Feb. 3, 2015 Special Meeting

Revised Agenda

Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Rescheduled to Tuesday, February 3 at 5:30 PM 
Coddington Building

I. Approval of Minutes: None.

II. Open Forum: An opportunity for community input regarding the Quincy Public Schools. After giving his or her name and address, each speaker may make a presentation of no more than four minutes to the School Committee. An individual may not exchange their time or yield to others.

III. Superintendent’s Report: None.

IV. Old Business: None.

V. New Business:

A. MSBA Statement of Interest: Squantum Elementary School (Vote) - Mayor Koch

B. MSBA Accelerated Repair Program Statements of Interest (Vote) - Mayor Koch

1. Beechwood Knoll Elementary School Windows & Doors, Roof

2. Merrymount Elementary School Roof

3. Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center Windows

VI. Additional Business:

VII. Communications:

A. Upcoming School Committee Meetings (Coddington Building, 7:00 pm):

1. February 11, 2015

2. March 4, 2015

3. March 18, 2015

B. Upcoming Subcommittee Meetings (Coddington Building):

1. Health, Transportation, and Safety, February 9, 5:00 pm

2. Facilities & Security, February 9, 2015, 5:45 pm

3. Policy, February 11, 2015, 6:30 pm

VIII. Reports of Subcommittees: None.

IX. Executive Session: None.

X. Adjournment:


Subcommittees of the School Committee

Budget & Finance
Hubley/Bregoli, DiBona, Isola, Koch, Mahoney, McCarthy

Facilities and Security
McCarthy/Bregoli/Hubley

  1. Sterling Building Plans Referred to Subcommittee by the School Building Task Force in 1998.

  2. Houses on Saville Avenue Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. Currently home to the City’s Public Building department, the School Committee and Superintendent see no future educational uses for these properties.

  3. President’s City Inn Referred to Subcommittee at the October 10, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Safety concerns have been expressed about this property that abuts the new Central Middle School. Current construction plans were reviewed at the March 18, 2014 Subcommittee Meeting.

  4. North Quincy High School Campus Expansion/Teel Field Project Referred at the January 22, 2014 School Committee Meeting. A presentation on the proposed enhancements will be scheduled.  

Health, Transportation & Safety
DiBona/Bregoli/McCarthy

  1. School Meal Charges Referred to Subcommittee at the March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting. New state and federal regulations require formalization of the school meal charges policy.

  2. Science Lab Safety: Referred from the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee at the April 2, 2012 meeting. Monitoring of supplies will be handled by School Safety Teams.

  3. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Referred to Subcommittee at the September 24, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. Student Support Services working with Lincoln Hancock, Clifford Marshall, and Parker Elementary Schools on piloting this initiative.

  4. Traffic Concerns at North Quincy High School Referred to Subcommittee at the March 5, 2014 School Committee Meeting. Concerns about East Squantum Street crosswalk/parking lot entrance.

  5. Solar Array Installation on School Roofs Referred from the Facilities & Security Subcommittee on September 10, 2014. Monitoring of the ongoing projects and the educational opportunities.

  6. Learn to Swim Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring the ongoing partnership between QPS and the South Shore YMCA.

  7. Farm to School Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring the Planning Grant rollout, a collaboration of QPS and the Planning Department.

  8. CPR Certification Referred from the Policy Subcommittee at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Grade 8 students will be certified through Health classes.

  9. Before School Exercise Programs Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Monitoring the implementation of these programs across QPS.

  10. Food Services Technology Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Exploring the options for further publicizing the advantages of these new systems.

Policy
Bregoli/Isola/Hubley

  1. Graduation Requirements Referred to Subcommittee at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and discussed at the October 11, 2011 School Policy Subcommittee. The discussion centered around adding a fourth year of Math as a graduation requirement; the issue is tabled until more is known about the impact of the new Common Core Standards on the Massachusetts frameworks.

  2. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee. Further discussion will be held in joint Subcommittee Meetings and Executive Session as it pertains to collective bargaining.

  3. High School Community Service Referred to Subcommittee at the December 14, 2011 School Committee Meeting. In the 2012-13 school year, Grades 10 and 11 completed requirement. In the 2013-14 school year, Grades 11 and 12 completed the requirement. In 2014-15, Grades 9-11 plus any seniors who did not complete their Grade 11 requirement will perform Community Service.

  4. Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities Referred at the June 13, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of amending the existing policy requested to explore the possibility of raising revenue by accepting advertising sponsorships.

  5. Residency Referred at the September 18, 2013 Special School Committee Meeting. Review of existing policy and expansion to include additional information on verification process.

  6. Review of High School Academic and Extracurricular Programs Referred at the November 13, 2013 School Committee Meeting. A comparison of the offerings at both schools to be analyzed to ensure equitable and parallel opportunities for all students at both facilities.      

  7. Open Enrollment Referred at the October 8, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion to focus on the timeline for placement decisions and communication to parents.

  8. Middle School Grading System Referred at the December 10, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion.

  9. Emergency Procedures Policy Referred at the December 10, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and updating of the existing policy to reflect current standard protocols.

Special Education
Mahoney/DiBona/McCarthy

  1. Student Information for Substitute Teachers Originally referred to Subcommittee at the January 17, 2007 School Committee Meeting. Aspen Student Information System Special Education module reports will be utilized to share information with substitute teachers beginning in September 2014.

  2. Special Education Program Assessment Referred to Subcommittee at the January 28, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. This will be an ongoing discussion of the curriculum initiatives for Special Education.

Rules, Post Audit & Oversight
Hubley/Isola/Mahoney

Teaching and Learning
Isola/Hubley/Mahoney

  1. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the School Policy Subcommittee. The 2013-2014 school year is the first year of the new Educator Evaluation process and a collaboration will continue between the School Committee, Superintendent’s Leadership Team, and the Quincy Education Association around issues related to the implementation.

Ad Hoc Committees: Channel 22

Sterling Building Committee
DiBona/McCarthy

Sterling/Point Webster Grade 5
McCarthy/Bregoli/DiBona/Hubley/Isola/Koch/Mahoney

Created at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting to review issues related to Grade 5 being located in middle school buildings.

School District Maps
Isola/Bregoli/DiBona/Hubley/Koch/Mahoney/McCarthy

Created at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting to review issues related to school district maps.

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts - February 3, 2015
Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

A special meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at the Coddington Building at 5:45 pm. Present were: Mayor Thomas Koch, Chair, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mr. David McCarthy, and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.

Vice-Chair Presiding

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The Superintendent called the roll and Mr. DiBona and Mrs. Mahoney were absent. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Ms. Beth Hallett, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey; Mrs. Maura Papile, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Judy Todd.

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Open Forum

As no one requested to speak at Open Forum, the School Committee went on with the business at hand.

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New Business

There was no Approval of Minutes, Superintendent’s Report, or Old Business, so the Vice Chair moved directly to New Business.

Resolutions Supporting Massachusetts School Building Authority Statements of Interest

Mayor Koch reviewed that in looking at the Quincy Public Schools plant facilities, the Squantum Elementary School is the obvious choice as the next priority to consider for a new building. This is the very early stage, submitting the Statement of Interest does not commit the city to anything beyond exploring options with the assistance of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). City Council will meet on Monday, February 9 to vote on supporting the submission of this Statement of Interest, as well as the Statements of Interest for the AcceleratedRepair Program projects for Beechwood Knoll (Windows & Doors, Roof), Merrymount (Roof), and the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center (Windows & Doors).

Dr. DeCristofaro said that the Statements of Interest for the Accelerated Repair Program projects were due to be submitted on February 13, 2015 and the Statement of Interest for Squantum is due on or before April 10, 2015.

Resolution for Squantum Elementary School Statement of Interest

Be It Resolved:

Having convened in an open meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, prior to the closing date, the School Committee of Quincy, in accordance with its charter, by-laws, and ordinances, has voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest Form dated April 10, 2015 for the Squantum Elementary School located at 50 Huckins Avenue, Quincy, Massachusetts which describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority category(s) for which an application may be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future:

Priority 7: Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with the state and approved local requirements.

Description of Deficiencies for Priority 7: The Squantum Elementary School was built in 1919 and an addition constructed in 1971. In almost forty-four years, it has not received any substantial upgrades or improvements to the infrastructure or to the interior/exterior structures. Although the custodial and maintenance staffs are attentive to this building’s operational needs, a large portion of Squantum’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were installed during the original construction of the facility. Aside from the improvements needed to the physical plant, educational components crucial for 21st century elementary schools are lacking, specifically classrooms equipped for the integration of educational technology and STEM concepts integral for standards-based instruction for regular education, Special Education, and English Language Learner students. Squantum’s nurse’s office, student support staff offices, cafeteria/gynasium, and media center are all undersized and under-equipped by modern educational standards.

and hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting this Statement of Interest Form, the Massachusetts School Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the City of Quincy School District to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the resolution supporting the Superintendent filing a Statement of Interest with the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the Squantum Elementary School. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 5-0. Mr. DiBona and Mrs. Mahoney were absent.

Mayor Koch said that for the Accelerated Repair Program, we have been successful in collaborating with Public Buildings in this program with window and door replacements for five buildings currently in the project pipeline. Mayor Koch noted that for the Bernazzani heating system replacement, the City Council will be appropriating funding for the engineering process, the determination has been made that this replacement cannot wait for the MSBA process timeline.

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Resolution for Beechwood Knoll Elementary School Statement of Interest

Be It Resolved:

Having convened in an open meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, prior to the closing date, the School Committee of Quincy, in accordance with its charter, bylaws, and ordinances, has voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest Form dated February 13, 2015 for the Beechwood Knoll Elementary School located at 225 Fenno Street, Quincy, Massachusetts which describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority category(s) for which an application may be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future:

Priority 5: Replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy-related costs in a school facility.

Description of Deficiencies for Priority 5: The Beechwood Knoll Elementary School was built in 1952 and renovated in 1995. Given the innovation in window manufacturing technology since the building renovation was completed, the Beechwood Knoll Elementary School’s energy efficiency would be substantially improved by the installation of replacement windows. New replacement windows would also increase the amount of natural light entering classrooms, creating a better learning environment. In addition, the roof of the original building wing is in need of replacement.

and hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting this Statement of Interest Form, the Massachusetts School Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the City of Quincy School District to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to approve the resolution supporting the Superintendent filing a Statement of Interest with the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the Beechwod Knoll Elementary School. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 5-0. Mr. DiBona and Mrs. Mahoney were absent.

Resolution for Merrymount Elementary School Statement of Interest

Be It Resolved:

Having convened in an open meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, prior to the closing date, the School Committee of Quincy, in accordance with its charter, bylaws, and ordinances, has voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest Form dated February 13, 2015 for the Merrymount Elementary School located at 4 Agawam Road, Quincy, Massachusetts which describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority category(s) for which an application may be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future:

Priority 5: Replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy-related costs in a school facility.

Description of Deficiencies for Priority 5: The Merrymount Elementary School was built in 1928 and renovated in 1977. The main roof of the school is in need of replacement.

and hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting this Statement of Interest Form, the Massachusetts School Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the City of Quincy School District to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the resolution supporting the Superintendent filing a Statement of Interest with the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the Merrymount Elementary School. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 5-0. Mr. DiBona and Mrs. Mahoney were absent.

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Resolution for Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center Statement of Interest

Be It Resolved:

Having convened in an open meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, prior to the closing date, the School Committee of Quincy, in accordance with its charter, bylaws, and ordinances, has voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest Form dated February 13, 2015 for the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center located at 100 Brooks Avenue, Quincy, Massachusetts which describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority category(s) for which an application may be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future:

Priority 5: Replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy-related costs in a school facility.

Description of Deficiencies for Priority 5: The Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center was built in 1994. Given the innovation in window manufacturing technology since the building renovation was completed, the school’s energy efficiency would be substantially improved by the installation of replacement windows. New replacement windows would also increase the amount of natural light entering classrooms, creating a better learning environment.

and hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting this Statement of Interest Form, the Massachusetts School Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the City of Quincy School District to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to approve the resolution supporting the Superintendent filing a Statement of Interest with the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 5-0. Mr. DiBona and Mrs. Mahoney were absent.

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There was no Additional Business. Under Communications, Mrs. Hubley reviewed the upcoming School Committee and Subcommittee meetings, noting that the February 9 Facilities & Security will be rescheduled.

There were no Reports of Subcommittees or Executive Session.

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Adjournment

On a motion by Mayor Koch, seconded by Ms. Isola, the Special School Committee Meeting was adjourned at 6:00 pm. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.