Tilghman Elementary School Facility Utilization Committee Meeting Talbot County Education Center Meeting Minutes November 20, 2017

Transcription

1 Tilghman Elementary Schl Facility Utilizatin Cmmittee Meeting Talbt Cunty Educatin Center Meeting Minutes Nvember 20, 2017 I- Call t rder The facilitatr, Rb Levit f Annaplis MD, called t rder the meeting f the Tilghman Elementary Schl Facility Utilizatin Cmmittee at 8:35am n Nvember 20, 2017 at the Talbt Cunty Educatin Center. II- Rll call Rb Levit cnducted a rll call. The fllwing persns were present: Erin Spurry- Bzman/ St. Michaels Elementary/ St. Michaels Middle/High Schl Schl Parent Dr. Indra Bullck- St. Michaels Elementary Schl Principal LuAnn McKelvey- Tilghman Elementary Schl Teacher April Mtvidiak- Tilghman Elementary Schl/St. Michaels Middle/High Schl Parent Jyce Crw- Tilghman Elementary Schl Principal Marlene Thmas- Critchlw Adkins Childrens Centers- Afterschl Prgram Christy Mrrell- Critchlw Adkins Childrens Centers Executive Directr Dr. Jay Shtel- Cmmunity Rep/Tilghman resident/vice President TAYA Sandra Kleppinger- Talbt Cunty Bard f Educatin Member Als present were the fllwing emplyees f Talbt Cunty Public Schls: Kevin Shafer (Plant Operatins and Maintenance Manager), Lynne Duncan (Assistant Superintendent fr Administrative and Supprt Services), and Angelina Khlk (Administrative Assistant- Human Resurces.) The fllwing persns were nt in attendance: Megan McDaniel- Eastn/St. Michaels Elementary Schl Parent III- Tpics f Discussin Mr. Levit guided the cmmittee members t fllw a SMART gal frmat when wrking twards a recmmendatin: S= Specific M= Measurable A= Attainable R= Realistic T= Timely/Time bund

2 Mr. Levit asked the cmmittee if they had any questins they wuld like t ask: 1. Is utilizatin number nly the enrllment f students r are after schl prgrams and summer prgrams included? N it is FTE (Full time enrllment) 2. When d we start lking at the test scres that Tilghman Elementary Schl prduces? There is nt anther schl in the cunty t cmpare the class sizes t. Mr. Levit- I want t make sure that everyne s thirst is satisfied fr the questins yu had. Lets g arund the rm, frm what yu re hearing this mrning, what is standing ut fr yu? - It seems that utilizatin is the main issue. - There s numbers and emtins Number wise, St. Michael s Elementary Schl wuld have smaller class sizes D nt discunt the emtinal aspect - If the schl remains pen, it will nt functin the way that it has It will nt be the quality schl that it has been in the past, with a smaller staff. - Bth schls need t functin crrectly There has never been a case f an elementary schl being clsed n ne variable. - Aftercare- Tilghman Area Yuth Assciatin is supprted by the cmmunity Funders supprt all f these rganizatins Will need t cme tgether and reimagine what needs t be dne fr the students. Mr. Levit- Befre we mve n a d few exercises, as an impartial utside persn frm the cmmunity, this tpic is emtinally difficult fr peple. Change is nt easy fr peple. As yur facilitatr I d understand the emtinal side, I think we are ging t get the best

3 result fr everybdy, behind every number is a persn. Des ne persn want t address that? - Sme children will benefit greatly frm smaller class sizes Mr. Levit asked the cmmittee t respnd t the fllwing questin, If we did nthing, what is ur default future? The cmmittee wrte the fllwing respnses n a sticky nte, and placed it n the dry erase bard: 1. Tilghman Elementary Schl clses 2. Clse the schl if it is left as is 3. We will be back next year t clse Tilghman Elementary Schl 4. Tilghman Elementary Schl and St. Michaels Elementary Schl will bth lse teaching psitins- nt gd fr kids at either building 5. Tilghman Elementary Schl wuld lse staff and St. Michaels Elementary Schl wuld pssibly lse staff- increase in student t teacher rati 6. Tilghman lses teachers and classes will need t be cmbined, St. Michaels Elementary lses teacher and larger class sizes 7. Staff wuld leave fr ther psitins- kids will nt receive quality instructin- Staff cannt d triple teaching f grades 8. Quality educatin will nt be prvided. Mr. Levit asked the cmmittee t respnd t the fllwing questin, Wh wuld be affected and hw? The cmmittee respnded ut lud: 1. The children Quality f educatin Lss f teachers Services- prgrams If things stay the way they are, St. Michaels Elementary Schl is ging t lse tw teacher psitins, and they lst tw teaching psitins last summer. Mr. Levit asked the cmmittee t respnd t the fllwing questin, Given the ideals given t us, ging frward, what is yur preferred future? This needs t be specific. The cmmittee wrte the fllwing respnses n a sticky nte, and placed it n the dry erase bard: 1. Duble enrllment at Tilghman Elementary Schl, and a stable envirnment at St. Michaels Elementary Schl. Keep St. Michaels Elementary Schl and St. Michaels Middle/High Schl separate.

4 2. Redistrict Area B t St. Michaels Elementary Schl and Area A t Tilghman Elementary Schl- raise utilizatin at bth schls- raise pen enrllment awarenesskeep Tilghman Elementary Schl pen. 3. What s best fr the students! The ptin that lwers class sizes fr all and keeps staffing fr all students. 4. Bring students frm surrunding areas t utilize Tilghman Elementary Schl and lwer exiting class sizes at St. Michaels Elementary Schl 5. Have bth schls be able t functin effectively and efficiently in educating the students with adequate staff 6. Cllabratin- keeping what s best fr the children in mind- a plan fr the schl if cnslidated. 7. Cnsider pssible re-zning ptins. If that desn t pan ut, clse the schl. 8. Cnslidate with specific resurces/recmmendatins t address cncerns f cmmittee. a. Teacher numbers b. Class manage c. Transitin activities Mr. Levit asked the cmmittee t list the risks/assumptins/issues and dependencies f the fllwing three preferred futures: 1. Duble enrllment at Tilghman Elementary Schl, and a stable envirnment at St. Michaels Elementary Schl. Keep St. Michaels Elementary Schl and St. Michaels Middle/High Schl separate a. Risk- schl will clse in if we dn t get t 60% utilizatin b. Assumptins- that we can build the enrllment at Tilghman Elementary Schl, and that peple will want their children t g t Tilghman Elementary Schl c. Issues- transprtatin, and it culd hurt St. Michaels Elementary Schl (they will lse tw mre teachers next year) d. Dependencies- kids cming, parent buy in, Bard wuld have t agree t it, csts, and schl system cllabratin and buy in. Cmmittee Member - This is nt an easy decisin t have. 2. Redistricting- Area B t St. Michaels Elementary Schl and Area A t Tilghman Elementary Schl a. Risk- dmin effect n ther schls, parents pt ut, we may nt get t percentage f utilizatin. b. Assumptins- that the numbers will wrk ut, that peple will be kay with change, that peple will pt in c. Issues- they may pt ut, n matter what St. Michaels Elementary Schl will be affected.

5 d. Dependencies- parent buy in 3. Cnslidatin- a. Risk- bigger class sizes b. Assumptins- St. Michaels Elementary Schl will get 3 teaching psitins, sme parents may pt fr sending their kids t private schl c. Issues- separatin f ages at St. Michaels campus, parking and pick up/drp ff at St. Michaels campus, cmmunity will be altered d. Dependencies- nt reaching capacity IV- Additinal Remarks made by the cmmittee members: - Cmmittee Member - If we cntinue this prcess fr anther year we wuld still be left with the same scenari we are nw, at bth buildings, educatin will suffer. And we re educatrs. That s what we re all abut. I live n Tilghman. I m a resident. My heart is there. But I m all abut what s best fr kids and it will nt be the status qu at Tilghman Elementary. And I wuld prefer that kids get the best educatin, and that may nt be with us (at Tilghman Elementary Schl). - Cmmittee Member - If that s ging t happen, and they re ging t lse staff at Tilghman, then my recmmendatin is t clse the schl, but I didn t cme here with that in mind, I came here t keep the schl pen. But if staff is reduced, then the schl can t cntinue t perate. - Cmmittee Member - I just want everyne t knw that this was truly in the best interests f the students. It s all fr the kids - Cmmittee Member - I dn t knw that we have the luxury f anther year. Because if yu re really cncerned abut the quality educatin, essentially yu culdn t make all these kids take a hit fr anther year while we figure this ut. V- Final Vte: A final vte was cnducted by a shw f hands. Six cmmittee members vted in favr f cnslidatin, ne cmmittee member vted against cnslidatin. Ms. Spurry left the meeting at 11:00am and did nt vte. Ms. Mtvidiak left the meeting at 11:55am, but did cast in her vte prir t leaving. Ms. McDaniel was nt present t this meeting. VI- Final Recmmendatin Based n much deliberatin and cnsideratin f all factrs including student t teacher rati, building capacity/utilizatin, equitable distributin f schl resurces, and the quality educatin f all Talbt Cunty Public Schl students, we recmmend cnslidating Tilghman Elementary Schl with St. Michaels Elementary Schl fr the schl year.

6 We recmmend that TAYA (Tilghman Area Yuth Assciatin) stays intact and that students have access t transprtatin and schl facility fr after schl prgrams. We recmmend that thrugh the time perid that n substantial change be made t the building s that the schl culd be re-pened. This time perid will give the cmmunity the ability t analyze all ptins t increase utilizatin at Tilghman Elementary Schl including but nt limited t: - Redistricting - Magnet and/r charter schl initiative - Open enrllment marketing initiative. If cnslidatin ccurs, we recmmend the fllwing actins t the Bard f Educatin: - Place teachers frm Tilghman Elementary Schl in an available psitin f their preference - Plan a variety f well planned transitin activities funded by Talbt Cunty Public Schls, targeting the needs f students and families Open huse Frum Visitatin/Schl tur during schl hurs Cmmunity gathering with fd and fun - Address the need fr an Assistant Principal at St. Michaels Elementary Schl VII- Adjurnment The facilitatr, Rb Levit f Annaplis MD, adjurned the meeting at 12:55 pm. Minutes submitted by: Angelina Khlk Minutes apprved by: Lynne Duncan