Minutes: No minutes from the previous meeting were available for review

Treasurer’s report: As of 10.9.00 the PPA account carried a balance of $8551. This includes $3000 promised to the school from 1998-99 for improving the acoustics of the gym. At the September PPA meeting it was agreed to place $5,000 of the cash balance into an interest-bearing account (CD), but this has not yet been done.

Lisa presented a draft budget for 2000-01 that reflected lower fundraising receipts (due to elimination of Flea Market and the Pizza Sale) and higher expenses for newsletters and for 2 new social activities planned. It assumed a slight reduction below last year’s earnings on the gift-wrap. Overall, the budget was a breakeven budget.

It was decided to try to reduce newsletter costs by e-mailing them to everyone who had provided an e-mail address (families would request hard-copy if they preferred it) and to run the Family Fun Night and Family Fun Day as breakeven events.

In addition, we will search for new sources of income, including new fundraisers. Schoolcash.com and schoolpop.com, two on-line purchasing programs that provide funds to schools based on the value of purchases ordered on-line, were possibilities mentioned, along with Campbell’s Soup labels.

President’s Report: Lisa discussed an e-mail she received concerning a Bike Ride to raise funds for Autism research. Carol Rosser is working on this project and said that there will be a rally in Philadelphia on April 28, 2001. She will provide more info.

Lisa asked guest Bill Rennekamp to discuss Act 48. This is a new state requirement for staff to collect certain numbers of continuing education credits to maintain certification status. The act requires that the school establish a committee of administrators, parents and community members to determine what will count as appropriate training for individual schools and groups of staff. Pathway’s committee will include parents Anita Greene and Kim Olsen.

Pathway President’s Report. Bill O was out of town and sent a written report. The Board of Directors will have a retreat on November 2 to discuss Board Renewal and there will be an Endowment Committee Meeting on November 9. Parents interested in the Endowment Committee should contact Bill O.

Education Director’s report. Bob S. noted that Erin Ross, the school-wide Behavior Specialist, has started. The Rutgers Consultation Agreement is in effect. He plans to invite various staff members to future PPA meetings if we would like. Next month would be OT, Speech and Behavior Support. They will be first on the agenda. Parents can e-mail Bob with ideas or questions they want addressed.

Bill Rennekamp presented his list of goals for the year in his newly defined role as Assistant Education Director.

Pathway received an $8,000 grant from the Child Development Center to start an on-campus workshop for students to receive practice in a work setting in preparation for transitioning into our programs for off-campus jobs.

Special Reports.

Membership: We currently have 101 members, including 5 alumni.

Picnic: The picnic was a success. The disc jockey and moon bounce both helped. Not as many people seemed to have attended as was anticipated. We need to provide more reminders as the date gets closer. Expenditures totaled $770 (the draft budget only included $350).

Ways and Means: Innisbrook Gift Wrap sale is underway. Residential parents didn’t receive forms because the cost is high and we didn’t get many orders in the past.

Programs/Speakers: No one has been signed up yet. Larry will speak again to Tom Stecher (who had to cancel last year) and an attorney he knows to discuss social security.

Networking Task Force. Joan Kelly and Sue Harrop visited Vanguard School on September 29 and met Jackie Murray, Vanguard’s Supervisor of Careers and Transition. This is the sort of position Pathway parents have long said would be useful at our school, since no one is responsible specifically for helping families deal with transition issues. Also, our longstanding concern about the lack of opportunities for day students to develop/practice independent living skills (a transition issue) was raised. Bob S. recognized the need for someone to work with day parents on transition issues. He says residential parents have therapists to work with them. There are funding issues for hiring a specialist. We will continue to discuss this. It is unclear how the Networking Task Force should proceed, since much of the group’s work would be a replication of info that is already available—just not to us!

Newsletter: Anita Greene has agreed to work on the e-mail aspect of the newsletter.

Directory: Maureen received 113 yellow directory cards back. She will contact Kay Bonenberger for directory into with the names of those interested in being in our directory. Karen Covey will have Kelly do a cover picture.

Staff Liaison. No report.

Old Business. Web page. A few parents at Parents Weekend were interested in helping out on a web page/ chat room. Lisa will pursue this.

New Business. Lisa showed examples of agenda books. Bob S. will show them to staff, who are considering options for helping students keep track of their schedules and assignments.