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DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD
Minutes Highlights
Regular Meeting of 3 September 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Access Full Minutes

1.    The Board engaged in a 20 minute question-and-answer exchange by speaker phone with Dori Wolfe, whose firm Wolfe Energy has submitted a proposal to establish a 150 KW(DC) solar array on the roof of the school.  The issues discussed were the financial arrangements for the array to ensure a no-cost-to-the-school installation, bonding/purchase alternatives, roof adequacy and panel placement, fair market value depreciation, maintenance responsibilities and snow problems.  The board also decided to survey other local consultants before deciding on the Wolfe proposal.

2.   Two new student representatives on the Danville School board for 2019-2020 will be chosen by an application and interview process conducted by the Board itself rather than by selection by the outgoing representatives.  Applications are due by September 17^th.  In the future this selection will be held during the Spring Semester.

3.   Monica Morrissey, the grants manager for the SU, provided the board with an overview of federal grants aiming to improve student achievement and how they relate to meeting the SU goals for this year: (1) improvement in individualized student achievement scores in ELA and math and (2) attaining a high score in assessment of the school‘s positive behavioral intervention system.   The overview was also intended to alert the board to changes in the regulations and structure of the SU impacting the annual budgeting process, which the board will commence soon.

4.   Danville’s Sevigny Trust Fund, which is used annually to maintain the school’s athletic fields, was drawn upon for improving outfield drainage on the Town Softball Field, hedge trimming on the Town baseball/soccer field, purchase of a new field painting machine and replacement of the sign for the Town Athletic Complex.

5.   The Principal reported “If we got 5 more kindergarten students, that would require a third classroom – and we have no place to put them.”  He emphasized this elementary school enrollment as his most pressing problem.”  “We are bursting at the seams.”  He also indicated steps had been taken to reconstitute the Leadership Team and to move forward on issues of academic honors and student tuition policy.

6.   The Superintendent reported the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with the union (CCEA), a SU-wide assembly of about 400 teachers and staff  at Danville for teachers to meet their counterparts in other districts prior to the start of the school year, an overview of hiring across the SU, an update on the federal grants program and notification of approval for distribution to district boards of a new Social Media Policy.

7.   The board began to explore physical space issues confronting the school – not only those in the elementary grades (see Principal’s remarks above) -- but classrooms not well suited to a learning environment due to size, poor accessibility, etc. and working/office space for staff.  Solutions ranging from continued reconfiguration of existing spaces to exterior additions, both short and long term, were discussed.  The board was clear that any expansion needed to be well (data-) justified and transparent to the public.

DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD                                                                           Full Minutes
Minutes HIGHLIGHTS
Regular Meeting of 6 August 2019

1.  Chairman Melendy, who is on the CCSU-Union negotiations committee, and the Superintendent reported that negotiations with the teachers have gone well and concluded, so that a contract is expected to be ratified and signed in August.  Additionally, negotiations with the support staff are proceeding well according to both:  The Superintendent noted “We're having good discussions back and forth.  We are not always agreeing, but we are compromising.”

2.  The Principal reported to the Board that Cassidy Olden was selected a co-valedictorian for the recently graduated class of 2019.  She and Cole Beliveau share the honor, and her name will be added to the banner in the gymnasium.  Her unfortunately delayed recognition derived from state regulations regarding enrollment in early college; a situation which the Principal is working diligently to avoid recurring with another student.

3.  The Board voted to discontinue implementation of the 2018 CCSU Reciprocity Agreement, which has facilitated exchanges of students among districts within the SU.  While the Board still finds the exchanges beneficial to some, there are clear legal problems with the Agreement’s implementation, as it currently stands, and so the Board accepted the Superintendent’s recommendation to suspend the Agreement until such time as the legal issues are resolved.

4.  Danville School will host a CCSU-wide in-service meeting day of all teacher and support staff on August 22.  About 420 teachers and staff from all CCSU districts -- Cabot, Caledonia Cooperative [Barnet, Walden, Waterford], Danville, Peacham and Twinfield  -- are expected to attend.   This in-service day will provide an opportunity for personnel of one district to meet and exchange ideas with their counterparts in the others in the newly consolidated SU.

5.  The Principal reported that the Danville School has run of out space, something the board has been anticipating.  Toward addressing this concern the September 3rd Board meeting will address the initial steps in an exploration of dealing the need to keep the school facilities fit for current and future enrollments and programs.  The board has also received a proposal from the Danville Energy Committee to install solar panels for electricity generation on the roof of the building; discussion of that proposal will be melded into the one on new/upgraded facilities on September 3^rd.

6.  The Principal informed the Board of the following hires for the school made this summer:  Cinzia Mancini-Cross (world languages), Katy Crow-Whitlock (Middle School and High School) math interventionist, Trisha Potter (librarian) and Amy Flannery (special education coordinator and out-of-district case manager).

R Edgar/12 Aug 2019

DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD                                                                           Full Minutes
Minutes HIGHLIGHTS
Regular Meeting of  June 4, 2019

1.  Danville School is physically running out of classroom and other space leading both Principal Schilling and Board Chair Melendy to have the board begin discussions of adding on to the building during its Fall board meeting, 

2.  Fall 2019 hiring:   Tari Pritty, currently a MS math teacher at Hazen, has been hired for the Middle School math position at Danville.  David Cassidy, a long-term substitute teacher at Danville, has been hired to cover 5^th and 6^th grade English Language Arts.  A new, exceptionally experienced World Language instructor has been identified and will be contracted this summer upon her return to the States from Italy. Three strong applicants for the Librarian position are in the process of being interviewed with selection of one imminent.

3.  Teachers Guy Pearce and Spencer Morse received the OVX group Advisors of the Year Award in Vermont, while the OVX group itself received statewide recognition as the strongest with respect to community engagement.

4.  The board granted incoming Superintendent Mark Tucker summer hiring authority.

5.  The newly installed security system has been completed, except for a few camera placements, which is being handled in-house by the Information Technology crew, and a Facilities Report to the Board will be initiated by the Superintendent and Building Facilities Director starting in September 2019. 

6.  The CCSU board is restructuring and has submitted to the State Board of Education a proposal to reduce its size from 15 district representatives to 11:  two from each district, except for 3 from Caledonia Cooperative Supervisory District (Barnet, Walden, Waterford).  The new structure would leave Danville’s “voting power” largely unchanged, but decrease its number of CCSU Board representatives to two.  Cabot and Peacham would be over-represented and Cal Coop SD and Twinfield under-represented with respect to district population proportions.

7.  The 2019-2020 Danville School Family and Student Handbook has been approved by the Board, with authority for final editing granted to the Principal.  It will be issued this summer.

8.  The public session yielded concerns about parking during the school day at the southern end of the double-row of parking places in front of the school and its interference with traffic coming down the hill and exiting the lane from the front door.  Signs and line remarking will address with concern.

9.  The Board received two reports on Early Education primarily destined for discussion at the CCSU Board but which should be of interest and informative to Danville parents:  (1) Early Education Report Report and (2) Preschool Program Evaluation Summary

DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD                                                                       Full Minutes
Minutes HIGHLIGHTS
Regular Meeting of May 7, 2019

1.  The Board approved the hiring of Sarah Welch as the new Assistant Principal at Danville School.  Sarah is currently Dean of Students at Lyndon Town School and brings with her strong experience in building evidence-based systems for managing elementary student behavior.
   
   
2. The Board approved the expenditure of up to $100,000 from capital reserve funds to address facilities improvements:  replacement of the cafeteria floor, expansion of the weight room, replacement of broken doors in lobby and gym, replacement of cafeteria lighting with LED ballast fixtures and some bathroom stalls, an additional hallway camera and parking lot lights and conversion of space near to the cafeteria to a student-run store.
   
   
3. Students from the OVX [Our Voice Exposed Club] made a presentation to the Town Select Board and gained tentative approval to place “substance-free area” signs at the Town playing fields. 
   
   
4. Eve Codling and Gena Herrin made a PowerPoint presentation to the School Board of the new ATLAS program at the School, which is designed to enhance student interest, involvement and quality of their presentations of required High School portfolios.  These provide evidence of student competency and proficiency in a variety of areas.  Their presentation is also available on the DSB Home page.
5. Clayton Cargill was elected to be a school board representative on the Negotiations Committee for teacher and support staff contracts.
   
   
6. The Board is reviewing the policy (Code C16) for admission of non-resident, tuition students, in order to provide additional criteria to enhance student safety at the school.
   
   
7. Lindsey Mitchell asked about future physical space needs at the School.  Principal Schilling indicated reconfigurations would suffice to meet demands next year, but it was doubtful that could continue much longer.  Chairman Melendy indicated discussions regarding an addition to the building had arisen and could be expected to come before the Board before long.
   
   
8. Mary Wyand inquired in the public comment session about the public’s relation to the so-called “chain-of-command” at the School.  This board indicated that the chain was designed to be a pathway for the processing and resolution of complaints, whereby complaints are initially brought to that level in the chain (teacher-principal-superintendent-board) at which the incident originated, where most knowledge of it likely resides, and where it can handled confidentially and hopefully be resolved.  If unresolved at a lower level, it moves to the next higher level in the chain.  See CCSU Policy B11.
   
   
9. The business manager with board approval moved about $300,000 from endowment funds to the checking account, where is could accumulate interest and be used to lower borrowing on tax anticipation notes, in effect, providing a net savings to the district. 
   

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DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD                                                                         Full Minutes
Minutes HIGHLIGHTS
Regular Meeting of April 2, 2019

1.  The Board recognized and congratulated the outstanding achievement of the Boys Varsity Basketball Team in winning the Division IV State Championship over Poultney at Barre Auditorium on March 16, 2019. 

2.  The special educator position shared among SU districts has been increased for Danville (to 40% of the time) with no new costs to the modification.  The position responsibilities include intensive needs case management, mentoring the dedicated but provisionally licensed special educator at Danville, and case management for middle and high school students tuitioned into Danville.

3  The student representatives reported that Student Leaders for Voice and Change (SLVC), a Danville School group, devoted to making students’ voices heard, has visited local schools, attended conferences and student learning expositions in creating goals and an action plan to achieve its goals.  On a different note, Eve expressed a concern with demeanor between varsity and junior varsity teams to the Board.  Board expectations were that older players would serve as positive and constructive models for younger ones; the Board will see that this concern is addressed. 

4.  Expenditures were approved from the Sevigny Fund to support annual maintenance of the School’s sports fields, with special attention to the Town baseball and softball fields.  Also, the tennis court surfaces will be pressure-washed, cracks and fencing repaired, and pickleball lines and new signage added.  Future work will focus on replacement of the softball dugouts at the Town field.

5.  The Board accepted the bid of $116,018 to purchase and install new commercial grade boilers for the heating system.  It also has agreed to the repair of the wood chip boiler plant (backup), but postponed its decision to approve the expenditure of $36,000 until its May meeting so as to reassess fund allocation (it may have changed over the past month or two) and so the full board was present. 

6.  The Board authorized the Principal to advertise for a full-time, middle school & ninth grade math teacher.  This new position was recommended by middle school and high school faculty to decrease crowding in freshman level Algebra I, generate more secondary science and math courses, while covering the global citizenship position with currently dual-licensed faculty.

7.  The Principal proposed “tightening” the admittance of tuition students from other towns beyond the current requirement that they are in “good standing”, meaning “not suspended more than 10 days in the course of a year.” In order to further the safety of kids at the school, he wanted admission also contingent on other strictly safety-related issues that may be in an applicant’s background.   The Danville Board will develop or modify a policy to address this concern.

8.  The Board will be reviewing a revised draft of the Student Handbook at its May meeting.

9.  The Board approved a list of teacher and staff for contract renewal for the School.  It also conveyed board and public concerns to the Superintendent through the Principal regarding the in-service schedule for teachers and staff during the week of August 13 and the effectiveness of half-day in-service assignments.

Robert Edgar (Clerk), 8 April 2019