Scattergood Friends School Committee
Minutes May 15, 2004

Present:

Closed Session

Opened with silence at 9:10

Recommendation from Interim Search Committee: There were many candidates. After meeting with the long term search committee, they passed applications from external people to that committee and considered only internal or recently-internal candidates. In the end, the recommended candidate is Jan Luchini.

School Committee appoints Jan Luchini as interim director. A letter will be sent to the whole mailing list again, with a press release(?). Barb Garlinghouse will asssist in preparing and distributing the letter (from School Committee clerk). Lucy will also send email notification to staff and students.

There was an extended discussion of salary, particularly the difference between staff salaries and director's salary.

Long term committee is looking for more guidance from the committee regarding "what we're looking for" in a Director, and where we want the school to go.

Employment Release Agreement for Sean Egan has not yet been signed, due to a variety of factors; we expect it will be signed soon. There was some question, from Sean, as to whether it was actually needed, given the time that has passed. We agreed that it was.

Open session

We began at 10:00.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

Minutes approved with corrections. The only significant correction was that the possible grant mentioned in the Farm report should be $2000, not $5000.

ISACS

We need to fill out the ISACS Survey again, as the previously filled out forms have been misplaced. We took time in the meeting to do so.

Brunch

Seniors

Introduced Seniors. It was good to hear the variety of college acceptances and students' plans.

Director's Report

Academic

Little discussion

Spiritual and Community Life

New Student Handbooks were distributed. The changes were listed separately. Committee members should review and be prepared to approve the changes at the July meeting.

Facilities

Discussed the workday. The dates for the Family Camp Weekend on the RSVP are wrong -- should be June 25, 26, & 27.

Farm

The conditions for the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Grants for matching funds were presented to the committee.
The committee approved accepting EQIP grants as they fit into our program.

Finances / Consultation Committee

We were amazed to see the health insurance rates are going down -- they made money on us in the past year -- but it's demographics -- the staff is young & healthy.
On the other hand, the Liability & Umbrella policy is now in place (at a rate increase of approximately 400% -- up $20,000 in 2 years) (religious, boarding school)...

The insurance company did an inspection and pointed out electrical work that is needed. Since the last meeting, consultation committee approved proceeding with work on the electrical system totalling about $5000, burying lines that are currently overhead. The work is about to start. The school is waiting on a bid for the Main Shutoff work as an addition.

The committee approved spending up to $10,000 on this work in this fiscal year. We will need to raise capital funds to cover these costs.

Development

Walter Sparks will be doing the Blackbaud conversion; he is also doing such a conversion where he works, so his experience will be very helpful.

Admissions and Enrollment.

No action taken

Staffing

Jennifer Warnecke, who has been acting as learning specialist, has agreed to assume duties for Admissions next year.

Jan is in discussions for new business manager, so she won't need to continue with dual duties.

Jan is feeling very positive about both staff and students for next year.

Nominating:

Anita Allwood may be available to be recording clerk next year, assuming the school can make a laptop available during committee meetings.

Technology

There was some discussion of the ongoing email problems; no action taken.

Planning for Yearly meeting:

In addition to our report to IaYM(c), we will have a presentation on the potential capital campaign and news of campus and/or farm. And of course the daily opportunities to meet the chickens and/or work at the farm. Anita suggested also plugging the Friend In Residence program.

Evaluation

Subcommittees: examine the goals you set for yourself last fall, and evaluate how you've done!

Departing member

We said goodbye to Lynn Chakoian, Northern YM rep, who is, probably, being replaced.

Closing

Adjourned with silence at 2:50