RYE NH SCHOOL BD. MEETING AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 10-19-16
Notes provided by the Rye Civic League
Time stamps of videotaped items of interest (MMM:SS, video available at https://vimeo.com/188325187)
000:00 Present Chair (M)arion, (B)randon, (H)onda absent Hillman, Moynahan.
Visitors Crawford and Tsetsilas.
001:00 (M) refers to an issue this month involving delay in providing draft minutes to Mr. Crawford. He states that the School Board consists of volunteers, that they go as fast as they can, but that the minutes will not be posted, even as draft minutes, until after they have been reviewed.
Editor’s note: RSA 91-A:2, II requires that minutes must be open to public inspection not more than 5 business days after a meeting, and provides no exception for delays resulting from any review process. The minutes of the September 12, 2016 School Board meeting were not made available in any form until the afternoon of October 3, 2016. Mr. Crawford, earlier that day, presented himself at the SAU 50 Office in Greenland and asked for the minutes, but was told that they were still being reviewed by Mr. Marion and could not be released.
Mr. Crawford stated that he would respond, either then or during the public comment period. (M) says that Mr. Crawford may respond during the public comment period. Editor’s note: See 084:00 elapsed.
No objections from (H) or (B). Approval of 9/12/16 minutes-
(unclear if pre or post edited)
003:50 National Education Assoc. of NH president McGilvray letter requests para-professional Sparks
absence in Rye to work with NEA-NH for 3 days, offer of a few hundred dollars to pay for subs. (M)
asks for clarification on NEA or Rye professional development training. (B) moves to approve without
answer, clarify later 3-0.
006:50 NH Ed. Commissioner Barry says Rye met IDEA disability compliance 2014/15. In doubt?
009:50 Business mgr. (K)atkin RJH boiler bids due 10-25. Front of building warm by Christmas. K ? :
On Building Mgmt Plan>>>>>>
How detailed? (B) : major systems, useful lives, maintenance cycles. Much more discussion.
033:00 Over 1 million dollars motioned to spend by (B). 3-0 approved.
036:00 Budget season starting in earnest- everyone working hard.
038:30 Southern NH U (SNHU) offering advanced degrees super cheap. Budget impact CBA ? Benefit?
042:00 RESPA union negotiations continuing.
042:40 Superintendent Petralia has seen most homerooms, witnessed ‘I CAN’ student statements and
class management tactics.
045:25 Assistant Supt. Killen : 4th grade science NECAP testing May 2016 better yr/yr; 8th grade testing
‘should have been better ‘ – (M). (M): ‘test results shouldn’t impact instruction’ (why not, why do?)
Discussion on labeling semantics of World Language Curriculum. (B) motion to approve acceptance,
as semantically amended.
058:10 RES Principal Lull – project learning plant project, testing. (M) asks to look at kids who regressed
and not just kids who progressed per Smarter Balance testing. Measurement error.
No parents willing to object to new ‘Co-teaching’ model.
066:00 Videotaping of kids may occur.
069:00 RJH: Principal Soucy : Wedgewood nature park community workday a big hit. (H) asks how
Social Studies is being taught so she can tell community members. (Why would not parents know
From teacher/parent meetings?)
081:00 RJH teachers want a meeting with the School Board.
083:00 Dress code being fitted.
084:00 Public Recognition    Crawford apologizes to the staff if they felt that he was rude, but denies that he was. He says staff was as helpful as they were allowed to be and thanks (M) for ultimate responsiveness. He refers to the requirement in the RSAs that the minutes be provided within five business days with no exception for delay while they are being reviewed. He referred to a change in the process. He said that he had previously been able to pick up draft minutes that had not yet been posted on the website at the SAU office. He stated that he has a sense that the Chairman is controlling the actions of employees at the SAU office, even though the School Board acts through a majority of its members and the Chairman does not have any special authority. He stated that he does not recall having seen the Board adopt a process whereby the Chairman would review the minutes before they are released. He said that he hopes that they can come up with something that will allow the RSAs to be complied with and the minutes gotten out to the public. After all, they are the ones paying the bills and it is ultimately they who the School Board and all of the people in the School District work for. It is unfair to the public for them to not have any sense as to what happened at the meeting, 2-3 weeks after it occurred, when the minutes are required to be released within 5 days.
088:00 still Pub. Recog. Tsetsilas : a Wedgewood briefing.
Employee insubordination policy adopted 3-0 ; Foreign Language policy adopted 3-0. Special Ed policy
IHBAB adopted 3-0; Home schooling adopted 3-0 (IHGB).
REF grant apps due 11/1/16. PTA fundraising
SAU budget mtg 11/9 6:30    Rye School District budget mtg 11/10 at 3pm Library. Rye Budget Ctee
Sitdown 12/7     public hearing on Rye SD budget 1/13/2017.
118:00 Honda: Had a RES staff and SB meeting. Teachers: more para help. Tech: broken Trust: much top down change teachers do not see trust amongst SB/Staff/Admin. Special ed. caseload too high.
More communication between staff and SB (is this proper per CBA?)
Honda to help unbury info on websites.
127:05 Non public
