Mr. Opdahl said they were fully functioning at the secondary level but they are experiencing some difficulty with the elementary school level.

C. Update on Construction

Mr. Gorian said site work at Norwalk High School is ongoing; the foundations continue going in for additions; and the boiler room has been shut down and the temps installed for winter heat. Material and equipment ordered is on its way and much has already been delivered. He said there will be a building advisory meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Skanska is doing a lot of cleanup work, mostly painting and additional door replacements, at Tracey School. The elevator at Columbus School has not had its State inspection yet, and must be inspected in order to be used. The State has an appointment for inspection of the elevator on September 27. Ms. Rivas wondered why the inspection was taking such a long time to complete.

Mr. Gorian said that he had attended the State of School Facilities in Hartford last week and presented the revised plans for Roton Middle School. He said they might lose a month in the bidding process.

Mr. Burnett asked if the air conditioning at Norwalk High School was on during the warmer days. Mr. Gorian said it has been shut down for the year. Mr. Burnett asked if this has been communicated to parents. Mr. Gorian said it has been.

The Brien McMahon project completion is on schedule and Gilbane expects to be totally off the site within a few weeks. The Kendall project is complete and they are totally off the site. The projects at Ponus and Nathan Hale are moving ahead and there are meeting scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

F. Board Member Announcements

There were no announcements.

IX. DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATION ISSUES (Executive session anticipated)

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED THAT THE BOARD GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS NEGOTIATION ISSUES. ** MS. RIVAS SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. The Board went into executive session at 9:20 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT

** MOTIONED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. ** SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda J. Hayes Telesco Secretarial Services

Category: Minutes