August 28th - Minutes
Minutes (Revised August 30, 2006)
Meeting Date: MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2006 Ð 6:00 P.M.
Meeting Location: MOHAWK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Committee Attendees: David Purington (Chair), Susan Flaccus, Paulo Consolo, Cindy Smith, Tom Lively
Committee Absentees: None
Guests in Attendance: Michael Buoniconti (MTRSD Superintendent)
Agenda
Brief Introductions
Overview of our mandate
Review Questions Posed by Steering Committee
Discuss our Approach and Level of Detail we will aim for
Overview of Options Selected by Steering Committee
Schedule our next several meeting Ð dates and rough agendas
Review Action Items assigned
Meeting ran from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.
Initial discussion focused on reviewing the expectations for the committee with regard to balancing the competing issues of shortness of time, many options, and the need to provide enough details in our budget evaluations so that they can be understood and trouble-shooted by others.
Reviewed the three questions posed by the Steering Committee with respect to financial issues. Agreed that MBuoniconti has adeqauet understanding of SBAB and reimbursement issues that we will not devote time to that topic at the present for any options.
Set next two meetings for Mondays September 11th and 25th at 6:00 pm, with the understanding that we would re-visit the need for other meetings following the September 14th Steering Committee meeting.
Reviewed options list put forward by Steering Committee with goal of making priority list to prepare first budget evaluation:
Option 1.1 Enhancement Ð generally assume there will be some start-up costs, then $100K per year per vocational program. There would be some increased aid via Chapter 74 and some amount of tuition from out-of-district students. Agreed to stop discussion at this preliminary point. Recognized that during the start-up years of a voc program, it might not be financially self-supporting
Option 1.2 Union - Agreed to have MBuoniconti develop budget model for this assuming that the union configuration would be Ashfield/Plainfield, Buckland/Shelburne, Colrain (alone), and Heath (alone). While many different configurations are possible, we felt this would be the most instructive model to start with.
Option 1.3 K-8 Agreed to postpone any budget evaluation at present. MBuoniconti will conduct a review of the requirements for certifications and/or facilities (i.e. laboratories) that would be necessary for sending 7th and 8th student back to elementary buildings.
Option 2.1 Regional Elementary - Agreed to have MBuoniconti develop budget model.
Option 2.2 Regional Middle School Agreed to postpone any budget evaluation at present.
Option 2.3 Regional K-12 Agreed to have MBuoniconti develop budget model.
Option 3.1 Agreed to have MBuoniconti develop four (4) budget models for this assuming that each of the four existing elementary schools are closed individually. Other scenarios involving multiple school closings might also be considered, but this would be deferred to later time.
Action items assigned included for MBuoniconti to developed first draft financial evaluations of 4 options (as above) and to deliver them electronically to the task force members, as they are ready. Task force members to review them and be prepared to discuss at next meeting. MBuoniconti to also review state requirements under Option 1.3 MBuoniconti to find out when each of the SBAB loans will be paid in full and how much control over buildings the state retains AFTER the loans are all paid up. DPurington to contact chair of Building Use Task Force with respect to specific requests for their support (done in person immediately following meeting).
