MONDAY 23 OCTOBER
2006-7:00PM
BOARD ATTENDING:
Herb Durfee, Becky Turner, Pat Parker, Ira Trombley, Scott
Brown;
OTHERS ATTENDING:
Troy Watkins, Stephanie Taylor, Deb Bedrin, Beth Hemingway.
HD-CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00PM
ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA:
IT-Dialogue Night
Failure-item for Board Discussion.
HD-a few minor adjustments
to 9 Oct 06 minutes;
7:04:00PM-PP moves to
accept 9 Oct 06-BT 2nd-GC.
-None Tonight.
-Special Ed is in flux in the Islands;
-2 high needs students
have moved in;
-19 High School & 33
Elementary students receive special ed-handout distributed;
-Service Plan is up
$65000;
-Just found out that 2
students have moved to North Hero-so looks like level funding;
IT-do we know the number
kicked out of high school?
BH-none; there is 1
student needing placement into regular high school;
HD-do we have free choice?
BH-the records follow the
student; 1 student may need tutoring; kids w/disabilities can have trouble
getting placement-kids cant be dual enrolled; there can be transition issues
into regular high school;
HD-is this
discriminatory?...if a student cannot mainstream there are huge cost
implications;
BH-yes;
BH-re Island kid issues:
will be meeting monthly w/HS receiving schools; has asked DOE for HS drop-out
stats;
HD-there are issues w/the
State data base;
BH-Focus Monitoring at
GISU:
-Costs of Spec Ed
Services;
-How to be Cost Effective;
-Reevaluate in 1
yr-focused on student outcomes;
BH-will be meeting w/Kate
Rogers re EEE Program;
HD-15% of Elementary
students at GIS are Spec Ed-does that seem high?
BH-looking at HS tuition
& access costs;
HD-what about an Islands
Alternative Special Ed School?
BH-a Building is
needed-ILM not available;
IT-discussion re Least
Restrictive Environment;
BH-EEE regulation change:
responsibility is now 0-22; will have more news after meeting w/Kate Rogers;
HD-TYVM & the history of
the numbers was useful too.
SOUTH BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FOLLOW-UP:
HD-will email SoBurl Board
Chair;
IT-SBSB also needs to
know;
TW-has also emailed SB
Prin;
IT-could they have sent an
assistant?...not showing up sends an ugly message;
TW-reads an email from RT.
ILM/NH LETTER
-Revised & distributed
for Board signatures;
-HD summarizes
situation-noting NH doesnt know what to do with their building;
FACILITY USE POLICY-REQUEST FOR WAIVER:
-Legal Summary
distributed;
HD-Ira’s previous motion
to waiver is still disallowed due to existing policy;
IT-unless the policy is
changed;
HD-which requires due
process;
TW-there is nothing that
can hold GIS harmless;
HD-will entertain a motion
to change the policy;
PP-in support of policy;
TW-no written request has
been submitted;
PP-the party is allowed?
HD-yes.
HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY:
7:44PM-HD moves to accept
the 1st Reading as drafted-BT 2nd-GC;
HD-2nd Reading
& adoption at next meeting.
FEATURING
THE TOUCH-SENSITIVE SMART BOARD !
GISB Web Page displayed:
-News/Minutes/Agendas;
–Budgets w/tabs as PDFs
-Contact info;
-Meeting Schedule;
-Policy Manual;
-Member Bios; (missing
bios noted-reminder issued!);
ST-would like to update the
look-Theme/Colors/Fonts/Background;
SB-how to encourage use of
the site;
ST-a counter?; update
bios?; new photo?
IT-a photo of new Staff
Members?-Deb B. also in favor of this;
Discussion ensued re
counters;
HD-get access to an Adobe
PDF Writer;
TYVMST!
COMMISSIONER CATE WHITE PAPER DISCUSSION:
HD-important to have a
position ahead of time:
-Boundaries stay the same;
-HS choice stays local;
-1 district for GISU is
ok-each Board Member to have constituency-proportional
vote with local
representation still needed;
-Quality of education
varies within the State;
-A single Contract;
-Superintendent as CEO;
-Parent decides on High
School;
-Beware economies of scale
eroding control;
-Further consolidation is
possible.
IT-sounds ok;
HD-is action required?
Adopt & send to GISU as the GISB position?
HD-could this influence
legislation?
SB-inquires of IT if there
is any legislative response to the White Paper pending?
IT-not too much; there may
need to be incentives-esp financial & bargaining;
IT-send position letter to
GISU & all other Boards;
HD-make into a letter
& send to GISU;
IT-next GISU mtg is 2nd
week of Nov.
Noted that the Bond
Payment is lower; 2 principal payments & 1 interest payment due;
HD-can TW check w/GN on
Bond Item?
8:48:00PM-HD moves to
approve payment in amount of $2,015.34-IT 2nd-GC.
8:48:30PM-HD moves to
approve payment in amount of $221,018.33-IT 2nd-GC.
PRINCIPAL REQUEST ITEM:
Staff has requested a half
day as allowed for Wednesday 22 December;
8:50PM-HD moves to approve
Staff Request-IT 2nd-GC.
8:54PM Meeting Adjourned.