Senate Meeting Notes

March 11, 2011

Attendance:  Hudson, Lindner, Miyata, Renouard (chair), Padilla, Balint, Greene, Feigal-Stickles, Davis, Linett, Brandon, Williams, Jones, Lee, Nielson, Lynch, Sylver, Powell, Coon

I.       Minutes from 2/15—accepted by voice vote

II.    Discussion of common principle—Principal and teachers should perceive themselves as generalists first and specialists second.  Staff should expect multiple obligations and a sense of commitment to the entire school.

a.     Renouard—especially important in Budget times when people fight for their dept and/or resources

b.     Hudson—our population is changing—we are getting kids with greater needs and bigger skill deficits.  Our kids are going to need us more.

c.     Neilson—does mentorship help with this?  Hudson—yes and no—not enough time for us to do what we need to do.

d.     Renouard—need to look deeply at how we use our time (Reflective Scholarship)

e.     Balint—really hard to be a generalist—this is the daily role of sped teachers

f.      Greene—this also makes her job delightful—she doesn’t have just one role

g.      

III. Admin Report

a.     Moving and Construction

                                                             i.      Great to be in our new building!

                                                          ii.      Critical time to be aware of what is working and not working.  This is when we can get things fixed.  Email to Tina and fill out ASR’s (Additional Service Required)!

                                                       iii.      West wing should have been addressed (ASR’s) during midwinter break.  If its not done, email Hudson.  Need to be fixed NOW or they will never be fixed.

                                                        iv.      Think of things needed in other parts of the building—staff lounge, etc. and fill out ASR.

b.     Budget

                                                             i.      Right now we are above our projected enrollment for 2011-2012.  For this year, we have about 1090.  Our projected is 1023.

                                                          ii.      Seems like with brand new building there will be extra kids—Hudson anticipates 20 more kids.

                                                       iii.      SpEd numbers are adjusted, but not correct.  This will be adjusted once kids are assigned in March.

                                                        iv.      Free/Reduced lunch numbers are climbing.  Next year—102 9th graders on F/R lunch—this is 40% of our 9th grade class. 

                                                           v.      We get combination of positions and money

1.    No counseling secretary since under 1100

2.    Activity coordinator at 1.0 FTE—we combine with Athletic coordinator and give most of activity coordination to our AP’s.

3.    Increased bilingual staffing (.6 last year to 1.2 this year to 1.4 for next year)

                                                        vi.      Per student allocation is LOW for next year--$117,058 vs. $200,000 for this year.

                                                     vii.      Free/Reduced lunch $$$ up by $10,000

                                                  viii.      LAP Instruction $$$ is up (this funds our math labs)

c.     Budget Worksheet (draft from Jill)

                                                             i.      Our budget is worse than the “worst case” from previous meetings

                                                          ii.      Need to go from 44.6 FTE (1011 sy) to 42.2 FTE (1112 sy)

                                                       iii.      Need 2.35 FTE from Per Student allocation to fund the “worst case”

                                                        iv.      Convert 1.8 sped teachers to get 3.2 IA’s—but we need to buy 4.0 IA’s (1 per grade level)

                                                           v.      LAP funding gives us 0.67 FTE

                                                        vi.      Foundation thinks they can give us $70,000

                                                     vii.      We have $364,202 in flexible funds that we can use

                                                  viii.      Dept Chair Stipends—add up to about $40K

                                                        ix.      Total stipend cost = $107,000

                                                           x.      To afford the .8 IA needed for each grade level we need to make additional cuts.  This was determined by looking at classes that had low enrollment.

1.    Further cut FaCSe by .2

2.    Further cut LA by .2

3.    Further cut Math by .2

4.    Further cut Tech Ed by .2

                                                        xi.      These additional cuts will allow us to buy back .8 IA and another partial position from the “Staffing” list (Broadcast Program Specialist, Counseling Secretary)

                                                     xii.      Others that Foundation may be able to fund or is “flexible”—Website, Homework Help, Library Assist, UWired

                                                  xiii.      Jill anticipates that NEXT year (2012-2013) will be better.

                                                   xiv.      For this year, we may be able to count on another $20-40,000 after Oct 1.  This money should not be spent on staff, but it means late hiring.

d.     Budget Questions

                                                             i.      Certificated FTE = $88,000

                                                          ii.      Classified FTE = $44,000

                                                       iii.      Cuts to LA—we have too many sections of LA 11 and low enrollment in Creative Writing

                                                        iv.      PE cuts—if we cut position to part time, does this help us with classes that have large enrollment per 1, 5 and 6?

                                                           v.      Dept chair stipends flexible?  Only if dept heads agree to go without them

                                                        vi.      LA and Hist—shouldn’t they be balanced?  The imbalance is due to more sped kids taking modified LA class.  Also, LA offers electives (journalism, newspaper)

                                                     vii.      RIF’s?  People laid off downtown likely to bump teachers with lower seniority.  However, in prior years, most of the JSCEE employees who were been laid off were rehired.

                                                  viii.      Higher needs students are going to need more counseling and health services—seems like a priority.

                                                        ix.      Gregg—re: Radio funding—Gregg’s position is paid for with “Extra Time”, not out of building budget.  However, when Gregg retires, this might change back to a cert out of our building budget.  CTE and Work Based Learning pays for part of salaries for radio.  Radio station runds 365 days per year/24 hour schedule.  Seems like $40,000 broadcast specialist is a good deal for the building. 

                                                           x.      Pledge drives—bring in about $280,000 per year.

                                                        xi.      Gregg—not possible to cut any Radio positions.  Wonders about the longevity of the program if NHHS doesn’t fund the teacher for the program.

                                                     xii.      Hudson’s recommendation—use the “Flexible” budget (about $24,000) to pay for what we absolutely need, then make a buy back list of those Flexible items.

                                                  xiii.      SpEd waiver—contingent upon having an IA per grade level.  Necessary to buy back IA’s.

                                                   xiv.      Wondering how we can convince the district to give us a more accurate number for student enrollment.  These low counts put us in the terrible position of making cuts.

                                                      xv.      Renouard—there is NEVER a good cut

                                                   xvi.      Jones—counseling case loads now at 330.  Would go up to nearly 400 if they lost .4 counselor.  Jones says he would rather increase caseload than lose counseling secretary.

                                                xvii.      Miyata—may need to consider “unteaming” for 1 year while we roll through bad budget times.  The restrictions in the schedule make for under and overenrollments.

                                             xviii.      Hudson is recommending the heavier FTE cuts so we can afford some of the “extra positions” that we rely on.

                                                   xix.      Art cut—may need to give up Fashion Illustration and one photo class.  This will make other art classes fuller.

                                                      xx.      Music—with new student assignment plan, we need to assure music at every school.  This makes it difficult to make any cuts to band.  Central office paid .2 FTE for Orchestra class this year.  Band is growing.

                                                   xxi.      Tech Ed cuts—all from Higgins programs

e.     Budget Calendar

                                                             i.      Hudson needs FTE cuts by next week so she can talk to affected staff (3/8).

                                                          ii.      Budget paperwork due on 3/17.

                                                       iii.      Can create buy back list.  Probably get bump in spring and bump in fall.

                                                        iv.      District has held back 20% of student allocation ($23,000) that we can spend in November.  Could use this to buy back counseling position.  Could use for 9th grade coordinator or counseling secretary.

                                                           v.      For next meeting—

1.    Will we go with heavier FTE cuts?  If we don’t, this means redesigning the master schedule.

2.    Will we use the FTE cuts to buy back “extras”?

3.     

IV.           Old Business—tabled until AFTER budget decisions

a.     Reflective Scholarship

b.     Final Exam Schedule

c.     Beyond High School

d.     Peer mediation

V.  New Business

a.     Diversity Day—ASB has asked that we choose either May 11 or May 12 as Diversity Day.

                                                             i.      Sen Sylver suggests that we look at AP testing dates

                                                          ii.      Sen Linett—best to have on May 12 to give ASB a chance to plan.  Move “B” day to Friday.

b.     Bite of Hale on March 17.  Tell mentorship kids on Thursday this week.  Do a table! 

 

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