School Committee

LOWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Date: January 3, 2018 Time: 6:30PM Location: City Council Chamber, 375 Merrimack Street, 2nd Floor, Lowell, MA 01852 1. SALUTE TO FLAG 2. ROLL CALL On a roll call at 6:34 p.m., all members were present, namely: Ms. Doherty, Mr. Hoey, Mr. Lay, Ms. Martin, Mr. Nutter, Mayor Samaras and Mr. Descoteaux. 3. MINUTES 3.I. Minutes: Approval of the Minutes of the regularly scheduled Lowell School Committee Meeting of Wednesday, December 20, 2017 Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the minutes and to place them on file; seconded by Mr. Lay. 7 yeas APPROVED Superintendent Khelfaoui addressed the School Committee and the public watching to inform them that the City Manager has entered into a contract with the TRAIN Company and Boston Mechanic to address the issues at Lowell High School. The Superintendent added that the DPW will be able to better address the issues in the other schools now that we have contracted with these companies. The Superintendent also publicly thanked the City Manager. 4. MOTIONS 4.I. [By Gerard Nutter]: Superintendent Supply School Committee at next meeting what the projected cost is for a level funded 2018/2019 School Budget Mr. Nutter made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Doherty. 7 yeas APPROVED 4.II. [By Gerard Nutter]: Request Mayor to request the City Manager to break out the Transportation Cost and add as a separate Line Item under Schools, so Budget clearly reflects what the City pays for transportation and the amount of cash City is contributing to School Department Mr. Nutter made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 2 of 6) 4.III. [By Gerard Nutter]: School Committee reschedule April 18 meeting (school vacation) to April 25th and approve the following dates for Budget presentation and approval April 25th – Budget Presented to School Committee – City Council Chambers April 30th – Budget Public Hearing – Stoklosa School Auditorium (have Ch 22 broadcast live) May 9th - Budget Public Hearing – City Council Chambers May 14th – Budget Public Hearing – Sullivan School Auditorium - (have Ch 22 broadcast live) May 16th – Final Budget Approval – Regular SC Meeting - City Council Chambers Ms. Martin made a friendly amendment with no objections to schedule a Finance Subcommittee prior to the budget being presented to the School Committee and to change the April 25th – Budget Presented to School Committee – City Council Chambers to April 26th. Mr. Nutter made a motion to approve; seconded by Mr. Hoey. 7 yeas APPROVED 5. SUBCOMMITTEES 5.I. Finance Subcommittee: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Tuesday, December 19, 2017 [Robert Gignac, Chair] Mr. Gignac, Chairperson of the Finance reported out on this Subcommittee at the Lowell School Committee Meeting on December 20, 2017. Mr. Nutter made a motion to accept the report as a report of progress; seconded by Mr. Hoey. 7 yeas APPROVED 6. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 6.I. Enrollment Figures The district enrollment report provided to the Committee showed the breakdown by school and grade through December 19, 2017. Mr. Hoey made a motion to accept the report as a report of progress; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 7 yeas APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 3 of 6) 7. NEW BUSINESS 7.I. Classroom Space Issues Mr. Frisch, Assistant Superintendent for Finance presented a report to the Committee regarding critical space planning for the 2018-2019 school year. The CSA Day Schools needs to be relocated to the City of Lowell because a promise was made to the parents that the district would relocate the school from Methuen to Lowell and the space that the district is currently renting in Methuen will no longer be available for the 2018-2019 school year. In addition, the district needs to find space for two (2) sections of the 6th grade and two (2) sections of the 7th grade at the Rogers STEM Academy. Three (3) options for consideration were presented to the Committee that included moving the Day School to the Rogers STEM Academy, moving the Day School to the Freshman Academy, moving the Day school to the Cardinal O’Connell, and sending the Cardinal O’Connell Alternative Program students back to their sending school. The Committee members asked the following questions:  Has an RFP been issued?  What would the cost would be to move the Day School to the Cardinal O’Connell or the Freshman Academy?  Could the Cardinal O’Connell Alternative Program be blended with the BRIDGE Program?  Will we have time to move the students? A motion was made to continue the discussion at a Student Support Services/Alternative Programs Subcommittee. Ms. Doherty made a motion to refer the Classroom Space Issues report to the Student Support Services/Alternative Schools Program Subcommittee for further discussion; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED 7.II. Supplemental Appropriation of Funds from the City Mr. Frisch, Assistant Superintendent for Finance presented a report to the Committee that requested the City Council to appropriate a supplemental budget of $472,116 from free cash for the following three items:  Budget gap of $250,000  E-rate 2016-2017 funds of $134,256  School Choice funds 2016-2017 of $87,860 Free Cash is a revenue source that results from the calculation, as of July 1st, of a community’s remaining unrestricted funds from its operations of the previous fiscal year. This calculation is based on the balance sheet as of June 30th. Ms. Martin made a motion to request the City Council appropriate $472,116 from Free Cash once it is certified; seconded by Mr. Nutter. 7 yeas APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 4 of 6) 8. CONVENTION/CONFERENCE REQUESTS 8.I. LHS- Jill McNamara Head of School Marianne Busteed, request permission for Lowell High School Business Professional Advisor, Jill McNamara along with 20 members of the Lowell Chapter of the Business Professionals of America to attend the State Leadership Conference in Framingham, MA from Saturday, March 3, 2018 through Monday, March 5, 2018. Students will be absent from school on Monday, March 5th. The only cost will be $200 for two substitute teachers for 1 day and will be paid by Lowell High School Individual School account. The cost of the conference will be paid for through fundraising to defray the cost of $275 per student and $300 per Advisor. Mr. Hoey made a motion to approve the convention/conference request; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 7 yeas APPROVED 9. PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL 9.I. UTL Donated Sick Days - Kearney The Members of the United Teachers of Lowell hereby donate sixty [60] sick leave days to Sharon Kearney, Greenhalge School Teacher. Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 7 yeas APPROVED 10. COMMUNICATIONS 10.I. Letter from Edward Kennedy Mayor Kennedy, filed a motion that was on the agenda at the January 2, 2018 Lowell City Council asking the School Committee to endorse the City Council’s intent to explore changing Lowell’s preferred project option for the Lowell High School building project and direct the Superintendent to notify the Massachusetts School Building Authority of the School Committee’s endorsement. Ms. Doherty made a motion to request that the School Committee endorse the City Council’s intent to explore changing Lowell’s preferred project option for the Lowell High School building project and direct the Superintendent to notify the Massachusetts School Building Authority of the School Committee’s endorsement; seconded by Mr. Nutter. 6 yeas, 1 nay APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 5 of 6) 11. EXECUTIVE SESSION 11.I. Special Meeting  LSAA -History and Current Status of litigation and charges of LSAA -Collective Bargaining: consideration of proposals and Fact-finding update  Legal Update  Review of Executive Sessions Minutes Mr. Descoteaux made a motion to recess at 7:34 p.m. and enter into Executive Session and to adjourn the meeting from Executive Session; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 6 of 6) 12. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Descoteaux made a motion to recess at 7:34 p.m.; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED Respectfully submitted, Dr. Salah E. Khelfaoui, Superintendent and Secretary to the Lowell School Committee SEK/mes Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us