ROCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD

Organizational School Board Meeting

February 14, 2008

City Council Chambers

DRAFT

 

Members Present:

Mr. Robert Watson, Chair

Mr. Mark Torr

Dr. Anthony Pastelis

Mrs. Anne Grassie

Mrs. Audrey Stevens

Mr. William Brennan

Ms. Caroline McCarley

Mr. Travis Allen

Mr. Frank Callaghan

Mrs. Peggy Parker

Mrs. Pamela Hubbard

Mr. Timothy Bruneau

 

Members Absent:

Mr. John Connelly

 

 

 

 

 

Also Present:

Mr. Michael Hopkins, Superintendent

Mr. Kent Hemingway, Assistant Superintendent
Ms. Linda Casey, Business Administrator

Atty. Jerome Grossman

 

Guests/Press

 

Mr. Watson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. on a roll call with a quorum present. Members participated in the pledge of allegiance. 

 

Last Minutes                        Mr. Callaghan moved, second by Mrs. Hubbard, to accept the minutes of the Organizational meeting of January 10, 2008 and the Special Board meeting January 24, 2008.

 

Superintendent’s Report

 

 

Employee Recognition        Mr. Hemingway, Assistant Superintendent, with the assistance of Mrs. Nancy Booth acknowledged the recipients of the January  Rochester School Department Employee of the Month award, highlighting their attributes:   Ms. Judy Cohen, Counselor/Social Worker at Spaulding High School; Mr. Scott Prieto, Math Teacher at Rochester Middle School; Dorothy “Dottie” Sylvia, Special Education/Resource Room Teacher at School Street School; and Nancy Graham, Nurse Department Head (District).

 

                                                Recipients received a $25 gift certificate from The 103 Restaurant in Rochester, a certificate of appreciation and a bouquet of flowers from the RW Creteau Horticultural Program.

 

Farewell                                 Mr. Hopkins acknowledged and thanked Amanda Dumond, Foster’s reporter for the outstanding job she had done representing the School District through the media.  This would be the last School Board meeting covered by Ms. Dumond, as she will be moving on to pursue her career goals.

 

Student Senate Report

                                                Sara Hussey, Student Senate President, reported that students are adjusting to new classes and schedules as the second semester gets underway.  The second semester Open House had to be cancelled due to inclement weather twice; all look forward to a rescheduled date.

 

                                                Clubs within the school are busy conducting their fundraisers; the Key Club completed their annual Flower Grams today.  The Student Senate coordinated with the administrators to have a Spirit Day-Winter Festival next Friday to acknowledge  all the winter sports teams.    The French Honor Society held its first induction ceremony; the Masque and Dagger Club is quite busy with rehearsals for the upcoming play scheduled in March, The Wizard of Oz; the National Honor Society is busy planning their many spring events; and the winter sports programs have been quite successful in team and individual competitions.

 

Public Comment                 

                                                Mr. Jake Collins of Rochester wanted to recognize Mr. Frank Callaghan’s most recent recognition at the State level as the recipient of the prestigious Carl Lundholm Memorial Award for distinguished service to youth in athletics.  Mr. Callaghan has unselfishly devoted 65 years to the youth in our community and the state; he was recruited as a state official for timekeeping at tournaments and competitions around the state.   Mr. Collins reminisced back to 1955 when the basketball team returned home late from a game in Laconia, rides was not readily available but Mr. Callaghan was there to give the few stray team members rides; one of the players happened to be himself.   Through the years Mr. Callaghan has shown integrity, kindness, and decency to all those around him.  “Thanks for the ride, Frank.”

 

Committee Reports

 

Building Committee:        

                                               

Holy Rosary Signage          Mr. Callaghan moved, second by Mr.  Brennan, that the Board approve the signs for the Holy Rosary Credit Union on Wakefield Street and Chestnut Hill Road.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Engineering Services           Mr. Callaghan moved, second by Mr. Brennan, that the Board approve Norway Plains Associates, Inc. of Rochester, NH as the engineering firm for the Field Development Project for a total cost $35,000 per bid proposal.  The motion carried unanimously.

                                                 

Instruction Committee:

                                                No action required.

                                                 

Personnel Committee:

 

Retirements                           Mrs. Stevens moved, second by Dr. Pastelis,  that the Board approve the following resignations for retirement purposes effective at the end of the 2007-08 school year:



Thomas Alberghini............................................................................ English Teacher
Pamela Byers.................................................. Family & Consumer Science Teacher
Barbara Cascadden................................................................................. Psychologist
Georgia Chapman....................................................................... Grade Three Teacher
Donna Chase.................................................................... Special Education Teacher
Marie Chobanian.................................................................... Social Studies Teacher
Elizabeth Gaudette..................................................................... Grade Three Teacher
Cynthia Giguere............................................................................ Grade One Teacher
Linda Karacas............................................................................... Grade Two Teacher
Nancy Loud.................................................................................... Teaching Principal
Barbara Newton...................................................................... Social Studies Teacher
Jennifer Shone............................................................. Computer Education Teacher
Dorothy Taraburelli....................................................................... Reading Specialist
Martha Wingate.............................................................................................. Principal
Sherman Harmon..................................................... Technology Education Teacher
Sandie Nunziato......................................................................... Grade Three Teacher
Sharon Zumpfe............................................................................. Grade Two Teacher

 

                                                The motion carried unanimously.

 

Termination                           Mrs. Stevens moved, second by Mr. Callaghan, that the Board approve the employment termination of DW.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Nominations                         Mrs. Stevens moved, second by Mrs. Grassie,  that the Board approve the following nominations:



Laura Blakney................................................ Special Education Program Assistant
Lisa Fendone................................................. Special Education Program Assistant
Christine Joy........................................................... Special Education Program Aide
Jacqueline Pelletier............................................................ World Language Teacher
Michael Norton.......................................... School Lunch Program Driver/Delivery
Morgan Haag................................................. Special Education Program Assistant
Frederick Hirtle.............................................................................................. Custodian

 

                                                The motion carried unanimously.

 

Leave of Absence                Mrs. Stevens moved, second by Mr. Allen, that the Board approve the request for an extended leave of absence for the remainder of the 2007-08 school year for Jessica Carloni, Reading Specialist.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Co/Extra Curricular               Mrs. Stevens moved, second by Mrs. Parker,  that the Board approve the Co-Curricular/Extra-Curricular nominations:


Brandon Albert......................... Middle School “B” Team Boys Basketball Coach
Donald Betz............................................ Varsity Boys Basketball Assistant Coach
Richard Choate........................................................ Middle School Track Co-Coach
Kim Dugal......................................................... Junior Varsity (Winter) Spirit Coach
Lou Ferullo.............................................................. Middle School Wrestling Coach
Steven Foster.......................................................... Junior Varsity Basketball Coach
Kari Geisler................................ Middle School “A” Team Boys Basketball Coach
Brie Jordan..................................................................... (Mixed) Spring Track Coach
Jerry Lachance....................................................................... Varsity Baseball Coach
Marcus Murray.......................................................... Junior Varsity Baseball Coach
Patrick O’Connor................................... Middle School Wrestling Assitant Coach
Normand Sanborn................................................... Middle School Track Co-Coach
Todd Thone......................................... Middle School Wrestling Assistant Coach
Todd Thone............................................. High School Wrestling Assistant Coach
Bonnie Varney-Lachance........................................................... Varsity Swim Coach
Dorothy Callaghan................................... ($1.00) Assistant Varsity Softball Coach

     

                                                The motion carried unanimously.

 

Resignation                           Mrs. Stevens moved, second by Mrs. Grassie,  that the Board approve the following resignations:

 

Cristina Pineda De Mercedes.............................. Special Education Personal Aide
Kathy Sweeney..................................................................................... Cook Manager

 

                                                The motion carried unanimously.

     

Special Services Committee

 

                                                No action required.                                                                                                         

Finance Committee:

 

Locker Replacement            Mr. Watson moved, second by Mr. Callaghan, that the Board approve the low bid from J. Sallese & Sons, Inc. of Wakefield, MA for locker replacement in the amount of $36,000; plus approval of an additional $31,000 to replace the lockers on the second floor of A-wing at Rochester Middle School.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Engineering Services           Mr. Watson moved, second by Mr. Callaghan, that the Board approve the bid from Barker Architects of Concord, NH for engineering services for roof replacement a the East Rochester Annex and new wing at Spaulding High School in the amount of $11,900.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Zero Turn Mower                Mr. Watson moved, second by Mr. Callaghan,  that the Board approve the bid from Cocheco Equipment, Inc. of Rochester NH for a Zero Turn Mower Toro Model 7429 in the amount of $5,879.  The motion carried by majority vote.

 

Walking Track                      Mr. Watson moved, second by Mr. Brennan, that the Board approve the Chamberlain Street School walking track as presented.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

New Positions                      Mr. Watson moved, second by Mrs. Stevens, that the Board approve the following new positions:  Sign Language Interpreter, 35 hours per week at Spaulding High School; Full-time Special Education Teacher at McClelland School; Special Education Personal Aide for 35 hours per week at Spaulding High School; and a Special Education Personal Aide for 12 hours per week at East Rochester School.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Discipline Committee:

                                                Mrs. Parker moved, second by Dr. Pastelis, the Board approve the Committees recommendations from the February 5 2008 meeting as presented for case #2007-08: 3503; STA #3; STA #4 .  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Policy Committee:             

                                                No action required.

 

Old Business

                                No action required.                                                                                                         

     

New Business

 

Tuition Students                  Mr. Hopkins recommended based on enrollment projection, to allow no tuition students at the high school level other than those students within the AREA Agreement for school year 2008-2009.

 

                                                Mrs. Hubbard moved, second by Mr. Allen, to support the Superintendent’s recommendation to allow no tuition students at the high school level other than those students within the AREA Agreement for school year 2008-2009.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Non-Public Session

                                                Dr. Pastelis moved, second by Mrs. Grassie, that the Board enter non-public session in accordance with RSA 91-A:2, Paragraph II (c), to discuss matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the body or agency itself.  Time: 7:42 p.m.  The roll call vote was as follows:

 

                                    YES:  Mr. Callaghan, Mrs. Grassie, Ms. McCarley, Mrs. Parker,

                                                Mr. Bruneau, Mr. Brenan, Mr. Allen, Dr. Pastelis, Mr. Torr,

                                                Mr. Watson, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Hubbard

 

                                                NO:     None

                                               

                                                 The motion carried unanimously.

 

Public Session

                                                Mr. Callaghan moved, second by Mr. Brennan, to re-enter public session.  On a unanimous vote, the Board entered public session at   9:29 p.m.

 

Discipline                              Mrs. Grassie moved, second by Mr. Bruneau, that the Board approve the Committees recommendations from the January 17, 2008 and January 22, 2008 meetings as presented for case #: 2007-08: 2817; 2007-08: 2835; 2007-08: 2060; 2007-08: 2947; 2007-08 0-STA # 01; 2007-08: 2728; 2007-08: 2836; and  2007-08: 2947.  The motion carried by majority vote.

 

Adjournment

                                                Mr. Callaghan moved, second by Dr. Pastelis, to adjourn.  On a unanimous vote, the Board adjourned at   9:31 p.m.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                Michael Hopkins 

                                                                                                                                                Board Secretary