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Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison, Wisconsin
 
Art Rainwater, Superintendent
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Minutes for Special Meeting - Open Session
April 22, 2008		   La Follette High School
702 Pflaum Road, Auditorium
Madison, Wisconsin

President Arlene Silveira began the public hearing at 6:03 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT:                             Maya Cole, Lucy Mathiak, Beth Moss (arrived 6:10 p.m.), Arlene Silveira

                                                         Board members-elect Ed Hughes and Marjorie Passman

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT:   None

MEMBERS ABSENT:                               Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, Johnny Winston, Jr.

STAFF PRESENT:                                  Steve Hartley, Doug Johnson, Joe Quick, Art Rainwater, Howard Sampson, Donna Williams, Ann Wilson-Recording Secretary

1.         Public Hearing on the 2008-2009 Proposed MMSD Budget

            (Written materials provided:   2008-09 Budget and District Profile Executive Summary - attached to the original of these minutes.)

            Don Severson - "Same Service Budget" suggests nothing will be changed.  If the district continues to do the same things, there will be no change in achievement and better results will not be realized.  That is not acceptable.  ACE (Active Citizens for Education) proposes that nothing is more important than reading and arithmetic, and perhaps writing.  Results at the bottom of the achievement range are not acceptable. Reallocate for more effective use of funds.

            Linda Martin - Shared her concerns about the way in which staffing issues are handled by the district and suggested some ways to divert money now spent on legal issues to education of children.

            Lynette Hanson - Suggested the district needs to do a better job of meeting the needs of students rather than using money to pay legal staff and fees.  She wondered whether it is true that the district pays one-half of MTI legal fees.

            Elizabeth Doyle - Concerned that issues she talked with the Board about in December are still there.  Specials teachers and students are struggling with arts classes; she described it as a major setback for equity in the arts.  The most difficult challenge is not the size of the classes but combining two classes.  (Arlene Silveira answered her questions about budget process and timeline.)  She requested that the specials class load be specifically included in the budget discussion on May 5.

2.         Adjournment

            The hearing ended by unanimous consent at 6:17 p.m.

               

               

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Previous: 2008-04-21 || Special Meeting - Open Session || Next: 2008-04-23