BURLINGTON BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS

Tuesday, March 8, 2005, 7:00 p.m.

Board Meeting

 

BOARD MEETING AGENDA

Ira Allen Administration

150 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401

 

1.     PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Commissioner Green called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.

2.     PRESENT:   

Commissioners:

Philip Baruth, Kate Connolly, Barbara Crook, Tara Donnelly, Thomas Fleury, Michael Green, Chris Haessly, Paul Hale, Fred Lane, Keith Pillsbury, Loyal Ploof

Administrators:

Lyman Amsden, Superintendent

Sara Jane Mahan, Human Resources Director

Scott Lisle, Business Manager       

Betsy Liley, District Grants Coordinator  

Paul Irish, District Technical Director

Jeanne Collins, Director of Special & Compensatory Education

Absent:

Kate Baldwin, Marrisa Caldwell (per board correction 4/5/05), Kate Charles

3.     APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Motion (Connolly/Pillsbury) to approve the agenda. The motion carried.

4.         COMMENTS/QUESTIONS

Terry Buehner, President of BEA – Presented Board with invitation to International Language of ood dinner on March 30, 2005.  She also invited Board Members to a workshop regarding grievances.

Kate – Co-Director of Outright Vermont – speaking in favor of recognizing gender identity for students.

5.         SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Superintendent Amsden presented the minutes of a retreat by the State Commissioner of Education regarding Tech Ed.  He also thanked the community for its support of the budget and the school athletic fields.

        a.        Recognition of retiring board members

The Board recognized the contributions of the retiring Board Members: Chairman Michael Green, Philip Baruth, Kate Charles, and Tara Donnelly.

Commissioner Pillsbury was recognized for his 14 years as a member of the Burlington School Board.

b.   Retreat planning

Motion (Hale/Connolly) to postpone the retreat until September.

Objection by Commissioner Haessly to postponing the retreat, since it would not give the Administration adequate guidance.

Commissioner Connolly spoke in favor of the motion, since the new board members should have time to get up to speed.

Commissioner Haessly suggested that the Board has been derelict in its duty by not meeting.

Commissioner Ploof said that he agreed with Commissioner Haessly.

Commissioner Lane spoke in support of postponing the retreat.

Commissioner Hale underscored the need to give the new members time to get oriented.

Commissioner Haessly questioned whether the Board could revisit the issue within a specific period of time.

Motion (Pillsbury/Connolly) to call the question. Motion carried.

Roll call vote regarding the motion to postpone the retreat from April 9th to a date in September.

Commissioner Baruth:                 Abstain                         Commissioner Connolly              Yes

Commissioner Crook:                  Yes                         Commissioner Donnelly              Abstain

Commissioner Fleury                  Yes                         Commissioner Green                   Yes

Commissioner Haessly          No                           Commissioner Hale                      Yes

Commissioner Lane                     Yes                         Commissioner Pillsbury                Yes

Commissioner Ploof                    No

The motion carried 7-2-2.

6.         COMMITTEE UPDATES

a.     Finance Committee

Commissioner Hale presented the report of the Finance Committee.

 b.        Curriculum & Policy Committee

The Curriculum & Policy Committee did not meet.

c.        Technology Committee

Commissioner Haessly directed the Board’s attention to the minutes of the Technology Committee.

7.     OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business before the Board.

8.     NEW BUSINESS

        a.     Consent Agenda

Motion (Pillsbury/Connolly) to approve the consent agenda. The motion carried.

        b.     Policies:

                Second Reading: JBAA – Prohibition of Student Harassment Polity

Motion (Pillsbury/Lane) to approve for second reading.

Jeanne Collins described the changes made to the policy.

The representative from Outright Vermont praised the language adopted by the Board, but pointed out that at the state level, an effort is being made to move forward without a definition.

Commissioner Donnelly said that it was very important to pass the policy, and she thanked Jeanne Collins for all of her work.

Commissioner Haessly said that this was a historic moment for the Board, since it is the first in Vermont to offer protection for gender identity. He asked the Chair to call the question, and asked for a roll call vote.

Commissioner Baruth                    Yes                         Commissioner Connolly                Yes

Commissioner Crook                   Yes                         Commissioner Donnelly              Yes

                        Commissioner Fleury                  Yes                         Commissioner Green                   Yes

                        Commissioner Haessly               Yes                         Commissioner Hale                      Yes

                        Commissioner Lane                     Yes                         Commissioner Pillsbury              Yes

                        Commissioner Ploof                    Yes

The motion carried unanimously.

Second Reading: ACAG - Prevention of Harassment on Basis of Protected Characteristics –      Employees & Others

                First Reading: JG – Student Conduct & Discipline Policy

Motion (Pillsbury/Connolly) to approve ACAG for second reading and JG for first reading. The motion carried.

9.     EXECUTIVE SESSION

Motion (Ploof/Haessly) to go into Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter. The Board went into Executive Session at 7:50 pm.

Motion (Pillsbury/Hale) to come out of Executive Session. The Board took no further action.

10.        ADJOURNMENT

The Board adjourned at 8:15 pm.