April 7, 2021 at 6:30 PM - Regular Board of Education Meeting

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

Please note the personnel report as you will find updated employee information reflected in it.

Please take note of the April enrollment report. We have a total of 1305 students enrolled (3 more than last month).

I will review the various grants we expect to receive as part of the federal government's COVID relief packages.

I will update the Board on our goals for the year.

Rationale:  Mrs. McCalla will provide a year to date budget status report as well as a contingency fund report.

Rationale:  Mr. Wygonik will present the plans for the HS schedule for next year.

Rationale:  Mr. Wygonik will present the plans for the HS schedule for next year.

Rationale: 

Background: The current sound system in the Mile Creek cafeteria is insufficient and outdated, and the gymnasium currently only utilizes a portable sound system. These proposed upgrades will enhance the ability for student performances, and both systems will allow better access to sound by students, staff, and community members.

Proposals:

          Sound Stage Systems                               $20,390.00

          HB Communications                                 $21,316.00

          Unitech                                                      $27,404.11

Recommendation:

• The upgrades are in response to sound needs identified by Mile Creek administration and staff.
• All three of the companies are very reputable with decades of experience.
• Both Unitech and Sound Stage Systems completed site visits as part of their proposals.
• Approval will allow vendor to begin to obtain equipment for July 2021 start.
• Recommended contract award is in the anticipated range and within the proposed facilities budget.
• This project is slated to begin in the next fiscal year, and the monies are allocated in the proposed 21/22 FY budget.

 

 

Rationale: 

Background: Recent developments with the COVID-19 pandemic generated a request by parents and staff for potential outdoor classroom spaces at District schools. This request was included in the five-year facilities plan with a goal to begin to add spaces during the 2021/22 school year.

With the approval of the Facilities Committee, a cooperative project was proposed to provide not only educational opportunity for technical school students, but also outdoor classroom space for Region 18.

Vinal Technical School in Middletown was very interested and enthusiastic about the project, and their students will complete all aspects of design and construction. April approval by the Board will allow the foundation and deck work to be completed by the end of this school year, with completion scheduled for the beginning of the next school year.

The District sought comparable commercial quotes for work at the site to confirm that the building opportunity was also at a discount.  Carefree Small Building in Colchester quoted the work at $37,025, and The Barnyard in Ellington quoted on-site work at $40,000.

This project is the first in a District plan to add outdoor classroom spaces. The next projects will include the Lyme School and the Middle School.

This classroom project was originally funded by monies budgeted in the 2021/22 FY proposed budget, but will now be covered by Esser II grant funds. The budgeted funds will be applied to other projects in the five-year facilities plan.

 

Rationale: 

Background: The existing gymnasium floor in the Middle School is overdue for renovation, and the work is included in the five-year facilities plan. There are years of oil-based finish buildup, insufficient painted lines, an outdated school logo, and an outdated color scheme.  The proposed work involves sanding the surface down to bare wood, repainting with fresh lines and our current paw logo, and sealing with a water-based finish. The plan is for a finished product that matches the high school floor.

New England Overland was approved by the Board on June 3, 2020 to complete the High School gym floor renovation project. They completed a high-quality job on the high school floor, and their current price, which is $2,000 less than the high school job, considers that they still possess all of the stencils and patterns required for the logo and lettering with no extra costs. New England Overland will also be retained on an annual basis to apply a maintenance coat to both floor surfaces.

We are confident that the end result will be an additional floor that will make the district proud.

 

Rationale: 

Background: The current sound amplification systems deployed in the high school classrooms are outdated and no longer function properly.

Lightspeed is the proprietary vendor of the more modern soundfield systems that the District has deployed in the four other district schools.  These systems are very affordable and user friendly, and we receive excellent customer support from the Lightspeed team whenever needed.

The installation would occur after July 1, 2021, and your approval allows Lightspeed to gather all of the necessary equipment to start immediately in July.

This purchase value includes a credit of $3,200.00 for a trade-in of our old systems.

This contract value is in the anticipated range for the proposed 21/22 FY budget.

 

Rationale: 

Background: Renovation of the Lyme School tennis courts is included in the five-year facilities plan and is scheduled for the summer of 2021.  The bid pricing is within the budgeted value, and April Board approval will allow the vendor to make preparation for a July start. 

Classic Turf is the same vendor who replaced the high school tennis courts with post and tension concrete in June of 2020. They did an exceptional job with the project, were very conscientious, and completed the job on budget and on time. I have spoken with the representative and, with Board approval, they will put our work first for the summer schedule.  This was bid through the CREC bidding process.

For those unfamiliar with the CREC bid process, below is a description of their process from their website:

All of the CREC contracts are established through an Invitation to Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposals (RFP). CREC awards bids based on the lowest responsive, responsible bidders. We take into account quality of service, proven performance, and pricing. RFPs and ITBs are conducted in accordance with purchasing procedures mandated by state procurement laws and regulations, and are available to all public and private schools, colleges and universities, cities and towns, and non-profit organizations.

The ITB/RFP Process

• CREC determines the need to specific commodities, products, and/or services through discussions with customers, research, and market trends.
• CREC issues an ITB/RFP for the commodity/product/service.
• The ITB/RFP is advertised on the DAS website and in the Hartford Courant.
• All qualifying responses are evaluated by CREC.
• Awards are made to one or multiple vendors.

FieldTurf is also the only company in the CREC marketplace that offers post and tension concrete tennis courts as part of their scope.

 

Rationale:  As previously noted, with the addition of grant funding from the ESSER funds, we have been able to further reduce the budget from a 0.73% increase to a 0.47% increase.  This change will further reduce the costs to the towns as noted on the attached Impact to Towns page from the budget book.  This requires Board action.

Rationale:  As we have previously discussed, we have had many requests from the community on how we can support and recognize our staff for such a successful year.  Attached is a proposed letter we can send to the community to ask for their support of our recognition of the staff at our end of the year banquet.  This requires Board action.

Rationale: 

As is annual practice to ensure compliance with state statute, and in accordance with Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-151(b), which gives authority to the Superintendent to determine whether a non-tenure teacher should be offered a contract for the subsequent school year, I am recommending the non-renewal of all non–tenured teachers. This requires Board action.

Rationale: 

Per policy #5118, the Board is required to set a tuition rate for non-resident students by May 30.  The current tuition rate is:

A) Tuition Student Rates
• Grades 9-12 - $19,000
• Grades 6-8 - $17,000
• Grades K-5 - $15,000
• Grade PreK - $10,000

B) Students attending under Attendance Agreements (unless a multiple-year agreement to provide education facilities is entered into with another Board of Education)
• PK-12 $19,000
C) Children of current staff members will be charged 50% of the applicable tuition.
D) Children of active military parents will be charged 80% of the applicable tuition.
E) Foreign students attending under an F-1 visa as required by SEVIS will be charged 150% of the applicable tuition.
F) Multiple students from the same family attending together will be required to pay the following amounts:
• 1st child– 100% of the applicable tuition
• 2nd child– 75% of the applicable tuition
• 3rd child– 50% of the applicable tuition
• Any additional children will be charged 50% of the applicable tuition.

This requires Board action.

Rationale:  We are pleased to welcome back a former tuition student and that student's sibling who moved away and are now returning to CT.  This requires Board action.

Rationale:  I am recommending that we end school on Friday June 18, 2021 to avoid having all students come back for one additional Monday in June.  June 21, 2021 will be a staff only day and will be the day we hold the staff recognition banquet.  This change will put us at 179 student days and 187 staff days.  The state requirement this year is 177 student days.  This requires Board action.

Rationale:  First read of Policy 5141.21 Administering Medications to Students.

Rationale:  This is a second read of both policies and requires Board action.