November 4, 2009 at 7:00 PM - Regular Board template

Rationale:  John Tracy - Social Studies Teacher - BCHS and BEHS - 9/4/73 to 2/2/05
Barbara Watherman - Special Education Teacher - S.E. Reynolds and BOE - 9/8/70 to 2/1/98

Rationale:  Approval of the October 7, 2009 - Regular Meeting Minutes

Rationale:  Pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, the following questions are subject to the Board’s vote without debate.  Should a member choose to debate a specific question, he/she will move to lay the question on the table, and it shall become the first item of New Business.  The Board will then vote on the remaining questions.

Rationale:  Alissa Freking - CHMS - Language Arts, Grade 6/7    

Rationale:  Gina D'Amato - BEHS - Sophomore Co-Advisor   

Rationale:  Michelle Collins - BCHS - Freshman Co-Advisor
David Greenleaf - BCHS - Freshman Co-Advisor

Rationale:  Debra Cawley - MBMS - Social Studies Coordinator    

Rationale:  Attached is a list of certified professional personnel who have reached continuing contract status (tenure) during the period of September 1, 2008 through September 1, 2009.

Rationale:  Lance Chase - Assistant Wrestling Coach - BEHS - Effective 11/20/09
Joseph Russo - Assistant Girls Swim & Dive Coach - BEHS - Effective 10/2/09

Rationale:  Michael Bourassa - Football Program - BCHS - Effective 10/2/09

Rationale:  The Board of Education is the recipient of ARRA Stabilization monies intended to help stabilize state and local government budgets and avoid reductions in education.  All State Fiscal Stabilization Funds received in Connecticut has been dedicated to Education Cost Sharing for the next biennium.  For 2010 FY, the Board of Education will directly receive $5,943,040 in two grants:  $2,112,169 in Government Services funds and $3,830,871 in Education Grant Funds.  Both grants will be used to offset salary costs for teachers.  The Board is mandated to report quarterly expenditures to the State Board of Education.

Rationale:  Cubs Corner in an effort to strengthen student’s numeracy skills is applying for a grant from the Levin Educational Fund to purchase 60 Math Game Bags that hold a variety of manipulatives that can be used to play an assortment of math games.  Cubs Corner will invite parents to “Math Night” events and teach parents how to strengthen their children’s math skills by utilizing the Math Game Bags.  Every family will get to keep a Math Game Bag and will be encouraged to do these activities in the home.

Rationale:  Environmental Learning Center of Connecticut (ELCCT) in partnership with Bristol Board of Education, South Side School and the South Side Family Resource Center is applying for a  21^st Century After-School Grant from the State Department of Education to offer a “Get SMART” after-school program. Get SMART stands for Social Skills, Mastery (academics), Active learning, Resilience & Teamwork which are the components necessary to meet the needs of our students and support academic excellence. Get SMART will provide high quality after-school programming for up to 100 children, 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday), from 3 to 6pm, offered at school (on-site) and at the 285-acre ELCCT Indian Rock Preserve.   In addition, enrichment programming will be offered several times a year during the evening, Saturdays or during school vacation weeks.  A strong parent-involvement component is integrated into this grant and will include a Parent Advisory Board, home-school communication journals and parent-child activities during after-work hours.  This program will have funds to pay certified teachers to offer individual and small group instruction to students to improve reading comprehension and numeracy skills.  This proposal is a two year grant for a $150,000 per year and the ELCCT will be the lead applicant/fiduciary of the grant funds. 

Rationale:  The attached grant is submitted for approval.  This is the first time we applied and received this grant.  This grant is to supplement the Adult Education Grant by providing additional funds for the development of Personal Finance Curriculum, workshops, and courses for all students/clients who attend Adult Education.  It is for the fiscal 09-10 school year only.

Rationale: 

Purpose of Grant Program:

1. To significantly increase the number of accredited and/or approved spaces for young children in order to provide greater access to high-quality preschool programs;

2. To significantly increase the number of spaces for young children to receive full-day, full-year child care services to meet family needs and to enable parents to become employed; and

To establish a shared cost for such early care and education programs among the state and its various agencies, the communities and families.

Rationale: 

Members of the public are invited to comment to the Board on any topic related to school business.

Items requiring consideration by the Board must be approved as an agenda item by a 2/3ds vote of the Board members present.  Such items may be referred for further study and not necessarily acted upon at this meeting. 

Anyone wishing to address the Board should adhere to the following procedures:

1.  Sign in on the Public Comment sign-in roster.

2.  Wait to be recognized by the Board Chair.

3.  Proceed to the speaker’s table.

4.  Preface your remarks by stating your name and address.

5.  Direct your comments to the Board chairman.

6.  Please limit your comments to three minutes.

7.   Any comments should be made in an appropriate manner, particularly if concerning a personnel matter.

Rationale:  The Board of Education ended the 2009 School Year with a balance of $641,473.67.  The surplus was attributable largely to turnover within our salary accounts and supplies.  These surpluses were used to offset deficits in Special Education tuition, transportation, fuel oil, severance payments, and deficits within the food service fund.   In order to zero out the Board’s 1400 accounts, credits and debits totaling $4,847,654 were required.  The fund balance remains in the teacher salary line.

Rationale:  Central Office staff will review October 1 enrollment figures for the Board.

Rationale: 

This is a detailed report including the following CMT and CAPT results:

1. Same-Grade Analysis comparing
- Bristol 2009 scores with Bristol 2008 scores
- Bristol 2009 scores with State 2009 scores

2. Cohort Analysis – Grade-to-Grade/Same-Student 
- Bristol Growth Model Report
- State Achievement Level Report
- State Vertical Scale Scores Report

Cohort Analysis reports are given for total students as well as Hispanic, African American, Economically Disadvantaged, and Special Education subgroups.  

 If you have any questions you may contact Kristin Irvine at 584-7071 in the Office of Teaching and Learning.

Rationale: 

An important part of any music program is providing performance opportunities for students outside of the school and community. It is important for them to hear musical groups from other high schools, states, and even other regions. Music is an activity that can be compared from school to school without feeling threatened as in competitive sports, but rather viewed as a benchmark to strive for.

The BCHS Music Department has not traveled on an overnight trip since 2007. I had tried to plan a few other opportunities over the past 4 years, but the interest and the funds were not going to be available as the trips were going to be very expensive. At the end of last year, Heritage Festivals contacted me about a travel opportunity. After looking into it further, I found their prices to be very reasonable. Without using a tour company and by booking the busses myself, I am able to keep the prices very close to what they were the last time we traveled to Canada in 2005. We performed at a Heritage Festival on our last trip (2007) and I enjoyed the experience very much. The adjudicators were very good, providing valuable comments that would help the musicians improve when they returned to the rehearsal room

Rationale:  At its September 2009 meeting the Board of Education tentatively approved a teacher retirement incentive program as proposed by the Administration an agreed to by the Bristol Federation of Teachers.  Under the terms of the program, the Administration/Board of Education must make a definitive cost-benefit decision to proceed by this Thanksgiving.  Based on the applications, the Administration has developed a five year cost-benefit analysis and discussed this analysis with the Personnel Committee of the Board of Education on Monday, November 2, 3009.  Given the anticipated cost savings, the Administration recommends that the Board make a final approval for this program to proceed.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  The Board of Education will discuss any old business proper to come before the Board.

Rationale:  The Board of Education will discuss any new business proper to come before the Board.

Rationale:  The Board of Education will receive various building committee reports.

Rationale:  Any communications received or any questions by Board members concerning items not on the agenda.

Rationale: 

The Board of Education should vote to convene into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing:

1. Student Expulsions
2. Discussion of and possible action on Superintendent's Evaluation and Contract of Employment.

Rationale:  The Board of Education should reconvene into Public Session to take any votes on matters discussed in Executive Session.

Rationale:  The Board of Education should adjourn the meeting.