Memo

NON-AGENDA ITEMS:

1.0	K-9 units were at the school on Friday last week as per my email to you. While Mike and I did not seek your permission specifically for this instant, you have been supportive in the past of taking aggressive measures to send a message to kids here about the inappropriateness of drugs on school grounds. This is a follow-up to the pre-Xmas bust which we held the Superintendent's Hearing on at the beginning of this month. Nothing substantive was found in the search. Sheriff has been thanked. We did get a complaint from an elementary parent who was dropping their children off as the dogs entered the building. Several of us spoke with the father, who is a self-professed corrections officer himself, and who disagreed with the severity of the tactic. The Sheriff also got a call. I mention this in case we have a guest show up to tell you about their feelings on the matter.
2.0	Steve Szatko will be here next Thursday and Friday to interview selected staff for his doctoral research on leadership and financial crises in School Districts. Remember that you approved this last Fall. Steve will interview 12 members of the RCS staff who were here in the 80' and 90's and saw the fiscal crises of '93 through. People are being very cooperative with their time.
3.0	Mike Nozzolio hosts Kidspeace here tonight in a welcome to the community information forum. Seems like a good move on everyone's part. This is that chance to clarify in front of your own eyes the impact the school can expect to see as a result of their presence. Speaking of presents - it's Holly's birthday and so I plan to stay home with my family instead of appeasing Mike or putting in the ceremonial appearance here. Nothing to do with my short status - everything to do with staying married.
4.0	APPR/PDP committee meets again this afternoon. This group of a dozen or more is drafting a plan for annual performance reviews and a professional development plan that meets the needs of the State and the District. Regs require a plan to you by June 1. This is something the Interim will need to finish as we will not be done by March 1.
5.0	Hobart and William Smith cooperative is in full swing. Ann Heizmann is 6 credits away from her degree there and will work with Dave Craig and our team on an independent study modeling the social norms approach using RCS data. Expect to see lots of messages - print and otherwise in February/March - about the actual reported levels of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use among RCS 6-12^th graders. We are trying to speed up progress on this so RCS can set the example for the other County schools.
6.0	Along the lines of cooperation - I had lunch with Doug Chappell today to discuss whether or not we might be interested in submitting a joint application for a 21^st Century schools grant. These require consortia efforts and poverty/special needs levels which together we might be able to substantiate better than either of us has separately in prior attempts at this same funding. We also discussed other sharing opportunities. Sort of a last chance to talk about anything that should be perused before you have to talk with someone new. Not much there I must admit….
7.0	Have heard from Keith Barnes about trying to negotiate a quick settlement with CSEA. They will be interested in seeing if it can be done in three sessions in February prior to his bypass surgery and my departure. First meeting is Tuesday night at 5 here for dinner. Tom, Mike and Norm are the Committee. Gloria will be sitting in for her internship and we can ask her to do some homework for us if needed.
8.0	FYI - I begin a grad class Monday afternoons next week which will see me leaving at the end of the high school day. Required research course, not an elective, and this is the only time offered - 4:30 to 7:30.

AGENDA ITEMS

1.0	Routine should be.
2.0	Based on your interviews this past Tuesday night, we need to appoint officially Bob Thompson as your Interim Superintendent beginning March 1. I think Bob will be a very approachable and reasonable person for everyone here to deal with, plus he's well acquainted with the office phone number at Wheatland.
3.0	CSE Chairmanship discussion. I have prepared a list of options for you to consider should you wish to try to address the concerns Ann Scott brought to you last time. I have tried to rank order these options in terms of cost to you in budget planning. Note that the least expensive option involves putting Leanne Keel's background, interest and expertise to work for you in a different way. Leanne used to work with Barb and is familiar with the CSE secretarial duties in that regard. The coursework Leanne has taken to earn her CAS and administrative degree includes courses in Special Ed law and practice. And her interest in applying both of these attributes is there - she approached me about being interested in whatever might happen in this regard. SHOULD 65-year -old Jean Montford choose to retire this year you could actually save money in the process instead of spending more. If Jean doesn't retire, you could get by with the cost of a receptionist for the Superintendent, leave the Clerk of the Board duties with Leanne, and move Jean back to a classroom. She is classified as aTeacher's Aide, is covered by the CSEA union, has been here forever, and that is why she earns so much. If we start to talk about names at all - it would be appropriate to go into Executive Session. Please remember also that we cannot control whether or not someone chooses to retire. That's Jean's decision only. I DO think that she might be interested in working a day or two a week, (option 8 c) and that such an offer would be warmly greeted. If you wish, I can continue to pursue any arrangement on the list. You need to give me the direction you want to take, though, including no change at all if that is your wish.
4.0	Staffing Requests are the Budget Calendar items up for discussion this time out. I have prepared for you a separate memo in this regard. With some creative financing, we can afford to do one or two things, but maybe not everything on the wish list. Please look this over and we will review items with you at the table. I suggest that the first budget draft include each of these and that you base decisions on the need, practicality and desirability of each item ( the three major tenets of any debate issue).
5.0	Midstate Finance Consortium proposal to change the state aid formula was distributed to you several packets ago. 4 County School Boards is asking that each member District pass a resolution in support of same. Even though this would potentially cost RCS money in a first year (if done cold turkey with no phase in), it would eliminate the save harmless "transition" aid which is costing us so dearly and forcing us into flat state aid scenarios for the foreseeable future. Politically, the proposal stands little chance this budget season, as all things seem to be gearing up for more of the same. BUT in theory it makes good sense, calls for greater simplicity and greater equity of aid distribution, and may become the framework for a long-lasting solution once the CFE lawsuit is decided and the State losses in court. I recommend you pass an endorsing resolution as requested.
6.0	Barb and Mike will update you. Mike also has a band field trip for approval at cost to school of a driver in the evening to Rochester. We'll try to make it someone who can stay awake all the way there and back even after watching a Broadway show.
7.0	Now that we've handled the other applicants, we're ready to appoint Sandy Steele to the combined Dispatcher/Attendance Clerk/Receptionist and substitute Bus Driver job that used to be split between Mary and her. Once she has this new job in hand, she will resign from her old one as a regular driver (later in this meeting).
8.0	We're also ready to appoint the two people we want as Special Education Bus Monitors- Bea Wingler and Gretchen Hayward, along with an approved substitute for either of them as needed all at the new $7 rate.

And that may actually do it for this coming Tuesday. Considering the amount of time you all have had to give recently, it might be nice to let you go home early ( especially the negotiating team). Please call ahead with any questions or concerns. See you Tuesday!