Brockton, Massachusetts Special School Committee Meeting September 14, 2023
The Special School Committee Meeting of the Brockton School Committee was held this evening, at eight o’clock.
These minutes contain a summary of the meeting and list items that were under discussion.
Mayor Sullivan, Chair called the meeting to order at 8:02 p, followed by a salute to the flag.
Present: Chair, Robert F. Sullivan, Mayor, Ms. Asack, Mrs. Ehlers, Vice-chair, Mrs. Rivas Mendes, Mr. Homer, Mr. Rodrigues, Mrs. Sullivan, Mr. T. Sullivan
Also Present: Dr. James Cobbs, Acting Superintendent, Ms. Sharon Wolder, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, School Department Attorney Sarah Spatafore, City of Brockton Attorney Megan Bridges, Mr. Troy Clarkson, City of Brockton Chief Financial Officer
Mayor Sullivan, Chair, took roll call to establish a quorum.
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Mrs. Sullivan – Here |
Mr. Homer – Here |
Mrs. Ehlers, Vice-Chair – Here |
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Mrs. Rivas Mendes – Here |
Mr. Rodrigues – Here |
Ms. Asack – Here |
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Mr. T. Sullivan – Here |
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Mayor Sullivan, Chair – Here |
Mayor Sullivan explained that the start time for tonight’s meeting, 8p was chosen to accommodate the schedules of the members.
The Committee will meet again on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 7p, Brockton High School/ George M. Romm Little Theatre and not Tuesday the 19th due to Election Day.
Mayor Sullivan mentioned that past practice for Special School Committee meetings does not call for the hearing of visitors, however we want to hear, listen and learn. The agenda posting was revised to add Hearing of Visitors to this meeting.
Mayor Sullivan read the following statement for the record.
This meeting will be held and will be accessible to the public via Brockton Community Access, Brockton Public Schools website, www.bpsma.org, YouTube and Comcast channel 8 and /1071HD Version. The public can access this meeting via this link: www.youtube.com/TheBrocktonChannels
Agenda #4– Hearing of Visitors
Ms. Michaela Lauture, spoke to the committee regarding community participation is selecting an auditor.
Ms. Mary LaCivita, spoke to the committee regarding parent advisory council and parent volunteers.
Agenda #5 – Discussion of Process to Select an Independent Auditor (possible vote)
Mr. Homer spoke about recent motion made in City Council Chambers on Monday, September 11, 2023 by Councilor Farwell regarding a proposed audit undertaken by the City Solicitor to examine finances for the school year 2022-2023. Mr. Homer asked whether the School Department could fund an independent audit and instead suggested that of having the City Council undertake the audit and keep the School Committee/Department out of the process. His reasoning was that the public may have confidence in the Council, as duly elected representatives. He also suggested that there be a deeper look-back to include the COVID years of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, thereby providing a better picture of where ESSER and federal emergency monies were spent.
CFO Clarkson informed the School Committee that there was funding available in “contracted services” for an audit.
Mr. Rodrigues made a motion that the Brockton School Committee form an Advisory Board to include three members of the community for selection of a recommendation to the full Committee to vet out the auditors, dually seconded by both Mrs. Rivas Mendes and Ms. Asack.
Discussion on the motion included having Attorney Spatafore start the process of creating an application to select members from the community, what that application would look like, how many School Committee members should serve on the Advisory Board and should there be alternates from the community.
Attorney Spatafore said that after the application was approved it would be published on the website and applicants would be vetted by the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Rodrigues offered all eight members plus the three community members.
The Mayor took a roll-call vote on the motion:
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Mr. Homer – Yes |
Mrs. Ehlers, Vice-Chair – Yes |
Mrs. Rivas Mendes – Yes |
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Mr. Rodrigues – Yes |
Ms. Asack – Yes |
Mr. T. Sullivan – Yes |
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Mayor Sullivan, Chair – Yes |
Mrs. Sullivan – Yes |
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The motion passed, unanimously.
Mrs. Rivas Mendes offered that the application contains three questions: name, residency, and any affiliation with Brockton officials plus a short answer question to be determined later and, would applicants be limited to English speaking applicants only.
The Mayor offered the questionnaire would be in Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Spanish and English.
Ms. Asack asked that the Advisory Committee review all applicant materials before having the applicants appear.
Mr. Rodrigues would like a lottery to select the three members for viable applicants.
The Mayor would like to see an alternate with the three members.
Mr. Rodrigues revised his motion to read as follows:
Mr. Rodrigues made a motion that the Brockton School Committee form an Advisory Board to include three members of the community, plus one alternate, for selection of a recommendation to the full Committee to vet out the auditors, seconded by both Mrs. Rivas Mendes and Ms. Asack.
The Mayor took a roll-call vote on the motion:
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Mr. Homer – Yes |
Mrs. Ehlers, Vice-Chair – Yes |
Mrs. Rivas Mendes – Yes |
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Mr. Rodrigues – Yes |
Ms. Asack – Yes |
Mr. T. Sullivan – Yes |
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Mayor Sullivan, Chair – Yes |
Mrs. Sullivan – Yes |
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The motion passed, unanimously.
Agenda #6 – Update from City CFO
Mayor Sullivan invited Mr. Clarkson to the podium to give an update to the Committee and informed them that, going forward, there be a standing agenda item where Mr. Clarkson will provide updates. Mr. Clarkson briefly went through some of the steps taken in the last couple of weeks, shared some of the steps intended to take, and shared information on the FY2024 budget. Mr. Clarkson mentioned his objective in assisting the School Committee and the School Department is to serve both and the public with transparency, accountability, and professionalism.
Mr. Clarkson discussed the FY24 Monthly Expenditure Comparison Preliminary Budget Sheet as of September 14, 2023 that shows spending thus far in the FY24 budget. The goal is to refine this report to a granular level to be able to tell you on a daily, weekly, monthly basis the spending not only in the categories that you see in this report but by schools. The software used to manage the budget is called MUNIS, it reflects a more detailed category (in the detailed budget back in May), the data taken from MUNIS works well with Excel and exports into a straightforward spreadsheet. The spreadsheet shows the spending by those categories in that budget (back in May) and it targets the budget by monthly spending. Negative account levels are indicated in red. The accounts can be further broken-down, as requested. The tool is being refined on a regular basis.
Questions/Answers
Mrs. Ehlers asked looking at the handout she has noticed some of the line items are over 100%, is the encumbered money (can we assume) that will catch up with these percentages because the appropriate amount has been budgeted for those line items?
Mr. Clarkson mentioned, from experience it generally does and is still important to watch it and constant oversight is important.
Mr. Sullivan asked if out-standing bills are being paid and if there are spreadsheets reflecting school department net and non-net spending.
Mr. Clarkson replied he and Dr. Cobbs are being cautiously deliberate at the beginning of this process to make sure those bills are being paid and where they are being paid from and that he is refining the report to encompass both net and non-net spending.
Mrs. Rivas Mendes asked in regard to positions that need to be filled, specifically teachers how do we avoid what has occurred in the past with layoff’s and now we have to hire, where is the miscommunication?
Mr. Clarkson mentions he believes the vacancies that exist are from a variety of sources, so positions that were eliminated or not filled because of the necessity to adjust the staffing levels to the enrollment.
Mayor Sullivan mentioned, as a follow-up to the September 6, 2023 School Committee’s Hearing of Visitors, Ms. Kim Gibson, BEA President had questions about the spending of Chapter 70 fund. He and Mr. Clarkson meet with them that week to discuss the Chapter 70 funds.
He also met with Dr. Kathleen Moran, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Dr. Cobbs on Monday to further discuss the 130 employees that he and his body voted to RIF. Mayor Sullivan asked Dr. Moran to attend the September 20, 2023 Regular School Committee meeting to give us a breakdown and clarification.
Agenda #7 – Executive Session
Mayor Sullivan called for a vote to go into Executive Session and read the following statement for the record.
“The Committee will enter Executive Session”
· Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(1) – “"[t]o discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual." Open Meeting Law Complaints
· Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(2) – “To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel” – Acting Superintendent
· Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(3) – “To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares”
· Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(7) – “To comply with, or act under the authority of, any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements” – Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 22(f), (g) – for the purpose of reviewing, approving, and/or releasing executive session minutes
The committee will not return to open session following this Executive Session.
Mrs. Sullivan motioned to enter Executive Session. Seconded by Mrs. Rivas Mendes.
The Mayor took a roll-call vote on the motion:
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Mr. Homer – Yes |
Mrs. Ehlers, Vice-Chair – Yes |
Mrs. Rivas Mendes – Yes |
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Mr. Rodrigues – Yes |
Ms. Asack – Yes |
Mr. T. Sullivan – Yes |
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Mayor Sullivan, Chair – Yes |
Mrs. Sullivan – Yes |
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School Committee Members went into Executive Session at 9:23 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. James F. Cobbs
Secretary
mdc
Handout: FY24 Monthly Expenditure Comparison as of 9/14/23