PITTSFIELD SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Tuesday, October 13, 2015, at 7:00 p.m.
Pittsfield Town Office Building
Minutes
1. Call to order. Janice Stumpf, Richard Seaman from the SU, Kris, Ray, A.J. at 7:03 Kris called the meeting to order.
2. Consider amendments to the agenda. None.
3. Approve minutes: September 8, 2015 Kris moves to accept, Ray seconds, approved unanimously.
4. Public comment/Visitors: Janice is interested in Act 46 updates.
5. Action/Discussion:
• New Business:
o Payment orders: No. 3: VSBA $273.25 dues; Marylou Scofield, PC Legal Anticipation TAN; Woodstock1/3 tuition 16 HS $85,333.33; Killington Elementary $118,686.18; Rutland City 504 1st Q $4,466.01. Total $208,946.27. Kris moves to accept, Ray seconds, approved unanimously.
o Director of Finance: Richard reports on Patty visiting with the WSCU finance office regarding overall financial responsibilities. Richard says he has to keep books on what the town does so they have to have at least their own set of books. Patty reports concern about having SU access Pittsfield town accounts. We discuss sending the bank reconciliation monthly which is our normal course of business. Richard says that works fine. We discuss how SPED billing will be done from the SU to us and identifying the breakdown.
Kris reports on overall budget situation being approximately $500k in the bank but we have significant bills to pay and an expected deficit. More to come during payment ordering and budgeting for town meeting.
We all applaud the interaction and increased communication between Patty and Richard and the SU finance office.
Richard reports on the IRS bond notice and he continues to look into it. The Board agrees to delegate to Richard to follow up on that notice which must be in error.
Richard discusses his work on the budget for next year, making good progress. We discuss trying to budget to avoid carrying increased deficits. Perhaps a contingency fund budget line. We discuss having to budget for pre-school, at $3200 per child. Richard reports on WCSU advertising to find new pre-school kids without much response. We expect to have draft budgets by December, and to press by end of January.
o WCSU Act 46 Merger Study Committee:
1. Vote on participation: we discuss whether the SU will include us in their study while we look at getting a ghost town study. There is confusion about whether WCSU would include Pittsfield in their study of ED consolidation, without Pittsfield losing its ability to get an AOE grant for a study of the ghost ED option. Kris reports that 21 ghost towns equaling about 970 students is a possibility.
Richard believes Pittsfield may be able to participate in both studies with AOE funding. We agree to send Ray to the upcoming Act 46 merger meeting at the WCSU even though we’re not voting tonight. Richard and A.J. will both reach out to Nicole Mace at VSBA to clarify the AOE grant process.
We agree to table the vote on joining the WCSU merger study until these important issues are resolved. Ray and A.J. will plan on attending the VSBA conference later in October with a facilitated session on this subject.
2. Nominate a representative if appropriate. we nominate Ray. Ray agrees.
• Old business:
o Policies: tuition policy review tabled due to lateness.
o Act 46 update: Richard discusses the merger study committee, all the other districts have agreed to engage in the study. See above. Kris discusses with Richard the fact that our past evaluations indicated giving up school choice and going to WCSU would have cost our town more due to high cost of Woodstock schools compared to others. We need to hear from WCSU how joining their ED would benefit Pittsfield students and taxpayers. Kris agrees to make a copy of the VSBA report from 2010.
o Review and approve checkbook reconciliation: tabled.
6. Reports:
• Superintendent: none.
7. Executive Session: to discuss individual residency issue. A.J. will look into the issue and not pay that part of the bill in question. His review is that it is up to the Commissioner, now Secretary, pursuant to the statute if there’s a dispute.
8. Adjournment and Agenda for next meeting: review and approve checkbook reconciliation for September and October; update on IRS bond letter, update on Act 46 issues, Update on budgeting for Town Meeting, payment orders, minutes of last meeting, Policy review, director of finance and superintendent reports. Ray moves and Kris seconds to adjourn at 8:20 p.m.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015, at 7:00 p.m.
Pittsfield Town Office Building
Minutes
1. Call to order. Janice Stumpf, Richard Seaman from the SU, Kris, Ray, A.J. at 7:03 Kris called the meeting to order.
2. Consider amendments to the agenda. None.
3. Approve minutes: September 8, 2015 Kris moves to accept, Ray seconds, approved unanimously.
4. Public comment/Visitors: Janice is interested in Act 46 updates.
5. Action/Discussion:
• New Business:
o Payment orders: No. 3: VSBA $273.25 dues; Marylou Scofield, PC Legal Anticipation TAN; Woodstock1/3 tuition 16 HS $85,333.33; Killington Elementary $118,686.18; Rutland City 504 1st Q $4,466.01. Total $208,946.27. Kris moves to accept, Ray seconds, approved unanimously.
o Director of Finance: Richard reports on Patty visiting with the WSCU finance office regarding overall financial responsibilities. Richard says he has to keep books on what the town does so they have to have at least their own set of books. Patty reports concern about having SU access Pittsfield town accounts. We discuss sending the bank reconciliation monthly which is our normal course of business. Richard says that works fine. We discuss how SPED billing will be done from the SU to us and identifying the breakdown.
Kris reports on overall budget situation being approximately $500k in the bank but we have significant bills to pay and an expected deficit. More to come during payment ordering and budgeting for town meeting.
We all applaud the interaction and increased communication between Patty and Richard and the SU finance office.
Richard reports on the IRS bond notice and he continues to look into it. The Board agrees to delegate to Richard to follow up on that notice which must be in error.
Richard discusses his work on the budget for next year, making good progress. We discuss trying to budget to avoid carrying increased deficits. Perhaps a contingency fund budget line. We discuss having to budget for pre-school, at $3200 per child. Richard reports on WCSU advertising to find new pre-school kids without much response. We expect to have draft budgets by December, and to press by end of January.
o WCSU Act 46 Merger Study Committee:
1. Vote on participation: we discuss whether the SU will include us in their study while we look at getting a ghost town study. There is confusion about whether WCSU would include Pittsfield in their study of ED consolidation, without Pittsfield losing its ability to get an AOE grant for a study of the ghost ED option. Kris reports that 21 ghost towns equaling about 970 students is a possibility.
Richard believes Pittsfield may be able to participate in both studies with AOE funding. We agree to send Ray to the upcoming Act 46 merger meeting at the WCSU even though we’re not voting tonight. Richard and A.J. will both reach out to Nicole Mace at VSBA to clarify the AOE grant process.
We agree to table the vote on joining the WCSU merger study until these important issues are resolved. Ray and A.J. will plan on attending the VSBA conference later in October with a facilitated session on this subject.
2. Nominate a representative if appropriate. we nominate Ray. Ray agrees.
• Old business:
o Policies: tuition policy review tabled due to lateness.
o Act 46 update: Richard discusses the merger study committee, all the other districts have agreed to engage in the study. See above. Kris discusses with Richard the fact that our past evaluations indicated giving up school choice and going to WCSU would have cost our town more due to high cost of Woodstock schools compared to others. We need to hear from WCSU how joining their ED would benefit Pittsfield students and taxpayers. Kris agrees to make a copy of the VSBA report from 2010.
o Review and approve checkbook reconciliation: tabled.
6. Reports:
• Superintendent: none.
7. Executive Session: to discuss individual residency issue. A.J. will look into the issue and not pay that part of the bill in question. His review is that it is up to the Commissioner, now Secretary, pursuant to the statute if there’s a dispute.
8. Adjournment and Agenda for next meeting: review and approve checkbook reconciliation for September and October; update on IRS bond letter, update on Act 46 issues, Update on budgeting for Town Meeting, payment orders, minutes of last meeting, Policy review, director of finance and superintendent reports. Ray moves and Kris seconds to adjourn at 8:20 p.m.
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