School Board Members:    Barbara Coish, Beverly Donovan, Bruce Anderson and Michael Hatem
Superintendent:        Dr. Frank Bass
Assistant Superintendent:    Roxanne Wilson
Business Administrator:    Toby Eaton


Dr. Bass opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m. and called the roll of the Board.  Mike Hatem – aye; Barbara Coish – aye; Bruce Anderson – aye.  Beverly Donovan arrived at 6:15 p.m.

Motion to enter non-public at 6:02 p.m. under RSA-91-A: 3II b,c,d for purposes of nominations, personnel and Salem Contract Agreement.  Motion made by Barbara Coish with a 2nd by Bruce Anderson.  3-0.

Dr. Bass requested nominations at 7:35 p.m. for Chair and Vice Chair for the Windham School Board. 

Nomination for School Board Chair for Barbara Coish was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 4-0.

Nomination for School Board Vice Chair for Bruce Anderson was made by Michael Hatem with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 4-0.

Barbara Coish called the meeting to order at 7:38 p.m.  All those in attendance stood for the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.

Swearing in of new members

Mary Ann Horaj performed the swearing in ceremony for all School Board members both old and new.

Good News

Windham Center School – floor hockey intramural program and the Ski Club had record participation.  Chorus performed in the New Hampshire Elementary and Middle School Sharing Festival and was the only group to receive a standing ovation.

Windham Middle School – was the recipient of the 2007 Tri-County Athletics Sportsmanship Award.  The presented banner will be hung in the gymnasium.  This award was voted on by all other schools that Windham Middle competed against in their class for all sports.  It is a true testament to the student athletes, coaches and parents for their sportsmanship and sense of fair play both on and off the court.

Public Forum

Laurie Sweetser – School Board Liaison to the PTA addressed the Board requesting to be placed on their agenda at future business meetings.  She spoke of the preschool annex being included in the recent Teacher Appreciation week activities.  She told the Board that the Middle School teacher’s lounge had recently received a major overhaul from the PTA and countless volunteers.  She discussed a new fundraiser called Fun Fitness Drive and noted they will accept donations that are fitness related.  Mrs. Sweetser spoke of a scholarship contest available to 8th grade students at Windham Middle School for $150.00 to be used for academic supplies.

Board Buddies

Three students from Windham Middle School, Olivia Goodale, Kate Farrell and Megan Kuehl, spoke of a new student high school committee which will be meeting periodically with Owner’s Representative, Glenn Davis.  They spoke of visiting the high school site to see the progression of construction.  They took pictures and notes about what was going on at the site.  They were accompanied by Middle School teacher, Mrs. Brenda Morrow.  They thanked Mr. Davis for accommodating their committee and stated the pictures will be shown to the entire Middle School student body during lunch periods.  This was a very exciting trip for them to make.

Public Address (continued)

Paul Cino – stated he felt the town lost when the school articles were not passed at the last election.  He also stated he feels people will want to move out of town now and that it will cost almost twice as much later to build.

John Erdlen – Salem High School Sophomore gave his opinion of some Salem students – noting they do not want to go from Salem.  He stated they have a bond with teachers and staff and he thinks there should be more announcements to Salem High School about what is going on with Windham High.  He requested the School Board keep their last vote of allowing the Juniors and Seniors to remain at Salem.

Mike Marino – Salem High School Freshman stated he enjoys being at Salem High and does not want to return to Windham High School when it opens in 2009.

Bruce Anderson commented on the issue by stating, new school board member, Mark Brockmeier, recently investigated the issue.  He noted Mr. Brockmeier’ neighbor had arranged a meeting with some Salem students to hear their opinions on the subject.  Mr. Anderson read aloud a statement written by Mr. Brockmeier.  The statement concluded that he wished the class of 2010 and 2011 to remain at Salem High.

Mr. Anderson also stated that this was not an easy decision for the School Board to make.  He asked that the Junior and Senior classes perform a civic duty and help mentor the Freshman and Sophomores at Windham High School when it opens.

Beverly Donovan made a statement clarifying that she opposed splitting the grades up, but that she felt the Board was out of time and stated she will not reopen the discussion.  She noted they are moving forward and that their next job is to get the best tuition contract they possibly can with Salem.

Barbara Coish stated she felt it may not be cost effective, but they will have to bite the bullet and noted that is the way it is going to be done.

Salem Tuition Contract

The Board reviewed the proposed Salem tuition contract.  Barbara Coish noted the 5% penalty to Windham was taken out of the contract along with the 2% rental agreement.

Beverly Donovan noted that Windham will not become a voucher system for privately tuitioned students at other schools.

Bruce Anderson expressed his concern that Salem not invite/approach next year’s freshman and invite them to stay.   He requested this type of language be placed in the Contract.

Dr. Bass noted the Salem Board is discussing a policy that no one would be allowed to tuition their children in and he noted he felt confident with conversations being had with Salem that this will not be an issue.

Mike Hatem stated he agreed the 2/2 split should be final and that he was comfortable signing the contract without any additional conditions.  He also stated he felt the town needs to start coming together on these issues.

Motion that the Windham School Board ratifies the Salem Tuition Contract was made by Michael Hatem with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 4-0.

High School Colors

Jim Curtin addressed the Board speaking of the time honored Windham tradition of green gold and white along with the wildcat mascot.  He spoke of the student ballot and thinks the original student vote was compromised.

Dr. Bass thanked Mr. Curtin and noted there was an ad hoc committee that was formed at the Middle School to look at this.  Dr. Bass displayed a sampling of uniforms that displayed the blue/gold with green colors.  He noted the discretion to use the color green by administration.  He stated each uniform may be different and that it would be a nice compromise.  He also stated that the color green had been well incorporated into the high school gymnasium.

Cindy Hastings addressed the Board by stating she did not think it was the most important issue but that it was important nonetheless.  Mrs. Hastings brought some sporting items from Middle School which displayed the green/gold/white combination for the Board to view.  She requested that the Board take out the wording “an accent of green to be used at the discretion of administration”.

Barbara Coish noted they are working towards hiring the Athletic Director for the high school.

Bruce Anderson stressed that the discretion of administration would allow them to monitor the cost of each uniform and that the commitment is there to incorporate the color green. 

Kerry Hennessey addressed the Board by stating he felt this was a strong, important issue.  He stated he felt people were passionate about this issue.

Windmill Project

KW Management along with David, the student who introduced the concept, addressed the School Board.  KW Management decided it was an acceptable site for a turbine and noted they have come up with a few different proposals.

Dr. Bass discussed the use of the windmill site as a science center and learning opportunity for the high school students.  He stated he felt confident that over time they would be able to generate a windmill at no cost to the school district.

Beverly Donovan noted that there was talk about using the windmill as a cell tower as well.

KW Management spoke of the costs to implement such a system and the cost savings over the lifetime of the turbine.  It was noted there would be little maintenance costs associated with this type of system.  He also spoke of what is needed during installation.

School District Calendar

Barbara Coish questioned a delayed opening day.  Dr. Bass noted that other districts are doing this and that they wanted to try this once and see how the teachers respond to it.

Beverly Donovan noted the bus schedule would have to be looked at closely on such a day.

Motion to accept school district calendar was made by Mike Hatem with a 2nd by Bruce Anderson.  Approved 4-0.

Pre-Algebra Placement Criteria

Windham Middle School Principal, Kori Becht and 6th grade teacher, Stephanie O’Shaughnessy discussed current offerings for pre-algebra for 6th and 7th graders.  They discussed current criteria.  They requested approval from the School Board for their proposed criteria.

Mike Hatem questioned how this would tie into the high school and questioned if they would be giving students something beyond calculus in high school.  They noted they would be discussing this further and looking at options with Dr. Bass while they move forward. 

Roxanne Wilson reminded the Board that when students take a class at the middle school level, that it does not mean they will receive credit for it in high school.

Motion to accept the pre-algebra placement criteria as presented by the Middle School was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 4-0.

Windham Middle School Graduation

Mrs. Becht discussed possible dates for graduation.  It was noted the last day of school was scheduled for June 19, 2008.

Motion to accept graduation date for Windham Middle School to be June 17th with a rain date of June 18 upon approval from the Commissioner for a waiver was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 4-0.

Middle School Advisory

Principal Becht, 6th grade teacher Craig Kingsley and Guidance Counselor, Julie Lichtman discussed Middle School’s exploration of an advisory period for students, beginning next year.  They asked the Board to allow them to explore this option.  It was noted the school tries to address the needs of all students but that some students are slipping through the cracks as the school grows.  This program would allow daily adult/student connections to be made.  It was further noted that students would be matched up with staff members and that training for staff would be provided.

Mr. Kingsley noted, from a classroom teacher’s perspective, that it would not take away from instruction time.

Principal Becht noted that the middle school program would be the foundation for the high school advisory program.

Barbara Coish directed Mrs. Becht and her team to continue with their work on the advisory program.

Teacher Agreement

It was noted this was approved by the Board.

Windham School Board Reorganization

TGIF                                   Barbara Coish
Salem School Board             Michael Hatem
SERESC Representative        Beverly Donovan
NHSBA (Board of Directors)   Beverly Donovan
NHSBA (Representative)       Bruce Anderson
CIP                                     Michael Hatem
CIP Alt.                               Bruce Anderson
Windham Endowment Liaison     Beverly Donovan

WHS Committees:
    Art/Music/Co-Curricular    Mark Brockmeier
    Athletics                         Michael Hatem
    Communications            Barbara Coish
    Building                        Bruce Anderson
    Building Alter.               Michael Hatem
    Integration                     Beverly Donovan
    PERC                            Barbara Coish

Liaison to Construction Project    Bruce Anderson
SAU Withdrawal Study Comm.    Mark Brockmeier and Michael Hatem
Strategic Planning Comm.          Beverly Donovan
Revision of School Board Policy    Bruce Anderson and Michael Hatem
Negotiation Team            Michael Hatem
School Council
    GBS                Barbara Coish
    WCS                Barbara Coish
    WMS                Mark Brockmeier and Bruce Anderson
Board Buddy Coordinator       Barbara Coish
Kindergarten Committee        Beverly Donovan

Dr. Bass noted the enormous work the high school committees have done and requested that going forward, the work be continued by the Deans, Principal and Superintendent’s office.

Michael Hatem agreed, but with the exception of the Building Committee and Integration.

Bruce Anderson requested that the Curriculum Committee remain active in their work throughout the summer.

Roxanne Wilson noted their role should be for input only and not approval – regarding curriculum.


Approval of Minutes

Motion to accept the February 8, 2008 public minutes was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 3-0-1 (Hatem abstained)

Motion to accept as amended the March 4, 2008 public minutes was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2d by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 3-0-1 (Hatem abstained)

Motion to accept the non-public minutes from March 8, 2008 was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 3-0-1 (Hatem abstained)

Motion to accept the non-public minutes from March 10, 2008 was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 3-0-1 (Hatem abstained)

Motion to accept the Consent Agenda was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Beverly Donovan.  Approved 4-0.

Resignations

Dr. Bass presented the School Board with two resignations.

Motion to accept with regret the resignations as presented and thanked them for their years of service to the Windham School District was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Michael Hatem.  Approved 4-0.

Kitchen Report

Dr. Bass noted he is still waiting for information.  Barbara Coish noted it would need to be tabled for now due to the budget.

Bruce Anderson updated Mr. Hatem on the kitchen report.  Mr. Anderson noted he would still like to see any information that can be gathered.

RSA Information

Dr. Bass noted he would like to bring Attorney Graham to a School Board workshop to discuss some major RSA’s and how they would impact the Board.  He noted it would be helpful to hear this type of discussion.  The Board agreed with Dr. Bass and the meeting will be scheduled.

Summer Program Update

Dr. Bass discussed the extraordinary programs that are offered to Windham students during the summer months.  He stated his office will watch how it unfolds this year and then come back to the Board with recommendations with regard to district liabilities.  Mr. Eaton noted there are financial concerns involved; incurring long-term liabilities and funding issues.

Beverly Donovan reminded the Board that they do have a draft of a Building Use Policy which can be used for comparisons.

Correspondence

NHSBA Scholarship Program information and the NHSBA 2008 School Board Orientation and Refresher Workshop was included in members packets.

Administrative Monthly Reports

Mr. Anderson requested that Toby Eaton and Glenn Davis go over the project budget on camera for the community to hear at a future meeting.

Mr. Eaton noted they are on target price-wise and financially on the right track with no mismanagement whatsoever.  He stated he and Glenn would be happy to give a report on camera.

Mrs. Coish requested the auditing firm formally present their report to the Board at a future meeting.

Mr. Eaton noted they should have a signed copy within the week and that he would request a visit from them in the next month or so.

Dr. Bass noted that going forward; monthly budget reports will be given in a condensed format which will showcase any concerns for the Board to see.

Dr. Bass noted with regard to Board/Administration communications that emails are proving to be very helpful along with weekly updates to one another.

Roxanne Wilson noted the Title 1 Grant for the summer reading program is almost done.  She also noted that this is the time of year she is very busy with grants and will give updates as she moves forward.

Board Members Reports and Concerns

Beverly Donovan – suggested a meeting with Harvey and Dr. Bass to discuss teacher’s rooms at the high school.  She suggested taping the rooms off in order to provide a visual for everyone before moving forward.

Dr. Bass will attend the Kindergarten hearing tomorrow but not testify.  He will bring all information back to both districts.

Dr. Bass stated that Human Resource Director, Fran DeCinto, will be coming to the Board to discuss a labor grade study and scale for secretaries in the district.

Bruce Anderson stated the Board will need to do some forward planning (GBS/fields/kindergarten) and would like to volunteer himself and Mr. Hatem to see where they are at.  He noted he would like to start now gathering data.

Beverly Donovan stated she would like to add a goal setting session to their next Agenda.


Motion to adjourn the public session under RSA 91-A: 3II(b) at 10:28 p.m. was made by Bruce Anderson with a 2nd by Michael Hatem.  Michael Hatem-aye; Beverly Donovan-aye; Barbara Coish – aye; Bruce Anderson – aye.

Respectfully - Diane Figaro