January 22, 2015 at 7:00 PM - Bethel Board of Education Regular Meeting

• Invitation Letter to BOE Members from Lt. Commander Mark Dwinells USN (Ret) to Military Ball, March 1, 2015, Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville, CT 

• Email from SDE regarding the Connecticut Commissioner of Education Job Posting.  The Personnel Search Committee would welcome written statements describing what you regard to be the most important qualities and qualifications of Connecticut’s next Commissioner of Education. This input will certainly assist the Committee as it screens applications and conducts interviews. Letters should be addressed to Ms. Pamela V. Charland, 165 Capitol Avenue, Room 301, Hartford, Connecticut 06106, and be submitted by February 4, 2015.

• Memo from Dr. Carver that was distributed at Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast regarding legislative issues.

(Please note:  The Board welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes.  Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them.  The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.)

Medicaid reimbursement is available for students who are both Medicaid eligible and are identified special education students who have a health related service on their IEP.   Examples of health related services include: speech and language, OT, PT, nursing services, and mental health and counseling. Currently, it is estimated that 1600 students (ages 3-21) in the Bethel Public Schools are eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.   Although a Federal reimbursement program, in Connecticut, the State Department of Social Services oversees the program.  Because of the complexity in paperwork for Federal/State submission, districts utilize third party vendors to support the implementation of the Medicaid program. 

CompuClaim is one of three companies supporting Medicaid reimbursement in the state.  They are proven to be experts in the field with more than 24 years of a proven record of success in School Based Medicaid Programs.  They are currently supporting 42 school districts in Connecticut and have clients in 14 other states.  They are the only vendor who supports all of the components of filing including staying current with all state and federal laws and compliance reporting. 

CompuClaim is in a high security system, which uses a MSSQL server and guarantees compliance to HIPPA and FERPA.  As part of the implementation, parents have to provide written consent for compliance within the program, be provided information about the advantages of Medicaid reimbursement and the confidentiality of the program.

CompuClaim is the only vendor that does not charge any upfront costs and provides both on-site and ongoing training for all staff as part of the service to the district.  Other vendors charge a flat rate which needs to be paid regardless of reimbursement amount provided to the District.   CompuClaim will invoice the District on a monthly basis as long as we have money from claims. CompuClaim bills the district 9% of what the district receives as payment, not what they bill for.  There are no other costs.  CompuClaim services include the use of a web-based portal to record services, generate reports, provide training of staff, and upgrades program to the system to stay current to meet all state and federal regulations.

Given Bethel’s current projected eligibility numbers the potential reimbursement amount is from $75,000 – $100, 000 per year based on direct claiming and reconciliation for administrative costs.  It is important to understand that the money collected through Medicaid reimbursement can be variable.  It is recommended to track payment trends for 1-2 years to determine impact for budgeting purposes.   Revenue generated through Medicaid reimbursement does not interfere with the submission of the Excess Cost Grant.  CT legislation states that Districts can receive both Excess Cost Grant as well as Medicaid reimbursement.

As part of the implementation of the program the impact on staff time will be minimal. The program is user friendly to log service documentation.  The program can be accessed through any mobile devise with internet service.  It is convenient to record services and can be done daily, weekly, or monthly.

The expectation is to begin filing claims on March 1, 2015.  The first submission date would be April 1, 2015 with an expected check to the District in May 2015.  Like other special education funds received, revenue will be set up as a categorical grant. 

I appreciate your willingness to support this initiative and continue to look for ways to offset some of the increasing costs associated with educating students with special education needs.

In the 2015-2016 Program of Studies you will find the following information:

• BHS graduation requirements by grade

• Grade classification requirements by credit

• Course descriptions for required and elective classes

• Prerequisites needed for class enrollments

• Senior opportunities

• Earning college credit while attending Bethel High School

• Capstone Project Description (Grades 9-12)

Topic:              Summer Exchange Program between Bethel and Two Schools in Spain

Key Points of the Briefing: 

1. The World Languages Department of BHS would like to continue to sponsor the exchange program that you approved last year.  Students from the Essex School in Castellon, Spain and the Colegio Retamar in Madrid, will come to Bethel in the summer of 2015 and our students will go there in 2016.
2. The goal of the exchange is to give the Spanish and American students an authentic experience where they have fun but also practice their language skills and learn about the culture of the country they are visiting.  Students stay with host families here and in Spain.
3. We will continue to use the same tour company, Go Inspired, which specializes in cultural and educational travel.  The company is owned by Ms. Margo Kopec, a Bethel High School graduate (1997) and UCONN graduate (2001).
4. The date of the exchange for Bethel hosting the Spanish students is June 29, 2015 until July 24, 2015. Bethel students will go to Spain in July of 2016 for a period of 3 weeks.
5.  Families in Bethel hosting the Spanish students will receive $100.00 a week to help defray miscellaneous costs and the same will happen in 2016 for Spanish host families.
6. The cost of the trip for Bethel students will be approximately $4000 per student which includes lodging, meals, trips, plane tickets, ground transportation, and insurance.
7. The Spanish trip will have representatives from Go Inspired along with teacher chaperones accompanying their students in 2015 and at least one of our teachers along with representatives from Go Inspired will accompany Bethel students to Spain in the summer of 2016.

Summary of the Briefing:

The World Languages Department of BHS and BMS seek to sponsor a reciprocal exchange with two schools in Spain with the Spanish students coming to Bethel in the summer of 2015 and the American students going to Spain in the summer of 2016. Please note that only Bethel High School students will be offered this opportunity to go to Spain; however, Bethel High and Middle School families can host this summer.

P.A.: An Act Concerning Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention legislation was passed in the Connecticut General Assemble in 2014. The legislation was very similar to the concussion legislation and its requirements. The legislation requires:

Requires coaches of intramural and interscholastic athletics to (July 1, 2015): 

• Obtain written consent of a student’s parent or legal guardian before allowing a student to participate in such activities. 

• Annually review the sudden cardiac arrest awareness program before beginning their coaching assignments.

• Immediately remove from athletic activities a student who is showing warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest.

• Bar such student from resuming activities unless the student has received written clearance from a Connecticut licensed doctor, PA or APRN. 

• Immunization from liability unless a coach’s action or omission constitutes willful misconduct, gross negligence or recklessness.  

Prior to submitting the policy to the Board of Education subcommittee, it has been reviewed by Ms. Avery, Health Coordinator, Mr. Troetti, Bethel High School Principal, Mr. Tatto, Athletic Director, and Mr. Muharem, Bethel Middle School Principal. Any feedback they gave me is incorporated in my recommended changes. The requirements of this policy are very similar to the concussion policy.

This is the first reading of the policy of the full Board of Education and feedback will be sent back to the subcommittees for their consideration.

This is the first reading of Policy 6142.101 of the full Board of Education. As you are aware, the Bethel Public Schools, School Lunch Program will be routinely audited this spring. The audit will include compliance of Board of Education Policy on Wellness and Child Nutrition to the Healthy Kids - Hunger Free Act. Policy 6142.101 was revised given input from Sedexo. The District Wellness Committee has reviewed the policy and provided input to the revisions two times. The policy has also been brought to the Bethel Board of Education, Policy Subcommittee. 

P.A. 14-66: An Act Concerning Youth Athletics and Concussions requires local Education to develop policy regarding concussions. The attached Policy 5141.7 reflects the legislative requirements. This is the second and final reading for the policy.

The legislation specifically requires:

To be implemented by July 1, 2014: Qualified school employee must: 

• (1) provide notice within 24 hours after removing the student and (2) make reasonable effort to provide the notice immediately after the student is removed when a student is removed from an athletic activity for a concussion or suspected concussion.
• Collect and report (1) the nature and extent of the concussion and (2) circumstances in which the student substantiated it.

To be implemented July 2015:  

• SBE to develop an informed consent form on concussions for parents of student athletes.
• Districts to provide the form to parents and obtain their consent authorizing the student to participate in the athletic activity.
• Implement a concussion education plan.
• Prohibit students from participating in athletic activities unless the student and his/her parents meet the requirements of the plan..
• Annual training for coaches.

Bethel High School Athletics has already implemented many aspect of the legislation, taking guidance from the CIAC. We are taking action to ensure that Bethel Middle School is also in compliance with the mandates for the 2015-2016 school year. The State Board of Education has recently released a concussion plan, which we are in the process of reviewing.

• Our district policies and procedures regarding bullying, teen dating violence, and harassment. This includes definitions, mechanisms to report acts bullying, teen dating violence and harassment (including anonymously), and investigation procedures;

• Leadership and administrative responsibilities;

• District and school efforts of prevention and intervention;

• The use of school climate assessments to develop the District Safe School Climate Plan; and

• The development and review of School Safe School Climate Plans.