ACT 46 STUDY COMMITTEE
Representing the Brattleboro Town School District, Dummerston Town School District,
Guilford Town School District, Putney Town School District and the Vernon Town School District
http://www.wssu.k12.vt.us
NOTICE OF MEETING
The Act 46 Study Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, 2016 at the Putney Central School.
AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Alice Laughlin, Committee Chair
II. REVIEW, PRIORITIZE AND ESTABLISH DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR MEETING BY CHAIRPERSON.
III. REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBER ROLES AND PUBLIC COMMENTS BY CHAIRPERSON
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 5, 2016
V. REVIEW STUDY COMMITTEE PROCESS BY CHAIRPERSON
VI. RECOGNITION OF GROUPS AND/OR INDIVIDUALS
VII. STUDY COMMITTEE WORK SESSION:
Vote Schedule and Process
Ballot Language: Vernon and BUHS Separation Agreement
Article 8 Discussion
Report on VT-VSBA Annual Conference “Fulfilling the Promise of Equity”
Equity Discussion and Updated Data
Review Schedule
Public Information: Mailings and Information Presentations
State Board of Education Meeting Preparation
VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Note: In accordance with the following excerpt from WSESU Policy E-12 Electronic Communications Use and Retention
II. Use of E-Mail and Electronic Communications
The school board and administration will not use email as a substitute for discussion at board meetings, or for any business properly conducted at board meetings subject to the Vermont Open Meeting Law.
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Brattleboro Town School District, Dummerston Town School District,
Guilford Town School District, Putney Town School District and Vernon Town School District
Act 46 Study Committee
Work Session Agenda, Minutes & Action Items – October 5, 2016 from 6-8 PM – WRRC-Cusick Room
Present
Brattleboro: Kim Price*, David Schoales**, Jill Stahl Tyler*, Mark Truhan*
BUHS/ BAMS/WRCC: Ricky Davidson*, Ian Torrey* * denotes voting member,
Dummerston: Kristina Naylor** ***, Amy Wall* – Clerk ** denotes alternate voting member,
Guilford: Beth Bristol*, Alice Revis** *** denotes ex officio member
Putney: Richard Glejzer**, Alice Laughlin* – Chair
Vernon: Walter Breau*, Mike Hebert**
Also present
WSESU: Lyle Holiday – Curriculum & Assessment, Frank Rucker – Business Manager, Ron Stahley – Superintendent
Others: BCTV staff, members of the public including Sean Murphy, Paul Normandeau, Walter Breau, Ines McGillion,
Robert Woodward
Committee Guidelines
1. Work sessions will start and end on time.
2. Work sessions will last 2 hours unless decided otherwise by the Committee.
3. Members will give and receive with good intentions.
4. Members will follow “3 before me” as a guideline so all members have the opportunity to speak.
5. Members will conduct Committee business in front of the group.
6. Members will understand that silence on the part of another member does not imply agreement.
7. Members will site sources of evidence during discussion.
8. All members will be included in conversation and no side conversations will be conducted during the work session.
9. Members will stay on topic during discussions and will request the Clerk make note of additional topic(s) for future discussion.
10. Members will engage in the work at hand and administration will provide the space and support as needed to do so.
Agenda Items Led by
– Call to order Alice Laughlin
– Review, prioritize and establish desired outcomes for meeting Alice
– Review Study Committee member roles and public comments by Chair Alice
– Approve of minutes of previous work session – September 8 Alice
– Review Study Committee process by Chair Alice
– Recognition of groups and/or individuals Alice
– Study Committee Work Session Alice, Ron Stahley, Frank Rucker
– Vote schedule and process
– Vernon and BUHS District #6 separation agreement
– Public information: mailings and information presentations
– State Board of Education meeting preparation
– Ballot language – merger
– Review schedule
– Future meetings, Discussions Alice
– Adjournment
Work Session Minutes:
Alice Laughlin called the work session to order at 6:00 pm and confirmed that a quorum was present. She shared that one correspondence from the Agency of Education had been received and would be reviewed during the work session. She proposed an additional time for public input at the end of the meeting and the Committee members agreed by consensus. The Study Committee’s presentation in Guilford was on October 3 and went well. Alice Revis provide notes from the forum for future reference.
On a motion made by Mark Truhan, seconded by Ian Torrey and so voted, the minutes of September 8 were accepted with the removal of the reference to Ricky Davidson as Vice Chair. Alice Laughlin and Mark Truhan abstained from the vote because they were not present for the work session.
Alice welcomed the public present and opened the floor to their thoughts, concerns and/or ideas which included:
Questions about the Vernon share of BUHS assets and liabilities,
Frank Rucker shared that statute provides that all assets and liabilities are transferred to the new entity. He is working with Paul Giuliani (bond attorney) on this issue. Attorney Giuliani has stated that valuation of Vernon’s share of BUHS is very difficult and not relevant because its share will not be sold. Frank stated that Vernon’s assets and liabilities net $0 and that Vernon’s history of sending high school students to BUHS provides a financial advantage because it is considered new revenue.
Questions about the Study Committee’s next steps if the vote to allow Vernon to leave BUHS District #6 fails,
Ron Stahley shared that the Study Committee would most likely consider if Vernon would be listed as advisable/necessary member of the merger. Alice Laughlin added that further discussion would be needed along with discussion with Vernon.
Request for clarification on when ballots would be commingled in a unified district, and
Confirmation that meeting minutes for August 25 were revised to include BTSD’s statement about its deference to other towns on the unified board’s structure (proportional or hybrid).
Amy Wall confirmed that the minutes were revised to reflect the changes approved by the Committee and provided revised minutes to Central office to post on the Committee’s page on the WSESU website.
Ron Stahley reviewed a 5 page “Guidance” document received from Donna Russo-Savage (Legal counsel for the VT Agency of Education) providing clarification on counting ballots for school director positions. This clarification was sought in response to Senator Jeannette White’s concerns. In summary, the VT Agency of Education and the VT Secretary of State’s office agreed that in a unified school district, ballots on school directors would be commingled prior to counting and that the Articles of Agreement cannot require otherwise. Much more information is provided and references cited in the document provided. In its discussion, the Committee noted the distinction between the two models for a unified board. In a board with proportional representation, votes for director(s) are not commingled prior to counting because voters of each town are selecting their representative(s). In the at-large model, votes for directors are commingled prior to counting because all voters are selecting all representatives. Alice Revis requested a revote on the unified board model. When Alice Laughlin queried the Committee on the timing of a revote, the consensus of the Committee was to take additional time to consider the two models and gather feedback from local boards.
Ron Stahley reported that WSESU has not yet received notice of certification of the Vernon vote in August by the Secretary of State. This certification is the next step needed in the process for Vernon’s withdrawal from the BUHS District #6. Given the timing requirements involved, the vote of the electorate to release Vernon from the high school district would occur during the first or second week of January 2017. Ron will contact Donna Russo-Savage to help move the process forward so that this vote is not delayed further.
Ron and Alice led a review of the current draft of the Study Committee Report with Articles of Agreement dated September 8th. Article 8 details board composition and was discussed at length by the Committee. The reasoning behind the selection of the at-large model – to give smaller towns a greater presence on the board – was reviewed along with the proportional model. In the proportional model, Brattleboro would have 6 members and Dummerston, Guilford and Putney would each have 1 member on the 9 member unified board. Alice Revis expressed Guilford’s desire for each town to know who they were voting for. Kim Price and Amy Wall suggested that the hybrid model allowed for the creation of a larger school community that is unified around all our children. Alice Laughlin shared that Putney was not comfortable with the proportional model because of the smaller presence of outlying towns. Frank Rucker shared information on the weighted vote model if board membership was reduced from 9 to 7 members. Alice Laughlin suggested that Committee members discuss the various models with their local boards and collect feedback. Ron Stahley shared that all boards except Dummerston have reviewed the September 8th draft.
Frank Rucker gave an update on the separation agreement between Vernon and BUHS District #6. The Vernon and BUHS boards have received and are reviewing the draft document. When the two boards approve the separation agreement, the Article wording will be finalized and the WSESU member boards will warn the Article for a vote by the electorate in January 2017.
Alice Laughlin led a discussion of public information materials and informational sessions. An information session was held in Guilford on October 3. Amy Wall shared that the Dummerston Board requested that the information scheduled for October 11 be postponed to a later date because the DTSD needed time to address local business. Alice confirmed that the next information session is scheduled for October 19 at 6 pm at the Oak Grove School. The Committee agreed that information sessions will be held at all local schools. An information in Dummerston was tentatively scheduled for October 25 at 6 pm. The next Study Committee work session will be held in Putney on October 27 at 6 pm. In terms of public information materials, Ron Stahley shared that BCTV’s broadcast of Study Committee’s work sessions was paid for using WSESU funds under the “Professional Services” line item and that reimbursement is expected from the State grant upon merger approval. The Committee discussed the various means of spreading information – radio, social media, town email lists, direct mailings, etc. Lyle Holiday agreed to obtain a quote for a direct mailing to all WSESU households. After further discussion, Alice Laughlin, Amy Wall and Kim Price offered to draft a schedule for an information campaign preceding the votes in January 2017 and Town Meeting 2017.
Alice Laughlin shared that the date of meeting with the State Board of Education will be set after the January 2017 vote of the electorate to release Vernon from the BUHS #6 district. It is likely that the Study Committee would present its proposal to the State Board at its January 2017 meeting(s). Ron Stahley shared that he is in touch with the State Board of Education on this matter to ensure the appropriate timing of this review.
Draft ballot language for votes on the Vernon withdrawal and the unification was shared with the Committee. Ian Torrey asked about the language for school directors. Ron Stahley shared that draft wording would be provided when the unified board make up was confirmed by the Committee.
Alice Laughlin opened the floor to the public present who share the following:
Concern that more details be added to Article 1 because this article cannot be changed,
Previous work session minutes were reviewed and it was confirmed that Articles 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15 cannot be changed without a vote of the electorate.
Concern that students tuitioned to BUHS would actually pay less than the unified district,
Frank Rucker explained that tuition rates are prescribed by a formula in statute and announced annually in January. Tuition rates for students outside of the district do not include transportation or special education which would be billed directly to the sending district. Frank pointed out that education spending is not the same as tuition rates for sending schools. Tuition rates are retrospectively reviewed and reconciled by the state. If the tuition rate is deemed too high (low), then refunds (charge backs) are issued to the sending district. Tuition rates are set on projected enrollment.
Questions about the wording of the Warnings – is it the same as the ballot language or is there more language?
The Committee’s next work session is on October 27 from 6-8 pm at the Putney Central School. Agenda items for this work session include:
– Discussion and possible action on Article 8 re: unified board composition,
– Further review of the draft report with Articles of Agreement,
– Public information outreach
– Update on the Vernon and BUHS separation agreement,
– Updated on Vernon vote certification by the Secretary of State’s office, and
– Other related matters, as needed.
On a motion made Ricky Davidson, seconded by Alice Revis, and so voted, the work session ended at 7:13 pm.
Respectfully submitted, Amy Wall – Committee Clerk
