June 3, 2015 at 6:30 PM - Regular Board of Education Meeting

Rationale:  The Memorial Day essay contest winners have been invited to the meeting to read their winning essays. We will welcome and recognize them for their accomplishments.

1^st place: Kelsey Melton (Center School)

2^nd place: Lillian Herrera (Lyme School)      

3^rd Place: Meyer Goldberg (Center School)      

Rationale:  Each year, CABE invites its member Boards to recognize outstanding student leaders at the middle and high school levels.  The principals of each school are asked to facilitate the selection of the students based on a given set of criteria.  Mr. Wygonik and Mrs. Tyler will recognize the award winners.

Recipients:

From LOLMS: Gary Bocian and Paige Britton

From LOLHS: Ford Klier and Kathryn Fanelli

Rationale:  The following staff members will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2014-2015 school year and will be recognized for their years of service to the district.

Barbara Rayel, elementary teacher, 28 years of service
Patricia Roseman, tutor, 25 years of service
Carol Hindman, elementary teacher, 20 years of service
Wendy Wilke, Occupational Therapist, 15 years of service

Rationale: 

Please note the personnel report as you will find updated employee information reflected in it.  This is the time of the year where changes sometimes occur due to late retirements and/or resignations.  We have also filled a number of open positions.

Please take note of the June enrollment report. We have a total of 1,355 students enrolled. We are continuing to track our Kindergarten enrollments.  Last year at this time we had 56 kindergartners enrolled.  We currently have 55 enrolled for next year, 30 at Mile Creek and 25 at Lyme.

 

Rationale: 

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

Rationale:  Due to the nature of our June meetings (awards, end of year evaluations, etc.) we do not have educational presentations.  We will resume our presentations at the next meeting.

Rationale:  See attached document which details a trip to China for LOLHS students planned for April 2016. Approval of this trip requires Board action.

Rationale: 

Please see attached recommended lease agreement between Regional School District #18 and LEARN for leasing four classrooms, three offices, one nurse's office, and two bathrooms in the Center School for the school year 2015-2016. This requires Board action.

 

Rationale:  Chartwells is proposing an increase in meal prices for next year as detailed in the attached document. This requires Board action.

Rationale:  Each year the Board is asked to approve application for all state and federal grants.  These include those for special education as well as remedial, staff development and other entitlement grants.  A single motion authorizes the administration to apply for all that the District is eligible.  This requires Board action.

Rationale:  Each year the Board is asked to appoint a designee(s) to act in the absence of the Superintendent as necessary.  It is useful to have the Board designate two individuals for the rare occasions when both the Superintendent and Director of Curriculum are unavailable.  I recommend the Board approve Dr. Borden and Mrs. Johnston as designees for this purpose.  This requires Board action

Rationale: 

The Technology and Engineering Department at LOLHS has left over equipment from before the renovation.  If these items are of no use to any town agency, we would like to sell them.  These items include:

• One 7000lb, asymmetrical Rotary brand swing arm lift, cost 15 years ago was around $6000, price for used item on Ebay or Craigslist, between $1000 and $25000
• One 7000lb Kwik Lift, drive on lift, cost new was about $2500, price on Ebay and Craigslist $500 to $1000
• One under lift transmission hoist,  value unknown
• One Ammco brake lathe,  value unknown
• One under lift waste oil drain tank,  value approximately $150
• One under lift 7’ jackstand, value approximately $50.

Policy 6250 outlines the procedure for disposal/ sale of these items.  Board action is required.

 

Rationale: 

As you will recall from last month's meeting, the Facilities Committee would like to consider the use of some of this year's fund balance to begin the LOLHS Track Field renovation this June.  Our end of year forecast suggests that we will have a fund balance of just under 1.3 million dollars assuming no unanticipated expenses.  After putting our 1% into our undesignated fund (approximately $319,000) we would be left with just less than 1 million dollars.  I am recommending we use $181,378 of this to fully cover the costs of the Track Field renovation.  This would allow us to return an amount to the towns in the range of $800,000 which is equivalent to our returns in previous years.  In further support of this recommendation, the Board should also be aware that we are anticipating a number of special education outplacements next year that were not included in the 15-16 budget.  Use of this year's funds will allow for more flexibility next year should those outplacements come to fruition.  

Approval of the use of these funds requires Board action.