December 8, 2009
Hopkinton School District School Board
School Administrative Unit #66
Meeting Minutes
December 8, 2009
IN ATTENDANCE:
School Board: Chairman: David Luneau, Vice Chairman: Elizabeth Durant, Kim Fuller, Louis Josephson Larry Donahue (absent), Student Representatives: Emma Brown and Noah Meister (absent)
Administration: Superintendent: Steven Chamberlin, Business Administrator: Michelle Clark (absent), Director of Student Services: Dr. Valerie Aubry, Director of Technology: Matthew Stone, Principals: Michael Bessette, William Carozza, Christopher Sousa, Assistant Principal: Christopher Kelley
CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
School Board Chairman, David Luneau, called the meeting to order at 6:30pm. Janet Krzyzaniak, community member, led the meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance.
SUPERINTENDENT ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO AGENDA:
None
CORRESPONDENCE:
None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Motion to approve the minutes of November 17, 2009 was made by Ms. Durant, seconded by Mr. Josephson, all in favor, minutes carry.
Motion to approve the minutes of November 24, 2009 was made by Ms. Durant, seconded by Mrs. Fuller, all in favor, minutes carry.
PUBLIC COMMENT (1):
Merle Dustin, community member, stated that she had a petition at the Special Town Meeting (regarding teachers’ health insurance) and some parents would not sign it, because they were concerned about how it would affect their child at school.
Mr. Luneau stated that he has never heard any evidence of this.
COMMENTS FROM THE HOPKINTON SCHOOL BOARD
No comment: Ms. Durant, Mrs. Fuller, and Mr. Josephson. Mr. Luneau wished Emma Brown the best of luck with her custom hat making enterprise.
STAFF REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS:
- a. Proposed Expansion of Middle School Sports Program
Mr. Chamberlin opened by introducing Mr. Dan Meserve, Hopkinton High School Athletic Director. Mr. Chamberlin thanked him for his efforts and vision on the proposed expansion of the middle school sports program. Mr. Meserve thanked Mr. Chamberlin and the Board for the opportunity to present this evening. Mr. Meserve thoughtfully and articulately explained each slide during his Powerpoint presentation.
Highlights of Mr. Meserve’s presentation:
HHS Students
- 153 of 246 members of grades 10-12 (62%) are involved in school-sponsored athletics.
- Of the top 25 students in each of the last four classes, 86% were a member of a least one school athletic team their senior year.
- 29 of the current 32 NHS members (91%) participate on high school sports teams. (Members of NHS must demonstrate key athletic components of leadership and character in addition to scholarship and service.)
- 24 of the current 32 NHS members (75%) play more than one sport.
- In a random sampling of quarterly failure reports over the past four years, 87.2% of students on those lists were not playing a high school sport during that period.
Data
- In 2008, a survey was conducted to see if students would want to play middle school sports. The results were overwhelming. The lowest was winter sports: 94 girls and 97 boys. The other sports were 100 or more for both girls and boys that want to play middle school sports.
Survey
Thirty-eight schools representing all of Class M (23 schools including Hopkinton) and Class S schools with a student population of 150 (15 schools) were surveyed to see if they offer middle school sports.
- 37 of the 38 offer middle school sports.
- Hopkinton, one of the 37, currently offers middle school field hockey, cross-country, Nordic and track.
Overall results of the 38 schools in New Hampshire
- 35 of 38 offered baseball
- 35 of 38 offered softball
- 36 of 38 offered boys soccer
- 36 of 38 offered boys basketball
- 36 of 38 offered girls basketball
The schools that did not offer baseball, softball, soccer, boys and girls basketball
There are three schools that do not offer middle schools sports:
Somersworth – does not offer baseball or softball (they are hoping to soon), Hillsboro-Deering, and Hopkinton.
Mr. Meserve and Mr. Chase propose a warrant article for a three-year program to expand the middle school athletic program.
Year 1: boys and girls basketball – $7944
Year 2: baseball and softball (boys and girls basketball, baseball, and softball) – $17,556
Year 3: boys and girls soccer (boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer) – $25,398
Year 4: $24,238
Mr. Meserve stated that they are struggling to find volunteer coaches, and need to focus on the feeder program for high school sports. Mr. Meserve stated that our middle school students deserve this.
ITEMS FOR SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSION
- a. Middle School Sports Warrant Article
Mr. Josephson asked Mr. Meserve if he thought he could get more of the failing students involved in sports if he had expanded options. He asked what was the barrier for theses students to participate in sports now. Mr. Meserve stated that the overall number playing sports would increase.
Mr. Luneau asked Mr. Meserve how does folding the current nonschool programs into the school district going to get more kids in the middle school involved, and what does it do to the programs in place?
Mr. Meserve stated that for the Soccer Club or HYSA, those kids would play for the middle school (this would be the same for baseball/softball). Mr. Meserve stated that when they need eighth graders to field a junior varsity team – they come in droves. Also, a few years ago he asked kids what they would like to see change in athletics. The top three responses were: a new track, another gym, and middle school sports.
Ms. Durant stated that having sports wrapped up in your school day can increase participation. Parents would not have to come home from work and then drive later to practice.
Mrs. Fuller commented on the concern regarding obesity in young children. She asked Mr. Meserve if he has spoken to the school nurse about this.
Mr. Meserve stated that he believes kids should be taking physical education everyday, not two semesters in high school.
Mr. Chamberlin stated the same middle school program offered last year is in this year’s budget. We could look at changing the athletic fee structure. He commented that it is a unique economic time.
Mr. Luneau asked Mr. Meserve what the selling point would be to the community - going from where we are today with HYSA and the Soccer Club.
Mr. Meserve stated that more middle school kids will play these sports, it will lead to continuity in coaching, the coaches will be under the middle school athletic director, and they will play middle school sports teams not town teams.
Ms. Durant asked if there are two coaches per team in the proposal. Mr. Meserve answered there is one per team.
Mr. Luneau asked if there was any consideration to changing the athletic fee structure. Mr. Meserve believes that kids should not pay to play high school and middle school sports.
Mr. Chamberlin stated that we are in reason with other districts. This summer we decided not to change the athletic fee structure.
The board members and Mr. Chamberlin thanked Mr. Meserve for all of his hard work on the presentation.
b. Generator Warrant Article
Mr. Luneau and Mr. Chamberlin attended the selectmen meeting. At the meeting they asked us to consider sharing the cost of the generator (25% town, 25% school district, 50% FEMA). Since that meeting, the town has withdrawn their piece of the warrant. Mr. Luneau asked Mr. Chamberlin to contact our emergency management personnel, Lt. Pecora and Chief Schaefer to get their expert opinions. Mr. Chamberlin stated that this was fact finding – he will bring all the information to the board.
c. Hopkinton School District Expendable Trust Funds: current and future
Mr. Chamberlin gave an overview of his memorandum on school district funds. Currently we have two active expendable trusts: School Repair and Maintenance Expendable Trust and the Special Education Expendable trust. He is putting two additional trusts forward for discussion: Vehicle Purchase and Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund and a Health Insurance Reserve Expendable Trust Fund. Mr. Chamberlin is looking to create these two trusts at the March 2010 meeting.
Mr. Luneau stated that the rational is solid. There have been recommendations that the district have new reserve trusts, e.g. retirement. The Budget Committee has
brought this up as something we should consider.
d. Hopkinton School District 2010-2011 Proposed Budge.
Mr. Chamberlin passed around a revised 2010-2011 Proposed Budget Summary, noting that it is currently up $64,000/.41% over last year’s budget.
Mr. Luneau asked Mr. Chamberlin to run through the revenue.
- Change in tuition is the reduction of one student who is currently paying tuition.
- Interest earning of the Adequacy Grant (Mr. Bloomquist informed us about the interest being reduced).
- Food Service Sales and Transfers and Student Activities is what we had in last year’s revenue (actuals turned into estimated for the next year).
- School Building Aid is reduced because we retired a bond.
- Catastrophic aid is down – rounded based on actual.
- Driver Education and CRTC revenue as budgeted
Mr. Chamberlin met with the Leadership Team about the revised proposed budget and about being ready to reconfigure as directed. He believes the .41 increase is educationally sound. Mr. Luneau stated that the board needs to know what zero looks like and also what this budget looks like minus any CBA contract increases.
9. PUBLIC COMMENT (2)
Merle Dustin, community member, stated that she was at the selectmen’s meeting last night. The generator plans were discussed and they are daunting. There are multiple problems and issues.
Mr. Luneau stated that this is why they are talking with emergency management officials.
David Lancaster, community member, stated that he does not think tax payers should be subsidizing sports that are provided at no cost to the taxpayer – he does not think this is good policy. He commented that maybe we should be looking at expanding physical education.
Mr. Lancaster is in agreement of creating expendable trust funds. He stated that we should consider changing the name of the Health Insurance Reserve Expendable Trust Fund to the Benefits Reserve Expendable Trust Fund, and then it can be used for both health insurance and retirement. He also recommended that the Vehicle Trust Fund be called Vehicle Procurement Fund.
10. MATERIALS INCLUDED
School Board Meeting Minutes (2)
Revised 2010-2011 Proposed Budget
11. IMPORTANT DATES
- December 10, Hopkinton Middle School Holiday Concert 7:00pm – 9:00pm
- December 14 and 15 Harold Martin School Holiday Concerts 1:45pm
- December 15, 2009 School Board Meeting
- December 17, 2009 Hopkinton High School Holiday Concert 7:00pm – 9:00pm
- December 22, 2009 School Board Meeting (Tentative)
- January 5, 2010 School Board Meeting
- January 12, 2010 School Board Meeting (Contracts, Tentative)
- January 13, 2010 Budget Committee Meeting (Town Hall, 6:30pm)
- January 19, 2010 School Board Meeting
- January 20, 2010 Budget Committee Meeting (Town Hall, 6:30pm)
ACTION ITEMS
None
NONPUBLIC SESSION
12. Nonpublic Session for the Discussion of Matters as Per RSA 91-A: 3, II (a) and (c)
Negotiations
Personnel
At 8:30pm, Mrs. Fuller made a motion, seconded by Ms. Durant, that the Board enter into nonpublic session in accordance with RSA 91-A: 3, II (a) and (c) for discussion on negotiations and personnel. Motion passed on a roll call vote: Ms. Durant (yes), Mrs. Fuller (yes), Mr. Luneau (yes), Mr. Josephson (yes), all in favor, not opposed.
RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION
At 9:10pm, a motion was made by Mrs. Fuller, seconded by Ms. Durant, to return to public session, motion passed, all in favor, not opposed.
13. Adjournment
Respectfully submitted, Jean Eaton
Maple Street School, Hopkinton, NH
Nonpublic Minutes
December 8, 2009
13. Nonpublic Session for the Discussion of Matters as Per RSA 91-A: 3, II (a) and (c)
Negotiations
Personnel
During the nonpublic session the Board discussed negotiations.
Mrs. Fuller motioned to come out of nonpublic session, seconded by Ms. Durant. Motion passed on a roll call vote: Ms. Durant (yes), Mrs. Fuller (yes), Mr. Luneau (yes), Mr. Josephson (yes), all in favor, not opposed. The board came out of nonpublic session at 9:10pm.
