August 15, 2006
7:00pm Special Meeting
“Challenging
Student Excellence”
Minutes
I. Meeting
Organization
A.
Call to Order; Pledge of Allegiance; Don DeFedele called the meeting to
order at 7:05pm.
B.
Roll Call:
Present: Chairperson
Donald DeFedele, Vice Chairperson Dr. Denise Coppa, Renee Cockerill, Barry
Martasian, William Mudge, Melvoid Benson, Kathy Kaiser – Jamestown
Representative.
Absent: Dr. Janice
DeFrances
Administration
Present: Dr. James Halley, Superintendent; William Daly,
Director of Human Resources; Maureen Buck, Director of Administrative Services,
Lee Rabbitt, Director of Technology
Don DeFedele stated that this emergency
meeting had been called pursuant to RIGL 42-46-6. The purpose of this meeting is to
look at school start times This meeting is necessary due to the short
time period between now and when school opens.
A vote had been taken on start times at
the last regular meeting, but a member on the prevailing side asked that this
vote be
reconsidered.
Motion
was made by Bill Mudge to reconsider the vote of the school start times that
was taken at the last meeting.
Seconded
by Barry Martasian.
Vote to
approve 5 to 1 with Denise Coppa voting no.
Mr. Mudge asked School Committee members if they had
received an e-mail that he was requesting an emergency meeting.
Mr. DeFedele stated that the request was
already in process and Mr. Mudge’s request came in after the Committee was
being
polled.
Motion
to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation of school start times was made by
Don DeFedele. Seconded by
Barry
Martasian.
Mr. DeFedele stated that last week the Superintendent
recommended the following school start times:
High School 7:15am –
1:45pm
DMS/WMS 8:15am –
2.20pm
Davisville
Elementary 8:00am –
2:20pm
FC,
FP, QE, HE, SL 9:05am –
3:25pm
At that meeting, the School Committee
voted to approve the following start times:
High
School 7:30am –
2:00pm
DMS/WMS 8:30am –
2.35pm
Davisville
Elementary 8:15am –
2:35pm
FC,
FP, QE, HE, SL 9:20am –
3:40pm
Mr. DeFedele stated that he would give
the public a chance to comment on the subject and due to the number of people
signed up
to speak, he requested that comments be
limited to two to three minutes.
Amendment
to the motion was made by Bill Mudge that the School Committee enter into
discussion before the public is
heard. Seconded by Melvoid Benson.
Amendment
to the amendment was made by Denise Coppa to also limit Committee members’
comments to two to three
minutes. Seconded by Barry Martasian.
Vote on
amendment to the amendment: approved 5 to 1 with Bill Mudge voting no.
Vote on
amended motion: unanimous to approve.
Committee
Comments:
·
Mr. Martasian
would like to see at least five minutes added to the recommended start times.
·
Mrs. Benson felt
we should go by what the Start Time sub-committee recommended. We need to consider day care problems. Sub-committee said that no elementary should
start after 9:00am.
·
Mrs. Cockerill
stated that transportation should be revamped but this can’t be done before
school starts. She suggested leaving the
high school start at 7:30am and taking ten or twenty minutes off of the
elementary times for this year.
·
Dr. Coppa did not
want to change the times that were voted on last week. She stated data that supports a later start
time for adolescence. The Inter
Scholastic League bases their after school games on when all high schools
dismiss. She suggested that the high
school could take three extra minutes off lunch and one or two minutes from
passing time to make up a five minute later start time.
·
Mr. DeFedele
stated that he felt the Superintendent’s recommendation reached a
compromise. Some of the recommendations
of the Start Time sub-committee were not feasible or fiscally responsible.
·
Mr. Mudge stated
that last week he voted to extend the Superintendent’s recommendations. He was now confused by the number of buses
that would be needed to move the elementary start times. Different numbers have been given and he
wanted input of additional people. He felt the May 10th report had
not been discussed. He suggested that we
could eliminate the positions of the Assistant Director of Curriculum and the
Assistant Principal of Teaching and Learning to pay for extra buses.
·
Dr. Halley stated
that the Start Time committee’s recommendations have been looked into . Runs have been combined in the northern area,
combining WMS and the high school was tried, but that was not possible. We did take the recommendation of having the
kids walk out to the main roads. The closest we can come to the Start Time
committee’s recommendation is starting the high school at 7:15 – 1:45. He knows that is too early and would like to see a 9:00am start for the high school. We were able to get within 15 minutes of the
recommendations of the Start Time committee.
In addition we added the twenty minutes to the elementary schools that
are required by next year. He stated
that if the times are moved, they have to move altogether.
·
Mr. Mudge asked
how many buses would need to be added to address this problem.
·
Mr. DeFedele
referred to the memo in their packet from John Horan, the transportation
supervisor, which indicates the number of buses needed to service each
tier. If the high school and middle
schools are left at their present time and the elementary schools moved up by
twenty minutes, we would require approximately 15+ buses to complete. We cannot add a tier by just adding four
buses.
·
Mr. Mudge asked
why the number of buses required changed from five to ten and now fifteen.
·
Dr. Halley stated
that he did not say five buses were needed last week. He said at least ten were needed. He looked at the recommendations of the Start
Time committee and this is the tightest schedule we could get with the
resources we have. If the School
Committee wants to do something different, more resources will be needed.
·
Kathy Kaiser
stated that
Public Comment:
·
Marion Holland
represented the NKEA and wants a reasonable time for all students. She felt that pairing of the schools
disrupted transportation. A 7:05am start
time for the high school this year was not accepted by anyone. Elementary students need a well-rounded day
to take part in after school activities.
She agreed with removing the Assistant Director of Curriculum and the
Assistant Principal at the high school until the problem is solved. She suggested that the high school start at
7:20, the middle schools at 8:20 and staggering times for the elementary
schools.
·
Lisa Buterbaugh
supports a later time for high school start and was concerned with all
elementary schools getting out at the same time. Parents cannot pick up children in different
schools at the same time.
·
Donna Morin
disagreed with Mrs. Benson and felt that our priority is the children’s
academic well-being. It shouldn’t be a
day care consideration – parents have to make sacrifices. She urged the Committee to stop confusing the
issue with personal vendettas and deal with the well being of students.
·
Vicki Ferrara was
opposed to the later start times for elementary students. It impacts all families. Before and after
school supervision is needed and it is a heavy cost.
·
Deborah O’Brien
has children in all levels and supports the 7:30 start time for the high
school.
·
Evan Smith from
·
Madeline
Perreault, chairperson of the Start Time sub-committee indicated that this was
very complicated. The sub-committee
proposed that the high school start between 7:30-8:00, the middle schools
between 8:00-8:30, and the elementary schools between 8:15-8:45. They understand that twenty minutes would be
added this year to the elementary schools.
They talked about pairing but did not address this issue. They also did not discuss how many buses
might be needed.
·
Lisa Andrews felt
that the decision that was made should stand.
It could be examined over the next year and study all the
alternatives. She commended the
Committee for all their work.
·
David Welsh has
read all the start time research and recommended that the high school start no
earlier than 8:00am.
·
Paul Fetter was
concerned with the safety and security of the elementary students starting at a
later time. He felt it is a problem with
them getting off the bus in the dark. He
compared time in the military – he put soldiers to bed earlier if they had to
get up early. He suggested taking TV,
DVD and playstations away from kids at night.
We take responsibility for our own actions.
·
Julia Held from
the Jamestown School Committee realized how hard this decision is to make. She urged the Committee to keep the best interest of the children in mind. She supported the 7:30 start time for the
high school.
·
Kim Maine
represented different children’s programs in town. She was concerned with the same start times
for the elementary schools. It is
difficult to transport children after school.
She felt there would not be enough slots in day care to accommodate all
of the children who would require it.
·
Teri Ohs stated
that she understood and sympathized with the situation, but educationally
speaking she wants her daughter to be in high school with her eyes open. Just because a child goes to bed at 9:00pm
does not mean that they can go to sleep.
She supports the 7:30 start time.
·
Dena Robinson was
surprised at the hostility among one another.
High school students shouldn’t be sleepy and children shouldn’t be going
to or from school in the dark. She urged
the Committee to make a decision for all children.
·
Maria
Decristoforo stated that the high school has the earliest start in RI. Her daughter gets the bus at 6:15am. Lack of sleep interferes with growth. High school students have a lot of
obligations and colleges are looking for community service, activities and good
grades. 7:05 is too early for high school. Fifteen minutes would be appreciated.
·
Elizabeth Vinci,
a high school student, stated that if the Committee is trying to reset start
times, yelling at each other is not the way.
Kids going to bed earlier does not happen. They cannot fall asleep at 8:00pm. It is dark when she goes to the bus stop and
she is too tired to do activities. She
stated that she cannot go at 7:05 anymore and told the Committee that they have
to change it.
·
Bonnie Roy,
co-president of Stony Lane PTO, asked the Committee to reconsider the
elementary dismissal times. Younger
children struggle to keep focused that late in the day and it takes away from
family time and activities. She felt
these times jeopardize the safety and well-being of children.
·
Russell Tellier
sympathized with the high school, elementaries, taxpayer and the School
Committee. He was concerned with the
safety issue of young children in the dark and the quality time after
school. If a child gets home at 4:30,
then there is dinner, homework and bedtime.
There is no time for children to unwind or for him to play with his
child. Children cannot participate in
after school activities. When URI had a
budget problem, they cut administrative costs.
·
Jenna Steele
graduated from NK high school and survived.
She does not want her children going here. The childish antics of the School Committee
are appalling. She felt it isn’t fair
that this was not brought to the table earlier in the year.
·
Kim McDonough was
a member of the Start Time sub-committee.
At the beginning of the committee, she thought getting up early was part
of growing up and kids had to get used to it.
After seeing all the information, she saw the adverse effects and how
the high school kids had a change in biorhythms. Ideally, the high school should start at
9:00am. Kids are up at 4:45am for
basketball practice, Jazz band practice starts at 6:15am and kids are up at
4:30. She urged the Committee to keep
the high school start time at least at 7:30am.
·
Ted Coppa is a
senior at the high school and has listened to both sides. He has been in class at 7:00am and listened
to instruments while three kids next to him are asleep. That is a problem. Kids can’t go to bed early. There are projects due and homework to get
done. There is no time for
extra-curricular activities. The high
school used to start later. Use common
sense and do what is beneficial to kids.
The teachers do the best that they can to keep kids awake, but there is
just so much that they can do.
·
Emmett Wolf has
two children who went to NK. They went
to bed at night, did their studying, they weren’t on teams but still got into
college. He wouldn’t want small children
coming home in the dark but he pays a lot of taxes and doesn’t want to see them
go up. He would like to see the school
department be more efficient, even if it requires an audit. Give people more time to make these
decisions.
·
Jeannine Lundblad
has a high school student who goes to bed at 9:00pm and can’t get to sleep. She does not like her high school student on
the bus at 6:15am and does not want elementary students home at 4:30pm in the
dark and unable to do activities. Buses
seem to come into the neighborhoods half full.
·
Steven Olsen does
not like finding out two years in a row that there is a change in times only
two weeks before school starts. Research
shows that high school students need to go later and elementary students need
to go earlier. Look at all the
research. We need to flip-flop the
schools, but he knows that won’t happen.
·
Ann Hourahan has
a middle school student. She has lived
through a late start and it was not very good.
She works at a high school that starts at 7:30.
·
Ken Duva is a
teacher in NK and would like to see an optimal resolution for all
students. Younger students wake early
and have three hours before school starts.
This is their most optimal learning time. Most parents work and kids have to wait untill
9:00am for the breakfast program. As a
special education teacher, he finds students learn best in the morning. This is
working
against the students’ best interest. By
mid-day, they are mentally and physically exhausted. Children need to be
well rounded.
·
Donna Sullivan
disagreed with adding 20 minutes. There
is more housing going in and it will be harder to pick up additional
children. She suggested taking a year to
look at the start times and consider the safety. Buses are “bombing” through neighborhoods
now.
·
Lenore Montanaro
is a high school student. She thanked
the School Committee and Dr. Halley for researching the sleep issue. She stated that all students going to the
high school would benefit from the 7:30 start time and urged the Committee to
keep the times as they are now.
·
Gerry Foley,
principal of NK high school, thanked all for their concern. In his 18 years at the high school he has
seen the times go from 7:05 start to 3:40 finish. He commented that students get up and do it,
and do it well. We have a great
educational institution. Most didn’t
like the 7:05 start, but this year the high school is a Regents recommended
school and a high performing school. No
one is asleep at the wheel with those results.
7:05 is too early, 7:15 would be OK, 7:30 would be great, but whatever
time it is, they will continue to do it well.
If we need more buses, it would be taken away from programs and he would
hate to see that happen.
Recess taken at 9:15pm
Meeting resumed at 9:40pm
·
Timothy Madison
is a senior at the high school and stated that he didn’t respect anyone who
considers high school students slackers.
They work very hard for all they have to do.
Committee:
The Committee discussed time differences from this
year and last year, bus requirements for each school, additional twenty minutes
required for elementary schools and Mr. Mudge’s suggestion of hiring Walter
Kettelle as a transportation consultant.
Amendment to
the motion was made by Melvoid Benson to accept the high school start time of
7:15am and have the elementary start time stay under discussion. Seconded by Bill Mudge.
Mr. DeFedele
ruled the amendment out of order as it changed the original motion.
Amendment to
the motion was made by Bill Mudge to accept the recommended high school times
of 7:15am-1:45pm.
Seconded by
Melvoid Benson.
Vote: Bill Mudge Yes Denise
Coppa No
Melvoid Benson Yes Barry
Martasian No
Renee
Cockerill No
Don DeFedele No
Discussion continued on the main motion – to accept
the Superintendent’s recommended start times.
Barry Martasian thanked all who came out to the
meeting. Everyone who came up to the
microphone was respectful and the community should be applauded for that. Everyone is concerned with the children and
none of these suggestions meet the perfect criteria. Mr. Duva was concerned that he couldn’t
attend graduate courses, elementary parents are concerned with kids getting
home in the dark and high school parents are concerned with kids driving cars
with a sleep deficit. He could only see
a compromise and a gesture of good faith.
He does not support a 7:15am start time for the high school and would
like to see another five minutes added.
He supported the 7:30am start time.
The Superintendent and Transportation Supervisor worked hard and we have
to trust that information.
Amendment to
the motion was made by Bill Mudge that the FP, QE, HE, FC and SL dismissal
times be on an alternating schedule to be completed between 3:05pm and 3:15pm.
Mr. DeFedele
ruled the amendment out of order as it materially changed the motion on the
floor.
Motion to
end debate was made by Melvoid Benson.
Seconded by Bill Mudge.
Vote to
approve 4 to 2 with Bill Mudge and Denise Coppa voting no.
Vote on
motion to accept the Superintendent’s recommendations:
Motion fails
5 to 1 with Don DeFedele voting yes.
Motion was
made by Bill Mudge that the FP, FC, HE, SL and QE dismissal times be 3:05pm to
3:15pm on an alternating basis. Seconded
by Melvoid Benson.
·
Mrs. Benson
stated that she thought the 7:30am high school start time was the
Superintendent’s recommendation. Mr.
DeFedele explained that it was not the Superintendent’s recommendation. He recommended a 7:15am start time. We are now back to what was voted on last week
– high school start time of 7:30am.
·
Mr. Mudge stated
that the staggered dismissal times is the best compromise and addresses the
issues.
·
Mr. DeFedele
stated that it would be impossible for the last bus at the middle school to
pick up these students at those times.
·
Mr. Mudge did not
trust the information and wanted a Mr. Kettelle to look at the bus schedules.
·
Mr. DeFedele
asked how Mr. Mudge could support something when he did not know what the
impact would be.
Motion was
made by Barry Martasian to end debate.
Seconded by Denise Coppa.
Vote: unanimous to approve.
Vote on
motion for elementary dismissal times to be between 3:05pm to 3:15pm:
Melvoid Benson Yes Denise Coppa No
Bill Mudge Yes Renee
Cockerill No
Barry
Martasian No
Don
DeFedele No
Motion was
made by Barry Martasian to add five minutes to the Superintendent’s start time
recommendations. Seconded by Don
DeFedele.
Mr. DeFedele explained that this motion would mean the
following school times:
High
School 7:20am –
1:50pm
DMS/WMS 8:20am – 2:25pm
Davisville
Elementary 8:05am - 2:25pm
FC,
FP, HE, QE, SL 9:10am –
3:30pm
There was discussion about the effect on start times
if the twenty minutes was not added to the elementary school day. It was possible that the buses could not make
the schedule if the twenty minutes were not added.
Reducing recess by ten minutes was suggested. Dr. Halley did not recommend that, stating
that he expected the state to mandate time for professional development during
the day and that is the time that is used now.
It would only have to be added in again later.
Required lunch times were also discussed.
Kathy Kaiser stated that if the state starts to switch
elementary schools with high schools,
Motion was
made by Barry Martasian to end debate.
Seconded by Denise Coppa.
Vote: to
approve 4 to 2 with Bill Mudge and Melvoid Benson voting no.
Vote on
motion to add five minutes to the Superintendent’s start time recommendations:
Don DeFedele Yes Denise
Coppa No
Barry Martasian Yes Melvoid
Benson No
Renee
Cockerill No
Bill
Mudge No
Motion was
made by Renee Cockerill for the high school day to be from 7:30am to 2:00pm, the
middle schools from 8:30am to 2:30pm and the elementary schools from 9:20am to
3:20pm and to forgo the added twenty minutes for one year with a decision to be
made by June 2007. Seconded by Melvoid
Benson.
There was discussion if the buses would have time to
drop the middle school students off and return to pick up elementary students,
and how many additional buses would be needed.
It would cost $60,000 per bus added.
Motion to
end debate was made by Renee Cockerill.
Seconded by Denise Coppa.
Vote: Renee Cockerill Yes Bill Mudge No
Denise Coppa Yes Don
DeFedele No
Barry Martasian Yes Melvoid
Benson No
Motion
fails.
Don DeFedele asked Mrs. Buck if Mrs. Cockerill’s
motion was doable. Mrs. Buck replied
that it was not.
Mr. Mudge asked what would have to be done to
implement that suggestion.
Mr. DeFedele replied that we would have to add another
tier which would be an additional 15 buses.
Amendment to
the motion was made by Bill Mudge to suspend for this year the additional 20
minutes added to the elementary school day that is mandated by the state.
Mr. DeFedele stated that this provision is already
included in the motion on the floor.
Renee Cockerill questioned why buses could not be back
in time to pick up elementary students
Maureen Buck explained that last year the school times
ran from 7:05am to 3:20pm and it was a tight schedule. This year the suggestion is 7:30am to
3:20pm. That is twenty-five minutes less
time for the buses to transport the same amount of students.
Don DeFedele stated that we will decrease the number
of bus stops to pick up some time, as the Start Time Committee
recommended. If additional buses are
added, we would not be paying them to run at capacity. We would be paying for only one run which is
not fiscally responsible.
Vote on
motion for the high school day to be from 7:30am to 2:00pm, the middle schools
from 8:30am to 2:30pm and the elementary schools from 9:20am to 3:20pm and to
forgo the added twenty minutes for one year with a decision to be made by June
2007:
Renee Cockerill Yes Barry
Martasian No
Melvoid Benson Yes Bill Mudge No
Denise Coppa Yes Don
DeFedele No
Tie vote,
motion fails.
Motion was
made by Bill Mudge to suspend the twenty minutes added to the elementary
schools for this year. Seconded by
Melvoid Benson.
Don DeFedele stated that there are not enough buses to
accomplish this motion and asked if ten minutes were eliminated, would it be
enough.
Maureen Buck responded that ten minutes would also not
be enough.
Dr. Halley stated that he originally made a
recommendation to start at 7:15am and end at 3:25pm. If the Committee wants to move any part of
those times, it must move the entire thing.
All times are interrelated, they are all tied together. They can move the whole thing by five, ten or
fifteen minutes, but they can’t create other scenarios. Parents need to know child care issues and
school times. As Mr. Foley stated, we
will do it whatever is decided.
Transportation is not our mission – our mission is educating students.
Motion was
made by Renee Cockerill to end debate.
Seconded by Denise Coppa.
Vote –
unanimous to approve.
Vote on
motion to suspend the twenty minutes added to the elementary schools for this
year:
Melvoid Benson Yes Renee Cockerill No
Bill Mudge Yes Denise
Coppa No
Barry Martasian No
Don
DeFedele No
Motion
fails.
Motion was
made by Renee Cockerill for the high school day to be from 7:25am to 1:55pm,
the middle schools from 8:25am to 2:30 and the elementary schools from 9:15am
to 3:25pm. Seconded by Denise Coppa.
Dr. Halley stated that the discussion has emphasized
end times, but people have said that 9:20am was too late to start the
elementary schools. This is what the
School Committee did last year. Last
year we said we need to add twenty minutes to make it work. The School Committee didn’t do it and we had
problems. It was not the
Superintendent’s recommendation to start the high school at 7:05am last year
and now we are going through the same thing.
Again he stressed that all schools have to be moved together.
Vote: Renee Cockerill Yes Barry
Martasian No
Denise Coppa Yes Don DeFedele No
Melvoid
Benson No
Bill
Mudge No
Motion
fails.
Motion was
made by Bill Mudge to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation of 7:15am to
3:25pm. Seconded by Don DeFedele.
Mr. Mudge stated that he was concerned with the start
time for younger students, but this is the best compromise.
Don DeFedele stated that he has listen to all sides
and feels this is the best situation. If
the next School Committee wants to change the times and put on additional
buses, they can look at it again.
Mr. Mudge stated he believes the Committee is looking
at flawed information and wants it to be examined.
Dr. Halley stated that something is gained by most of
the people and we are fulfilling the state mandate on length of the school
day. He supports Mr. Mudge’s motion.
Vote: Don DeFedele Yes Barry
Martasian No
Bill Mudge Yes Melvoid Benson No
Denise
Coppa No
Renee
Cockerill No
Motion
fails.
Motion was
made by Renee Cockerill for the high school to start at 7:20am and the
elementary schools end at 3:30pm.
Seconded by
Melvoid Benson.
Don DeFedele stated that this would move all of the
schools by five minutes from the Superintendent’s recommendation.
Dr. Halley stated that this would be possible to do
without any extra buses.
Mr. Mudge was concerned with the late start time for
the elementary schools.
Mr. DeFedele clarified that they would start at
9:10am.
Vote: Barry Martasian Yes Denise
Coppa No
Renee Cockerill Yes Melvoid Benson No
Don DeFedele Yes
Bill Mudge Yes
Motion
passes.
Motion to
adjourn was made by Denise Coppa.
Seconded by Barry Martasian.
Vote: unanimous to approve.
Meeting adjourned at 11:35pm.
Respectfully
Submitted,
______________________________
Karen
A. Nutini
Administrative
Assistant
to
the Superintendent/School Committee