School board: extracurricular panel key to next budget

School Committee member Reuki Schutt said the work being done by the Extracurricular Subcommittee is very important because it may help the committee with its operational budget for the upcoming school year, especially with “more drastic cuts” potentially on the horizon.

On Thursday, December 15, the committee heard a midpoint report from the subcommittee, which is compiling information on all school-funded sports and extracurricular activities at all levels.

The committee is headed by School Committee Vice Chairman Cindy Thomas and includes fellow committee member Liz Salisbury as well as various school administrators and six parent representatives.

Schutt said the process by the subcommittee is “an open and transparent one” and encourages input from parents and the general public. The subcommittee has also solicited input from 11 area towns, having sent out a survey that asks for information on user fees, facility fees, faculty and staff stipends, and sources of funding, as well as information on teams eliminated due to budget constraints. The subcommittee hopes to issue a final report to the School Committee in February, around the time that the operating budget is being finalized.

The subcommittee’s report found that there are 13 high school interscholastic athletic programs for boys with 478 participants. There are also six junior varsity and three freshman teams. For the girls there are 15 programs with 480 participants, including eight JV teams and one freshman team.

The high school visual and performing arts department has four drama programs and 118 participants; five music programs and 141 participants; and two visual programs and 35 participants. There are also 50 high school clubs and activities. The middle school has one music program and 25 participants, and one drama program and 66 participants. Middle school sports and extracurriculars have not yet been counted.

The elementary schools have two district-wide music programs with 56 participants, two school-based music programs with 40 participants, three school-based drama programs with 215 participants, and an undetermined amount of extracurricular activities.

In other news:

The School Committee gave permission to Kearsarge Energy to install solar panels at the high school, middle school, and the Luce Elementary School. There will be no cost to the school system, and the panels will save an estimated $22,682 in the first year of the 20-year agreement and $685,372 over the term of the contract.

The panels will produce kilowatts of electricity, which will then be sold by Kearsarge to NSTAR. The company hopes to have the panels operational by early May, which is the start of the prime producing period. Kearsarge officials said there is no effect on the roofs, and the panels may help with snow melting.

Superintendent Jeff Granatino said the schools may receive additional savings from the solar installation at the former Pine Street landfill, which is expected to lower the cost of electricity to all town-owned buildings.

* The committee moved closer to approving its FY13 capital budget, which includes $365,000 in cash capital and $112,000 in long-term debt. The committee received nearly $1 million in department requests.

Among the items up for consideration are nearly $100,000 in HVAC and plumbing requests, as well as requests for new equipment such as desks, arts stools, music stands, and gym wall pads at the Galvin. Technology requests include $100,000 for computer replacements at the Luce and JFK schools; $3,275 for two iMac computers for performing arts; and $31,272 for replacement of two Apple video workstations for the fine arts department at the Galvin.

Other capital items up for consideration include $31,468 for furniture and fixtures at the new JFK addition; $6,550 for playground materials; $7,185 for an outdoor challenge course at the Hansen; and $38,249 for replacement of a snow plow. The committee questioned a request of $10,343 for a system-wide library computer program and would like to add capital money for building weatherization and for future classroom renovations for the special needs department.

* Granatino announced two private donations by parents: Mark Haggerty donated $15,000 toward technology equipment at the Hansen School and Teri Mazonson submitted a donation of supplies and resources toward the Early Childhood Education Center.

* Kelty Kelley, director of the Early Childhood Center, informed the committee of the need for additional space and staff due to the growing number of students who will need early childhood services at the beginning of the year. By March she anticipates the need for a full-day classroom teacher for up to 10 students. Granatino and School Business Manager Ken Leon said that through shifting of funds, there is sufficient money to field the request, and plans are being made to construct additional classroom space.

* The committee approved two field trips in the spring. Rebecca Stiles, a French teacher at the middle school, will take a group of approximately 50 students to Montreal the week of April 15-19. Also, Performing Arts Director Sarah Collmer plans to take a group of CHS students to New York City in late April for a day-long trip to see a Broadway show and jazz show. Both trips will be student funded, augmented by fundraising efforts.

* Granatino reported he will be hosting a periodic school information show on the school’s cable channel, which will also be available for viewing on the school website.

* Granatino announced the deadline for applications for the Hansen School principal position will close on December 23.

* The committee was entertained at the beginning of the meeting by student guitarist Ryan Salisbury, who performed two numbers as a preview of the CHS winter holiday concert on December 20. The son of committee member Liz Salisbury, Ryan began his interest in guitar through a classroom offering and is now in the school’s jazz band.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Dec 21 2011. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.