Following are some highlights from the School Committee meeting of 10.07.09:

Parents voice concern over class size: During Citizens Speak several parent rose to protest the lack an aide in Grade 1 classes that have close to 30 students. More than one specifically cited increased stress on both the children in the class as well as the teacher. Ms. Kelly of the school committee and a member of the finance subcommittee said it is required “they stay within their budget.”  Mr. Pavlicek, also of the finance subcommittee, addressed the possibility that has been floated that stimulus funds might address the issue. He noted that while there may be a possibility of stimulus fund availability, the schools were facing a $100K cut in the warrant before town meeting and that it was not unlikely that there may be another cut to state aid in the middle of the year. Any application of funds would likely keep staff levels where they are. Mr. Huban reminded the audience that the school committee had cautioned parents before the year began that there could be an absence of aides. Lynda Lee Sheridan, school committee chair, acknowledged the concerns and stated she would not expect anything less. She reiterated that the school committee would do everything it can to rectify the situation.

Flu update: Nurse Margaret Gibbons gave an update on H1N1 and seasonal flu. Unfortunately, they have not received the vaccine from the state. The plan had been to provide vaccinations during the   teacher professional day scheduled for 10/9 as students are off that day. They will need to schedule for a Saturday once they here definitive information from the state. Nurse Gibbons reiterated the following recommendations:

• Make sure that your child’s emergency card on file at the school is up to date with regard to contact information etc.
• If the you have the opportunity to get your child a seasonal vaccination, do it. For example, you might be at the doctor’s for some other issue.Take advantage of the time to attend to it.
• Have a plan of what to do if your child needs to be sent home
• Have a plan of what to do if your child must stay home

AP enrollment and test results: Ken Aubert, head of the MHS Guidance department, gave an update on the status of AP classes (AP = advanced placement). There are 19 AP courses offered at the high school. Last spring 248 students took 496 exams. Approximately 55% scored 3 or better. FYI – AP exams are scored 1 – 5 with 5 being the best. Many colleges award credit and / or waive requirements for students that score 3 or better. There has been a substantial increase in enrollment in AP classes over the last 3-5 years. Superintendent Gormley noted that no student’s are denied access to AP classes due to cost and that the process for admitting students to these classes had been eased greatly. Mr. Aubert’s presentation which will be made available online in near future focused on English, Math, and Science from data supplied by the College Board. Ms. Kelly inquired about data for other subject areas but the College Board does not supply those. Ms. Gormley noted that efforts are underway to further improve AP enrollment and performance. She emphasized the need to have students with interest in AP courses to begin the educational foundation in middle school.

Diversity update: Vice Principal Yolanda Beech gave a narrative summary of the status of diversity efforts across all schools. What was somewhat striking was actually data Ms. Gormley presented which demonstrated Milton’s racial and gender profile exactly maps to that of the state as a whole. For example, Milton’s student population is 71% white and 30% non-white. The same is true for Massachusetts as a whole.

AYP report: AYP is an acronym for Adequate Yearly Progress, a metric the state uses to gauge school district performance. AYP is measured in aggregate and also by subgroup (e.g. African-American). Superintendent Gormley gave a detailed review of 2009 school results. It is not easily summarized. The presentation will be made available in the next few days. In short, Milton did OK in the aggregate but did not meet state’s AYP in some subgroups, special needs and African-American. Mr. Gillis the new school business manager noted that Massachusetts AYP standards are extremely rigorous in comparison to other states. Ms. Gormley said, “It gives new meaning to no child left behind.” and added that efforts were already underway with school principals to address the issue. You can find complete state AYP data on Milton here. However, the superintendent’s presentation, which is forthcoming, will be easier to understand.

Congratulations Mr. Lovely!: In her Chairman’s report, Ms. Sheridan had to congratulate her fellow committee member, Mr. Lovely, not once but twice. Mr. Lovely was honored recently at Celebrate Milton. He was one of five individuals to receive a Community Builder Award. Later this month, Mr. Lovely will be inducted into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame. A banquet for inductees will be held October 24th. You can learn more here.