2016-02-10BEVERLY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Regular School Committee Meeting
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Beverly City Hall — Council Chambers
Beverly, Massachusetts
A regular meeting of the Beverly School Committee was held on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 in
Beverly City Hall, Council Chambers.
Members Present: Rachael Abell, Lorinda Visnick, Paul Manzo, Kris Silverstein, John Mullady
and Paul Goodwin, Mayor Cahill arrived at 8:00 p.m.
Also in Attendance: Dr. Steven A. Hiersche, Superintendent of Schools, Suzanne Charochak,
Assistant Superintendent, Jean Sherburne, Director of Finance and
Operations, Donna Bergeron, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
and School Committee, Oliver Muise, Student Representative to the School
Committee, Principals, Sean Gallagher, Matthew Poska, Elaina Byrne, Lisa
Oliver, Gabrielle Montevecchi, Erin Brown, Assistant Principal Terry Conant
Call to Order: Ms. Silverstein called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance: Ms. Abell led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance.
AGENDA
Recognition of Students, Employees and Community Members
• Ms. Silverstein, Dr. Hiersche, the elementary and secondary principals along with the
PTO presidents accepted checks from Doug Walker and Anna Green on behalf of the
Beverly Education Foundation.
• Ms. Silverstein, Superintendent Hiersche and Matthew Poska, Briscoe Middle School
Principal recognized and congratulated Abigail Brauninger, who was chosen as
Ambassador for Beverly in the Governor's Project 351.
Open Forum for Citizen Input into Non - Agenda - Related Items
Sara Sallese, 24 Shortell Avenue addressed the committee regarding full -day kindergarten. She stated
that she is hoping that the committee will take into consideration a rate reduction for full -day kindergarten
when preparing the FY17 budget.
Open Forum for Citizen Concerns or Citizen Input into Agenda - Related Items
None
Approval of Meeting Records
A motion was made by Mr. Manzo to approve the Organizational School Committee meeting minutes
from the January 6, 2016 meeting. The motion was seconded by Ms. Abell and approved by a vote of
6:0.
A motion was made by Mr. Mullady to approve the Regular School Committee minutes from the January
13, 2016 meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr. Manzo and approved by a vote of 6:0 with one
correction.
Report from Student Representative to the School Committee
Oliver Muise reported that on February 4 BHS held the Parent/Teacher Open House and a Junior
Parent College informational meeting. Oliver stated vacation is next week and the 8 Grade Curriculum
Night is scheduled for February 23` Oliver reported that third quarter progress reports will go home on
March 4th
Communications from Committee Members
Ms. Abell reported receipt of numerous communications regarding Science fairs and received some
budget specific programs, process and timeline inquiries.
Ms. Visnick stated receiving much of the same communications regarding the budget and also inquiries
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February 10, 2016
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on the 2016 -2017 calendar. She stated hearing some feed -back on the SPED presentation, questions
regarding kindergarten registration and phone issues at Central Office. She also received questions
that were budget and fee based.
Mr. Manzo stated he received general communications regarding the budget development process and
on a particular program.
Mr. Goodwin said he received communications on programs to consider.
Mr. Mullady— no communications.
Ms. Silverstein stated she received a communication on a bus issue related to the high school's early
release and a question regarding the new middle school wanting to know if the grade 5 teachers have
been included in the team design. She too received communication that a particular program be
included in the budget.
Update on A113 Middle School Building Project
Troy Randall from the AB Design team provided a summary and update on the Middle School
Building Project. Mr. Randall noted the start of the project 18 months ago with educational visioning
sessions moving on to 21 sc Century Design which encompassed flexible spaces, clusters of learning,
indoor /outdoor connections and sustainability. Mr. Randall noted the 40 page document that was
developed by the administration and staff which outlines the proposed education requirements for
the new building design. He provided a number of slides showing the floor plans, the maker/builder
space, and the open concept in the foyer, library and cafeteria as well as the outdoor learning
environment. Mr. Randall wrapped up his presentation with the following timeline: demolition of the
building — next week thru March, installation of steel piles — Spring 2016, concrete piles and
foundation — Summer -Fall 2016 and erection of structural steel — Fall- Winter 2016.
Report from Superintendent Hiersche
1. Update on School Trips
Dr. Hiersche stated he would be providing an update on school trips and remarked that he recently
surveyed other districts statewide, due to safety concerns and the Zika virus. He stated that out of 41
districts only 2 have actually cancelled their trips, one of which was Boston because of the Zika virus.
Dr. Hiersche stated that we will continue to monitor to see if there is any change in recommendations
from Homeland Security. He stated that Sean has kept in touch with all of the teachers sponsoring
upcoming trips to let them know we will make a decision if we have to and that we are monitoring the
Zika virus.
2. Budget FY17UPdate
Dr. Hiersche presented information on the FY17 budget to date. He reported some of the impacts on
the budget are; projecting funding of Circuit Breaker at 72% noting that it is still early in the legislative
process, health insurance increases, Chapter 70 funding, City appropriation and continued strong
school choice numbers. Dr. Hiersche listed the administration priorities being considered, some of
which are HR Administrator, curricular and preschool leadership, also the potential loss of the
kindergarten grant. Some of the School Committee priorities included progress to full day kindergarten,
fees, social/ emotional support, technology and research and taking advantage of efficiencies. Dr.
Hiersche said we also need to pay attention to future planning which includes predictable cost
projections for future growth and changes once the middle school opens. He listed some of those
changes may include increases to staff, programs, tech support and software as well as the potential
revenue changes.
Dr. Hiersche included slides that listed the items under consideration. At the elementary level: No
change in staff, increase number of ELL students, Paraprofessional and Fellows. At the pre - school:
Intensive Special Needs Class and Pre - School Leadership, at the middle school: Teach 6 increase
and Natures Classroom. At Beverly High School: Three full -time positions, Teach 6 and Program
Funding after Loss of a Grant. Special Education: Speech Language Therapist, Physical Therapist and
Tuition Increase. Dr. Hiersche also presented the considerations for all other departments:
Transportation, Buildings and Grounds, Athletics, Technology, Health Insurance, Administration and
Contractual Obligations stating the total considerations amount to $2,652,096.
Dr. Hiersche stated the potential revenue changes include; Retirements to Date, Circuit Breaker,
Chapter 70 and Grant Fluctuations which are still being determined. He stated that the additional
revenue changes are the Revolving Account Use which includes fees, tuition and rent, School Choice
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February 10, 2016
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Revenue and the City Appropriation. He commented that he really wants us to be paying attention to
the $58,000,000 because of the ups and downs within all of the revenue streams and commented that
there is much more work to be done and conversations to have going forward.
Ms. Visnick stated that under School Committee priorities slide — taking advantage of efficiencies, that
it was her understanding that they were not pulling in electricity off of the solar field near the high
school because it is broken. She stated she would like to see the new middle school, beginning on
day one, making use of some sort of alternative energy and requested this be discussed at an
upcoming meeting. Dr. Hiersche stated that they are looking at utility costs but had not included it in
his presentation. Mayor Cahill stated that he felt this conversation was best had with him then going
forward with the Middle School Building Committee.
Mr. Manzo asked about increasing 6 at the middle school, if it was tied to specific courses. Dr.
Hiersche stated it was expressive arts. Mr. Manzo referred to a discussion that took place sometime
ago regarding high school scheduling. He stated that at some point they may want to look at what the
staffing level would look like if they carried a full schedule again as opposed to block scheduling. Ms.
Visnick stated that although she likes the block scheduling for some students it is very difficult to carry
8 classes at once and maybe we could re- evaluate that also.
3. Draft 2016 -2017 School District Calendar Discussion
Dr. Hiersche stated that he included a draft of the 2016 -2017 School District calendar for discussion.
He noted the calendar concerns with the week of September 5' which includes the holiday and closing
for the staff development day (Primary Day) and the month of November; the same issue with the
professional development day (Election Day) closing followed by the holiday later in the week. Dr.
Hiersche stated that the calendar has been sent to the Beverly Teacher's Association for their
approval.
Dr. Hiersche reported that with regards to this year's calendar schools will be in session for the
upcoming March 1 st primary. He stated this will give us the ability to see how it will work in the four
schools that will be affected and to be sure they are safe and secure. Dr. Hiersche stated that he had
a conversation with Wes Slate the City Clerk regarding the possibility of moving the early release day
for elementary from March 2 nd to March 1 st . Dr. Hiersche stated he spoke to the principals and they
felt that the half day dismissal was more disruptive then the normal dismissal.
Dr. Hiersche stated that the only thing that could change on the 2016 -2017 calendar would be whether
schools are in session on the voting days.
Ms. Visnick commented on the BHS late start and early release days stating the need for discussion
regarding the busses. She commented that this does not work well and we need to look at ourselves
as a service provider and we need to make that service as convenient as possible. Dr. Hiersche stated
that the discussion has already begun.
Mr. Manzo stated he wanted to go on record that having the public in the schools while schools are in
session on Election Day is an unnecessary risk that should be avoided at all costs.
Report from School Committee President, Kris Silverstein
1. School Committee Retreat
Ms. Silverstein reported that the School Committee retreat is scheduled for March 7th at 4:00 p.m. it
the McKeown School, Room 103. She stated that Mike Gilbert from MASC will be joining them to
discuss norms and protocol, policies and how MASC could revamp the policy manual and at what
cost. She stated he will also discuss the Governance Project and walk them through a
superintendent's evaluation. Ms. Silverstein stated that there will be a light dinner provided with the
principals joining them giving them a chance to meet one another.
Report for School Committee Liaison to the Middle School Building Project — Paul Manzo
Mr. Manzo reported since the last meeting the working group met on January 26 and February 2 "d , the
Green Subcommittee met at the end of January and the full Middle School Building Committee met last
evening. Mr. Manzo stated that in addition to design updates they expect to see additional information on
the site evaluation. He stated the evaluation will help to determine the length of the piles that will support
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February 10, 2016
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the new building, if they are shorter than originally thought it could be a cost savings. Mr. Manzo reported
at the Green Subcommittee meeting they discussed what the anticipated leadership in energy and
environmental design rating will be, looked at interior finishes and reviewed changes to the grading near
the loading area. Mr. Manzo reported that the City and MSBA have executed the project funding
agreement and are still on target with the building schedule.
Committee Reports
Standing Committee on Finance & Facilities — Lorinda Visnick, Chairperson
Ms. Visnick reported that the Finance and Facilities Committee has not met since last reported. The
next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at Beverly High School beginning at 6:30
p.m.
Curriculum, Instruction and Student Life Sub - Committee — Paul Manzo, Chairperson
Mr. Manzo reported the Curriculum, Instruction and Student Life Committee met on February 3`
welcoming new members and citizen representatives. He stated they received a review of the Foreign
Language program and a detailed presentation from Assistant Superintendent, Sue Charochak on
collecting and analyzing student assessment data. Mr. Manzo stated that they tabled the Student Safety
policy until the next meeting scheduled for March 2, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the McKeown School Room
103.
Negotiations Subcommittee — Paul Manzo, Chairperson
Mr. Manzo reported the Negotiations Subcommittee reached a tentative agreement with Unit C
(Paraprofessionals). He stated they continue to work on some of the language issues and once that has
been agreed upon it will come forward for a vote.
Policy Review Subcommittee — Rachael Abell, Chairperson
Ms. Abell stated they have not scheduled a meeting yet but she is looking forward to the retreat and
hearing from MASC representative, Mike Gilbert.
Community Engagement
Mr. Goodwin stated he attended the North Beverly art fair, PTO meetings at North Beverly and
Centerville and some track meets and basketball games. Mr. Goodwin said he also attended the
Centerville Science Fair.
Mr. Mullady reported attending the Briscoe PTO and the MASC Conference.
Mr. Manzo stated he attended several PTO meetings i.e. Cove, North Beverly, Briscoe and Centerville.
He reported attending the open house and the Junior Parent College night as well as numerous BHS
basketball games.
Ms. Visnick stated she attended some PTO meetings including the monthly City -Wide PTO meeting
noting an upcoming event they have planned with the Chief of Police. She stated she attended the
Charting the Course conference and remarked that Beverly High School will be hosting their first
Science fair in two weeks.
Ms. Abell stated she attended the MASC Charting the Course conference and the Polar Plunge.
Mayor Cahill reported spending a couple afternoons at the Centerville School observing the pick -up and
stated that they have some good ideas to help with that situation. He stated that this week is the
opening of the first art show at City Hall commenting that the work being displayed is from the North
Beverly kindergarten students. Mayor Cahill said he was invited to read at North Beverly and while
attending the Polar Plunge received another invitation from one of the students to visit the Ayers
School.
Ms. Silverstein reported attending many of the same. She stated she continues to attend the Be Healthy
Beverly / Opioid Abuse Prevention Committee which she stated are part of a new substance abuse
prevention grant. She stated she escorted some BHS students to the UMass honor band. There she
said the students spent the day with professors learning, rehearsing and at the end of the day present
a onetime only concert.
New Business - Reminders
Mr. Manzo reported approximately 30 BHS students will be participating in the Drama Fest taking place
on February 27 at St. John's Prep beginning at 9:00 a.m. and the Grade 8 Curriculum Night is
scheduled for Tuesday, February 23`d.
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February 10, 2016
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Ms. Visnick expressed her appreciation that some of the BHS students had made themselves available
to be judges at the Centerville Science Fair and she reported that there is going to be a Summit at
Gillette Stadium: "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty — One Meal at a Time" on March 8 where they will be
discussing social /emotional learning issues.
Opportunity for Questions from the Press
None in attendance
Consider Executive Session
None
Motion to Adjourn
Ms. Visnick made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Mr. Manzo and approved by a vote
of 7:0.
The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorinda Visnick, Secretary
Beverly School Committee
Documents Reviewed at the meeting:
Minutes for approval: January 6, 2016 Organizational School Committee Meeting
January 13, 2016 Regular School Committee Meeting
2016 -2017 Draft Calendar
FY17 Budget Powerpoint Presentation