School board Education/special meeting
Monday, February 14, 2011
School Directors present: Susan Guthrie, Gary Friedlander, Virginia Pollard, Diane DiBonnaventuro, Lyn Kugel (Vice President), Lisa Fair-Pliskin, Jerry Novick
Audience: About 12 people.
2011-2012 budget
School board votes to adopt the preliminary budget, establishing maximum tax rise of +3.3%. This number could come down in the coming months as the budget gets worked through, but cannot be increased.
First budget working meeting will be March 9.
Final budget must be voted in by June 15.
School board votes separately to apply for the "exceptions" that allow the 3.3% raise.
Business manager speculates that any cuts from the State will affect Lower Merion minimally. Cuts will be announced by the state on March 8.
New alternate track program voted in for Welsh Valley
"Points of Vision" is a new alternate year of programing for 8th graders at welsh valley middle school. There is now an alternate programming track for each of the three middle school years at each of the two middle schools.
Voted in unanimously
Presentation of intensive Wilson reading program
Currently about 50 teachers are trained in the Wilson program. 30 more are being trained. The goal is to have every reading specialist and special ed teacher trained in Wilson method.
Melissa Gilbert (MG): How many kids?
A: 30 students in the program, but more who participate.
MG: Does it need to be rolled out to more kids?
A: Would just like teachers to have this as part of their toolkit so they recognize when it is needed.
MG: Is it connected to summer reading programs?
Superintendent McGinley (CM): Wilson is one on one instruction, summer program is not.
A: If a student qualifies for extended year instruction then Wilson program continues through the summer too.
Diane DiBonnaventura: Kids must be gettnig pulled out of something else [to do Wilson] even with parent's consent. Can this be done in small groups?
A: Only some done 1:1 instruction, others done in small groups.
Jerry Novick(JN): Is number of teachers certified enough?
A: Want to get all special ed and reading teachers trained. Can be trained in-house. Only expense to training is materials.
Susan Guthrie: Does this program replace something currently in place in the district?
A: This is one of a number of programs, would like to work out what method works best for which child.
Public Comment:
PB from Merion: About how some students lack internet access at home, suggests district just supply a $50/month connection to each student who lacks it. Knows that her 10th grader often has a midnight or Saturday deadline to turn in a paper over internet, but if a student has no connection then cannot take advantage of that. Students cannot stay that late at school.
George Frazier: Looking into a few ways might supply internet.Neighborhood network if kids are close together, or a $50 connection like PB described.
PB: What are we doing now in the meantime for those students who can't have the benefit of turning something in at midnight or on weekends from home?
CM: [thanks PB for the question, seems irked]
PB: Do the teachers know to make allowances for students with no internet?
CM: yes.
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