Town of Provincetown

John Anderson Francis Family

Scholarship Committee

Meeting Minutes of

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Meeting Room A

 

Members Present:  Gail Browne, Chairwoman, Mary Cabral, Philip Guadiano,  Olympia Ciliberto, Bill Schneider and Eleanora Irving
 
The meeting was convened at 5:02 p.m.
 
1.  Public Statements
 
  B.Schneider announced that the Arts in Windows will be featured by Massport at Boston's Logan International Airport from June through September.  The pictorial panels done by students from VMES and PHS, as led by art teacher Lisa Fox, represent Provincetown's history and heritage and will help to promote tourism to the Cape.  Press releases will go out.
P.Guadiano mentioned Cape Codder and Cape Cod Times had articles about scholarships from various private organizations with dollar amounts.
 
2.  Approval of minutes
 Bill Schneider moved to approve minutes of December 20, 2006.  Motion carried. 

 Mary Cabral moved to approve minutes of February 22, 2007.  Motion carried.

3. Old Business
 The post office box fee of $50.00, was approved unanimously to be reimbursed to O.Ciliberto.  Motion made by Bill Schneider.

 4. New Business
  Gail Browne presented copies of her extensive research regarding School Choice students.  This research reflects that 100% of the School Choice students have been awarded scholarships from the JAFFSC since 1996.  The documents provided by the Chairperson included the following:
 
A)  A December 2006 letter from Edward G. Boxer, retired Principal and Guidance Director of PHS to clarify past practice in the awarding of the JAFF Scholarships.  In his thirty-one years, anyone who applied for a JAFF Scholarship was awarded one and "residence...has never been a criteria for receiving a scholarship...".

B)  Each member also received copies of JAFF Scholarships awarded from the class of 2001 (17 Scholarships), 2002 (13), 2003 (18), 2004 (12) as well as School Choice Graduates from 1996 (1), 1997 (1 E=Employment), 1998 (no graduates), 1999 (no graduates), 2000 (2),  2001 (1 E), 2002 (1 E and 1 Scholarship),  2003 ( 3 E & 1 Scholarship),  2004 ( 3 E)    and    2005 ( 1 E).  For the class of 2006 there were 6 School Choice Graduates who went to college with no Scholarships granted. School Choice awards were granted from 1994 on but it was not until 1996 that there was a senior who applied for one.  Research completed by Gail Browne with support from the Superintendent's office indicates that from 1996 through 2006 was not to discriminate against any Provincetown High School graduate applying for one (who was going on to college).  It is unequivocal that in every case (100%) of School Choice where a non-Truro or non-Provincetown student applied for a JAFF Scholarship did receive a scholarship, discussion ensued that Town Counsel should be availed of this updated information.
 C)   Residency has not been a requirement as stated in the "Recommendations" for the basic criteria for scholarship awards as set forth in Cecilia Francis' will.
 
Mary Cabral moved to request the opinion of legal counsel with the committee's original questions presented to Board of Selectmen, the new information and data, and to stress that time is of the essence as graduation for the class of 2007 is June 6, 2007
 
The above action was approved unanimously, 5-0-0.
 
The meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m.
 
JAFFSC Meeting Minutes submitted by Eleanora Kwah-Chun Irving