3.11.2013 Octorara Board Work Session Minutes

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OCTORARA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTMinutes of Board Meeting Held on March 11, 2013

The work session of the Octorara Area School Board was held in the Octorara Area Jr./Sr.High School Multi-Purpose Room on March 11, 2013.

A moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance preceded the meeting.

The President, Ms. Bowman, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Other memberspresent were: Mr. Ganow, Mr. Hume, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Lapp, Dr. Melton, Mr. Norris, Mr.Oleyniczak, and Mr. Stoltzfus. Also present were; Mrs. Hardy, Secretary; Dr. Newcome,Superintendent; Mr. Carsley, Business Manager; members of the administrative team; onereporter and ten citizens.

Dr. Newcome gave the following report pertaining to budget issues:

In response to Mr. Ganows request last month for a salary comparison with Chester andLancaster County school districts, I have provided the memo labeled as Labor Cost. Thisdocument addresses teacher salaries specifically. As you review the memo you will notice

that I spend a considerable amount of time explaining why we must be careful about usingsimple averages in determining salary comparisons.

I address the need to look at total earning potential within a contract along with howvariables such as furloughing of teachers, the number of steps to the maximum on the salaryschedule, and the extensive influence of the top salary has on total earnings. These factorsare important when comparing salaries between school districts.

My summation for the memo reads:

This document is not intended to make a value judgment on the appropriate pay for teachersin the Octorara Area School District. It is intended to provide the reader with a more

complete view of salaries and salary structures. I use the term more complete because tomake a fully complete comparison of salaries would take a major study with much morerobust data sets.

A simple average at several points in time does not account for the cost of teachers in acomplete manner.

Teachers in the Octorara Area School District make considerably less in the course of theircareer than teachers in all but one Chester County school district according to data that Ihave been able to pull together. Teachers in the Octorara Area School District makeconsiderably more in the course of their career than teachers in all Lancaster County schooldistricts.

The reduction of staff reduces total salary expenses. However, when teachers are notreplaced it does not improve the average per teacher proportionately to when a districtreplaces staff with lesser paid staff.

Additionally, I distributed documents that you received previously for salary comparisonsfor my position and for the administrative team. These documents were distributed in April2011 and May 2012. I did not update the documents.


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Dr. Newcome asked if there are any questions related to methodology or content in any ofthe documents presented relating to salaries.

Mr. Norris said while he appreciates the study, because of his involvement in contractnegotiations, it did not shed any new light for him. The only thing that stood out was thefact that the overall life time earnings of our teachers are much lower than most otherschools in Chester County.

Dr. Melton said she is surprised that the average top salary for Chester County is $97,000.

Ms. Bowman said the report touches on the nuances with contracts regarding degrees andseniority and how that ties into salary. She said as you move east salaries increase.

Dr. Newcome said the Board wanted to make sure our starting salaries were strong - andthey are. Our starting salary is above average. By the fifth year Octorara teachers are paidless than the average in Chester County. By the time Octorara teachers reach the top payscale they are paid $10,789 less than the average in Chester County. Dr. Newcome notedsteps to maximum salary are different for each school district. Some districts reach the topsalary in 15 years compared to year 20 for Octorara.

Ms. Bowman said many people sitting at this table were not Board Members when previousdecisions were made and we cant fully engage conversation as to why those decisions weremade. Board members change and we are dealing with the here and now.

Dr. Newcome continued his presentation: The next budget related item is the memo wereviewed in the facilities committee meeting this evening. This document outlines potentialupgrades relating to school safety that we could entertain from doing nothing with afinancial implication to hiring School Resources Officers at an estimate of about $600 perday per officer.

We have had some parent interest in having armed officer(s) on campus. Not all parentsagree with this position. It was discussed at the Facility Committee meeting and decided we

will not move on this until we have had the Risk and Vulnerability Studies that are availablethrough the PA State Police and the CCIU. I have outlined intermediate options and I haveindicated that if we get word that there may be grant funding available we may need torevisit the conversation.

Mr. Norris expressed his doubts of anything of substance being put into the Governorsbudget for school security.

Ms. Bowman said the danger in putting something in our budget as a result of theGovernors budget is figuring out how to pay for it when they take it back out of the Statebudget.

Dr. Newcome said Mr. Carsley will be presenting a detailed review of the budget during theFinance Committee meeting next Monday, March 18, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. That meeting willbe held in this room and will allow for more interaction with the audience than a regularboard meeting. There will be no Policy Committee meeting on this date. Dr. Newcomereminded the audience he is available to meet with individuals or groups at their request.

Mr. Carsley spoke about the effects the March 1 sequestration will have on the budget.There will be a 5.3% reduction in U.S. Department of Education funding which will affectthe 2013-2014 budget. Title I and Special Education IDEA funding could be most affectedby the sequestration.


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Under visitors comments for agenda items only, Mr. Tim Alexander, Parkesburg, thankedDr. Newcome for meeting with him last month. He expressed appreciation to Ms. Bowmanfor her data source. He said he has spent the last few weeks looking at spread sheets,budgets, and meeting minutes from other school districts as well as ours. He said we cantdismiss average salaries. He said the average salary is what comes down to the bottom lineon the budget. If we treat the school district like a business, the salaries would be adjusted tobe sure that it wasnt causing harm to the business. Mr. Alexander said the decisions thathave been made have not resulted in a good return on the investment. He said the graduationrate he pulled off the PDE website was dismal compared to other school districts. He said weare lagging behind in assessment tests, graduation rates, and college readiness. The onlyschool district that is below us is Coatesville. Mr. Alexander said the decisions made overthe past years have not provided for the students and have not provided the return totaxpayers. He said the Board cannot blame Harrisburg, parents, or the students. Mr.Alexander said citizens have been trained to not come to these meetings because they areshut down. He applauded Mr. Hume as a champion of the taxpayers. Mr. Alexander saidtime and again people sat in this chair and said something needs to be done and they wereexplained away. He said we cant keep going the average salary will be $70,000 over thenext five years. He said we are going to destroy the local economy. If they want a goodeducation they can go to other school districts. Mr. Alexander said hebelieves The greatest

good to the greatest number of people, is the measure of right or wrong. He does not believe weare providing the greatest good to the greatest number of people. He said the Board is concernedmore about people moving into the District and not the ones who are already here. Mr.Alexander said he feels this is a moral issue to change what has been going on here and that iswhy I have decided to run for School Board for Region 3.

There were no information items.

Ms. Bowman presented the following items for action at the March 18, 2013 Board meeting:

A. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve the following policies, secondreading:

709Building Security907School Visitors

B. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Ms. Lauren Brotmans requestfor sabbatical leave for the purpose of study for the second semester of the 2013-2014 school year. Ms. Brotman is a learning support teacher at the OctoraraIntermediate School.

C. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve the student activity request forOctorara Roots & Shoots at the Octorara Area Jr./Sr. High School.

Resignation Approvals:

D. That the Octorara Board of School Directors accept Ms. Danise Millers resignationas a cafeteria employee effective February 28, 2013. (Hired October 5, 2011)Hiring Approvals:E. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Ms. Lisa McLaughlin as

payroll/benefits coordinator effective February 27, 2013. Ms. McLaughlins salarywill be $35,500 pro-rated. (Replacing Tina Butler who resigned.)

F. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Mr. Patrick Tobin as aninstructional assistant in the Alternative Ed Program at the Octorara Area Jr./Sr.


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High School effective February 11, 2013. Mr. Tobins rate will be $10.90 per hourfor four hours per day, 140 days per year. (Replacing Amy Ellsworth whotransferred.)

G. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Mr. Jason Ralston as anAlternative Education teacher at the Octorara Area Jr./Sr. High School effectiveFebruary 26, 2013 through approximately March 26, 2013. Mr. Ralstons rate willbe $140 per day.

H. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Ms. Charlene Johnson as aone-on-one instructional assistant at the Octorara Jr. High School effective January22, 2013. Ms. Johnsons rate will be $10.15 per hour for 5.75 hours per day, 180days per year. (Replacing Sharon Richey who transferred.)

I. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Ms. Ashley Stern as aninstructional assistant at the Octorara Elementary School effective March 5, 2013.Ms. Sterns rate will be $11.65 for 5.75 hours per day, 180 days per year.(Replacing Melanie Wagner who resigned.)

J. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve the following substituteteachers for the 2012-2013 school year:

Christianna Berg (Elementary)

K. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve the following supplementalcontracts for the 2012-2013 school year:

L. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve the following supplementalcontracts for the 2013-2014 school year:

M. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve the following changes insalary due to graduate credits earned:

N. That the Octorara Board of School Directors approve Ms. Katie Hellers request forunpaid Family Medical Leave for the purpose of child rearing from approximatelyMay 23, 2013 through June 7, 2013. Ms. Heller is a Special Education teacher at theOctorara Area Sr. High School.

Under the Facilities Committee Report, Mr. Stoltzfus said the sites have been prepared for

the playground equipment and they are waiting for better weather for installation.Mr. Stoltzfus said approximately three-fourths through the Sr. High School renovationproject there was a change in electricians. We are now finding out some wiring was notdone correctly. We are making sure everything is corrected. That is why we bonded thecontractthere is no additional cost to the school district for the corrections.He said the portion of the Sr. High roof that needs repaired and was not completed duringrenovations has been put out to bid.Mr. Stoltzfus announced April 20, 2013 the Chester County Solid Waste Authority will beon campus for people to bring household hazardous waste and e-waste for disposal.

Ben Creighton Assistant Track Coach 6 pts @ $585 $3,510Trent Zook Jr. High Baseball Coach 2 pts @ $585 $1,170Ryne Anthony Jr. High Baseball Coach 2 pts @ $585 $1,170Leah Tymeson Jr. High Softball Coach 4 pts @ $585 $2,340

John DiMatteo Varsity Soccer Coach 7 pts @ $600 $4,200

Lauren Brotman From M+15 ($62,159) to M+30 ($64,036) Step 12 to MAX


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The committee discussed building security. The gates for the area between the Jr. and Sr.High Schools and the security gates for the Elementary have been ordered.Minor repairs have been made to the Water Treatment Plant that includes lighting fixtures, abroken window, and fencing. An eye wash station has been ordered for installation.The repairs to the Jr. High faculty lounge have been completed.Carbon Monoxide monitors are being researched.The new bathroom partitions have been ordered.The committee discussed the cell tower. It was decided to stay with the current contract.The committee discussed purchasing instead of renting the scissor straddle unit needed forthe high-lift when changing lights in the auditorium. The cost to rent is $659the purchaseprice is $4,600.Mr. Stoltzfus said the contract with Althouse Transportation ends June 30. The new contracthas been received and is under review.The committee discussed a request to purchase used furniture.He said there will be an agenda item next week for bleacher replacement not to exceed$250,000. The estimated price is approximately $203,000.Dr. Melton clarified the bleachers will go to vote.

Mr. Norris gave an Education Committee Report. The Committee met on February 25,2013. The committee got an update on the Comprehensive Planning and Learning Focused

Schools.Ms. Michalowski provided information on inclusion. She is collecting data on effectivenessand will present the results at a later meeting.Dr. Rohrer gave an update on the iPad program. There was a meeting with Applerepresentatives to look at different apps and ways to use the iPad to increase studentengagement.Dr. Newcome presented a bullying prevention program to be held next October calledRachels Challenge. Mr. Norris said this is a nationally recognized program that he feelswill benefit the District. Mr. Norris said grants may be available for funding as well ascommunity support to fund the program.Mr. Norris said Dr. Newcome confirmed the Mobile Agriculture Lab will be on campus June3-7, 2013 for students in grades K-6 to experience hands-on science lessons related to

agriculture themes. Mr. Norris said the private sector is helping fund the labs.

Under other items/concerns, Ms. Bowman said she attended the Chester County SchoolBoard Legislative Council Meeting. She said the attendance has grown over the last three tofour years with almost every school district now having representation. School districts arediscussing the same issues concerning budget and school safety. She said a website will soonbe available. One of the things highlighted at the meeting was that the Governors budgetwould flat-fund education for a sixth consecutive year. And although the appropriation isflat-funded, a commitment to shift $10 million to the special education contingency fund(which districts will have to apply for) would result in every school district getting adecrease in state funding for special education. This leaves school districts with theresponsibility of funding with local revenues more than $1.5 billion, a burden on local

taxpayers that increases significantly each year. The Governors budget does nothing torestore funding that was eliminated over the past two years for Reimbursement of CharterSchools, Education Assistance Program, and School Improvement Grants. There arecurrently three House Bills and two Senate Bills to reduce or change the way Public CharterSchools are funded. Board members received a Save the Date for the Chester CountyLegislative Breakfast to be held on April 26.

Undervisitors comments for items in general , Mr. Scott Grimes, Parkesburg, said ChesterCounty Conservation contacted the Field Development Task Force on March 6 and toldMike Eckman that everything that was presented is sufficient and in order. He said work is


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scheduled to begin on April 22, 2013. All permits and licensing will be available for reviewin Mr. Carsleys office. Mr. Grimes said as a taxpayer and a parent, he feels very fortunatewith his return on his investment regarding his childrens education. His oldest child is acollege graduate and gainfully employed. His other child is a freshman at Lebanon ValleyCollege. He said his students entrance to private colleges was largely due to theirinvolvement here including academics, athletics, and the Arts. Mr. Grimes said he is verypleased with the investment of his tax money for his children.

Under Administrator comments or announcements, Dr. Rohrer said structured study hall wasstarted today at the Sr. High School. The RISE (Remediation, Intervention, Support, andEnrichment) Program will begin next week. He will give more information regarding theseprograms at the Education Committee meeting.

Ms. Wilson said Family Math Night will be held Thursday, March 14 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. atthe Octorara Intermediate School for students in grades K-6. The theme for the evening isTravel the Continents and will include math games, crafts, and competitions.

In response to Mr. Ganows request for graduation rates, Dr. Newcome referenced thediscussion at the November 2012 Board meeting. The reported rate for 2010-2011 wasapproximately 72%. Dr. Newcome reviewed with the Board the issues with the data

submission process and the changes that are being made to correct the problems. Thenumbers are a reflection of our past practices on data collection, a change in data systems,and our decision to move forward and not spend human capital working backwards with thenumbers. Dr. Newcome said it appears he should have worried more about the numbers dueto the accusation of lack of return on investment. Dr. Newcome said that until we do acomplete four year cycle there will be continued errors in the data but to a lesser degree eachyear. The data for 2011-2012 which will be publically reported by PDE indicates an 84.62%graduation rate. The deadline for submitting appeals for the data was October 2012 and thereporting error was not discovered until November. He said we have been studying theproblems with the data submission process and have found some of our reporting errors. Ifwe could submit an appeal, our numbers would be closer to 92%. Dr. Newcome said thedifference between 72% and 92% is attributable to poor documentation and I apologize for

that happening on my watch. He said the gap between 92% and 100% is educational. Thismeans between seven and twelve students yearly depending on class size drop out or gettheir GED. These numbers have been consistent for a long time. We have approximatelyten students each year who are retained and do not graduate on time. Dr. Newcome said theBoard is informed of these numbers each year. Dr. Newcome said if a student says they aremoving to Florida and we dont get records, it will show the student as a drop -out. We areworking to correct this data process. Dr. Newcome said incorrect data is not the whole story.The 92%-100% is the work we need to do. We want all students to graduate on time. Wewill continue to work toward this goal.Dr. Newcome thanked Mr. Alexander for taking the time to meet with him. He said heprefers to meet in person as he is not a fan of online discussions. They do not allow forinteraction. Dr. Newcome said as a result of their meeting he hopes they have a better

understanding of each other. He told Mr. Alexander at their meeting when something ismisrepresented, he will address it and not let it go. Dr. Newcome said he did not dismissthe average salary. He repeated his previous statement that A simple average at severalpoints in time does not account for the cost of teachers in a complete manner. It is onepiece of data and I wanted to look at more. In response to controllable costs, Dr. Newcomesaid this Board could have replaced 30 positions in the last four to five years. It would nothave controlled cost but would have reduced the average salary. This Board has workedhard to control costs and they dont get credit for it by only citing the average salary.Dr. Newcome thanked Mr. Grimes for his comments on return on investment. He wishes allparents could say that but understands we are not there yet. Dr. Newcome said we have a


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portion of our population that is doing very well but to say we are only planning for futurestudents that move into the District and not accommodating our current students is simplynot true. The Sr. High School building project was targeted to students that in a generalschool setting may not be as successful. We have students involved in good CTE programsthat are valuable and robust programs. Students that are here now are being challenged topursue Harvard, Yale, or HAACwherever they want to go. Dr. Newcome said we have astaff that works hard and has a lot of talent. We are fortunate to have them. They haveresponded to finding solutions and will continue until every student is successful. Dr.Newcome said he is proud of our staff.He wanted to go on public record that he will not be a part of online conversations. They arenot the best format for communication and not appropriate for him as a superintendent.Dr. Newcome said in looking at controlling costs, from 2003-2004 through 2005-2006 theincrease in salary was at an average rate of 2.7%. During 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 weincreased salaries by $1.9 million. From 2008-2009 through 2012-2013 salaries haveincreased by $180,000. I believe this shows we are controlling costs.Dr. Newcome invited people to come out and see the budget presentation next week. He isavailable to anyone who wants to have a conversation in person.Dr. Newcome announced the Octorara Agriculture Business Environmental Science andTechnology Fair to be held on Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.12:00 p.m.

Under Board comments, Mr. Norris reminded everyone of the Sound of Musicperformances on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16. The performers and directors areworking hard and doing a terrific job.Mr. Norris said Mr. Alexander mentioned that this has become a moral issue and byextension this implies this Board is immoral. Mr. Norris said he finds that offensive.

Mr. Hume expressed his concern about inclusion. He said we are here to educate studentsand give each one the same chance.Mr. Hume said the fair to be held on April 13 is to help revitalize the Ag Program. We areworking on planting a mini orchard that Mr. Hume hopes will supply the cafeterias in a fewyears. He said anything left over will go to the food bank.Mr. Hume said Dr. Newcome goes above and beyond for the Board and the District without

being recognized for it. Mr. Hume said his grandchildren wanted an education and didextremely well at Octorara. Mr. Hume said he is extremely proud of the Octorara AreaSchool District.

Ms. Bowman noted the concern over inclusion is being discussed at the EducationCommittee meeting. She said Mr. Hume was present at that meeting. We arent doinganything with inclusion that we shouldnt be doing but administration is looking at third andfourth grade numbers to see if improvements need to be made and they will be providingadditional data. It will continue to be a discussion topic at the Committee meetings.

Ms. Bowman said we are trying to solve for the impossible in the budget. While salarieshave only increased 1% since 2008-2009, pensions have increased 168%. People say if we

were a business, we would change that but we are not a business. She said if we were abusiness, we wouldnt be paying our competition and we wouldnt be paying to transport ourstudents to the competition. Ms. Bowman said the discussion will be how deep we want thecuts to be and what else we cut. These are hard decisions when you are solving for theimpossible.

Ms. Bowman said the newsletters from the Primary Learning Center and ElementarySchools are wonderful and informative. They are very well done.

Ms. Bowman reported on the following meetings to be held:


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Finance Committee MeetingMonday, March 18, 20136:00 p.m. in the Jr. HighSchool Multi-Purpose Room

Next regularly scheduled Board Meeting Monday, March 18, 20137:30 p.m. inthe Jr. High School Multi-Purpose Room

Education Committee Meeting Monday, March 25, 2013 6:00 p.m. in the

District Office Conference Room

There being no further items of business the meeting adjourned at 8:41 p.m. on motion ofMr. Ganow, second by Mr. Norris and approval of all members present.

Respectfully submitted,

Jill L. Hardy, SecretaryOctorara Board of School Directors

3.11.2013 Octorara Board Work Session Minutes

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