Northwood School Board Minutes: October 5 2009

Official - Approved by the Board – 10-19-2009

SAU #44 Strafford Northwood School Board October 5, 2009 Public Session 6:00 PM

School Board Members: Ms. Colleen Pingree - Chairman Mr. David Ruth - Vice Chairman Ms. Barbara Gendron - absent Mr. William Tappan Mr. Mark Overmyer Others: Dr. Michael Ludwell, Superintendent, SAU #44 Mr. Richard Hartford, Principal, Northwood School Ms. Carrolle A. Popovich, Secretary, Northwood School Board Visitors: Ms. Kathy Thoms, Ms. Jennifer Gadteke, Ms. Lucy Levitaw, Ms. Judy Loto, Mr. Steven Ireland, Ms. Eliza Farrar, Ms. Destiny Felch and Ms. Stephanie Ireland

Chairman Pingree called the meeting to order at 6:05 PM. Public Comments: Ms. Jennifer Gadteke spoke regarding the benefits of having a full time kindergarten program at the Northwood School. Ms. Lucy Levitaw distributed an information sheet to each Board member for their review and consideration. She advised the Board regarding the many positive aspects of having a full time kindergarten program, referencing the information she had obtained. She spoke to the benefits that children would derive from having a full day program. Ms. Judy Loto referenced recent document she had received from the Northwood School concerning the kindergarten program and suggested choices. She stated that her concerns were for the best interest of the children, prefacing the importance of having further opportunities if there was a full time kindergarten program at the school. Mr. Steven Ireland also rose and spoke in favor of having a full time kindergarten program, citing the many positive benefits. Ms. Eliza Farrar spoke to the Board regarding the benefits of having a full time kindergarten program and the continuity of students having the same teacher. Ms. Destiny Felch spoke to Board members regarding the benefits derived from having a full time kindergarten program. She expounded regarding the benefits that a full time program would

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 2 provide to students. Ms. Felch spoke about the importance of having children involved in academics at an early age. Ms. Stephanie Ireland also spoke about the benefits of having a full time kindergarten program, pointing out the importance of socialization, whereby children would be able to interact with one another. There being no further public comments, Chairman Pingree declared that the Public Comments portion of the meeting was closed. She advised that presently, there was nothing on the table at this time for a permanent full time kindergarten program. She thanked everyone who provided the Board their feed back. Staff Presentation: Chairman Pingree advised that a staff presentation would come before the Board at one of their November scheduled meetings. School Board Business: Approval of School Board Minutes – 9-21-2009 – Public and Non-Public: A review of the public session meeting minutes of September 21, 2009 transpired. One correction was so noted. Mr. Overmyer moved, duly seconded by Vice Chairman Ruth to approve the September 21, 2009 public session meeting minutes as corrected. There being no further discussion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative. A review of the non-public meeting minutes of September 21, 2009 transpired. Mr. Overmyer moved, duly seconded by Vice Chairman Ruth to approve the September 21, 2009 nonpublic session meeting minutes as written. There being no further discussion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative. Administrative Reports: Principal Report: Mr. Hartford advised the Board that the Superintendent would be recommending a candidate for the guidance counselor position within the Northwood School. He added that has stopped interviewing candidates for the position of a part-time custodian at the school. Mr. Hartford expressed his continued concerns regarding the K-4 Math Program, noting that the program was not piloted last year. He stated that staff did not receive sufficient training, and after making contact with Pearson, staffing will receive free training, and would also be visiting other schools that have this program in place. Mr. Hartford advised that testing sessions for NECAP began today, and would continue for the next five (5) days (7 days for 5th and 8th grades, due to writing assessments).He commented regarding the science testing results, noting that the 4 th grade did very well, scoring above the state level, and the 8th grade was on par or slightly below the state average. Mr. Hartford added that these testing results we sent home to parents for their information. Vice Chairman Ruth asked if statistical data could be made available to the Board for their review and consideration. Board members expressed their interest in receiving additional information from Coe-Brown Northwood Academy regarding their testing results. Mr. Hartford spoke to the Board regarding budget development. He advised that the staff have completed their initial budget requests. He noted the process and procedure he would follow regarding the compilation of the information, adding that he would be meeting with Ms. Whitmore to review and discuss this information. Mr. Hartford noted that he has given his staff until October 15th for the S.E.S. educational supplies order.

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 3 Mr. Hartford advised Board members that the Northwood School has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for the State of New Hampshire. He stated that this award was as a direct result of parent involvement. Mr. Hartford stated that a parent representative, together with Ms. Lisa LaBella would attend the ceremony to be held in Manchester, New Hampshire on October 26, 2009. Superintendent’s Report: Dr. Ludwell reminded Board members of their upcoming SAU #44 Joint Board Retreat to be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 commencing at 9:00 AM at the Local Government Center in Concord, New Hampshire. Dr. Ludwell advised Board members that he recently received a request from SAU #16 regarding the Northwood School District’s willingness to contribute towards the tuition of a student from Northwood, who is attending a charter school in SAU 16. He advised that the request was in the amount of $3,000, which would be paid to SAU #16, to offset the cost of the student attending the charter school, rather than attending Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, at a tuition cost of $12,000. Discussion ensued with Mr. Overmyer moving, seconded by Mr. Tappan that the Northwood School Board authorizes the payment of $3,000 to SAU #16 for a student to attend a charter school in the SAU #16 district. There being no discussion following the motion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative. Personnel Report: Dr. Ludwell reviewed the personnel report, recommending that the Board review the report, as submitted. Discussion ensued whereby Mr. Overmyer moved, seconded by Mr. Tappan to accept the personnel report as submitted by Dr. Ludwell. There being no further discussion following the motion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative. New Business: Committee Updates - Facilities/CBNA/Communications/Budget/Technology/SYNC: Facilities: Vice Chairman Ruth indicated that he was planning on setting up a meeting with Mr. Hartford, Mr. Sayers and himself in the next couple of weeks. Mr. Overmyer spoke to the noise level in cafeteria, as was discussed at the last meeting of the Board. He noted that he spent some time in the school last week as well as spoke to Mr. Sayers regarding this issue. It was the suggestion of Mr. Overmyer that the cost of lowering the ceiling be considered and obtained. Board members spoke to the utilization of the room in question. Mr. Overmyer further noted that the air handling system also is a contributor to the noise level in the cafeteria. SYNC Committee: Mr. Overmyer spoke regarding the first event which was held recently. Discussion ensued regarding the importance of getting this committee’s information out to the general public. It was suggested that an additional bulletin board be erected which could be utilized to post this type of information. Vice Chairman Ruth cited that there are continuing conflicts in programming committee meetings/events with other athletic events, which are sometimes scheduled at the same time. Communications Committee: Chairman Pingree advised that she would be organizing a meeting of the Communications Committee soon.

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 4 Technology Committee: Mr. Overmyer noted that the first meeting of the Technology Committee was held two (2) weeks ago, with the committee discussing the feasibility of working towards integrating technology into the school lesson plans. He spoke about the fact that there were all kinds of opportunities for teachers to be able to integrate technology into their lesson plans. Mr. Overmyer spoke to the need to provide teachers motivation to be involved in this effort as well as the importance of encouraging teachers to take advantage of some great resources. Mr. Overmyer noted that this committee would be meeting again, adding that they meet monthly. Mr. Tappan questioned the different disciplines from all those involved in the committee. Budget Committee: Chairman Pingree referenced a recent email she received from the Budget Committee. She reviewed the requested information from Chairman McNally, noting the following: final financial report from 2009, the MS-25, the DOE-25 as well as the revised revenue report. Chairman Pingree spoke to the Board regarding additional information she suggested for inclusion. Board members were in agreement with providing all the information, as requested by the Budget Committee Chairman, as well as the memo that Dr. Ludwell prepared and distributed to each Board member regarding key issues. Chairman Pingree indicated that all of these documents would be sent out to each Budget Committee member. Financial Statements: It was noted that Financial Statement would be made available at the next meeting of the Board. Emergency Management: It was noted that Mr. Robert Young would be meeting with the Board at the next scheduled school board meeting. Annual Town Report: Chairman Pingree spoke regarding the Northwood Town Report, and the information needed from the school district relative to information to be included within this report. Chairman Pingree advised that the finance administrator for the Northwood School District would be coordinating this task with the Ms. Linda Smith, Board Administrator. It was noted that Ms. Whitmore provided a listing of all pertinent items that she needed for inclusion within this report. Chairman Pingree provided this listing to each Board member for their review. Discussion ensued regarding the formatting of the documents to be included within the town report. Vice Chairman Ruth asked, as a matter of protocol, that Dr. Ludwell review all documents prior to them being submitted to the Town for inclusion within the Town Report. Chairman Pingree advised that this would be a topic for the next Board meeting agenda. Discussion ensued regarding the Northwood School Board’s Report to be included within the Town Report, and asked if there were any Board members willing to write the report. Discussion ensued whereby it was the consensus of the Board that since Ms. Gendron assisted in writing last years report, and was knowledgeable about the subject matter, she could write the report on behalf of the full Board. Further discussion continued regarding whether the audit report would be included in the report, as well as the management letter. Dr. Ludwell advised that he would check on this further, and would report back to the Board with his findings. Future Special Ed Reports: Discussion ensued regarding the need to get a better handle on special education reports. Board members felt that it was important that the special education director attend Northwood School Board meetings once a month to provide the Board with an overview of the special education department. Mr. Tappan suggested that the special education director could provide the Board with a written report on a monthly basis, rather than having her attend Board meetings on a monthly basis. Dr. Ludwell suggested that the Board consider having a presentation made to them at the Board’s second meeting of the month. Further discussion ensued regarding the feasibility of presenting the Board with a written report from the special education director and

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 5 further, that the report be provided to the Board at least a week before the scheduled meeting. Mr. Tappan cited his pleasure with the informative reports being provided to the Board regarding special education. Discussion ensued regarding the need to have articulated information to be presented to the Board for their review and consideration. After more discussion, it was agreed that Mr. Kebler would attend the first meeting in November to report regarding the status of the special education program. Policy #EEAG – Use of Private Vehicles to Transport Students: It was noted that Policy #EEAG was a first reading. Discussion ensued regarding the verbiage included within this policy. Mr. Overmyer spoke to the intent of the policy – individuals providing unauthorized student transportation do so at their own expense and liability. Discussion ensued with Vice Chairman Ruth asking if research could be done on the combined insurance policy (automobile liability insurance of not less than $500,000) figure. After further discussion, Board members agreed that Dr. Ludwell would do the pertinent revisions as suggested. More discussion ensued regarding posted policies, and the process and procedure to be followed. Board members spoke about revisions made to a first or second reading of a policy. After more discussion, it was agreed that the revisions to Policy #EEAG would be made and would come before the Board at their next scheduled meeting for further discussion and consideration. Blue Ribbon Award: Board members discussed the Blue Ribbon Award and the upcoming presentation that would be made on October 26, 2009. Chairman Pingree complimented all the staff and other involved in setting up the Northwood School display at the Deerfield Fair. Consent Agenda: Discussion ensued regarding D Section Policies. Board members discussed the process and procedure followed regarding consent agenda items. Policies: #DCA – Capital Asset Policy; Policy # DKC – Expense Reimbursements; Policy DJE – Bidding Requirements and Policy # DBJ – Line Item Adjustments: Board members reviewed and discussed #DCA – Capital Asset Policy. Mr. Tappan stressed the importance of reviewing the depreciation schedule. Discussion continued regarding #DJE – Bidding Requirements and the verbiage contained within the policy as written, inclusive of the amount as noted within the policy. Dr. Ludwell pointed out that the figure of $5,000. is the New Hampshire School Board Association’s recommended amount, which differs from the $2,500. as written in the policy. It was further noted that the information contained within this policy reflected the Business Administrator’s recommendations. More discussion continued regarding Policy #DN – Equipment and Supplies Sales/Disposal/surplus Property and the verbiage contained within this policy. Several suggested changes were so noted. Discussion ensued regarding the disposal of property. Board members agreed that it was the responsibility of the principal to keep track of these items. After considerable more discussion, it was the consensus of the Board that Vice Chairman Ruth would make the appropriate revisions to Policies #DN and #DJE, so that they could come before the Board at their first meeting in November. Discussion ensued with Mr. Overmyer moving, duly seconded by Mr. Tappan that the Northwood School Board approves the second readings of Policy #DBJ – Purchasing Procedures and Policy # DJ – Purchasing. There being no further discussion following the motion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 6 Old Business: Athletic Field Repair: Dr. Ludwell advised that the bids for the work to be done on the athletic fields have been posted and advertised and that recommendations would be forthcoming and available to the Board at their next scheduled meeting. CBNA Billing: Chairman Pingree explained the RSA regarding legal residents, and how Coe-Brown Northwood Academy does their billing for student tuitions. She referenced the fact that there currently is an issue involving the dispute of tuition for seven students, referencing a policy invoked by the former superintendent. Chairman Pingree indicated that the Board needed to make some decisions regarding the issue, the verification of residency, historical billing data and the process and procedure utilized for current billing. Discussion continued regarding how eligibility is determined for students attending Coe-Brown Northwood Academy. Chairman Pingree pointed out that currently, the Northwood School District has no one that is confirming residency of students attending Coe-Brown Northwood Academy. She suggested that the Board develop a plan to confirm proof of residency so that this issue doesn’t occur again. Dr. Ludwell advised that his office just developed a residency form, adding that the new form should eliminate some of these types of residency issue problems. Vice Chairman Ruth suggested hiring an individual on a per diem basis who could do residency investigations. After further discussion, it was agreed that the Board would discuss specifics of the issue in non-public session. Staffing Survey: It was noted that the Board had requested this staffing survey information. Discussion ensued regarding the information contained within the report and additional information, as requested by the Board. Board members discussed anticipated information, as well as other information that should be included within the report. Discussion ensued regarding the need to create a chart which would provide the listing of lower grade as well as higher grade classes, the number of students per class, the number of certified teachers, the number of sections, as well the State standards relative to class size and calculations of the student/teacher ratio. Discussion continued relative to how the number of Title 1 teachers is determined. Mr. Hartford provided a detailed explanation regarding Title 1 grants. After further discussion, it was agreed that this charted information would be formulated and that Dr. Ludwell would provide additional information from the other two school districts within SAU #44 (Strafford and Nottingham). Negotiations: Chairman Pingree spoke to the need of setting up meeting times to meet with teachers and Paraprofessionals as part of the budgetary process. Board members asked if Dr. Ludwell would put together a budgetary calendar to present to the Board. Budget Season Schedule: Chairman Pingree advised that this item would be included within the next meeting agenda and would be discussed further among Board members. Board members asked that additional information be provided to them. The budgetary process and procedure was then discussed as well as budget work sessions. It was noted that the budgetary process is normally done in November. After more discussion, Mr. Hartford noted that he was agreeable to have all his budgetary information to the Board by the first meeting in November, and cited his concerns relative to other pertinent information that would have to come from the SAU #44 Office. Further discussion ensued with Dr. Ludwell advising the Board that he’d review the concerns as discussed among Board members with Mr. Hartford, and would make this information available at the second October Board meeting. Kindergarten Enrollment Update: Discussion ensued regarding kindergarten enrollment and the need to get out as such information to the community regarding kindergarten enrollment and the program. Board members agreed

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 7 that having as much information as early as possible is vital. Mr. Hartford indicated that he did receive a good response from parents relative to the kindergarten survey that was recently sent out. Further discussion regarding the kindergarten program ensued with all Board members agreeing that there is much pertinent information to be reviewed and discussed prior to the Board making any decisions regarding this program. Discussion continued regarding the different options that Mr. Hartford presented to the Board. Mr. Hartford reviewed all options with the Board. Old Business: Mr. Hartford advised the Board that he obtained information from Ms. Whitmore regarding the Cherrydale fundraiser. He noted that the report did not show the information he wanted, adding that he would ask her provide him with documentation regarding the expenditure report. Mr. Hartford asked the Board regarding the policy regarding eligibility for athletics. He questioned the policy and questioned the Board regarding the meaning of the policy, as written. Board members discussed the policy, as written. Mr. Hartford was advised that, in accordance with the policy, as written, students have a two (2) week period to bring up their grade, noting that if their grades do not improve, they are not eligible to play until such time as improvements are made. At this point in the meeting, Mr. Tappan then made a motion to move into Non-Public Session, as per RSA 91-A: 3II – c to discuss matters, which, if discussed in public, would likely adversely affect the person. Vice Chairman Ruth seconded the motion. There being no discussion following the motion, a roll call vote on the motion was recorded as follows: Chairman Pingree – yea; Mr. Tappan – yea; Mr. Ruth – yea; Mr. Overmyer – yea. The vote on the motion, as per a roll call vote was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative at 7:55 PM. There being no further business to come before the Board in Non-Public Session, a motion to adjourn the non-public session and re-enter Public Session was made by Mr. Overmyer, duly seconded by Vice Chairman Ruth and so voted unanimously in the affirmative at 9:35 PM. Chairman Pingree noted for the record that while the Board met in non-public session, they discussed negotiations, personnel and student issues. She further noted that while in non-public session, no formal votes were taken. Vice Chairman Ruth then moved, duly seconded by Mr. Tappan that the Northwood School Board recommend adjustment to the kindergarten classes from four (4) classes to three (3); that one teacher will teach the morning class and one teacher will teach the morning and afternoon class. There being no discussion following the motion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative. There being no further business to come before the Board, a motion to adjourn meeting was made by Mr. Overmyer, duly seconded by Vice Chairman Ruth and so voted unanimously in the affirmative at 9:35 PM. Vice Chairman Ruth then moved, duly seconded by Mr. Tappan, to rescind the motion to adjourn the meeting. There being no discussion, the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative. Discussion continued with Mr. Tappan moving, duly seconded by Vice Chairman Ruth that the Northwood School Board allow the Northwood School District Treasurer position a monthly travel allowance of $20.00 per month. There being no discussion following the motion, a call for the vote on the motion was recorded as a unanimous vote in the affirmative.

Northwood School Board Meeting October 5, 2009 – Public Session Page 8 There being no further business to come before the Board, a motion to adjourn meeting was made by Vice Chairman Ruth, duly seconded by Mr. Tappan and so voted unanimously in the affirmative at 9:45 PM. Respectfully submitted,

Carrolle A. Popovich Secretary, Northwood School Board Approved by the Board – 10-19-2009