NORTH KINGSTOWN SCHOOL
COMMITTEE
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
6:00 PM Special Session for a Parent Appeal of the Redistricting Plan
Adopted by the
School Committee on 5/17/00.
7:00 PM Worksession Meeting
Central
Administration Building 100
Fairway Drive, North Kingstown
“Challenging Student Excellence” |
I. Call To Order The special session for a parent appeal was called to order at 6:07 PM.
A. Roll Call Present: Chairperson Lynne Haft, Vice Chairperson Karin L. Forbes, Denise Coppa, Carol H. Hueston, Michael R. Northup and Patricia E. Watkins
Absent: Dr. Janice DeFrances
Administration Present: James M. Halley, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, and William J. Daly, Director of Human Resources
II.
Special Session for a
Parent Appeal of the Redistricting Plan Adopted by the School Committee on
5/17/00
The families involved in this appeal want their children to stay at Forest Park Elementary School for their elementary years with transportation provided by the district.
Interpretation of the 5/17/00 Redistricting Plan with its DES Plan component was discussed in terms of redistricting vs. out of district placement and their respective guidelines.
A motion to uphold the Superintendent’s decision was made by Pat Watkins/Lynne Haft. The motion failed when a roll call vote yielded 2 yes votes (Watkins, Haft) and 4 no votes (Coppa, Forbes, Hueston, Northup).
After further discussion, a short recess was taken at 7:21 PM to clarify a motion, clock counter (cc) 11106. The appeal resumed at 7:28 PM.
The following five-part motion was made by Mike Northup and seconded by Denise Coppa.
Motion:
A. The School Committee directs the Superintendent that the children of the families involved in this parent appeal attend Forest Park Elementary School as provided in the redistricting plan of 5/17/00.
B. The district will provide transportation in all cases.
C. In case of town-wide redistricting, this motion becomes void.
D. This decision expires 6/2004.
E. This motion is non-precedent setting.
Mike Northup called the question.
A motion to amend the motion to exempt the children of the families involved in this parent appeal from spot redistricting until 6/2004 was made by Lynne Haft. Motion to amend the motion failed for lack of a second.
Lynne Haft called the question.
A vote was taken on the motion. The motion passed 5/1 (Haft).
III.
Pledge of Allegiance
IV. Call To Order The worksession was called to order at 7:38 PM.
A. Roll Call Present: Chairperson Lynne Haft, Vice Chairperson Karin L. Forbes, Denise Coppa, Dr. Janice DeFrances, Carol H. Hueston (absent at 8:06 pm), Michael R. Northup, Patricia E. Watkins, and Cathy Kaiser, Jamestown School Committee Representative
Administration Present: James M. Halley, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, and William J. Daly, Director of Human Resources
Absent: Daniel J. McGregor, Ph.D., Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Barbara A. Fitzsimmons, Ed.D., Curriculum Director, and Joseph F. Quinn, Jr., Director of Administrative Services
A moment of silence was held in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks.
V.
Open Forum- (cc)
12200
Ø Mr. Sullivan, on behalf of the NEA/NK Association, commented about the following:
1. “Teachers are awestruck by the Herculean work of the custodians at the high school.” In addition, the maintenance staff, the grounds keeping staff, and town municipal counterpart employees were also acknowledged for their involvement.
2. Teacher concerns about the high school opening with respect to the curriculum being implemented under trying circumstances, and a list of discrepancies.
3. Are teachers a part of the High School Dedication Ceremony?
4. Teachers’ professional development for the Advisory Program did not take place.
Ø A parent of a 7th grader at Davisville Middle School thanked the staff for their response to the disasters and the way they handled it with the students. Dr. Halley said that every staff in every school handled it well. They assured student safety and protection, and made them aware without panic. Under trying circumstances, administration did an excellent job.
VI.
Routine Items
A. Correspondence- cc 12940
Ø Ms. Haft received telephone calls regarding the opening of the high school, a memorandum from Dr. Gamble regarding the Even Start Grant Program, Operation Outreach-USA is once again being sponsored by Paul Bailey’s Chrysler Isuzu, Paul Bailey’s Dodge, Wilson’s of Wickford, McKay’s Furniture and Ryan’s Market, and the School Committee’s invitation to a reception for new school department administrators, teachers, and staff members to be held on Monday, September 24th.
Ø Dr. Halley mentioned that a Certificate of Occupancy has been received for the high school. Some areas are offline at this point; however, the superintendent praised administration and the custodial and maintenance staff for their unrelenting effort in preparing the school for opening. “The high school will be a great source of pride to the people of North Kingstown and Jamestown.”
B. Calendar- cc 13840- Dr. Halley reviewed the calendar for the next two weeks with the school committee. The High School Dedication Weekend will be held October 12-14.
CONSENT AGENDA
cc 14254
Approved items on the consent agenda are marked with * on a motion by Pat Watkins and
seconded by Mike Northup (7/0).
Approved items that were exempted from the consent agenda are
marked with ** as indicated immediately
following the item.
C. Bids and Awards
1. Installation/Connection of LCD Projectors & Mounts in High School Computer Labs*
Topic: Installation and Connection of LCD Projectors and Mounts in computer labs at NKHS and Installation of Ceiling Mounts for specific televisions.
Cost: $10,272.10
Funding Source: School Operating Fund- NKHS Furniture Purchase
Recommendation: It is recommended that NEAV Technologies, as the lowest qualified bidder, be awarded $10,272.10 to perform this work as specified.
D. 2001-02 School Physician*
Bayside Family Healthcare, Inc. has been awarded a two-year contract at $4,500.00 per year.
E. 2001-02 School Dentist*
Bayside Family Healthcare, Inc. has been awarded a two-year contract at $4,500.00 per year.
F. Personnel Items*
1. Appointments, Certificated Staff:
a) Susan Murphy, 1.0 FTE Media Specialist at Wickford Middle School for the 2001/2002 school year only, Step 5 + a Masters plus 30 credits with an annual salary of $42,540, effective August 30, 2001.
b) David Aubin, 1.0 FTE Itinerant Foreign Language Teacher, Step 1 with an annual salary of $30,797, effective August 30, 2001.
c) Susan England, 1.0 FTE Grade 1 Elementary Teacher at Quidnessett Elementary School, Step 10 + a Bachelors plus 30 credits with an annual salary of $57382, effective August 30, 2001.
d) Amanda Ferriola, 1.0 FTE Grade 2 Elementary Teacher at Hamilton Elementary School, Step 1 with an annual salary of $30,797, effective August 30, 2001.
e) Patricia McGauran, .6 FTE Media Specialist at Quidnessett Elementary School, Step 3 + a Masters with an annual salary of $22,422, effective August 30, 2001.
f) Mark Williams, 1.0 FTE Special Educator at the North Kingstown High School, Step 7 + a Masters with an annual salary of $46,772, effective August 30, 2001.
2. Appointments, Non-Certificated Staff:
a) Jennifer Colprit, 3rd Shift Custodian at the North Kingstown, 8 hours per day, 5 days a week for a total of 40 hours per week, Step 1 @ $10.90 per hour plus an hourly stipend of $.20 for a total hourly rate of $11.10, effective August 22, 2001.
3. Appointments, 2001/2002 Intramurals:
Lynne Huber Intramural Coordinator $995
Lynne Huber Street Hockey/Outdoor Games $396
Colleen Pickering Street Hockey/Outdoor Games $396
Lynne Huber Lacrosse/Soccer $396
Colleen Pickering Lacrosse/Soccer $396
Lynne Huber Volleyball/Basketball $396
Colleen Pickering Volleyball/Basketball $396
Lynne Huber Handball/Floor Hockey $396
Colleen Pickering Handball/Floor Hockey $396
4. Approval of Extension of Unpaid Leave of Absence, Non-Certificated Staff:
a) Maria Houston, Special Education Paraprofessional at Wickford Middle School, 6 hours per day, 5 days a week for a total of 30 hours per week to extend through the end 2001/2002 school year.
5. Approval, Increase in FTE, Certificated Staff:
a) Judith Taylor from .6 FTE to .8 FTE PE/Adaptive Teacher at Davisville Middle School with an annual salary of $30,409, effective August 30, 2001.
b) Heather Clark from .5 FTE to 1.0 FTE Special Educator at Fishing Cove School, Step 2 @ $32,582, effective August 30, 2001.
6. Resignations, Non-Certificated Staff:
a) Nancy Gustafson, School Paraprofessional at Forest Park Elementary School, 4 hours per day, 5 days a week for a total of 20 hours per week, effective August 29, 2001.
b) Sandra Gardiner, School Paraprofessional at Davisville Middle School, 6 hours per day, 5 days a week for a total of 30 hours per week, effective August 29, 2001.
c) Robert Rodrigues, Sr., 3rd Shift Custodian at the North Kingstown High School, 8 hours per day, 5 days a week for a total of 40 hours per week, effective August 22, 2001.
7. Retirement, Certificated Staff:
a) Nancy Troll, 1.0 FTE Elementary Teacher at Quidnessett Elementary School, effective August 1, 2001.
8. Correction of School Committee Meeting 8/22/2001, Addendum, Item VIF.1.
j)
Shauna Bucci, Specialized
Paraprofessional at Fishing Cove School, 6 hours per day, 5 days a week for a
total of 30 hours per week, Step 1, Level III @ $12.03 per hour, effective August
20, 2001.
END OF CONSENT AGENDA
VII.
Unfinished Business
A. High School Opening Celebration- cc 14310- A plaque to extend appreciation to the taxpayers for the new high school will be presented at the Dedication Ceremony. Also, the school committees of North Kingstown and Jamestown will set up a duty roster for the weekend of the high school opening.
B. 2001-02 School Budget- cc 15328- According to Dr. Halley, the budget is not going to be a major problem this year.
C. 2001-02 Enrollment Report- cc 15415- Dr. Halley pointed out that special education students who are in a special program for more than fifty percent of the day are not included in the enrollment figures on this report that is sorted by school and then by grade.
VIII.
New Business
A. Policy Subcommittee Recommendations- cc 15838
A break was taken at 8:19PM to make copies. The
meeting resumed at 8:26 PM.
1. Assignment of Students to School Attendance for Amendment (JCA)
POLICY MANUAL
PURPOSE:
This policy is set forth for the purpose of establishing the designated school of attendance for all resident students enrolled in school within the North Kingstown School District.
PHILOSOPHY:
The School Committee is committed to creating a rational and appropriate geographic boundary line organizational structure for determining the assignment of students to the school buildings of the district for daily school attendance. In fulfilling this task, it seeks to do so in a manner which assures availability of program, staff and facilities to meet student educational needs in an existing school facility within reasonable location and orientation to the student’s place of residence in the community.
POLICY STATEMENT:
1. It is the determination of the North Kingstown School Committee that, except as otherwise provided by School Committee policy, all students will be enrolled and required to attend class on a daily basis at their designated school of attendance as determined by the Superintendent and approved by the School Committee in keeping with the administrative directive accompanying this policy.
2. Each student will attend the elementary or middle school located in the attendance area within the stipulated boundaries as established by the accompanying administrative directive to this policy, while the entire boundaries of the district shall serve as the designated attendance boundary lines for high school students.
3. Students will be assigned to a school of attendance based on the location of their place of official residence and its relationship to the nearest school building where the appropriate grade level of instruction is in place.
4. The assignment of students to a school of attendance shall also take into consideration the overall needs of the district as it relates to an appropriate and reasonable distribution of the total student population and the Committee’s desire to provide for equal educational opportunity to all students.
POLICY DIRECTIVE:
The administration shall assign all students to their designated school of attendance based on the stipulations as set forth in the administrative directive JCA-R.
Adopted: December 5, 1983
NSBA Policy# JCA as amended will be on the business meeting for approval.
2. Deviation from Attendance Boundary Policy for Amendment (JCAC)
Noted for the record: Question by Mike Northup: “If the policy is passed as written with no changes whatever, would the intent be to undo a motion that passed earlier this evening?” The answer was “No.”
NORTH
KINGSTOWN SCHOOL COMMITTEE JCAC
PURPOSE:
This policy is set forth for the purpose of providing School Committee expectations in situations where it becomes desirable or necessary to assign students to a school of attendance which differs from that established as his/her regular designated school of attendance.
PHILOSOPHY:
In setting forth this policy, the School Committee recognizes that its members and members of the administrative staff may receive requests from parents from time to time to have children regularly attend class in a school other than their designated school of attendance as established by Committee policy. The Committee further acknowledges that some of these requests have sound educational justification and may be worthy of consideration, while others may fall more in the area of meeting parental personal need or convenience and may fall short of justifiable reason to honor.
While the Committee is appreciative of such needs and concerns of parents, it must be recognized that it has a responsibility to all children and to all teachers to see that programming and class sizes throughout the district are reasonably consistent and within contractual constraints. In addition, the Committee is committed to assuring that equal educational opportunity is maintained for all students throughout the district.
POLICY DIRECTIVE:
1. In the event of a parental request to deviate from the Committee’s attendance area policy, the administration will review applications for policy deviation from one elementary or middle school attendance area to another in accord with the following guidelines:
a. Any approval for school attendance outside a student’s policy-designated attendance area will be for the remainder of the school year only, for the school year in which approval was granted.
b. In cases where parents move to another school attendance area within the district (or out of the district) after the school year has begun, the student may finish the semester at the original school of assignment in compliance with RIGL 16-64-1.
c. Requests for a student to remain at a school of reassignment for a period longer than one year as stipulated in 1.a., or to exceed beyond the semester as stipulated in 1.b., will be reviewed on the basis of cause and classroom space availability.
d. Parents receiving approval of a request for a change in a student’s school attendance area are required to provide daily transportation to and from the out-of-attendance area school, including the responsibility for transportation service on those days when schools close early due to bad weather or emergencies.
e. After an attendance area change has been approved, if the size of the class to which the reassigned student is placed becomes so large as to: 1) cause the School Committee to violate its “class size” agreement with the Teachers’ Association; or 2) creates the potential for the need to “split” the class and hire a new teacher, then the approval of reassignment may be revoked at any time during the year as determined necessary by the Superintendent.
f. In the event that a reassigned student must be returned to their policy- designated attendance area school during the school year, such terminated reassignment shall be made based on the date the initial request was received on the basis of last in, first out.
2. Applications for deviation from designated school of attendance can be obtained at any elementary or middle school or at the office of the Director of Pupil Personnel Services during office hours.
Adopted: May 5, 1986
Amended: July 21, 1986; December 15, 1986; October 19, 1992
NORTH KINGSTOWN SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
CHANGE
IN SCHOOL BUILDING ASSIGNMENT REQUEST FORM
Elementary
and Middle School Level
Date:______________________________________ Grade in September _____________
Student’s Name: __________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian: __________________________________________________________
Home Address: ___________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: ________________________________________________________
1. My child’s designated school of attendance is ____________________________
2. Because of the reason stated below, I/we request that my/our children be authorized to attend school at the ______________________________ School.
3. The reason for this request is: (check appropriate box)
1 need for child care/babysitting 1 redistricting 1 other
Please provide the pertinent details for your request: _________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
4. If this request is to meet child care/babysitting need, please provide the name, address and telephone number of the child care/babysitting provider.
Name: _______________________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: ___________________________________________________
5. I understand that if my request is granted, it will be for one year only. However, if there are increases in enrollments during the year causing a violation of class size contained in the teachers’ contract, my child can be moved back to his/her designated regular school of attendance, except in those instances where prior administrative approval was granted in consideration of redistricting.
6. I understand that I will have to provide the transportation for my child to and from the requested school of assignment and realize that this also applies to days of early school closing.
Parent/Guardian Signature _________________________________________________
NSBA Policy# JCAC as amended will be on the business meeting agenda for approval.
3. School Districting/Redistricting (JCAA)- First Reading- This policy is being referred back to the Policy Subcommittee to be rewritten with more consideration given to the process of redistricting, the development of criteria, and public involvement.
4. Town Treasurer and School Funds for Rescission (BCBB)*- This policy is covered under Town Charter.
5. Principals/General Provisions for Rescission (GCAA)*- This policy is covered in the Personnel Policies Manual.
6. Leave of Absence Procedures for Rescission (GCBD-GDBD)*; Absences and Leaves for Rescission (GDBD/GCBD)*- This policy is covered in contract language.
7. School Day Deviation for Rescission (ID)*- This policy is covered in Teacher’s Contract and Rhode Island General Law.
*The intent of #4 through #7 above is to remove these policies from the policy manual because they are covered somewhere else. Pat Watkins moved that these agenda items be on the 9/24/01 business meeting agenda for approval of rescission. Mike Northup seconded the motion. There were no objections. These policies will have a cross-reference in the manual to the documents where they are covered.
Conduct Policy
will be on the September business meeting for a first reading.
B. Report Format Draft for School Committee Presentations- This item is postponed until the October worksession.
C. Home Schooling Requests- A motion to approve home schooling requests was made by Pat Watkins/Karin Forbes (6/0).
IX.
Comments
Ø The School Committee applauded the work and intense effort of people at the high school during the past week. Also, the committee appreciates the effort put forth to get through a difficult time at the schools on the days following the disasters.
Ø Ms. Haft thanked Dr. Halley and Rich Kerbel for their determination to open the high school.
Ø Dr. Halley commented regarding a high school list of discrepancies.
Ø Open Forum Guidelines will be a topic at the November 14 meeting when Goals and Objectives will be discussed.
VIII. A motion to adjourn was made by Pat Watkins/Mike Northup (6/0) at 9:03 PM, cc 2:38:59.
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________________________
Donna
F. Keough
School
Committee Secretary