MILLER’S RUN SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

Monday, April 20, 2015 – 6:00 p.m.

Millers Run School, Sheffield, VT

 

 

Present:  Jennifer Barone, Acting Superintendent; Tisha Hankinson, CNSU Business Manager; Sikander Rashid, Principal; and Board Members: Chair, Jill Faulkner; Biff Mahoney; Diane Nijensohn; and Leah Rexford.

 

Visitors:  Bobbie Bristol; Patrick Ham, 8^th Grade Teacher; and Ed Richardson.

.

1. The meeting called to order at 6:04 p.m.
2. Agenda Consent/Revision:  Add Mark Brown meeting with Principal.
3. Approve Minutes of Previous Meeting(s): Jennifer Barone made corrections on the March 16 Meeting - #10. Change ABAV Test to SBAC Test; #11. change VSVA Training to VSBA Training; #12. Change VSVA to VSBA.  Biff made the motion to approve the March 16^th Meeting Minutes with the above corrections; approved.
4. General Public Comments (Listen & defer action to future meeting): Ed Richardson reported on a company he has contacted regarding installing Solar Power at MRS.  Sun Common will send a rep to the MRS Board Meeting if they are interested.  Tisha plans to contact the VT PV Consortium’s Competitive Energy Services that are working with other schools in VT to install Solar Power.
5. 8^th Grade Class Trip Update:  Patrick Ham reported that the 8^th Grade Class Trip has its itinerary planned and a close figure for its expenses.  The Trip will be via Amtrak from White River Jct. to NYC on June 8, 9 and 10^th.  In NYC they will visit the Hard Rock Café, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, Time Square and China Town. Mr. Ham and committee have the Chaperones’ guidelines and Parents’ Trip Expectations and permission slip which he gave to the Boards for perusal.  The Class will return to MRS on Thursday, June 11, to give a presentation to the whole school and any Community members that are interested.  Graduation is June 11 and the last day of MRS will be June 15^th.  The 8^th Grade Class has requested Mary Mallon to be their graduation speaker. 

 

6. Finance - Tisha Hankinson:  

 

·         Tisha reported on the Community Eligible Program for free breakfast and lunch for all students.  Qualification goes by the school’s number of students on the Direct Certification List.  To qualify MRS needs 40% of the total students to be on that List – it is close.  Tisha will continue to check for qualification or if another school would join MRS for this Program.

·         Tisha reported a Budget item that has been overlooked in the FY 15 and FY16 School Budgets.  The IDEA B, a flow through grant, no longer goes directly to the school,; but to CNSU for Special Ed expenses.  However, it may even out somewhat with the extra tuition of the secondary students put on the Budgets.

 

7. CNSU Board Report:

·         Carousel Meeting – May 26^th at Newark at 6:00 p.m. will be for all CNSU’s Board Members.  The MRS Board Meeting for May will also be that night at Newark at 7:00 p.m.

·         Jill reported that the CNSU Executive Committee Meetings will be the 4^th Tues. of the month at CNSU at 6:00 p.m. This meeting is open to the public.

·         Jill reported that there were parent complaints regarding the Special Ed Services in all the schools in CNSU.  This will be discussed at the next CNSU Executive Committee Meeting on April 28^th at 6:00 p.m. at CNSU.

 

8. Principal’s Report: 

·         Sikander reported he has been looking into the Efficiency VT Inspection for MRS – if there are problems, there are grants available.

·         The MRS Literacy Specialist has requested to change from full time to .5 time.

·         The Middle School Science teacher, Ken Hayes, has taken the Sutton School’s Principal position starting Monday, April 27, 2015.  A Long-Term Substitute for Middle School Science teacher for the rest of FY15 has been advertised, as well as, the position full time for FY16.

·         Long time Kindergarten Teacher, Mary Mallon’s retirement was discussed to have a Community-wide Open House to thank her.

·         Sikander will contact Mark Brown for a follow up meeting.

9. Discussion/Questions for Dartmouth College President in July:  Thursday, July 9^th, Noah Manning, a Wheelock student at Dartmouth College, has invited the College’s President, Philip J. Hanlon, to come to MRS.  Jill will contact Noah to request more info on his expectations for the visit.
10. Other Business: A School Governance Meeting with Harry Frank will be Thursday, April 23^rd at 4:30 p.m. at CNSU – all are invited.
11. Future Agenda Items:

·         Plan a meeting to revisit the Board’s Goals

 

Meeting adjourned 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

Next MRS Board Meeting is after the Carousel Meeting which is May 26^th at Newark at 6:00 p.m. – the MRS Board Meeting will be at 7:00 p.m.

 

 

 

Prepared by Ruth Hamel, Minutes Clerk