TLSS on the mall school

Long story short: back to admin and it's not happening this year.

mall school proposal consideration of over-age enrollment at middle school

middle school task force & WPS dropout prevention

college and career preparation

drop out rate of 5.1% 08-09

"full cultural aspects of Creamer Center to serve students of all ages, 7-12 grade"

Monfredo: nearly all (it's 93%) graduate

how would we pay for it: his question

walk through money: funds used currently for Creamer Center, Fanning Learning, and Central MA Sped Collaborative

"intensive supports so students have varied options"

"In the long run, will this save us money?"

money comes back to district if kids come back in (who had dropped out)

cost of $100,000 potential for build out of space, materials, technology, coming from building utilities recovery fund

O'Connell: does it differ in any way with what we provide with our programs?

(compliment to Creamer Center)

additional technical and certification programs, thought about with director of Creamer

"when Dr. Mulqueen and Dr. Boone" brought this up, seemed a way of extending it

Why would we have this at the mall? asks O'Connell

costs savings, "networking support" from Simon Youth Foundation

"better place to built out those partnerships"scholarships

is their partnership contingent on our putting the school there? Yes

question about viability of mall: concern that mall is struggling to fill space

Mulqueen says not a concern, open all day, "flexibility" "partnership"

"some benefits and concerns, benefits seem to outweigh the concerns" says Mulqueen

concern that we are adding principalships at a tough budget time (and principals' salaries go up quickly)

potential to make more money, Grubouski

Biancheria asks where are the 10,000 comes from

pursuing kids who have dropped out, which we don't do now"not an active part of what's going on" currently (says Mulqueen)

we are not pursuing students in danger of dropping out now, asks Biancheria? We are, answer"concerned with option not having what we currently have"
building on what we have "not actively pursuing them at this point"at capacity at Creamer center right now

at this time, maybe 1/2 would be better, Biancheria; times are tight

have been to mall, management absent

bringing kids into a distracting environment

kids with some issues in some place with very little security

safety concerned with

for $100,000 to work on a structure to house teachers and students

"was a manager for the 9th grade repeater program" not easy

if they are at the mall, and there's four stores, where are the internships?

presently at Creamer, we have an engaged community

moving among three buildings (after moving from their own schools) "already had a tremendous amount of mobility"

"not to mention homelessness and no guidance"had 65 students graduate in January, enrollment of 275

referrals being made constantly

internships don't happen at the mall, says Mulqueen, happen in the community

"once the initial agreement is signed" then we find partners with Simon Foundation

School Committee letter of intent happens before Simon finds partners

last year 350 students dropped out of WPS
(skepticism from Biancheria: did they drop out, go elsewhere?)

"providing an option"

students have an option all the way through the process; they can always go back to their home school
"this is something that's based on data, also survey information from Creamer Center"Gribouski

who works on getting partnerships and internships? do they work with WPS? asks Biancheria

contact person is at Solomon Pond Mall now; have also spoken with Media PA school

Biancheria Goggled it: where it is working, the mall has staff, security, stores; Greendale does not

what happens if we move the kids there and the mall gets purchased by someone else?

Simon Foundation assured WPS that they don't walk away from projects, Mulqueen"have to rely on the results they've gotten"

Mullaney: "usually open to thinking outside the box and not being obstructionist, but" concerns, echoing O'Connell and Biancheria

making a decision to go into a place that's failing

hesitant to go at this time into this facility

Creamer program has been successful; not impressed by backup

does not tell us that the other communities had some programs before
"we have a situation where we have a successful program"
"appreciate that we might have some space consideration...is there not space in some facility that we own to house overflow?"
room at Tech school?
really surprised to hear the mall is open from 7-9...who's going to be there?
"kids wandering in whenever they want to or schedule permits...how do you learn if you're dropping in and dropping out?..how does any real learning get done?"
who goes to Creamer Center? Have 10 credits, have been referred from their schools
majority of students are close to proficiency
St. Casmir's serves only kids with IEP's; licensed by the state on a yearly basis

"go on record that I find these salaries preposterously high" particularly for this number of kids
would like to see some economies around current director of Creamer run all the program and supervise Creamer
students would have an assigned schedule, Grubouski
do we know that we have those 350 students around? Do we know that they have not enrolled elsewhere? (have not entered another MA school, not coded for entering another state or country's school)
what are our options for pulling out? would like to know what our options are first (Mullaney)
"letter of intent commits us and commits them" Mulqueen
Monfredo is optimistic that the mall's future will be better
non-traditional school with potential duel enrollment
differs from Creamer Center: can't offer expanded opportunities for technical training
still have options: to go back to their schools

breakdown of 1/3: our part is $100,000, plus staff, plus materials
they give $100,000 for construction, plus facilities; their partnerships give $100,000
space of the former arcade next to food court
has anyone from city expressed thoughts on this? Mullaney

no

what conversations have we had with staff? Biancheria

Tim Whalen is a member of the dropout prevention forceno conversation with other staff

Greendale Mall is owned by Mayflower Greendale LP

they have two listings for 7 Neponset Street: one worth $25,698,600.00

the other worth: $9,053,800.00

O'Connell: concerns about location (both mall and our investment in it), concern with adding principal, but pursue returning kids to school
MOTION to return to administration