April 22, 2008

The seventh meeting of the 2007/08 Gocio SAC was held at 3:30 with the following seventeen members represented:

Brenda Aguayo, Sara Booth, Antoinette Bush, Audrey Davis, Pamela Davis, Steve Dragon, Deborah Fipps, Julie Harrell, Kirsten Hazelton, Rana Hodges, Shirley Osgood, Angeles Radford, Ruth Rubinstein, Martha Samuelson, Angela Smithson, Maureen Taliento, and Debra Voege

The minutes of the March 11^th meeting were read silently. Debra Voege made a motion to accept them, which was seconded by Deborah Fipps. SAC approved the minutes.

Mr. Dragon presented the proposed 2008-2009 Gocio budget. He opened his presentation by stating, “We have a shortfall with funding and will not be able to provide the same level of services as we did in the past.” He then explained that the budget was given as unit allocations this year meaning that we had limited flexibility in how the funds could be used. Student mobility and state requirements significantly impact funding and the number of classrooms needed at each grade level. Gocio ended the 2006-2007 school year with 923 students and currently has 802 students. Our projected enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year is 760 students. Current state law mandates that grades K-2 have a teacher: student ratio of 1:18 and grades 3-5 a ratio of 1:22.

Next year Gocio will have eight kindergarten classes, nine first-grade classes, eight second-grade classes, eight third-grade classes, seven fourth-grade classes, and six fifth-grade classes. This is one more homeroom class than we currently have.

Gocio will be adding the following positions next year:

§ Technology Support – from 10-month to 12-month position (District Allocation)

§ 1 Cafeteria Aide – 4 hours a day; includes clerical and cafeteria duties

§ 1 ESOL Liaison - maintains all district and state mandated files

§ 2 ESOL Classroom Teachers – to reduce class size

Gocio will be losing the following positions next year:

§ 1 School Secretary (must have 1000 students to earn this position)

§ 1 Instructional Technology Coach- the district will now have Instructional Technology Trainer teams that will work the schools

§ 0.5 Remedial Math Teacher

§ 0.5 Writing Coach

§ 0.5 ESE Liaison

§ 1.0 Self-contained ESE Teacher (due to enrollment)

§ 1.0 ESE SSP-7 Aide (due to enrollment)

§ 0.2 Speech/language Therapist

§ 1.4 Home School Liaisons

§ 2 ESOL Resource Teachers- they became classroom teachers

§ Technology Teacher

A question and answer session was held. Mr. Dragon explained the district’s surplussing process that is used when a school has more employees than it has positions available. The process factors in retirements, resignations, voluntary surplus, and various professional leaves. Gocio may have to involuntarily surplus four instructional staff members. It is the hope of the district that every current employee will have a job within the district for the 2008-2009 school year. Mrs. Lori White, superintendent-elect has stated the district will revisit the impact of these staffing allocations.

A motion for adjournment was made by Angela Smithson and seconded by Sarah Booth. The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for 3:30 on May 13, 2008.