School Committee

LOWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Date: July 18, 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 6:32 p.m., all members were present, namely: Ms. Martin, Mr. Nutter, Mayor Samaras, Mr. Descoteaux, Mr. Hoey and Mr. Lay. Ms. Doherty arrived at 6:34 p.m. 3. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 3.I. Spotlight On Scholastic Summer Reading This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 4. MINUTES 4.I. Minutes: Approval of the Minutes of the regularly scheduled Lowell School Committee Meeting of Wednesday, June 20, 2018 Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the minutes and to place them on file; seconded by Mr. Nutter. 6 yeas, 1 absent APPROVED 4.II. Minutes Of Special Meeting: Approval of the Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Lowell School Committee Meeting of Monday, June 25, 2018 Mr. Hoey made a motion to accept the minutes and to place them on file; seconded by Mr. Lay. 6 yeas, 1 absent APPROVED 5. PERMISSION TO ENTER 5.I. Permission To Enter: July 18, 2018 This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 2 of 7) 6. MOTIONS 6.I. [By Gerard Nutter]: Motion to Discuss /Verify that All Required Summer Transportation Contracts are in Place and Funded. This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 6.II. [By Mayor Samaras]: Request that the Administration provide the Lowell School Committee the status of the 2018-2019 Lowell High School Student’s Schedules. This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 6.III. [By Gerard Nutter]: Superintendent report why the passed motion of -" supply School Committee with a copy of Budget submitted to Auditor on day it is submitted” was ignored and not carried out considering the budget was submitted to Auditor on June 22nd. This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 6.IV. [By Gerard Nutter]: Superintendent explain the process and whose responsibility is it to POST School Committee Agenda’s and Cancellation Notices on-line and why there appears to be confusion surrounding that lately. This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 6.V. [By Gerard Nutter]: Administration Report if the School Dept. has applied for the STEM Equipment and Supplies Grant Program with the Commonwealth and if not, look into applying. This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 6.VI. [By Gerard Nutter]: Superintendent report on the submission on June 20th then disappearance on June 25th of a $478,460.00 transfer request for Regular Ed Transportation when the Munis Account showed that there was $100,088.65 encumbered and $853.49 available on June 15th 2018. Supt also provide each School Committee member a copy of NRT Transportation contracts by July 27th. This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 3 of 7) Mr. Hoey made a motion to suspend the rules to take motions 6.VII, 6.VIII and 6.IX out of order; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED 6.VII. [By Jacqueline Doherty And Connie Martin]: For good cause, request the Mayor and the City Solicitor prepare a Notice of Termination pursuant to Section 5 of the employment contract between the Superintendent of Schools (Salah Khelfaoui) and the Lowell School Committee. The Notice shall be reviewed and approved by the Committee prior to service upon the Superintendent. The following people registered and spoke in support of Superintendent Khelfaoui:  Kristen Schultz  Kim Scott  Ben Opara  Susan Uzanni  Mickie Dumont  Darcie Boyer  Laura Ortiz  Chris Gikas  Sophia Gikas  Amy Bisson  Jim Peters  Paul Georges  Michael Long Ms. Doherty, Ms. Martin, Mayor Samaras and Mr. Nutter all spoke in support of the motion and discussed their concerns with regards to finances, hiring processes and communication with the Superintendent. Mr. Hoey, Mr. Descoteaux and Mr. Lay all spoke in opposition of the motion and expressed their concerns and disagreement with the School Committee starting the process to terminate the Superintendent’s contract. Mayor Samaras amended the motion to read for good cause, request the Mayor and the City Solicitor prepare a Notice of Termination pursuant to Section 5 of the employment contract between the Superintendent of Schools (Salah Khelfaoui) and the Lowell School Committee. The Notice shall be reviewed and approved by the School Committee prior to service upon the Superintendent. Also, prior to drafting a notice of termination, a comprehensive and independent audit be conducted and completed over the next few weeks for a fuller understanding of the budget concerns that the Mayor and the other School Committee members have raised; seconded by Ms. Martin. 4 yeas, 3 nays APPROVED 6.VIII. [By Jacqueline Doherty and Connie Martin]: Effective immediately, place the Superintendent on paid administrative leave. Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Martin. 4 yeas, 3 nays APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 4 of 7) 6.IX. [By Jacqueline Doherty and Connie Martin]: Effective immediately, appoint Jeannine Durkin as Acting Superintendent of Lowell Schools. Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Martin. 5 yeas, 2 nays APPROVED 7. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 7.I. Update On Search For Interim School Business Administrator Appointment This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 7.II. List Of Eligible Teachers This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 7.III. Personnel Report This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 7.IV. Report On Motions This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 8. NEW BUSINESS 8.I. LHS TV Funding for LHS TV Production Studio This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 8.II. Renaming The Cardinal O'Connell School Kevin McHugh was registered and spoke regarding renaming the Cardinal O’Connell School. Currently the Cardinal O’Connell School in Lowell is referred to as the Cardinal O’Connell McHugh Alternative Program. Given the repurposing of the Cardinal O’Connell to an early childhood center, the following two options were given for consideration for the renaming of the school:  The Early Learning Center @ Cardinal O’Connell School  The Cardinal O’Connell, Early Learning Center Mr. Nutter made a motion to rename the Cardinal O’Connell School to The Cardinal O’Connell, Early Learning Center; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 5 of 7) 8.III. Preschool Progress Monitoring And Report Cards Lisa Van Thiel, Early Childhood Coordinator informed the Committee that currently, the Lowell Public Schools uses Teaching Strategies GOLD (TSG) to monitor all preschool children’s progress and provides TSG reports to parents four (4) times per year (2 progress reports and 2 report cards). This online subscription software costs over $10,000 per year and has been paid for out of the Higher Order Teaching Grant for the last two (2) years. Given that the Higher Order Teaching Grant ends in September 2018, a small team of early educators met to research alternatives to TSG. The assessment team developed a draft progress monitoring and report card system aligned to the Early Learning Standards. The Early Childhood Department strongly recommends replacing Teaching Strategies GOLD with the proposed new online progress monitoring and report card system starting in September 2018. Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve replacing the Teaching Strategies GOLD with the new online progress monitoring and report card system; seconded by Mr. Nutter. 6 yeas, 1 present APPROVED 8.IV. Authorization For Payment – Stipends This will appear on the agenda at the Lowell School Committee Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. 8.V. Day School Hours The Lowell Day School daily hours of operation will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mr. Descoteaux made a motion to approve the Day School Hours; seconded by Ms. Martin. 7 yeas APPROVED 9. CONVENTION/CONFERENCE REQUESTS 9.I. Trip - Newell Assistant Superintendent Robin Desmond, requests permission for Melissa Newell, Coordinator of Language Arts & Literacy K-12, to attend the Scholastic Reading Summit on July 19, 2018. There is no cost for attending this conference. The total cost of $600.00 for hotel accommodations, meals and mileage will be reimbursed through Title one funds. No substitute teacher is needed. Mr. Descoteaux made a motion to take and approve both convention/conference requests together; seconded by Mr. Nutter. 7 yeas APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 6 of 7) 9.II. Trip - Vancouver, Canada Principal Holtz respectfully requests permission for Bartlett School Music teacher and Science/Math teacher, Laura Schofield to attend an international music conference as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that funds music, science and math. The conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada from Wednesday, October 10 through Saturday, October 13, 2018. The cost of the trip including the daily sub is approximately $3,800 and will be paid with funds donated by UML via the National Science Foundation Grant. There is no cost to the School Department budget. Mr. Descoteaux made a motion to take and approve both convention/conference requests together; seconded by Mr. Nutter. 7 yeas APPROVED Mr. Nutter made a motion to recess at 8:25 p.m. and to hold a Special Meeting of the Lowell School Committee on Monday, July 25, 2018; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 7 yeas Approved Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 7 of 7) 10. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Nutter made a motion to recess at 8:25 p.m.; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 7 yeas Approved Respectfully submitted, Jeannine M. Durkin, Acting Superintendent and Secretary to the Lowell School Committee JMD/mes Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us