Jamestown Schools: A School-Community Partnership
"SCAN," issued by the Superintendent’s Office in conjunction with the School Committee, is designed to inform staff members and interested others of matters discussed and actions taken by the Jamestown School Committee at its most recent meeting. SCAN does not represent meeting minutes.
Workshop Discussion Topics
Presentation by Janet McCarthy, School Liaison Officer at the Newport Naval Station: Ms. McCarthy explained her role as school liaison officer (SLO), outlined the services she provides to military families with school-age children; and shared her goal of establishing positive partnerships with the local school districts. She is aware of—and striving to address-- the problem districts face in not having advance notice of how many military students will be enrolling in any given year. The committee shared its frustration with the burden on Jamestown of paying tuition for an increasing number of military students attending North Kingstown High School. Unlike most communities that absorb such students into already existing classrooms with little or no additional expense, Jamestown incurs tuition costs that must be budgeted for. With the number of military students increasing and state funding constricting, the school committee is concerned about the impact on existing programming in Jamestown schools.
FY2011 Budget Format and Expectations: The committee agreed that the administrative team should be prepared to budget for scenarios ranging from level state funding to zero state funding. The committee also agreed that the administration should use the strategic plan to guide budget decisions and priorities.
Tuition Contract Revision: Ms. Kaiser reported that she and Superintendent Lukon had drafted rollover language that they will ask NK administration to review before seeking attorney input. The language extends the contract via automatic rollover while preserving each party’s right to end the agreement as per the current contract language.
JTA Contract Negotiations Team: Ms. Kaiser and Ms. Kallfelz will represent the committee on the negotiating team for the teacher contract.
Shared Services Roundtable Update: Ms. Kaiser reported that she attended the second meeting of the shared services roundtable; the third meeting will be held on Dec. 5. Communities in attendance included Jamestown, East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick. The discussion centered on potential areas for sharing services, including IT, food service, a regional teacher contract, a regional labor attorney, regionalized special education services, special education consolidation based on strengths/needs of districts, coordination of professional development days/speakers, a regional clearing house for non-public school textbooks, and regional purchasing. Ms. Kaiser and Mr. Whitehouse both attended the RIASC quarterly chairs meeting on November 21, at which consolidation of services was discussed, including the benefit to RI districts of piggybacking on the Texas School Board Association’s group purchasing program. In discussing whether regionalization would produce administrative savings, RIASC executive director Tim Duffy pointed out that RI is ranked 8th in the nation in the ratio of teachers to students, but 45th in the ratio of administrators. Mr. Duffy also reported that the RI senate leadership will be supporting the adoption of a funding formula in 2010. To qualify for Race to the Top funds, RI cannot cap the number of charter schools and must have a predictable funding formula. The Board of Regents has announced its support for a funding formula with no hold harmless clause. Communities such as Jamestown would not fare well with a such a formula.
New Business
Home School Requests: The committee approved home schooling requests.
The next business meeting of the Jamestown School Committee will be on December 17. The next workshop meeting will be on January 7. All meetings are held at 7 p.m. in the Lawn School library.