December 8, 2010 at 7:00 PM - Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

Rationale:  The following students and their families have been invited to attend the board meeting so that they may be publicly recongized for being selected as the CAPSS (CT Association of Public School Superintendents) Superintendent/Student Award recipients. 

They are:  Terren Allen (KCS), Prachi Patel (KCS), Karena Ayotte (KMS), Derek Turner (KMS), Matthew Lawton (KIS), Jervan Fontaine (KIS), Christos Haveles (KHS) and Aaron Ney (KHS).

Rationale:  Mark Lowell, this past month's Employee of the Month, has been invited to attend the meeting to be recognized by the Board of Education.

Rationale:  Members of the Killingly community are encouraged to share their thoughts with the Board of Education and are invited to do so during this segment of the meeting.  When appropriate to do so, members of the Board and the administration may respond to comments. However, in consideration of those in attendance and in an effort to proceed in a timely manner, follow-up discussion may need to take place outside of the meeting setting.

Rationale:  It is Lynda Fosco's turn to give a brief update to the Board on the things going on at Goodyear Early Childhood Center.

Rationale:  This item is included so that any board member who attended the CABE/CAPSS Convention who wishes to share information gathered at the convention can do so.

Rationale:  The Killingly Board of Recreation sent the Board a letter on October 7, 2010 (attached), asking for an opportunity to meet with the Board.  The letter also raises a set of issues that concern them:
- using the old high school to expand the youth basketball program
- implementing an intramurals program at KIS
- holding their summer camp at KCS or the old KHS (instead of Owen Bell)
- the reciprocity between the BOR and BOE in sharing resources
- their belief that BOE facilities are underutilized

The BOR has been invited to this meeting to discuss these issues with the Board.  Enclosed are data and background information that address each of the issues raised in the BOR letter.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  The regional superintendents groups (URSA and NASA) will hold their annual legislative breakfast with our area state representatives on December 8.  I will share any pertinent information gleaned at the breakfast regarding our elected representatives' views of the upcoming General Assembly session.

Rationale:  Richard Murray, chair of the BOE Curriculum Committee, and Brad will report on the December 6 committee meeting.

Rationale:  Last spring, one money-saving idea that was put forward was moving all K-4 students into the old high school and closing Memorial and Central.  Earlier this year, the Board heard a proposal from Jerry CinqMars and Wayne Magao on building consolidation.  We are in the midst of doing a space and fiscal study of the consequences of turning the old KHS into a K-4 school.  Although not yet complete, preliminary information will be given to the Board in an effort to start a community conversation around the issue of consolidating or re-organizing to save money in the upcoming budget season, and the educational implications that would follow.

Rationale:  Attached is the budget development calendar for the 2011-12 (FY12) school year. 

Christine Clark has just started meeting with principals and department heads to build the budget, but some issues that the Board will need to deal with are already apparent.  For example, even assuming that state aid will remain flat (not a foregone conclusion), the loss of federal stimulus funding (ARRA) will require that a number of positions and programs be absorbed into the local budget.  Negotiated salary increases for next year - most of our employee groups agreed to a salary freeze for this year - and anticipated insurance rate increases will also require additional funding.  Additionally, the ability to make reductions to the budget are significantly restricted this year - recall that over the past two years we've cut 27 teaching positions (11.6%), 3 administrative positions (17.6%), and 3 secretarial positions (10%).  These cuts have increased class sizes, reduced supports for students and staff, and reduced the ability of the system to meet regulatory requirements.  The purpose of this "preview," like the prior item on facilities utilization, is to start the budget conversation earlier than we usually do.

Rationale:  MOTION:  to approve the consent agenda:

a.  regular meeting minutes of November 3, 2010 and November 17, 2010 and special meetings of November 10, 2010 and November 17, 2010
b.  payment of bills for the 2009-2010 year in October in the amount of $30,114.94 and November in the amount of $15,520.09 and for the 2010-2011 year in October in the amount of $1,276,486.85 and November in the amount of $1,196,259.97
c.  Employee of the Month for December 2010
d. Systems Object Report

Rationale:  As required by law, the Board must approve its regular meeting dates for the next calendar year.  The proposed regular meeting dates are attached.  As has been our practice, the first meeting of the month is our business meeting and the second meeting is focused on curriculum and instruction (this year, the Lighthouse Project).

The list of proposed dates is for 2011.  When we develop the school calendar for 2011-12 this spring, we will list anticipated meeting dates for January through June, 2012.