NORTH KINGSTOWN SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Wednesday, May 8, 2002

7:00 PM Worksession

Central Administration Building                                                                                    100 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown

“Challenging Student Excellence”

Minutes

           I.          Pledge of Allegiance

 

           I.          Call To Order                      The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM.

 

                                                Present:  Chairperson Lynne Haft, Vice Chairperson Karin L. Forbes, Dr. Denise Coppa, and Carol H. Hueston

                                                Absent:  Dr. Janice DeFrances, Michael R. Northup, Patricia E. Watkins and Cathy Kaiser, Jamestown School Committee

 

                                                Administration Present:  James M. Halley, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, Barbara A. Fitzsimmons, Ed.D., Curriculum Director, William J. Daly, Director of Human Resources, Karin Pierson, Supervisor of Transportation, and Maureen Buck, Controller

                                                      Absent:  Daniel J. McGregor, Ph.D., Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Joseph F. Quinn, Jr., Director of Administrative Services

 

         II.          Open Forum  clock counter (cc)  216

 

                The following topics and concerns were voiced during the meeting’s open forum.

Ø       Mr. Duva, a teacher at Davisville Elementary, showed a current floor plan of Davisville Elementary School that currently has fourteen grade-level classrooms.  A floor plan of “what we need” was also shown to the audience on the overhead projector. 

Ø       Appreciates that two school committee members attended a meeting at Davisville recently; wants “above equal” to make up for past mistakes.

Ø       Diane Woodbine of Lafayette Road invited the school committee to the Destination Imagination Teams presentation that will be held at the NKHS Auditorium on May 9.

Ø       Against the idea of pairing and feels that neighborhood schools represent security.

Ø       Commented regarding Title I funding being at risk.

Ø       Provided research regarding Class-Size Reduction Myths and Realities and urged the committee to create seven elementary schools.

 

       III.          Routine Items

 

A.                  Correspondence  cc  2600

Ø       All members received correspondence regarding the reconfiguration of schools.

Ø       Lynne Haft received a notice that Healthy Schools! Healthy Kids! will be presenting a teleconference on terrorism and how schools can prepare for it on May 16.

Ø       Dr. Halley received a letter from the Stony Lane School Improvement Team regarding the reconfiguration proposals, and the most recent actual enrollments for kindergarten.  They are as follows:

Davisville Elementary                  28

Forest Park                                    43

Hamilton                                        62

Quidnessett                                  43

Stony Lane                                    62

Wickford Elementary                   42

                                                Total                                     280                                                           

 

B.                   Calendar-  The superintendent reviewed the calendar for the next two weeks with the school committee. 

 

 

 

       IV.          Unfinished Business

 

A.                  Reconfiguration of Schools  cc  3230.

The following information was presented at the meeting by Dr. Gamble regarding “Determination of Title I Services.”

 

“DETERMINATION OF TITLE I SERVICES”

 

                In determining Title I services for a school, it is important to note that a school must have at least 35% poverty (determined by the number of approved free and reduced hot lunch and breakfast applications).  For federal purposes you must also calculate the total number of students of residence (including non-public school students).

 

                Based on what we know and what we can best anticipate based on fact, it appears that if first graders of residence from DES stayed at Fishing Cove School for the 2002-2003 school year, the poverty level would be about 28%.  (These first grade students would be known as Fishing Cove first graders.)  At Davisville Elementary, without the first graders, there would be about 44% poverty.  At this level DES would rank #1 in need for Title I services.  (See below for calculations.)

 

 

CALCULATIONS

 

Fishing Cove School Poverty

 

 

                                 50                           (Estimated) DES first graders who would be staying

                                                                at Fishing Cove.

 

                                162                          (Anticipated) Total kindergarten students (in FTE)

 

                                 10                           (Estimated) Pre-School Students (in FTE)

 

                                20                            (Estimated) Non-residents (in FTE)

 

                                                                                             242                                                                                                             Total Students

 

 

                                  28                          First Grade free & reduced hot lunch & breakfast students

 

                                   7                           Kindergarten/Preschool free & reduced hot lunch and 

                                                         breakfast students

 

                                32                            Free milk program participants

 

                                  67                          Total Poverty Students

 

                                                                67 / 242  =  28% poverty

 

 

 

DES Poverty

 

                                230                          (Estimated) students in Grades 2 – 5 for 2002-2003

 

                    7                          Non-Public school students

 

                237                          Total Students

 

                105                          (Estimated) free & reduced hot lunch and breakfast students

 

                               

                                                                105 / 237 =  44% of poverty based on free and reduced hot

                                                          lunch

 

Principals’ Report on Current Classroom Use

 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS CLASSROOM USE          May 8, 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DES

FPS

HES

QES

SLS

WES

FCS

Classrooms

14

13

17

13

19

12

9

Art/Music shared room

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Room

 

1

1

1

1

1

 

Music Room

 

1

1

1

1

1

 

Reading/Resource (4 teachers share same room)

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading/Resource (2 teachers share same room)

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Reading Room (2 teachers share)

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Reading/Resource/Speech (shared by 3 teachers)

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Resource (shared by 2.5 teachers)

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Library

1

1

1

1

1

1

 

Computer Lab

1

1

1

 

1

1

 

Meeting Room & Band/Strings

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Science Room

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

4th & 5th Grade Multi-purpose room

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Extra multi-purpose room used by rest of school

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Transitional Room

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Dance/Drama

 

1

 

1

 

 

 

Principal's Office & ESL Services

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

18

20

25

18

24

18

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Next year, QES will have 2 rooms freed up (art & music) for additional classrooms

 

 

 

 

There is a total of 100 classrooms available next year in all the schools.

Dr. Halley presented the following scenarios where the district would have six elementary schools (K-5)*:

1.           Classroom Figures with Half Time Kindergarten.

2.           Classroom Figures with Full Time Kindergarten.

3.           Classroom Figures with Half Time Kindergarten with DES Fourth and Fifth Grade in QES.

4.           Classroom Figures with Full Time Kindergarten with DES Fourth and Fifth Grade in QES.

5.           Classroom Figures with Half Time Kindergarten with DES Fourth and Fifth Grade in QES, WES to FCES.

6.           Classroom Figures with Full Time Kindergarten with DES Fourth and Fifth Grade in QES, WES to FCES.

7.           Classroom Figures with Mixed Time Kindergarten with DES and FPES Fourth and Fifth Grade in QES, QES K-3 to FPES, WES to FCES.

 

If the district were to have seven elementary schools, this would be more difficult since a major shift toward Fishing Cove School would take place and this would not solve the problem of redistricting, according to the superintendent.

 

A break was taken at 9:12 PM, clock counter 2:07:33.  The meeting resumed at 9:23 PM.

 

Dr. Halley presented the following pairing scenarios*:

1.        School Pairing with Full Day Kindergarten (DE/FP, QE/SL and WE/HE) Old Baptist/Davisville Road Redistrict to SL/QE.

2.        School Pairing with Full Day Kindergarten (DE/FP, HE/SL and WE/QE) East Forest Park to QES, Old Baptist/Davisville to QES.

3.        Pairing with Full Day Kindergarten (DE/FP, HE/SL and WE/QE) East FP to QES, Old Baptist/Davisville to QES, Annaquatucket to QES/WES.  Dr. Halley is recommending this option to the school committee.

 

*All scenarios are attached to the minutes.

 

There were many questions from the audience regarding the above scenarios.

 

Information was requested of Administration.

 

B.                   2001-02 School Budget-  None

C.                   2002-03 School Budget-  None

D.                  2001-02 School Department Goals and Objectives-  None

E.                   2002-03 School Department Goals and Objectives-  None

 

         V.          New Business

 

A.                  Placement of a Student on the School Committee for discussion- This item will be on the June 12, 2002 worksession agenda.

 

B.                   Receipt of Curriculum Proposals-  The curriculum proposals were received by the school committee at the meeting and will be on the May 22 business meeting agenda for approval.

1.                    High School Physical Education

2.                    Career and Vocational Education

3.                    Library/Media

       VI.          Comments

Ø       Asked when all the data would be available to the public?

Ø       A parent asked “Why Pairing?” and its relationship to teaching position longevity.

Ø       A parent asked what the longest bus ride time would be.

Ø       Another parent said this is way too fast, to please not do this in two weeks, and asked the committee to take care of Davisville Elementary School.

Ø       Would appreciate a discussion on pairing- the pros and cons; take care of Davisville Elementary, and asked about the SmART Program taking a year to get started.

Ø       A parent asked for all the facts.

 

     VII.          Motion to recess to Monday, May 13 at 7:00 PM was made by Karin Forbes/Carol Hueston (4/0) at 11:13 PM, clock counter 3:57:58.

 

 

                                                                                                Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

                                                                                                _______________________________________

                                                                                                Donna F. Keough

                                                                                                School Committee Secretary