January 26, 2011 at 7:00 PM - January 26, 2011 Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

Rationale:  A vacancy exists on the Board due to the resignation of Jonathan Moore.

Rationale:  This past month's Employees of the Month are Killingly Memorial School Data Team Leaders-Heidi Auclair-Golden, Paula Bromley, Meredith Crabtree, Carol Bitgood, Margaret Walker, Lisa Higgins, Brenda Borrelli. They have been invited to attend the meeting to be recognized by the Board of Education.

Rationale:  The past three years, Ken has served as our Region VI Vice President and our Regional Secretary for three years before that. This year he ran for President-elect of our National Organization, against a candidate from California. After Ken put together campaign material, and spent the last week talking with people from all over the United States, Ken was elected as the National President Elect for the NAAE. This is a three year term-President Elect.

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:  Bill Scalise, the lead teacher in our alternative education program (ALPS), will present some background on the program and some effectiveness data. 

Rationale:  Laurie LeClerc, district coordinator of our drop out prevention efforts, will report to the Board on district activities this year and the links to last year's Governor's Dropout Prevention Summit.

Rationale:  It is Mr. Rockett's turn to give a brief report on events at Killingly High School.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  An expanded budget preparation calendar will be distributed; topics/agendas for each meeting will be developed later.  As has been our practice, the Fiscal Committee will meet during the month of February to craft a budget proposal for BOE approval prior to the March 15 charter deadline for submission to the Town Manager.  There has been discussion that these deliberations be done as a "committee of the whole;" if so, this should be confirmed by the board.

Certainly every effort to contain budgetary increases during this process, but as was shared at the last board meeting we have a number of impacts over which we have no control - loss of federal stimulus money, already having concessions from our unions for the 2010-11 budget, increases in medical insurance costs, unfilled positions with teachers on leave, and so on.  The challenge will be to find the funds to maintain existing programs, add necessary staff, and keep the district moving forward to meet BOE goals and improve opportunities for students.

Rationale:  Enclosed is the latest NESDEC enrollment projections.  The projections show that the slow decline in enrollment during the past decade has stopped, with enrollment being stable over the next several years.  I believe enrollment will be slightly greater than projected next year, since the efforts to attract out-of-district tuition students were successful this year and the new high school will bolster this effort.

Rationale:  The completed audit for the 2009-10 fiscal year will be distributed.  There were no material findings by the auditor (a good thing!), and few recommendations.  The auditors will be meeting with the Town Council; if you would like a presentation as well, please let me know.

Rationale:  Updated information will be provided on punch list and other field items being corrected by contractors, and other issues that have presented challenges.

Rationale:  We have produced a variation on the monthly grant status reports received by the board in the past.  It shows the history of various grants (entitlement and competitive) for the past three years.  I believe this will give the board a better sense of the grant funds available and how changes in grant amounts impact what we can do.  Also, the report shows a subtotal that includes entitlement and competitive grants, but excludes stimulus finding; the total includes all grants.   As new grant applications are made, we will ask for board approval and add them to the list.

Rationale: 
a.  regular meeting minutes of December 8, 2010 and special meeting of December 15, 2010
b.  payment of bills for the 2009-2010 year in December in the amount of $2,732.89 and for the 2010-2011 year in December in the amount of $1,091,569.10
c.  Employee of the Month for January 2011