_Board of Commissioners

CITY OF NEWPORT, KY SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JULY 21, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Mayor Thomas L. Guidugli Jr. at 6:00 p.m. in the Multi- Purpose room of the Newport Municipal Building at 998 Monmouth Street. In Attendance: Mayor Thomas L. Guidugli Jr., Vice Mayor Frank Peluso, Commissioner Beth Fennell, Commissioner Jerry Peluso, Commissioner Ken Rechtin. Others Present: City Manager Thomas Fromme, Assistant City Manager John Hayden, City Attorney Dan Braun, Deputy City Clerk Joy Rovno, Lieutenant Colonel Day. PUBLIC HEARING Steve McCafferty introduced himself and members of the Education Task Force, Lynn Schaber and Bobbie Stubbemann. He stated the Task Force was formed by the School Board and the City Commission to give an objective assessment of the schools, to help them grow and perform. Mr. McCafferty presented the document with the following conclusion and recommendations for Newport Independent School District (NISD).  NISD continues to rank among the lowest performing school districts in Kentucky.  Working conditions in Newport schools operate at a substantially low level.  NISD continues to be well funded through local taxation and State and Federal allocations.  NISD teacher salaries and salary scale fall short of most other local school districts.  NISD central office staffing and salaries rank at the top among local districts, large and small. Given these conditions in NISD, the Education Task Force recommends the following actions.  Academic Achievement – Elevate Student Performance:  o Recruit/develop school leaders with the ability to lead NISD through significant and positive change. o Provide robust, advanced academic program options for students. o Dramatically increase expectations and supervision for all employees, especially for leadership. o Hold all employees accountable, especially leadership, with precise measures of academic achievement.  Working Conditions – Dramatically improve the work environment: o Increase teacher salaries to rank among the highest in the region. o Hire a third-party culture expert to identify and address the working conditions deficit. o Dramatically improve the quality of school climate, management of student behavior, and teacher-leader relationships. o Locate, recruit, and hire talented, resourceful educators to meet the needs of NISD students.  Finances – Reduce administrative spending: o Reduce central office staff and salaries reflecting the size of the school district. o Invest the savings in teachers’ salaries, training, and support at a high level. Commissioner Rechtin asked with the changes to Victoria Square Apartments, what impact does it have on the 50 + school aged children whom live there. Bobbie Stubbemann replied displaced students within the school district would be able to attend Newport Schools, the District will bus these students even if the student is living or temporarily staying with relatives outside the district. Commissioner Rechtin stated if these students leave the district and attend school else where the loss of funds to Newport Schools would be significant. He asked at what point does it become infeasible to maintain a district. Mr. McCafferty replied it isn’t the matter of how big the district is, it’s how the district uses it’s resources. Commissioner Peluso asked why students were moving forward if the students does not have passing grades. Mr. McCafferty replied there is a disconnect within the schools, the kids are not scoring well enough to succeed in higher learning. He went on to say giving a low grade is frowned upon, this reflects on the school, he went on to say this behavior is seen up to the college level. Charles Williams, Newport Resident, asked what resources a transient/ homeless student would have to get to school. Bobbie Sutbbemann replied students that are in transition would be able to stay in the Newport School District. The schools have resources that provide students with transportation, food and gift cards to buy food and other items. Stephan Collins a Newport resident asked how these programs are funded. Bobbie Stubbemann replied these programs are funded through grants. Commissioner Fennell asked the recommendations for the administrative positions that seem to be overly paid. Mr. McCafferty recommended reducing staff and consolidating jobs. Mayor Guidugli thanked the Task Force for their efforts and inclusion of Newport Schools and the City on collecting a data driven report. Commission Rechtin echoed Mayor Guidugli sentiments, and added the creation of the Task Force has been a benefit to our schools. Thomas Fromme asked about some of the data concerning the population of the students in Newport and surrounding schools and the salary of teachers within the area. Ms. Schaber replied the data shows in some years teacher salaries have gone backward resulting in teacher turnover of 19%. She stated she would have to do further research on the data concerning the population of students. Mayor Guidugli thanked the Task Force and stated strong schools make a strong city. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Rechtin made a motion to adjourn; second to the motion was offered by Commissioner Fennell. The Mayor called for a vote; the motion carried unanimously, 5:0. The meeting ended at 7:13 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _____________________ ______________________________ Date Approved/Signed Thomas L. Guidugli Jr., Mayor Attest: -------------------------------------- Joy Rovno, Deputy City Clerk