Board of Education Meeting Minutes Part I

January 2, 2007

ATTENDANCE: Jody Bishop-Pullan, Chairwoman; Susan Hamilton, Richard Fuller, Greg Burnett, Bruce Kimmel, Robert Polley, T. Vetter, Ms. Rivas

STAFF: Dr. Salvatore Corda, Superintendent of Schools

OTHERS: Katherine Happ; Ali and Lelia, Joyce Generoso; Maria Brancacchio, Jill Griffin, Rose Emro, Lorraine Montrose, Sharon Cadden, Stuart Opdahl

CALL TO ORDER

Chairwoman Bishop-Pullan called the Board of Education meeting to order. This meeting was held at the Brien McMahon High School, CGS Community Room.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Chairwoman Bishop-Pullan led the group in the Pledge of allegiance. Chairwoman Bishop-Pullan then suggested that the Budget Presentation be done last. This was agreeable to all.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Ms. Happ came forward and greeted the Board. She said that three of her children had attended Norwalk High School and two of them were involved in the sports program. Ms. Happ said that one of her sons played on the turf field shortly after it was installed in 2000, but since then the surrounding towns have all surpassed Norwalk. Ms. Happ said that she has seen a marked difference in the field availability for the girls vs. the boys’ teams. At the beginning of the season, all the girls’ practices were scheduled at Nathan Hale. Ms. Happ’s daughter would ferry her teammates to the school in her car. The condition of the field is both deplorable and unsafe. When the teams complained about the field conditions, the practice times were changed. The conditions of the fields at Nathan Hale needs to be addresses as does the field conditions at Norwalk High and the provision of on site field at Norwalk High for the convenience of all the players. An additional turf field would eliminate the conflicts of so many practices. There was no freshman or JV soccer team this year because of the lack of facilities. An on site field is desperately needed to for all the programs.

Two students from Norwalk High School named Ali and Lelia came forward to address the Board. They stated that they were co-captains of the girls’ soccer team this year and they had first hand experience regarding playing on the Nathan Hale field. They said that there were numerous injuries because of ditches. The practices that were needed to prepare for games were not held because half of the field was unplayable. The co-captains felt that this was unfair because they did not have the experience necessary to play on turf fields. Shuttling team players to and from the Nathan Hale field was very inconvenient. These conditions severely hampered the team’s ability to play well. The girls said that since the team is small, it is vitally important to avoid injuries.

Ms. Generoso said that she was the president of the girls’ lacrosse booster club. She said that her daughter plays both field hockey and lacrosse and next year another daughter will be attending Norwalk High School and will want to play field hockey and lacrosse. Ms. Generoso said that she had seen the condition of the fields.

Ms. Generoso then listed the reasons that she felt that the teams needed better access and practice conditions. The issue is needed an additional on site field at Norwalk High School for safety issues and Title 9 issues. This includes equal amounts of practice time and playing time for teams. As it now stands, JV and Varsity on the same field with other teams practicing. The current teams now lack field times. Younger teams must have equal access. There has been a great deal of time and money put into the junior programs so they can be competitive at the high school level. It is important to encourage every athlete interested in playing a sport to do so. Without proper fields to practice and play on, the athletes are discouraged.

As a concerned parent and athletic trainer, Ms. Generoso said that the existing fields pose a safety issue. Ms. Generoso pointed out that the long walk for the students with heavy backpacks from Norwalk High to Nathan Hale is an issue. There are many ankle sprains caused by the unevenness of the field. There is no trainer onsite in case of an injury. This also holds true for Andrews Field as well. There have been hay fever issues with the overgrowth. Ms. Generoso said that at one point the field was so bad that the team was practicing in the parking lot.

The grass field at Norwalk High also has water issues. A few games had been cancelled due to flooding. Kitty litter was also spread on the field in an attempt to absorb some of the water. Goose droppings are also an issue, particularly when the teams are trying to do sit ups or push ups.

Alternating practice times cuts into the student’s school work because the teams have to come back to the school at night to play or practice. The coaches, the team players and the parents struggle with the shifting schedules. Many times there are various teams sharing turf, which proves the need for more space.

Ms. Generoso said that it was time to show the Norwalk High School athletes that their hard work is supported by providing the quality fields they deserve. The school provides them with the necessary tools in the classroom to excel and the school owes it to the athletes to provide them with appropriate athletic facilities as well.

Ms. Brancacchio came forward and introduced herself to the Board. She stated that she has a Senior boy and a Freshman girl at Norwalk High School. Norwalk Junior Lacrosse has put a large amount of money into the girls’ lacrosse program. Currently, there are approximately twenty-five freshman girls interested in playing this spring at Norwalk High School. Unfortunately there is no freshman girls’ team, only a freshman boys’ team. According to Title 9, Norwalk High School should have a freshman girls’ lacrosse team this year. This is proposed in the upcoming budget. Without adequate field space to allow for equal practice and play time, according to Title 9, for these times, this will be impossible to accomplish. There are Norwalk Junior Lacrosse girls teams for Grades 3-8, which already are playing on inadequate fields at Veteran’s Park. These fields have ditches, goose droppings, inadequate drainage and flood problems. Now at the High School there may not be a team due to inadequate field space. One safe turf field will not be enough. Ms. Brancacchio asked the Board to consider installing a new, safe turf field on site at Norwalk High School.

Ms. Griffin came forward and stated that she was a concerned parent. She said that she has a child who is a freshman football player. Ms. Griffin said she was also very active in other activities at Norwalk High School. Ms. Griffin said that she would list some items that need to be improved. There is a patch of grass in front of the building that is called a field but is not a field conducive to football. This area might be adequate for softball. Andrews Field is swampy and metal pieces have been unearthed from the field. Numerous athletes have been injured there. This results in a safety concern because the students are not on school grounds and being pressed for time if the practices are held off site. Off site practices also means that a trainer is not available in the event of an injury. There are also equipment storage issues. There is no regimented schedule for the teams. Last year, all the freshman games had to be scheduled off site because of field problems. This resulted in the parents not being able to support the teams. Practicing until ten p.m. at night is not conducive to academic excellence. It is important to address the fact that academic excellence does not just lie within books. Excellence also encompasses extra curricular activities. Ms. Griffin said that Norwalk High School should be able to have more than one field. Both high schools should have excellent facilities. Ms. Griffin said that she could not understand why the Board was reluctant to do something that would enhance and advance the school.

Ms. Emro came forward and greeted the Board. She said she had sent out a suggestion regarding the hallways at Norwalk High School, which Ms. Emro said look like a factory with pipes along the ceiling. Ms. Emro said that she suggested a plan called “Adopt A Hallway at Norwalk High” if the funds are not in the budget. She said that she understood that the floors and the walls would be renovated, but the ceilings were not part of the plan.

Ms. Montrose came forward and greeted the Board. She stated that she lived at 12 Regency Drive in Norwalk and has a student at Norwalk High School. She said that she was on the committee for the Norwalk High School fields. She thanked the Board for having the group on the agenda. She said that the Board had already heard about the various problems with the athletic fields and the parental safety concerns. Ms. Montrose said that the academic excellence includes sports, music and clubs. A high GPA and SAT scores are not the only criteria for college now. 1.2 million more students attended a four-year college in 2005 than in 2000. Competing for college entrance requires school pride. Ms. Montrose said that the Committee for Norwalk High School Fields would appreciate the Board’s support and their efforts to investigate what can be done in order to have onsite fields at Norwalk High School.

Ms. Cadden came forward and greeted the Board. She stated that she lives at 26 Saxon Road and thanked the Board for allowing Mr. Daddona and Mr. Ramones to come with their presentation about the Norwalk High School fields at the last meeting. The primary concerns are the safety of the students and being able to give them the best in academics, being able to get the students home before 10 p.m. at night and having consistent schedules that allow them to also have jobs and be involved in outside activities. She said that she looked forward to everyone working together to find some options for safe, onsite practice and play fields for both the boys and the girls’ teams at Norwalk High.

ACTIONS Consent Approval of personnel actions

** MR. FULLER MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED. ** MS. HAMILTON SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Approval of the Superintendent’s 2007-2008 Capital budget.

** MS. HAMILTON MOVED TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT’S 2007-2008 CAPITAL BUDGET. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

INFORMATION AND REPORTS

Update on Norwalk High School’s Athletic Fields

Mr. Opdahl stated that a meeting with the Director of Recreation and Parks, Mike Mocciae was scheduled for January 3, 2007 to discuss field possibilities. He then reviewed the funding for Jefferson and said that there were some funds available from the renovations that could be transferred.

Mr. Kimmel said that he had some problems with moving ahead with a project for a new turf field without first determining what went wrong with the existing turf field. Mr. Kimmel stated that it is still under warranty and will be for three more years. Mr. Kimmel asked if the field can be fixed and how that might affect the overall problem. He also pointed out that if the existing turf field can not be fixed, this will affect the cost of the project. Mr. Opdahl said that these questions were on the meeting agenda for the 3rd and that he would have some answers after that.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked if there was any additional funding from the State or any kind of reimbursements available. Mr. Opdahl said that he had spoken to Gilbane about this earlier in the day. He said that the parcel that was being considered was located at the corner of Strawberry Hill and King Street. Gilbane will speak to the State about turning the piece of property over to High School. He said that the administrative costs of doing this may be prohibitive and therefore it might be best to do it as a Naramake project.

Mr. Polley asked for confirmation that the Board was still in the exploratory stages on the project. Mr. Opdahl replied that at this stage, the groups were just looking for options.

Board Member Announcements

Ms. Bishop-Pullen said that she had an announcement. There will be a regularly scheduled Board meeting on January 16th. Mr. Kimmel asked when the budget was scheduled to be transmitted to the other City Committees. Dr. Corda said that he believes that the budget needed to be transmitted by January 15th, so that the Board would need to take an action before the 15th. Following the budget presentation, the Board will need to determine a time to vote on the budget before the 15th.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Budget Presentation

Dr. Corda greeted everyone and wished them a Happy New Year. He then said he would be sharing the goals for the proposed budget for the Board of Education for the Fiscal Year 2007-2008. He encouraged everyone to follow along in the budget book, which lists more specific information about the various items.

Dr. Corda said that he would like to thank some of the people who spent a great deal of time putting together the budget document and the contents. He stated that the budget layout presents a comprehensive overview. Last year’s budget document was recognized by the State School Board Association as the second most impressive document. Ms. Rita Galvo and Ms. Joanne Seegan spent a tremendous amount of time producing the document. He then thanked all the Finance Department for their hard work.

The budget is nothing more than the District’s financial plan to meet its objectives. The original plans encompass what is believed to be the format needed for the execution of the budget. Along the way, accommodations are made during the year by transferring funds from one account to another if necessary. The budget plan is what the District believes will be followed. Dr. Corda then outlined the budget development process. The budget is driven by the Board’s goal of instructional excellence for all students. Specific objectives are identified in areas that the District wishes to concentrate on, staff needs are evaluated, contractual obligations are examined and maintenance requirements are inventoried.

The following three objectives were selected for the 2007-2008 School Year: Requirements that must be met in accordance with State and Federal Law, Board policies and the District’s contractual obligations; support for the development and continuation of the curriculum as necessary; and ensuring the programs that are in place are achieving the results that were expected regarding student achievements.

Regarding Objective Number One, Requirements that must be met in accordance with State and Federal Law, Board policies and the District’s contractual obligations, Dr. Corda outlined some of the laws regarding students’ education.

Objective Number Two, which states support for the development and continuation of the curriculum as necessary, Dr. Corda said that there were a number of new courses that were being offered for the first time. A major expenditure for elementary math textbooks is planned. The focus will be on language arts, math and science, which are the areas that the Federal government assesses the No Child Left Behind Program. Dr. Corda then went on to provide some of the details of the staffing needs.

Dr. Corda said that Mano y Mano program at Silvermine will be expanded to West Rocks Grade 8.

Dr. Corda said that this year’s proposed budget carries an increase of 7.77%. The bulk of that increase is located in employee benefits and the second is in Other Services. Dr. Corda said that it is important that everyone remember that this increase was expected. He also thanked the Board of Estimate members, the Mayor, Common Council Members and Mr. Hamilton who were in attendance at the meeting. He reminded everyone that in January of 2006, the Board had stated that the 2007-2008 budget would contain a significant increase, given the fact that in 2006-2007, one time revenues were applied to the budget that enabled the 2006-2007 budget to have a very low increase, which was approximately 2.6%.

Dr. Corda said that in the budget document there were staffing positions were printed in green. These were staffing positions that the District was required to fill. He said that he was asked why the positions were place under the “Recommendation” area if they were required. Dr. Corda said that the reason for this was that in the spirit of full disclosure, the District felt it was important to highlight what staffing additions to the budget even though these are required programs. These represent an increase in staff from what presently exists.

He then proceeded to review the various positions with the group. Salaries account for about 65% of the budget and employee benefits account for around 22% of the budget. The bulk of the money is spent on staffing. A second chart that illustrates the spending in terms of the work that people do that directly impacts instruction, the District spends about 66% or 67% of the dollars.

Dr. Corda explained that last year, the District had health insurance savings of almost three million dollars. At the suggestion of the Board of Estimate, the margin was eliminated. The margin consists of money that is set aside in the health insurance account that represents a reserve. If the claims had exceeded what was set, there was a million dollars to cover those expenses. This margin was removed based on the figures from the last few years. The Board of Estimate stated that if there were problems, the City would help the District out. Dr. Corda then reviewed where the various health savings came from last year.

After the budget was completed last year, the excess cost aid formula was changed by the State. As a result of that, Dr. Corda said that the District expects to receive about half a million dollars less in excess cost aid than was budgeted. This places financial stress on this year’s budget. In budgeting for this year, the fact that the excess cost aid formula was changed was factored in. Finally, youngsters who were educated through the DCF system, for which the District received reimbursement, have been moved out of the DCF system and returned to the system. The excess cost aid from that has also been reduced. This means that health insurance must be budgeted at a much higher level than last year. Unless something unusual happens with the excess cost aid, which won’t be known for another few weeks, the District will be receiving less aid from the State.

When these items are added up, it comes to an additional 4 million dollars for the 2007-2008 budget. Dr. Corda said that the decisions that were made last year were thought to be good decisions.

Next year’s projected K-5 enrollment is anticipated to be approximately 5,100 students. Dr. Corda then displayed the enrollment for K-5 for October 1, 2006, which is the number that is reported to the State. Elementary enrollment will increase slightly while the enrollment for middle school and 9-12 will drop slightly. Dr. Corda said that it was important to keep in mind the principal’s allocations are and what the relationship between the enrollment and staffing level in regards to class size. Each school received $130 per student at the high school level; $110 per student at the middle school level and $100 per student at the elementary school level. This formula then is used to calculate the budget that each principal receives. The principal will then have to make decisions about how the money will be allocated. Dr. Corda then reviewed the actual budget figures and the enrollment patterns with the group.

Dr. Corda then said that he was recommending for Brien McMahon the addition of a family and consumer science teacher; a physical education teacher; and a social studies teacher. He then reviewed the reasons for these decisions and the programs that were involved.

At Norwalk High School, Dr. Corda reported that students were being closed out of business education classes, Latin and art classes. Mr. Kimmel asked about the number of study halls at Norwalk High School. Dr. Corda then explained that because of staffing shortages, the students were placed in study halls. Dr. Corda then said that the administration was analyzing the number of students that were in two study halls or more a day in order to determine how this may be changed. He then explained that the schedule at Norwalk High School rotates. This was done to accommodate science labs, academic support, teacher collaboration, and one elongated period of instruction for each of the subject areas. Mr. Polley had several questions about the study hall staffing details, which Dr. Corda reviewed with everyone.

Dr. Corda then reviewed the middle school enrollments with everyone. The administration is examining the staff at West Rocks, which experienced a drop in enrollment and at Ponus Ridge, which is currently static. Dr. Corda said that at the elementary level, the administration anticipates the same about of staffing at Brookside, Columbus and Cranbury. Dr. Corda then directed everyone’s attention to page 19 of the budget. He noted that there are no substantial increases from this current year to the next year.

Mr. Kimmel said that transportation costs have increased dramatically, but noted that there does not seem to be a big increase in the budget. Dr. Corda said that he believed this was because of the contract. A discussion of the details of this arrangement followed.

Mr. Polley said that he said that he had calculated the cost per student for each of the schools and the results varied widely. Dr. Corda said that this was because of staffing. The variance is a result of the impact of the longevity of staff members in the District. Dr. Corda then reviewed the details of this process with everyone.

The Board then reviewed the budget for Briggs. There were no questions about the budget for Briggs.

Regarding Norwalk High School, there was a question about whether the recommendation of teachers for Norwalk High was listed in priority order. Dr. Corda stated that the list was not prioritized.

The Board then reviewed the information on Nathan Hale, Ponus, Roton, and West Rocks.

Dr. Corda said that as the Board reviewed the staffing at the elementary level, the staffing issues would be obvious. Brookside, Cranbury and Columbus will continue to have the same amount of staffing because the student enrollment is remaining at the same level. He then reviewed the class size limitations with the Board and also reminded everyone that the PreK program is a half-day program. There are also Special Education students in the PreK program and the District is obligated to provide an education for these students. The District’s responsibility for the education of youngsters with handicaps or disabilities begins at age three.

The numbers for Fox Run indicates that there would be an average class size of 27, which exceeds contractual limitations. This may require the hiring of a new teacher. However, Dr. Corda said that if there were a drop in the enrollment by one or two students, this could affect the need for a new teacher. He also explained that the budget has a reserve for hiring three teachers. The enrollment numbers at Jefferson indicate an absolute need for a new teacher. It is also possible that the enrollment at Jefferson could increase even more because it is now a magnet school. There are no anticipated changes for Kendall. One teacher will be removed from Marvin. There will be no change of staffing at Naramake. Rowayton will increase their teaching staff by one. There is no art room at Rowayton and adding another class, it will require more space. This may require moving the portables that are currently at West Rocks to Rowayton.

Dr. Corda then reviewed the situation at Silvermine. Additional staff is needed for the Mano y Mano program. Wolfpit will require eighteen staff teachers, but due to possible fluctuations in the grade enrollment distribution, Dr. Corda explained that the final assignments have not yet been determined.

Dr. Corda then explained that the remaining budgets are those that support the work of the schools. He indicated that the 2% increase in the Public Affairs office is mainly in salaries. The Superintendent’s Office also reflects a change of approximately 2%. The Chief Operating Officer has an increase of less than 1%. There had been no contract determinations for the Superintendent, the Chief Financial Officer, or the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction for the 2007-2008 school year. There will be a change of between 7 and 8% in the Human Resources Office. Dr. Corda then reviewed the amount of money allocated and gave an overview of the changes that could occur when a teacher completes a degree or furthers their education. The District is also planning on acquiring new software that would assist with attendance record keeping and there are additional costs associated with Social Security.

There is an increase of 22.5% in the Instruction category. He then reviewed the details of this with the group. This number is directly affected by the number of retirements each year.

Funds are also set aside for classroom libraries. There were some questions about this, which Dr. Corda answered. Program monitoring costs for the School Readiness Program are required. Additional funds have been allocated for student transportation. Dr. Corda also gave a quick overview of the grant funding that the District has received. The Center For Global Studies funding is reserved for that program. Title One funding is used for aides in the classrooms. Dr. Corda said that the news from Washington indicates that the Title One funding will not be changing.

Mr. Polley asked if this budget included Adult Education. Dr. Corda said that it did. Mr. Fuller asked if there was still an outreach to the community or if the focus was on internal matters. Dr. Corda explained that the Parent Leader Training Institute is directed from the Human Relations Office, which is headed by Rev. Morris. In addition there are two community outreach workers that Rev. Morris also supervises. Mr. Fuller stated that this was not reflected in the goals for the Human Resource Office. Dr. Corda said that this would be changed to reflect that.

Mr. Kimmel had some questions about the classroom libraries. One of the staff members then gave a quick overview of the system for Mr. Kimmel. Mr. Fuller asked about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program, which is an unfunded mandate. Dr. Corda addressed this issue for everyone. He said that Norwalk made their decision regarding the District’s obligation to all the Norwalk students before NCLB came into effect. He then reviewed some of the early steps that the District had taken because they were concerned about the performance of students in mathematics at Nathan Hale. Last year, Nathan Hale students performed as required by NCLB. Dr. Corda then pointed out that it would be very difficult to analyze exactly how much NCLB was costing the District. There was some further discussion on this issue.

Mr. Polley asked about the core academic developments and professional components related to these. Dr. Corda then explained that some of the decisions about the programs are made in collaboration with the Central Office and others are not. Dr. Corda went on to say that the budget amount plus the grants should be sufficient for professional development.

Dr. Corda pointed out that in Special Education, an additional Speech pathologist and Special Education Teacher. These are required in order to educate some of the students. This results in a 1.4 staffing increase. Dr. Corda reminded everyone about the reduction in excess cost aid and increase in out of district tuition is the principle reason for the increase in the budget in Special Education.

Dr. Corda pointed out an expected reimbursement of 1.4 million dollars as compared with the 1.9 million that was budgeted for this year.

The Finance Office is responsible for the financial operation of the District, which includes purchasing, the maintenance of grants and all of the issues associated with the operation of the school district. The increase that is indicated is in the fringe benefit category, primarily health insurance. The City is now assuming the responsibility for Worker’s Comp and liability insurance.

In the Information Technology, the acquisition of equipment is allocated through the Capital Fund. The change is 1.2% and there is nothing substantial that has taken place.

Testing and Student’s Records is becoming a department of increasing importance. Data is now being used in more significant ways than it has been in the past in terms of making instructional decisions. There are also reporting responsibilities associated with NCLB, it is important that the information distributed to parents is accurate. Facilities and Maintenance department was very fortunate in being able to lock in the fuel costs and this resulted in savings for the District.

Category: Minutes