01/14/2010 SCHOOL COUNCIL - QUASHNET SCHOOL Minutes

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3. Meeting Student Needs—Remediation One suggestion to help us meet the remediation needs of our students is to have parent volunteers cover the i 30-minute library classes currently covered by special subject teachers. The special subject teachers could then use their skills and freed-up,time to provide remediation to small groups of identified students. 4. Budget—Planning for FY'l l We briefly discussed the contents of the handout related to the budget that was included in each council member's packet. Mrs. Bradshaw will be speaking_,with school staffs, PTOs, and School Councils in February-and March. At this stage in the process, the school department has developed a maintenance budget for FYI 1. This maintenance budget keeps the budget that same as it was in FY10 with the exception of increases of certain basic items,such as teacher steps and longevity payments, transportation,out-of-district student placements,copiers. The town manager has asked the school department to develop,a FY11 budget that is 2%below the FY10 budget. Recently an additional cut of$300,000 was added to this 2%. This has resulted in a$1.9 million gap between the proposed maintenance school budget for FYI and the FYI school budget that the town is willing,to support. We are at the preliminary stages of the process. The Association is currently negotiating a new three-year contract which presents a very significant variable in the budget process. The proposed maintenance budget for FYI does not include any cost of living salary. increase-for Association members. 5. Somerville Schools—Wellness---partnership.with Tufts ■ Each Council member's packet included some information on the Somerville Schools and their wellness partnership with Tufts University. There were some good ideas to help students become healthier. I liked that ice cream was only.offered to students once per week. I also liked that they_limited sugary.-cereals offered for breakfast. Their HEAT in-school and after-school curriculum seems very-worthwhile. ■ 1 shared that Bob Scott,the Mashpee Food Services Director, is refiring in February, 2010. ■ Our school lunches are improving. Fresh fruit and vegetables are regularly included. ■ I would like to see our food services department make the foilowing.improvements: ■ Serve less processed foods • Watch the sodium content of the foods served_ ■ Offer homemade cookies (snack)once per week instead of everyday ■ Offer ice cream(snack)once per week instead of everyday ■ Don't serve foods that contain artificial dyes ■ Don't serve sugary cereals for breakfast 6. Other ■ School year 10-11 Lunch on half days—Members of the Council supported offering bag lunches to all students—to be taken with them. We would eliminate scheduled lunch periods on half days. • Richard Bailey would like to hear from Council members • Feedback on how the School Committee is doing and suggestions for improvements • Ideas related to the budget for FYI OUR NEXT MEETING 1S SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 11,2010,AT 3:15 PM.