ATTENDANCE
HERE ATTENDEE AFFILIATION
Y Frank Carrano – Chairman Board of Education
Y Dr. David Squires – Vice Chairman Board of Education
N Judith Hotz—Secretary Board of Education
Y Dr. Linda Barr Board of Education
Y Peter A. Berdon, Esq. Board of Education
Y Ann C. Caruso Board of Education
Y Michael Krause Board of Education
Y John Prins Board of Education
Y Marie Watson Board of Education
Y Dr. Kathleen Halligan, Superintendent Central Office
Y Dr. Mary Peraro, Assistant Superintendent Central Office
Y Jenna Grande, BOE Student Representative Branford High School
Y Taryn Mockus, BOE Student Representative Branford High School
Others present: Clint Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer; Christian Miller, BHS English Teacher; Mary Tokarz, Computer Aide, Mary T. Murphy School; Paul Dzialo, Director of Adult Education ERACE Program.
BUSINESS ITEMS
ITEM DESCRIPTION
CALL
01 Meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. by Chairman Carrano.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
02 (Prins/Krause) Motion to approve Minutes of the January 22, 2009, Regular Meeting.
MOTION PASSED/APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
HONORS & TRIBUTES
John Prins, CABE Vice-President, presented the Board with an Honorable Mention Award to Branford Public Schools for their 2008/09 School Calendar.
Board Chair, Frank Carrano, and Superintendent Dr. Halligan presented Mary Tokarz, Computer Aide, Mary T. Murphy School, with a Certificate of Excellence Award for the 2008/09 School Calendar.
PRESENTATION
Clint Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer, and Christian Miller, BHS English Teacher and Department Chair, gave a presentation of 21st Century Learning on High School English & Web 2.0.
Paul Dzialo, Director of ERACE, Adult Education, gave a PowerPoint presentation on his Branford Adult Education ERACE Program.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Non-tenured teachers, parents, residents, and students spoke on behalf of the non-tenured teachers and concern for class size.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Dr. Halligan reported that the quarterly meeting of the Safety, School Security, and Health Committee was held. A new committee on Workers’ Compensation was held with representatives from all of the buildings. Indian Neck School recently installed cameras in the building. Lockdown drills are practiced at the schools. Tools for Schools Committees review air quality and other issues in the schools. Wellness Policy Committee developed to strengthen our policy on wellness.
The Board of Finance and Board presented the yearly auditors’ report on February 23, 2009. Disaster recovery needs to be addressed. New administrative software MUNIS will address this.
CABE Day on the Hill will be held on March 4, 2009.
Chartwells was awarded the food service bid and will give a presentation at the March regular Board meeting. Insurance meeting was held with Lockton to review rates with Anthem. Next meeting on insurance will be March 2, 2009.
Deborah Capetta, long-time Administrative Assistant of the School-Age Child Care Program (SACC), recently passed away. .A Parents’ Coffee will be held on Friday, February 27, 7:30AM, at the Branford Police Department. Also on Friday, 7:30AM, at the Day’s Inn, a Legislative Breakfast at Day’s Inn will be held.
Stimulus money still has not been determined for Title I and Special Education. March 19, Thursday, the Board will present their education budget for 2009/2010 to the Board of Finance. March 23, is a working session and decision of the Board of Finance on the education budget. There will be a Legislative Breakfast in March by CABE for the area.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES’ REPORT
Taryn Mockus and Jenna Grande reported NAEP Test over 95% attended. Hockey game tonight and Swim team has returned from their Florida trip. Girls’ basketball has ended; Boys’ basketball will finish on Monday. Senior Days celebrated. Model Congress returned from their trip to Boston and are in Pennsylvania. Blood drive tomorrow; will have 80 participants. CT scholar art awards announced. Jason Dittert won an award for his wind turbine project. Singing valentines were performed before the February recess.
DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA
03 (Prins/Krause) Motion to approve Walsh field trip request to Heritage Music Festival, New York City.
MOTION PASSED/APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
04 (Prins/Krause) Motion to approve first reading of Policy No. 5141.21
Administration of Medication. Linda Barr suggested adding controlled substance in the policy.
Motion withdrawn and referred back to Teaching & Learning Committee.
05 Dr. Mary Peraro, Assistant Superintendent, presented the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) District and School Reports for 2007/2008.
06 (Barr/Squires) Motion to move that the contract of employment of non-tenured certified staff (list attached) not be renewed for the following year upon its expiration at the end of the current school year, and
that Superintendent Halligan is directed to advise such person(s) in writing of this action.
Approved: Watson, Squires, Caruso, Carrano, Prins; Denied: Krause, Berdon. Motion carried.
07 Board Chair, Frank Carrano, introduced Connie Drysdale, resident. She described Branford Community Gardens’ goal of garden plots around Branford. Plots (20x20) on various sites, including the land behind
Pine Orchard School. Vegetable plots to donate to families of need. Have volunteers wishing to give back to the community, as well as merchants. They will be organic gardens.
Alex Palluzzi, Branford Recreation Director, will help to locate potential plots. Compost from Transfer Station for use in gardens. Attorney Berdon suggested an agreement to determine conditions and liability issues.
CONSENT AGENDA
08 (Squires/Prins) Motion to approve the resignation of Board Secretary, Patricia Scully.
MOTION PASSED/APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
09 (Squires/Prins) Motion to approve, with regret, the retirement of Sandra Ardito, Nurse’s Aide at Walsh Intermediate School, as of June, 2009.
MOTION PASSED/APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
PERSONNEL & FINANCE
Mr. Krause, Personnel & Finance Chair, reported Special Education deficit budget hopefully will be met. Monthly expenditures are fine. NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009, at 6:30 P.M., Walsh Intermediate School Faculty Lounge.
COMMUNICATION
Mrs. Marie Watson, Communication Committee Chair, announced that the NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009, at 8:00 P.M., Walsh Intermediate School Faculty Lounge.
TEACHING & LEARNING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Mr. John Prins, Teaching & Learning Committee Chair, announced that DRA2 presentation was given by Monica Briggs. the Heritage Music Hall field trip request was discussed, as well as the social studies curriculum and Policy No. 5141.21 Administration of Medication. NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2009, at 6:30 P.M., Walsh Intermediate School Faculty Lounge.
10 (Squires/Krause) Motion to adjourn at 10:35 P.M.
MOTION PASSED/APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Hotz Prepared by
Secretary Aura Wilson
<<Non-tenured teacher list 08-09.pdf>>
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