Minutes of Ray Local School Council Special Meeting
March 30, 2009
Staff Lounge

In attendance: Bernadette Butler, Blake Davis, Heather Edelman, Christine Lancaster, Ray Lodato, David Myles, Ken Schug, Jennifer Washington, Angela Williams-Walker. Absent: Sean Murphy, Willie Walter.

1. Call to order
R. Lodato called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.

2. Approval of agenda
On a motion by H. Edelman (second: B. Davis) the LSC approved the agenda.

3. Approval of 2009-10 Budget
The discussion centered on the proposal that a full-time technology teacher would be paid for half by state funds and half from the cell tower fund. The LSC debated the merits of  a full-time versus part-time teacher, and discussed budgeting both to hire a teacher and replace a large number of computers.

B. Butler explained that $41,000 could be set aside in the budget under the term “miscellaneous” to allow the LSC more time to decide whether to fund the position. She said fully funding the teacher position and replacing all the poorly operating computers likely would leave no extra money in the budget.

LSC members debated a full-time versus part-time technology teacher. J. Washington supported the idea that a full-time position would attract better candidates and create a more-established program. A. Williams-Walker and H. Edelman suggested that good candidates might be available in this economy for a part-time position. B. Davis asked when hiring for the position would occur. B. Butler explained that job fairs are in May, so the LSC could take the month of April to decide on full-time or part-time.

C. Lancaster said she wouldn’t necessarily approve a part-time position, and suggested the money could be better spent in another way if part-time was the only option.

D. Myles said that hiring a part-time teacher would allow for buying or leasing computers and for leasing from Sun. A full-time position would allow for all options except purchasing the SunRay model for all computers.

B. Butler reminded the LSC that voting for a full-time teacher would likely only make that position possible for one year because there wouldn’t be sufficient funding the following year.

B. Davis made a motion to accept the budget with a full-time technology teacher position, subject to change if subsequent information comes to alter that possibility. D. Myles seconded the motion. B. Davis said that by approving this motion, the LSC is making a statement that this is what we want, but we are not locked into it. R. Lodato argued that the LSC essentially would be locked into funding the full-time position. C. Lancaster said that reversing the vote could be done in May or June, or before hiring.

Approving the motion: 5. Opposing: 3. Abstaining: 1. The motion needed 6 votes to be approved, so it did not pass.

C. Lancaster made a motion to take another vote. J. Washington seconded the motion. Approved: 8. Opposed: 1.

D. Myles made a motion to approve the budget allowing for a full-time technology teacher position in 2009-10. J. Washington seconded the motion. Approved: 6. Opposed: 3. The motion passed.

4. Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 6:33 p.m.

Submitted by H. Edelman