BURLINGTON BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS

Tuesday, September 13, 2005, 7:00 p.m.

Board Meeting

BOARD MEETING AGENDA

Ira Allen Administration

150 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401

1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m.

2. PRESENT

Commissioners:

Kate Baldwin, Marrisa Caldwell (arrived late), Kathy Connolly, Wally Elliott, Thom Fleury, Chris Haessly, Paul Hale, Erik Hoekstra, Jurij Homziak, Fred Lane, Keith Pillsbury, Loyal Ploof, Amy Werbel

Administrators:

Jeanne Collins, Acting Superintendent and

Director of Special & Compensatory Education

Lyman Amsden, Advisor to the Board

Sara Jane Mahan, Human Resources Director

Betsy Liley, District Grants Coordinator

Paul Irish, District Technical Director

Absent:

Barbara Crook, Commissioner

Scott Lisle, Business Manager

Bonnie Clapp, Director of EEE/Co-Director Curriculum

Stephanie Phillips, Co-Director Curriculum

3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Motion (Fay Ely/Jurij Homziak) to amend agenda to discuss gender discrimination issues. Motion (Connolly/Baldwin) to approve the Agenda. The motion carried.

4. COMMENTS/QUESTIONS

• A visitor -- Spoke in favor of livable wage.
• Emma Mulvaney-Stanak – Spoke in favor of livable wage and presented some additional statistics.
• Terry Boricious – Spoke in favor of livable wage and corporate presence in the schools.
• Liz Cowan – Spoke in opposition to corporate presence in the schools, and particularly General Dynamics.
• Kevin Ryan – Spoke in favor of General Dynamic's donations to the schools.
• Eric Hart – Updated the Board on developments regarding corporate donation in the schools; described efforts to meet with General Dynamics.
• Art Demeray – Comments regarding neighborhood schools; concerned about impact of taxes, but values neighborhood schools.

5. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

§ Prior to introducing Acting Superintendent Collins, Chairman Hale reviewed rules for procedure by the Board.

§ Acting Superintendent Collins said the District's enrollment was up by 9 students.

§ Review of subcommittee meeting dates and times.

§ Under new business, Board must pick a date for the open forum for the selection of the Superintendent.

§ Presentation by Board Adviser Lyman Amsden regarding negotiating process.

§ Some general questions regarding impact of refugees and survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

§ Plans announced for Eli McNamara library.

6. COMMITTEE UPDATES

a. Curriculum & Policy Committee

Commissioner Pillsbury presented the report of the Curriculum & Policy Committee.

7. OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business before the Board.

8. NEW BUSINESS

a. Discussion of Gender Selection

Presentation by Fay Ely regarding gender selection issues in the schools (forms and bathrooms). Motion (Fleury/Haessley) to refer the issue to the Curriculum and Policy Committee. The motion carried.

b. Consent Agenda

Motion (Connolly/Haessley) to approve the consent agenda. Motion carried.

c. Policy review

§ Motion (Baldwin/Fleury) to hold the upcoming focus group on the Superintendent prior to the October meeting. Amendment by Connolly to move the Board's October meeting to the High School.

§ Discussion regarding the motion. Commissioner Hoekstra recommended having a separate meeting. Commissioner Haessly agreed. Commissioner Werbel questioned whether it would be possible to have a separate meeting.

§ Motion carried.

Commissioner Hale – Yes

Commissioner Baldwin – Yes

Commissioner Caldwell – No

Commissioner Connolly – Yes

Commissioner Elliott – Yes

Commissioner Fleury – Yes

Commissioner Haessly – No

Commissioner Hoekstra – Abstain

Commissioner Homziak – Abstain

Commissioner Lane – Yes

Commissioner Pillsbury – Yes

Commissioner Ploof – Yes

Commissioner Werbel -- Yes

§ Motion (Hoekstra/Homziak) to table all other business that day except the forum on the Superintendent's position. Commissioner Caldwell said that she was opposed to that. Commissioner Baldwin asked what might be put off if the Board did that? We might need another meeting. Commissioner Werbel questioned how many people would turn out. Commissioner Fleury spoke in favor of being flexible in terms of the scheduling the Board's activities that evening. Commissioner Connolly agreed that we should not put off the Board's business. Commissioner Ploof suggested reversing the order of events.

§ Commissioner Homziak proposed an amendment to reverse the order of business, to begin with the Board meeting and discuss the Superintendent's position afterwards.

§ Commissioner Haessley urged the Administration be clear about the publicity for the meeting. Commissioner Caldwell questioned whether there would be enough time. Commissioner Werbel agreed. Commissioner Pillsbury put in a suggestion for common sense.

§ Commissioner Haessly suggested pushing the starting time for the Superintendent forum to 7:30 p.m. Commissioner Hoekstra agreed. Motion failed 6-5.

§ Motion (Werbel/Connolly) to convene the public forum first at 6 p.m., with the regular Board meeting to follow.

§ Commissioner Caldwell raised concerns about the amount of time needed to do both things on the same evening. Commissioner Homziak said that voting for the motion would carry a commitment to stay for the full meeting. Motion (Hoekstra/Lane) to call the vote. Motion carried.

§ Motion for dual meetings carried.

§ Motion (Haessly/Caldwell) to introduce a new matter for discussion. General discussion regarding Robert's Rules and adjustment.

§ Motion (Werbel/Haessly) to call the question. Motion carried.

Commissioner Hale – Yes

Commissioner Baldwin – Yes

Commissioner Caldwell – Yes

Commissioner Connolly – Yes

Commissioner Elliott – Yes

Commissioner Fleury – Yes

Commissioner Haessly – Yes

Commissioner Hoekstra – Yes

Commissioner Homziak – Yes

Commissioner Lane – Yes

Commissioner Pillsbury – No

Commissioner Ploof – Yes

Commissioner Werbel – Yes

The motion carried.

§ Motion (Haessly/Caldwell) to put three issues on the October agenda as specific action items: neighborhood schools, livable wage, and corporate presence in schools. Commissioner Hoekstra pointed out that the third issue was diverted to C&P, which will not be ready. Commissioner Haessly agreed to strike that issue. Commissioner Hoekstra pointed out that we discussed the livable wage issue at the Board Retreat and agreed not to discuss it further right now. Commissioner Hoekstra also said that we have asked the Administration for some information regarding the possible sale of facilities.

§ Assistant Superintendent Collins said that the Administration is in fact researching the issues of equity distribution.

§ Commissioner Connolly pointed out that the other two issues have been referred to the Finance Committee. Commissioner Werbel pointed out that these things are working their way through the committee system. Commissioner Caldwell pointed out that the neighborhood school issue would come up in the Superintendent's report. Commissioner Haessly said that he wanted to make sure that there was a time to take action on these specific items.

Commissioner Hale – No

Commissioner Baldwin – No

Commissioner Caldwell – Yes

Commissioner Connolly – No

Commissioner Elliott – No

Commissioner Fleury – No

Commissioner Haessly – Yes

Commissioner Hoekstra – No

Commissioner Homziak – No

Commissioner Lane – No

Commissioner Pillsbury – No

Commissioner Ploof – Yes

Commissioner Werbel – No

§ The motion did not carry.

9. EXECUTIVE SESSION

10. ADJOURNMENT

Motion (Pillsbury/Connolly) to adjourn. The Board adjourned at 8:50 p.m.