Present: Board members Brakenridge, Carter, Cassidy, Grant, Pilchman, Segal, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Moorman, Weissmann, Williams; and no members of the public.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Board Chair Woods called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Nancy Carter moved and Larry Pilchman seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of April 11 as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

3. MOOSE MOUNTAIN PROPERTY - Ed Chamberlain

Chair Woods introduced Ed Chamberlain who is a member of the Conservation Commission and Director of the Conservation Council. Mr. Chamberlain is interested in the protection and conservation of area lands. As part of his work with the Conservation Commission, he has uncovered a mix up with the Town records concerning the ownership of the Moose Mountain property believed to have been owned by the School District. Mr. Chamberlain explained that the property in question is the Plummer Hill lot at the end of Three Mile Road. He said that records show that the Town of Hanover had set aside 100 acres in 1772 as property for school use (called the School Lot) and he believes that Grafton County records may reflect Town ownership of this land. His research indicates that the property was leased to the Hanover School District in the 1700's and 1800's; however, in 1864, the Town leased the acreage to David Camp for 999 years at $9.25 per year. This lease passed down to the current lessee, Janet and Ed Thompson, who inherited the lease from Ed Thompson's father. Mr. Chamberlain said that the Plummer Hill lot is now about 60 acres. His conclusion is that the School District does not have ownership to this property, even though it was receiving $5 rent payments from Janet Thompson in the early 1990's. The only way to resolve this issue is to research the deeds. Mr. Chamberlain said that the Hanover Town Attorney has begun this research, but there is still much work to be done.

The Board asked the Administration to request a copy of the results of this research.

4. COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS

a) Report of the Chair - Chair Woods announced that the next regular Hanover Board meeting will be Wednesday, June 13, 7:30 p.m. at the Ray School Multi.

New Committee Assignments - Mr. Woods finalized committee assignments and asked Administration to distribute the 2001-02 Committees List.

b) Report of the Administrators

Superintendent's Report - Superintendent Greenbaum said that, as a result of the Transportation Demand Management Committee work, Administration will propose a change to the start times for the SAU schools for the 2001-02 school year. Explaining that this would be an experiment, Administration will propose a fifteen minute change, with the High School starting at 7:45 and the Ray School 8:30. Mr. Greenbaum acknowledged that this proposal is not fully supported by faculty and that there will be many public concerns; but it has the potential of significant traffic gains, while promoting bus ridership, and solving the problems surrounding the mixing of elementary and high school students.

Discussion followed which included concerns about Union support, methods of measuring success, and early supervision coverage. The Board asked Administration to gather information regarding starting times from other NH and VT schools.

This item will be brought back to the June meeting.

Assistant Superintendent for Business - Bill Moorman, Assistant Superintendent for Business, reviewed his May financial statement highlighting revenue projects expected to exceed budget by $18,516, and expenditures projected to be $33,183 lower than budget, for an overall year end surplus of $51,699.

He proposed the Board consider (1) funding some of the planned acoustical improvements from the surplus, and/or (2) placing up to $25,000 in the newly created maintenance expendable trust fund.

After discussion, Board Chair Steve Woods asked the Board to think about the options and revisit this matter at the June meeting.

Anne Segal requested that the Board hold a public hearing to enable the District to spend the $13,000 of revenue moneys. The Public Hearing will be posted for a time just prior to the June 13 meeting.

Principal's Report - Principal Williams distributed an enrollment handout which reflected new and likely enrollments for the 2001/02 school year. He explained that the new projections are up approximately 7% from the time the budget was prepared for the 01/02 school year. At that time, because of a lower projected enrollment, one teaching position had been eliminated. The new numbers may necessitate Administration's return to the Board for approval to reinstate that teaching position.

This item will be on the June agenda for discussion of class sizes.

Assistant Superintendent for Special Services - Jane Weissmann, Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, updated the Board on Administration's attempts to fill the .8 Speech/Language Pathologist position. The combination of a scarcity of Speech/Language Pathologists and the less than full time position has resulted in no viable candidates. Ms. Weissmann is now seriously considering filling the opening with two part time people, one at .6 and one at .4, which would total a 1.0 FTE. This increase to a 1.0 FTE would not mean more money than what is budgeted for the 2001-02 school year. Ms. Weissmann said that she is continuing to advertise, however.

Grants - As a result of a request from the Board to review grant applications that come to the SAU office, Ms. Weissmann distributed the few comprehensive grant applications that she has received lately. She reported that Hanover resident, Leslie Williamson, will be submitting a grant for professional development (similar to the Schools Attuned grant that the District has already received), and that Ms. Williamson has had success in obtaining a $30,000 grant, at her own initiative, which will benefit members of our faculty and those of other districts.

Educational Planning Committee - Mr. Williams reported that, as a result of brainstorming with members of the Committee, four ideas have surfaced for next year:

1. Hold a joint session with Dresden and Norwich Ed. Planning Committees to look at the SAU Educational Model
2. Review constituent surveys for possible issues to address
3. Look at the impact of technology on elementary education
4. Co-sponsor a program/forum to gain parental information regarding homework
or homework policy

The Committee will try to meet in late May or early June.

Spanish Committee - Mr. Greenbaum reported that the mass mailing to Hanover and Norwich residents from the Foreign Language Committee, Chaired by Bruce Duncan, will go out next month. This mailing is a series of questions seeking guidance with respect to interest in Spanish courses. Mr. Greenbaum praised the Committee for the hard work it has done.

5. PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no public comments.

6. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION

a) Policy DJED, Bids and Quotations - Mr. Greenbaum explained that John Aubin's first duty will be to draft a new policy with guidelines which can be shared with the public, but not confining, in order for the District to get the best price when purchasing goods. The Hanover policy will be slightly different from the Dresden and Norwich policies because of a Vermont law governing bids and purchases over a specific amount of money. John Cassidy asked that the Board be provided with a copy of that Vermont statute at the June meeting.

7. BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION

a) Approval of 6th grade Tuition Contract - Mr. Greenbaum reviewed the process leading to the Warrant Article on the March 2001 Warrant amending the contract.

Nancy Carter moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to authorize the Hanover Chair, Steve Woods, to sign the 6th Grade Tuition Contract between the Hanover School District and the Dresden School District as authorized by Hanover voters under Article 6 of the March 14, 2001 Hanover School District Warrant. The motion passed unanimously.

b) Set Tuition Rate - Mr. Greenbaum explained that, although it is not the practice of the District to accept tuition students, Administration feels it would be prudent to have a rate set should the need arise.

Anne Segal moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to set the tuition rate of the Hanover School District for the 2001-02 school year at $9,464. The motion passed unanimously.

c) Requests for Leaves of Absence

Anne Segal moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to accept the leave of absence requests of Tanya Alexander-Swett and Ashley Milliken for the 2001-02 school year in accordance with Article 19 of the contract between the Hanover School District and the Hanover Education Association. The motion carried unanimously.

d) PTO Gift request - Principal Williams explained that the PTO has award two gift/grants:

1. $500 - Strengthening Multicultural Links
2. $219.80 - Hang a Hoop (adaptive PE)

Nancy Carter moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to accept the PTO grants as read by the Principal. The motion passed unanimously.

Chair Woods thanked the PTO for its generosity to the Ray School.

Chair Woods also took the opportunity to thank Superintendent Greenbaum for his letter to the Valley News in which Mr. Greenbaum thanked faculty and staff for the outstanding work they do all year for our students.

e) Adoption of non-union salaries

Anne Segal moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to adopt the salaries of non-union personnel at the Ray School as proposed and attached to the original minutes of the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

Ms. Segal praised Bruce Williams and Janice Lavoie for their hard work saying that the District is very fortunate to have them.

8. ADJOURNMENT

John Cassidy moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to adjourn at 9:30 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary

June 13, 2001

Below includes first the hearing...then regular minutes of June 13.

HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
NOTICE OF RSA 198:20 (b) BUDGET HEARING
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2001
7:03 P.M., BERNICE A. RAY SCHOOL MULTI

MINUTES

Present: Board members Brakenridge, Carter, Pilchman, Segal, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Moorman, Weissmann, and Williams; and no members of the public.

Board Chair Steve Woods called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. in accordance with the provisions of RSA 198:20 (b) to receive public input, and to approve the expenditure of unanticipated revenues in the amount of $18,500.

Superintendent Greenbaum explained the sources of this revenue as follows: $8,000 from facility rentals, $4,500 from Medicaid, and $6,000 from NH Building Aid.

Chair Woods opened the meeting to public input, however there were no members of the public in attendance.

Anne Segal moved and Larry Pilchman seconded a motion to authorize the expenditure of $18,500 of unanticipated revenues in accordance with the provisions of RSA 198:20 (b)III, IV. The motion passed unanimously.

Nancy Carter moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to adjourn at 7:07 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m.

HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2001
7:30 P.M., BERNICE A. RAY SCHOOL MULTI

MINUTES

Present: Board members Brakenridge, Carter, Cassidy, Grant, Pilchman, Segal, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Moorman, Weissmann, Williams; and two members of the public.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Steve Woods called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. by introducing the members of the Board and Administration.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Nancy Carter moved and Anne Segal seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of May 9 as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

3. COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS

a) Report of the Chair - Chair Woods said that it has been the practice of the Board not to meet during the month of July, but asked if any Board member felt the need to have a meeting. Hearing no requests for a July meeting, Chair Woods announced that the next regular Hanover Board meeting will be August 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ray School Multi.

NHSBA - Chair Woods spoke briefly about the NH School Boards Association's annual call for resolutions, and asked if any Board member had issue(s) to bring as resolution(s) to the Association. Anne Segal asked the Hanover Board to support a resolution for appropriate and adequate funding for education in New Hampshire. It was believed that such a NHSBA resolution already exits. Superintendent Greenbaum will research this resolution; and, if none currently exists, he and Ms. Segal will draft one.

b) Report of Administrators

Superintendent's Report - Superintendent Greenbaum called the Board's attention to the Spanish Survey (Information document E in the Board's back-up). He said that this survey is a product of the work done by a task force led by Bruce Duncan, which was formed at the request of the Ed Leadership Committee last fall. Mr. Greenbaum explained that for many years, parents have asked why Spanish wasn't offered as an alternative to French in the primary and middle grades. The survey results will be reported to the Ed Leadership Committee, which will then share these results with the leadership in the schools. The Board may see some requests for change as a result.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Report - Assistant Superintendent for Business Bill Moorman reviewed his report and recommended that some some of the 2000-01 surplus funds be spent for technology equipment which has been budgeted in the 2001-02 school year. This would free up moneys to help fund the addition of a 25th teacher for the 2001-02 school year. This was discussed further when the end of the year spending item (6 c.) was discussed.
Assistant Superintendent for Special Services - Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Jane Weissmann updated the Board on the compliance visit of May 24. She said that an eight member team visited the three schools in the two Districts and found no compliance issues in terms of the programs with the exception of concerns about space. She said that the strength of the staff and related services appeared on all reports for all schools. There are some paperwork issues that need to be addressed which involve revising some of the forms that the Districts use in order to come into compliance with Federal and State laws. Ms. Weissmann also reported that the IDEA Team met on June 6 to review data including strengths and areas that need improvement, and will come up with a five year plan which Ms. Weissmann will share with the Board in the fall.

Mr. Greenbaum thanked Ms. Weissmann and the Special Ed Team for the outstanding report the Districts will receive from the compliance visit. He said that this has been a huge effort on the part of all.

Principal's Report - Principal Williams commended the work of the PTO and the outgoing Co-Presidents Martha Cassidy and Chris Pressey-Murray for the many endeavors the PTO has sponsored. He highlighted the PTO's interaction with parents and the community, its positive presence at every school event, the support it gives classroom teachers, the initiatives it has developed that extend educational programs of the school, and the excellent job of communication through the PTO Newsletter. Board Chair Steve Woods expressed the Board's support of this commendation as well.

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no public comments.

5. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION:

a) Job Description: Cafe Manager - Mr. Greenbaum explained that, during the process of advertising for a new Cafe Manager, it was discovered that the District did not have a job description for this position. He asked if the Board would approve this job description.

Anne Segal moved and Larry Pilchman seconded a motion to approve the job description for the Ray Cafe Manager as presented by Administration and attached to the original minutes of this meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Greenbaum announced that Mary Gardner has been hired for the Cafe Manager's position, and distributed a data sheet for the Board's information.

b) Acoustical Project - Mr. Greenbaum updated the Board on more definitive costs to fund the Acoustical project. Total cost is $68,842, however, Tim Foulkes has suggested that by doing the angled panels and purchasing a wenching devise, at a cost of $35,995, this might be enough to produce the desired results without having to spend for the ceiling panels and shells. Board members discussed the $30,000 of Bridgman Trust money approved by votes for use for this purpose, and how the additional $6,000 would be funded. Consensus was that moneys from the Maintenance Trust Fund moneys might be a source for this extra funding.

Anne Segal moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to authorize the Administration to spend $35,995 to do the first half of the acoustical project, as outlined in document 5 of the Board's agenda, of which $30,000 would be appropriated from the Bridgman Trust and the remainder from funds to be determined. The motion passed unanimously.

6. BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION:

a) TDM Recommendations - Mr. Greenbaum discussed the Transportation Demand Management recommendations and survey that is currently being conducted regarding school starting and ending times. He said that an affirmative response is needed from all schools in order for the time changes to occur. At the time of the meeting, he had only partial survey results to report. Final numbers will be available at the time of the Dresden Board meeting on June 19.

Kim Perez then distributed and reported the results of the "Way to Go" transportation survey that was conducted at the Ray School in connection with the Earth Day celebrations.

After discussion, the following motion was offered:

Anne Segal moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to approve the 2001-02 starting and ending times at the Ray School as follows: start time, 8:00 a.m., dismissal 2:30 p.m., subject to an affirmative response from surveys at Ray School and other schools in the SAU #70 Districts.
After further discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

b) Enrollment projections/recommendations * - Principal Williams reviewed the Ray School enrollment numbers and the rationale for his recommendation to add a 25th teacher for the 2001-02 school year.

Anne Segal moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to approve a 25th classroom teaching position for the 2001-02 school year. The motion passed 6 yes, 1 abstention (S. Woods).

* Note: Steve Woods abstained from the discussion and asked Nancy Carter to Chair this portion of the meeting.

c) End of year spending - This item was postponed until after the non-public session.

d) Expenditure of Special Ed Trust Fund - Mr. Greenbaum explained that the District has been billed for an unanticipated tuition expense, and asked the Board to approve the use of Special Ed Trust Fund moneys to cover the cost of this tuition charge.

Anne Segal moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to authorize the Administration to transfer up to $10,600 from the Special Ed Trust Fund to cover unbudgeted high school special ed tuition for the 2000-01 school year. The motion passed unanimously.

e) Nominations

The Superintendent placed in nomination Amanda Dartt as an elementary teacher at track 1, step 2, salary $32,593, for the 2001-2002 school year.

John Cassidy moved and Anne Segal seconded a motion to elect Amanda Dartt as an elementary teacher at track 1, step 2, salary $32,593, for the 2001-2002 school year. The motion passed unanimously.

The Superintendent placed in nomination Dana Bohrer as a 60 % Speech/Language Pathologist at track 4, step 2, salary $21,624, which is 60% of $36,040, for the 2001-2002 school year.

John Cassidy moved and Anne Segal seconded a motion to elect Dana Bohrer as a 60% Speech/Language Pathologist at track 4, step 2, salary
$21,624, which is 60% of $36,040, for the 2001-2002 school year. The motion passed unanimously.

f) Authorization for hiring between June 13 and September 12

Nancy Carter moved and John Cassidy seconded a motion to authorize the Administration to fill teacher vacancies between now and the regular meeting of September 12 by offering a one (1) week period to obtain telephone or e-mail votes from Board members and that four affirmative votes must be obtained before a contract is issued. The motion passed unanimously.

7. NON-PUBLIC SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH RSA 91-A:3(II.e) FOR DISCUSSION OF LITIGATION

At 9:45 p.m., John Cassidy moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to enter non-public session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3 (II.e) for the discussion of litigation. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.

8. RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION

(6. c) End of year spending - Once out of non-public session, the Board discussed end of the year expenditures.

Anne Segal moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to approve the expenditure of unanticipated revenues and unexpended appropriations as follows: from unexpended appropriations up to $25,000 for the newly created Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund, up to $11,500 to purchase technology items, and to authorize the use of up to $20,000 from the Contingency Fund, if necessary, to purchase aforementioned items; as well as to authorize the Administration to expend up to $10,600 on purchases of items that need to be acquired for the current 2000-01 school year; and from unanticipated revenues $18,500 to purchase technology items. The motion carried unanimously.

9. ADJOURNMENT

John Cassidy moved and Anne Segal seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:15 p.m. The motion carried unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary

September 12, 2001

HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
7:32 P.M., BERNICE A. RAY SCHOOL MULTI

MINUTES

Present: Board members Brakenridge, Carter, Cassidy, Grant, Pilchman, Segal, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Aubin, Weissmann, Williams; and one member of the public.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Woods called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. He introduced the members of the Board and Administration to the television audience.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Anne Segal moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of June 13, the 198:20b Budget Hearing of June 13, and the non-public minutes of June 13. The motion passed unanimously.

3. COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS

a) Report of the Chair: Chair Woods announced that the next regularly scheduled Hanover School Board meeting will be on Wednesday, October 10, 7:30 p.m. in the Ray School Multi. He also announced the following Dresden Building Options Committee public forums:

Thursday, September 13, 7:00 p.m., Hanover High School Gym
Wednesday, October 3, 7:00 p.m., Marion Cross School Multi
Monday, October 15, 7:00 p.m., Trumbull Hall, Etna
Saturday, October 27, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, Tracy Hall

b) Report of Administrators

Report of the Superintendent: Superintendent Greenbaum reported that the New Hampshire School Boards Association meeting will take place on November 3. Anne Segal, Board Representative to the NHSBA, will try to make that meeting.

Budget Committee Meeting - Mr. Greenbaum reported that the Finance Committees will meet prior to the Dresden Board meeting on September 25. The Hanover Budget Committee will meet on Monday, September 17 to discuss budget goals prior to the Finance Committee meeting. Committee membership on the Hanover Finance and Budget Committees was also clarified. Nancy Carter is the Hanover Board Liaison to the Finance Committee, and will also be a member of the Hanover Budget Committee along with Anne Segal, Steve Woods, and Bob Brakenridge.

Report of the Assistant Superintendent for Business: Assistant Superintendent for Business, John Aubin reported the end of the 2000-01 school year unaudited figures, saying that the District ended with a $2,227 surplus as a result of increased and unanticipated revenues that covered the overspending in several areas. As for the current school year, 2001-02, he is working to get the salaries and benefits into the system and will have a report for the Board at the next meeting.

Report of the Assistant Superintendent for Special Services: Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, Jane Weissmann reported the need to increase the services of the ESL (English as a Second Language) Tutor from a .5 FTE to a .9 FTE position. This is the result of the enrollment of 14 new students, bringing the ESL Tutor's case load to 29 students. The anticipated cost of this increase is $18,700.

Report of the Principal: Principal Bruce Williams summarized his written report highlighting the terrific opening of school and thanking all involved in making the first day of school a success for students and staff. He also spoke of the increased enrollment, but said that there are no extraordinary class sizes, and that the school is well staffed to handle the number of children enrolled.

Bus issue - Administrators discussed with the Board the transportation issues that have arisen since the start of school. Mr. Aubin also detailed steps that he has taken with regard to contractual obligations on the part of both the District and the bus company, saying that the bus company has been given two notices to correct deficiencies, and that the bonding company, which holds the performance bond, has been notified as well; thus the District would not suffer a financial loss should it need to change carriers. Mr. Aubin added that he has been checking alternatives for the District, but hopefully, the bus service will be fully operational by Monday, September 17, and no alternative measures will need to be taken. Concern was expressed that future bus ridership could be effected by the problems of the first couple of weeks. Mr. Woods thanked parents for their patience and extra efforts, and Mr. Aubin for his hard work in trying to resolve this situation.

Events of September 11 - Principal Williams detailed the steps that he and his staff have taken over the past two days to help to reassure students in the aftermath of the events of Tuesday morning. He commended his staff for their caring and professionalism.

c) Committee Reports

Educational Planning: Co-Chair Steve Grant reported that the Committee (Nancy Carter, Steve Grant, and Bruce Williams) met and developed several tasks for the coming year: (1) to hold focus forums of Ray School parents to obtain feedback on suggested topics, (2) to have the Administration present to the Committee an overview of the data-driven assessment being used as we implement K-12 curriculum planning, and (3) to survey the Richmond School students for an appraisal of the successes and failures of their primary school education.

The Board discussed the suggested topics for the forums, and decided that the Committee should focus on only one topic, that of the educational implications of the changes in the bus schedule proposed by the Transportation Demand Management Committee.

4. PUBLIC COMMENT

One member of the public spoke with the Board regarding the transportation issue.

5. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION

a) Lunch Program: Mr. Aubin updated the Board on the financial status of the lunch program, reviewing the deficits from the past three years and discussing changes made to the price of lunches for the 2001-02 school year to try to prevent a deficit in this school year. Mr. Aubin will report the financial status of the lunch program on a quarterly basis to Mr. Williams and the Board so that, should the need arise for corrective measures, these measures could be implemented during the year instead of waiting for the following year. Mr. Aubin will have a report ready for the November Board meeting.

b) Proposed Policies DJ, Purchasing and DJE, Competitive Bidding: Mr. Aubin summarized the two proposed policies. These policies will be brought back to the Board as action items for the October meeting.

6. BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION

a) Approval of Transportation Demand Management Recommendations: After Chair Woods read the recommendations, the Board approved them.

Anne Segal moved and John Cassidy seconded a motion to approve the Transportation Demand Management Recommendations as proposed and attached to the original minutes of this meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

b) Nomination: The Superintendent placed into nomination Terri Ashley as a one year only elementary teacher at track 6, step 14, salary $60,798, for the 2001-02 school year.

John Cassidy moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to elect Terri Ashley as a one year only elementary teacher at track 6, step 14, salary $60,798, for the 2001-02 school year. The motion passed unanimously.

7. ACOUSTICAL UPDATE

Superintendent Greenbaum updated the Board on the acoustical work saying that the panels are in the ceiling and the shells are ordered. He also had a sample of the acoustical material for the Board to see.

8. ADJOURNMENT

Larry Pilchman moved and John Cassidy seconded a motion to adjourn at 9:18 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary

October 10, 2001

HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10 2001
7:36 P.M., BERNICE A. RAY SCHOOL MULTI

Minutes

Present: Board members Brakenridge, Carter, Cassidy, Grant, Pilchman, Segal, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Aubin, Williams; and 12 members of the public.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Steve Woods called the meeting to order at 7:36 p.m. then introduced the members of the Board and Administration.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Anne Segal moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of September 12 as submitted. The minutes were corrected to remove the duplicate sentences on pages two and three. The motion passed unanimously with corrections.

Agenda items were reordered to accommodate schedules of presenters.

3. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION

a) Internet filtering - Superintendent Greenbaum began the discussion saying that Administration does not recommend the adoption of an internet filtering policy for three reasons: it creates a false sense of security, it leads people to not supervise as well, and it costs approximately $4,000 for software and licensing fees. The District will not lose revenue.

Ray School Technology Coordinator Cam Cross then spoke with the Board about the measures that are already in place to ensure that careful supervision of the students is taking place when computers are in use. He said that human filtering seems to be working well and he is please with how the computers are being used.

After discussion, the Board agreed to approve the recommendation of the Technology Committee that no filtering device be placed on our web servers at this time. The following motion was made:

Anne Segal moved and John Cassidy seconded a motion to approve the recommendation of the Technology Committee as presented and attached to the original minutes of the meeting. The motion passed, 6 yes, 1 no (Dr. Pilchman).

4. SABBATICAL PRESENTATION - Judy Harvey

Judy Harvey took a sabbatical during the 1999-2000 school year to work on an environmental study of the Ray School natural areas, and to define ways to promote the educational use of that property. Ms. Harvey discussed the four strands of her sabbatical: the graduate study program, curriculum revision, stewardship activities, and community partnership. She detailed her work in each of those areas, which included earning her Master's degree, Chairing the Science Committee, working with all classes on stewardship of the natural areas, and dialoguing with the Hanover Conservation Council on what partnership might look like. Mapping of the natural areas is in progress and should be completed by early December, 2001. Ms. Harvey thanked the Board, saying that she was honored to have been granted the sabbatical.

5. COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS

a) Report of the Principal - Principal Bruce Williams summarized his written report and reported the enrollment as 512 students. He said that the fifth grade students had arrived at Cape Cod late that morning and were engaged in an exciting learning experience.

Building Goals - Principal Williams presented the 2001-02 building goals to the Board, detailing each one and answering questions for Board members. Mr. Greenbaum said that this is the first year that building goals are being presented to the Board for approval, that the process is part of a new initiative of integrating individual professional, building, and District goals, with performance indicators to build in accountability.

Nancy Carter moved and Anne Segal seconded a motion to approve the Ray School 2001-02 Building Goals as presented and attached to the original minutes of the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

The Board asked that Principal Williams report the success in meeting these goals to the Board at the June or August meeting next year.

b) Report of the Chair - Chair Woods announced that the next regular Hanover Board meeting will be on Wednesday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ray School Multi. He also announced the dates and times of the two remaining Dresden Building Options Committee Public Forums:

Monday, October 15, 7:00 p.m., Trumbull Hall in Etna
Saturday, October 27, 9:00 a.m., Tracy Hall in Norwich.

c) Report of the Superintendent - The Superintendent had two items to report.

Educational News - Mr. Greenbaum distributed the Star Research report on class size. The report emphasized the importance of class sizes, fewer than 20 students, in grades K-3. He presented an overview of the study and conclusions for the Board and encouraged Board members to read the entire report.

Population Projections - Mr. Greenbaum distributed enrollment projections and described the method used to arrive at these numbers. He said that by using the cohort survival approach, looking back over the past seven years, and by using the number of births recorded by the Bureau of Vital Statistics, he is able to calculate a fairly reliable projected enrollment. He said that the projected enrollment for next year is 508 students, which will be the number Mr. Williams will be asked to build his budget around.

d) Report of the Assistant Superintendent for Business - Assistant Superintendent for Business John Aubin presented a financial report through September 13. At this time, he estimates a year end surplus of $51,813.

Bus update - Mr. Aubin updated the Board on the progress being made in solving the bussing problems. He reported that most of the routes are operating normally, but there are still two routes (one in Hanover and one in Norwich) that are short drivers. He is expecting that these positions will be filled by next week. Board members expressed concern and frustration at the myriad of problems that have plagued the bus company this year. Superintendent Greenbaum apologized to the public, saying that we have done everything we can, but it's still not good enough. The issues of the licensing process, training, and legal/regulatory requirements are stumbling blocks for our present bus company and for any company we may wish to hire in the future.

Report of Committees

a) Educational Planning Committee - Mr. Grant summarized the Committee goals as revised since the last Board meeting.

b) Budget Committee - Mr. Woods reviewed various components of the Budget Committee guidelines, and Board members discussed budget implications for the 2002-03 school year. The question of hiring practices for teachers was discussed and will be an item for discussion on the November agenda, along with how educational assistants are staffed at the various grade levels.

6. PUBLIC COMMENTS

One member of the public commented on the budget and class size.

7. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION

b) Building Capacity - As part of a long range planning program, the Board reviewed its long range planning document in connection with the October 1 enrollment numbers. The sense of the Board was that the enrollment numbers did not trip any triggers at this time, and felt no need to make any changes. The suggestion was made that Assistant Superintendent Jane Weissmann's advise might be sought when looking at future special education needs.

c) SAU Model - The Board reviewed the SAU Model, which had been presented at the Dresden Retreat and Board meeting. The document will be brought back to the November meeting as an action item.

8. BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION

a) Approval of Policies DJ, Purchasing, and DJE, Competitive Bidding

Anne Segal moved and John Cassidy seconded a motion to approve Policies DJ, Purchasing, and DJE, Competitive Bidding as proposed and attached to the original minutes of this meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

9. ADJOURNMENT

Steve Grant moved and John Cassidy seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 10:23 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary

November 12, 2001

HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 2001
7:30 P.M., BERNICE A. RAY SCHOOL MULTI

Minutes

Present: Board members Brakenridge, Grant, Pilchman, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Aubin, Weissmann, Williams; and 1 member of the public.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Steve Woods called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Larry Pilchman moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of October 10 as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

3. COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS

a) Report of the Chair - Chair Woods announced that the next regular Hanover Board meeting will be on Wednesday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ray School Multi.

b) Report of the Superintendent - Superintendent Greenbaum highlighted points in an article he shared with the Board entitled, Putting Money Where It Matters. He highlighted attracting quality teachers, identifying priorities and allocating or reallocating funds to those areas, and investing in professional development as key issues of the article. Speaking particularly to the reallocation of funds, Mr. Greenbaum said that this can be painful and not always politically popular, but where costs continue to rise, it is important to be able to find ways to fund choices, which can mean abandoning some in order to reallocate moneys for higher priorities. Discussion followed, touching on salary schedules and recruitment of quality teachers.

c) Report of the Assistant Superintendent for Business - Assistant Superintendent for Business John Aubin had nothing to report that would not be covered in other places on the agenda.

Board member Larry Pilchman reported that the bus situation has greatly improved over the past three weeks and thanked Mr. Aubin for his efforts in that regard.

d) Report of the Principal - Principal Williams summarized his report highlighting the fall family fun literacy night and the third grade assessment results. He reported the enrollment at 518 (this number included two new students due to arrive on the 15th).

Report of Committees

a) Educational Planning Committee - Mr. Grant announced a public meeting of the Educational Planning Committee to be held on Thursday, November 15, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Ray School Library. He said that the program will be a presentation by Administration on the K-12 Model, and the public is welcome. Mr. Williams added that the Committee is hoping to attract a few new community members.

b) Budget Committee - Assistant Superintendent for Business John Aubin presented a budget model, which is a very condensed preview of various areas of the budget in order to try to forecast expected expenditures. This budget model did not include anticipated expansion of the tax base and revenues.

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

One member of the public, Peter Murdza, commented on his concern with the future of Dresden in light of comments that he is hearing in the community. He asked where the responsibility of preserving Dresden lies and encouraged the Hanover Board to do whatever it could to strengthen Dresden, suggesting a show of support or possibly getting creatively involved in Norwich's problems. Chair Woods said the issues were worth talking about at both the Hanover and Dresden Boards.

5. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION

a) Hiring Practices, step/track placement - Mr. Greenbaum said that at the last Board meeting, Board members talked about reviewing the hiring practices with respect to newly hired teachers. Mr. Aubin summarized a matrix of past hirings and a current salary schedule. Mr. Williams distributed an updated matrix and discussion followed. The Administration asked the Board for guidelines as to how it wishes to direct Administration with regard to future hirings. With only four of seven Board members present, the Board was not comfortable with drafting guidelines, but will bring this item back next month for further discussion.

b) Utilization of Educational Assistants - Superintendent Greenbaum said that this discussion has come about as a result of budget discussions about reallocations of funds. Mr. Williams summarized his memo and reviewed a spreadsheet of current educational assistant time distributions. A general discussion followed in which the topics of small class sizes, the scarcity of educational assistant applicants, and the expectation of the role of the educational assistant were explored. This topic will be brought back to the December meeting for further discussion.

c) Financial update of Lunch Program - Mr. Aubin reviewed the current status of the lunch program, saying that typically a lunch program shows a loss until spring because of the necessity to purchase supplies at the beginning of the year that will be consumed over a period of time. With that in mind, the lunch program presently shows a loss of $1,112, which is a good start to the year, and certainly no cause for any alarm. He added that the Cafe Manager, Mary Gardner, is researching suppliers who offer better prices for both food and paper supplies. Mr. Aubin will have another update for the Board in February.

d) Policy JBCCC, Assignment of Students - Mr. Greenbaum briefly explained that the New Hampshire Legislature recently amended RSA 193:3 to include a provision that allows the Superintendent of Schools to reassign students from their resident district to another district if it is in the best interest of the student and if it is acceptable to the Superintendent of the receiving district. The law requires the School Board to have a policy with respect to this matter. No action was taken this month, but the policy will be brought back next month as an item for action.

6. BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION

a) Resignation

Larry Pilchman moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to accept the resignation of DeAnn Dykes with regret. Mr. Williams wished DeAnn well in her future endeavors. The motion passed unanimously.

7. ADJOURNMENT

Larry Pilchman moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary

December 12, 2001

HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2001
7:30 P.M., BERNICE A. RAY SCHOOL MULTI

MINUTES

Present: Members Brakenridge, Carter, Cassidy, Grant, Pilchman, Segal, Woods; Administrators Greenbaum, Aubin, Weissmann; and one member of the public.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Woods called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Larry Pilchman moved and Bob Brakenridge seconded a motion to approve the minutes of November 14 as submitted. The motion passed 4 yes, 3 abstentions (Carter, Cassidy, Segal)

3. COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS

a) Report of the Chair: Chair Woods reported that the next regular meeting of the Hanover School Board will be on Wednesday, January 9, at the Hanover High School Library. There will also be two additional budget sessions in January, the 2nd and 16th, all meetings at 7:30 p.m. in the Hanover High School Library. The change of location will enable the meetings to be broadcast live on CATV channel 6.

Chair Woods also announced that the Dresden School Board is sponsoring a Public Forum on December 19, 7:00 p.m. in the Hanover High School Auditorium for the purpose of gathering public comments concerning the two options that were recommended by the Dresden Building Options Committee. After a brief presentation, the Board will be listening to public comments regarding these two options.

b) Reports of Administrators -

Superintendent's report: Superintendent Greenbaum presented his monthly policy/education report on classroom grouping. He identified two kinds of groups, multi-age and combination. He said that multi-age groups at the elementary level are very effective because they group students in flexible groups with other students at the same readiness level. A teacher might teach a maximum of three grade levels and would have the same students for more than one year. Important factors for teaching multi-age groups are enthusiasm and appropriate training. Multi-age grouping might present some curricular problems, however. Mr. Greenbaum also mentioned homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping, saying that heterogeneous grouping is very effective with the exception being the top 10%, who may benefit more from being in their own ability groups.

Assistant Superintendent for Business report: John Aubin's report was covered during the budget model discussion later in the meeting.

Principal's report: Bruce Williams invited the members of the Board and public to the Holiday Concert on December 20, at 9:00 a.m. in the Ray School gym. He said that the PTO will serve coffee before and after the concert. He then briefly mentioned the service events that are outlined in his written report. The enrollment at the Ray School is 517 students.

c) Committee reports and updates -

Educational Planning Committee - Steve Grant reported that the November focus forum to discuss K-12 curriculum planning was canceled because of lack of attendance. He said that the Committee is planning another focus forum with the RMS 6th graders to discuss how successfully the Ray School is in preparing the students for 6th grade. The Committee is working on the format for that forum.

Budget Committee - Anne Segal said that the Budget Committee met on December 12, and will comment further during the budget discussion later in the meeting.

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no public comments offered.

5. BUSINESS REQUIRING DISCUSSION

a) Hiring practices, step/track placement - Mr. Greenbaum briefly reviewed the background for this topic saying that concern over the level of experience granted for new hires was voiced last summer, and that Administration was seeking some guidance from the Board. After discussion, the Board asked the Administration to appropriately consider experience in order to balance the distribution of experienced and less experienced faculty at the Ray School.

b) Utilization of Educational Assistants - Mr. Woods began by saying that this topic was discussed at the November meeting and brought back for further discussion with the full Board. He said that educational assistants are an important part of teaching, but the question of savings in dollars in the utilization of educational assistants has arisen. Mr. Greenbaum said that while Administration has explored the option of smaller class sizes and fewer educational assistants, it does not recommend this action at this time because space is not available to all classes. If, however, enrollment numbers decline in the future, this option may be seriously considered.

c) Future of Dresden - Mr. Woods said that the question of which Board entity should discuss the future of Dresden was raised at the November meeting. Peter Murdza, who had asked the question, spoke to the Board about his concerns. Anne Segal said that the Dresden Board voted unanimously, at its December 10 special meeting, to support the Dresden Compact, in part because it felt that keeping Dresden was in the best interest of the students. There are also numerous legal and financial considerations as well. When asked about the Norwich Board position on the question, Superintendent Greenbaum replied that the Norwich Board strongly supports the Dresden Compact.

d) Budget Model - Assistant Superintendent for Business John Aubin distributed an updated budget model and staffing summary. He then reviewed the various line items with the Board. He said that while the numbers indicate a 10.9% difference between the current year and the proposed 2002-03 budget, there has been a significant enrollment increase during the current year (9+%). Some areas showing an increase are salaries (7-7.5%), medical premiums (17-18%), Life/Disability premiums (50%), 6th grade tuition, a 25th teacher, and a sabbatical for the 2002-03 school year. There is also a significant special education increase ($212,834). Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Jane Weissman detailed the special education costs, saying that may of the increases have come about because of the District's growing number of preschool children needing special services.

The question was raised about the balance in the special ed reserve fund and would the Board want to consider not contributing any additional moneys to the fund. Mr. Aubin will have that balance for the Board at the budget meeting on January 2.

Ms. Segal briefly reviewed a few staffing reductions that were discussed at the budget meeting, and suggested that budget increases be based strictly on enrollment and not program.

6. BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION

a) Policy JBCCC, Assignment of Students -

Anne Segal moved and Nancy Carter seconded a motion to approve Policy JBCCC, Assignment of Students as proposed and attached to the original minutes of this meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

b) Nomination - Superintendent Greenbaum placed in nomination Tamar G. Petty as a Learning Specialist (80%) at track 4, step 5, salary $18,312.91, which is 80% of $40,114, pro rated for 105 days, for the remainder of the 2001-2002 school year. Ms. Petty would assume the position held by DeAnn Dykes who resigned earlier this year.

Anne Segal moved and Larry Pilchman seconded a motion to elect Tamar G. Petty as a Learning Specialist (80%) at track 4, step 5, salary $18,312.91, which is 80% of $40,114, pro rated for 105 days, for the remainder of the 2001-2002 school year. The motion passed unanimously.

c) PTO Gifts - Mr. Greenbaum distributed a listing of the PTO gifts, and Mr. Williams briefly reviewed the various items.

John Cassidy moved and Steve Grant seconded a motion to accept the Fall 2001 PTO Gift Awards as proposed and attached to the original minutes of this meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

7. ADJOURNMENT

Nancy Carter moved and Anne Segal seconded a motion to adjourn at 9:28 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 9:28 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary B. Davis
Recording Secretary