Wisconsin Rapids Board of Education

Transcription

1 Wisconsin Rapids Board of Education 510 Peach Street Wisconsin Rapids, WI (715) MINUTES REGULAR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING November 9, 2009 Mary E. Rayome, President John Benbow, Jr. Larry Davis Sandra K. Hett John A. Krings Anne Lee Katie Medina LOCATION: Thomas A. Lenk Educational Center, 510 Peach Street, Wisc. Rapids, WI Conference Room A/B TIME: 6:00 p.m. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: John Benbow, Larry Davis, Sandra Hett, John Krings, Anne Lee, Katie Medina, Mary Rayome ADMINISTRATION PRESENT: Robert Crist, Daniel Weigand, Sharon Toellner, Trudy DeSimons, Bryon Kolbeck, Tom Helgestad MEDIA PRESENT: Eric Johnson River Cities Community Access, Cassandra Hansen VOICE of Wisconsin Rapids President Mary Rayome called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance Roll Call Recognitions The Board of Education recognized retired district employee Kris Slattery. Student Representative s Report Albert Webster reported on the success of the Lincoln fall play, the unfortunate loss of a recent football play-off game, WKCE testing by students, and precautionary measures taken to address the spread of H1N1 by having the Student Council sponsor and place hand sanitizer in most of the rooms at Lincoln. Student Council plans to continue to support having hand sanitizer available into the future. Since the break at the end of October, students appear to be healthier, with fewer flu-related symptoms being exhibited. Albert also spoke about a planned upcoming food drive of the Student Council, and a new initiative started by the Promote Club to raise awareness and prevention of the use of drugs and alcohol in the community, and among students. Superintendent s Report Dr. Crist reported that most district schools have completed WKCE testing. Staff are working to have students make up all or portions of the test they may have missed due to absence. Due to legislative action in 2009, Dr. Crist reported that the District budget will need to be trimmed by approximately $2 million. He is working with all administrators, and has directed them to also work with staff in their buildings, to generate ideas about where cuts might be made. The District has been able to make the easier cuts over the past 10 years, but is now at a point where programs, structure, and how business is done will all be scrutinized closely in order to make necessary cuts. While this may be difficult, Dr. Crist also described this as potentially exciting when determining what should be kept and continued in order to provide the best education possible into the future. New technology related to computerized textbooks is an area the District might explore to save money on computer labs and textbook purchases. Dr. Crist informed the Board that last week, notice was given to the District that because more students are qualifying to receive free and reduced lunches across the state, the amount of money available to districts for SAGE

2 funding will be lowered to approximately $160 per student. With a student free and reduced population of around 35-40%, the District stands to lose approximately $350,000 in funding. Approval of Minutes Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by John Benbow that the minutes of the special Board of Education closed session meeting of October 8, 2009; the regular Board of Education meeting of October 12, 2009; the special closed session Board of Education meeting of October 12, 2009; and the special Board of Education meeting of October 19, 2009, all be approved. Mr. Benbow requested that one typographical correction be made on page 3 of the regular Board of Education minutes of October 12, Motion carried unanimously. Comments from Citizens and Delegations None. Committee Reports A. Business Services Committee November 2, Report given by John Krings. John Krings reviewed the following consent agenda items brought before the Board through the Business Services Committee, and asked if there were any motions to be held. BS-1 Approval of the proposal from City of Wisconsin Rapids Water Works and Lighting Commission to abandon the current security lighting system at West Junior High, and replace the security lighting on six existing poles with power flood lights at a cost of $350 per fixture, to be funded from the Buildings and Grounds budget. BS-2 Approval for the District to open an investment account with M&I Bank under the extended FDIC coverage rules, for as long as the federal government extends FDIC coverage to the full balance of the account. Motion by John Krings, seconded by John Benbow to approve consent agenda item BS 1-2. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. PMA Contract Mr. Krings stated the Business Services Committee referred the topic of the District s contract with PMA to the full Board of Education for consideration. Mr. Daniel Weigand, Director of Business Services, provided historical information related to the reasons the District became involved with the PMA contract. In a joint venture with the school districts of Port Edwards and Nekoosa, PMA was contracted by each district in order to identify possible savings for the districts in common areas of programming and/or staffing. The annual cost each district pays to PMA is $8,000. Mr. Weigand noted that ideas (4K programming, SAGE) PMA has suggested to other districts, such as Merrill, have already been done in Wisconsin Rapids. At the time the District contracted with PMA, another value for WRPS would have been in future budgetary projections the consultants would provide, and which the Business Services Department did not have time to develop. Now that the District s newer accounting software version is in place, the District is able to compile these numbers. Mr. Weigand indicated that he learned from the Port Edwards district that they plan to continue contracting with PMA for one more year only. The Board questioned the value of continuing a contract with PMA when competent, professional District staff are able to generate the information needed. Mr. Weigand confirmed that there would be no adverse effect on the other two districts, should Wisconsin Rapids decide not to continue their contract with PMA. The Board discussed the fact that each district involved in utilizing PMA s services has unique ideas about what the benefits might be for their individual districts. It is the feeling of the Board that cooperative, collaborative efforts should continue with Port Edwards and Nekoosa in order to look for potential areas where leveraging purchases or services, such as supplies or personnel, might be beneficial for the districts. The Board is in agreement that based upon information shared by Mr. Weigand, Wisconsin Rapids should be able to identify potential savings and generate necessary reports needed for decision-making, without the services of PMA as a third party. Motion by John Benbow, seconded by Larry Davis to not continue the contract with PMA for consulting services. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Mr. Krings reviewed updates and reports on: - Purchases Orders for technology switch gear and renewal of a software subscription with Renaissance Learning, Inc. - Lowes Grant The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at East Jr. High School was initially denied a Lowes grant, but will continue to apply for grants to landscape the front of East Jr. High School along

3 Lincoln Street. Progress Lawn Care has assisted with the design. The PTO has begun fundraising for the project, which includes the sale of a cookbook they developed; the group hopes to raise $8,000 for the project. Motion by John Krings, seconded by John Benbow to approve the balance of the Business Services Committee report, and the minutes of the November 2, 2009, Business Services Committee meeting. Motion carried unanimously. B. Personnel Services Committee November 2, Report given by Sandra Hett. Sandra Hett reviewed the following consent agenda items brought before the Board through the Personnel Services Committee and asked if there were any motions to be held. PS-1 Approval of the support staff resignation of Valerie Elliott (Cashier Lincoln) effective November 2, PS-2 Approval of the support staff appointments of Jessica Nelson (Special Ed Aide/CD Lincoln), Kelly Reinicke (Noon Duty Aide Howe), Jill Scheidegger (Noon Duty Aide Howe), and Jennifer Schudy (Special Ed Aide/CD East). PS-3 Approval of the support staff posting results of Joanne Dachel (Noon Duty Aide Mead), Helen Henke (Second Cook Lincoln), and Holly McMiller (ELL Aide Lincoln). PS-4 Approval of a District-wide Sick Leave Bank for utilization with employee groups that choose to participate under provided parameters, with a review to take place one year after the implementation for any necessary program modifications. Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by Anne Lee to approve consent agenda items PS 1-4. Motion carried unanimously. Ms. Hett reviewed updates and reports on: - Policy Recruitment/Appointment of Superintendent and Policy Recruitment/Appointment of Administrators Two proposed policies related to hiring a superintendent and administrators have been under review by the Committee. The policies brought before the Committee in November were reviewed, and direction was given to Ms. Kay Marks, Director of Human Resources, to further revise the policies, bringing them back to the December meeting for first reading and approval. - Class Size/Sections Report Mr. Ryan Christianson, Principal of Lincoln High School, provided a Class Size/Section report to the Committee. Ms. Hett requested that other Board members receive a copy of the report presented at the Committee meeting. Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by Larry Davis to approve the regular Personnel Services Committee meeting minutes of November 2, Motion carried unanimously. Ms. Hett stated that a special closed and open session Personnel Services Committee meeting was held on November 2, 2009, to discuss and act on an employee leave of absence request. Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by Larry Davis to approve a non-precedent setting special leave of absence for a District food service/clerical aide employee as discussed in closed session. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by Anne Lee to approve the special open and closed session Personnel Services Committee meeting minutes of November 2, Motion carried unanimously. C. Educational Services Committee November 2, Report given by Anne Lee. Anne Lee reviewed the following consent agenda items brought before the Board through the Educational Services Committee, and asked if there were any motions to be held. ES-1 Approval for 26 students to attend Mid-State Technical College at a cost of $10,400 under the requirements of the Youth Options program. Ms. Lee noted that the District is required by law to provide funding for students under the Youth Options program. Motion by Anne Lee, seconded by John Krings to approve consent agenda item ES 1. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

4 Anne Lee shared reports and updates on the following: - German Exchange Program Mr. Tim Zander, World Languages teacher at Lincoln High School, explained to Committee members that this is the tenth year of the German Exchange program s existence. Ms. Barbara Schwarz from the Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule in Bad Urach, Germany and Mr. Werner Hoffman from the Realschule Neuffen were present to explain the benefits of the program for German students. Ms. Schwarz stated that she would like to see the program expanded due to the high demand and interest of students. - Grade 3 and 6 Exit Surveys Ms. Sharon Toellner, Director of Instruction; Ms. Margie Dorshorst, Principal of Mead Elementary; Ms. LeeAnn Schmidmayr, Principal of Grove Elementary; and Mr. J.L. Gray, Principal of Washington Elementary, shared Grades 3 and 6 Exit Survey results with Committee members. The surveys were in response to a Board of Education goal for The Committee learned that 69% of third grade and 62% of sixth grade exit surveys were received. Questions on the survey which focused on the safety and welfare of the students while attending school had positive responses at both grade levels. Questions related to student progress, the amount of homework received, and the amount of computer access in each building, indicated parents are satisfied in these areas. With respect to overall satisfaction in their individual school, and how educational expectations are met, many responses to the surveys were positive. The Grade 6 Exit Survey questioned parents about their child s readiness for junior high. While most responses were positive, a few narratives indicated some parents questioned their child s maturity level versus academic level in relation to readiness. The Committee discussed whether to conduct the survey on an annual basis and/or whether to continue at both the third and sixth grade levels, or just at sixth grade. The elementary principals and Ms. Toellner will return to a future Educational Services Committee meeting with a recommendation Professional Development Plans Ms. Shannon Matott, Principal of Pitsch Elementary and Professional Development Coordinator, reviewed the District Professional Development Plan with Committee members. A number of staff members from Howe Elementary School were present at the Committee meeting to explain Howe Elementary School s Building Plan. Information was shared regarding: The building s development and determination of goals Assessments, including quarterly math assessments and a scaffold-style of assessment that was created by Howe teachers, which are used in order to ensure that the State Standards are being met at the appropriate time/grade level Work which has been done with Build Your Own Curriculum (BYOC), and how it integrates well with assessments, and will help teachers with acquisition decisions Howe Elementary s Title I School-Wide Initiative, which is a two-year plan Ms. Toellner explained that the planning and evaluation components of the building plans are an outgrowth of the application process for the District s waiver for Professional Development Days. Motion by Anne Lee, seconded by Larry Davis to approve the balance of the Educational Services Committee report and the minutes of the November 2, 2009, Educational Services Committee meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Agenda Referrals/Information Requests Mary Rayome requested that Dr. Crist provide a report and recommendation regarding the recent Focus Group sessions held. Dr. Crist asked Ms. Maurine Hodgson, Administrative Assistant, to provide an explanation of how the information has been compiled in order to seek further direction from the Board on how they would like to proceed. Following an explanation by Ms. Hodgson regarding how the data has been compiled to date, Mr. Benbow recommended that the ad-hoc committee formed earlier in the year for the development of the Focus Groups convene once again in order to review the information gathered from the sessions, and provide direction to Dr. Crist on next steps. Mr. Davis suggested that if there are ideas related to budget cuts that may be gleaned from the information, it would be beneficial to clearly indicate what these items are. By consensus, the Board agreed to refer this item to the Focus Group Ad-Hoc Committee for further discussion. Through the Business Services Committee, John Benbow requested information related to a district employee identification system, which might lead into a card key or security lock system. As costs for such a system are discussed, potential grant opportunities will also be explored for funding purposes.

5 Legislative Agenda Ms. Medina shared updates on the following: The Governor has been working on an educational reform package, with some bills introduced as part of this reform. The first is to allow the state standardized test to be used for teacher evaluations if the school board develops a teacher evaluation plan and agrees to collectively bargain all aspects of the plan. The prohibition against using the results of the test to discharge a teacher would remain. Secondly, to require school boards to consider the principles and standards for quality charter schools established by the National Association of Charter School authorizers when authorizing a charter school. Third, to authorize the Department of Public Instruction, the University of Wisconsin system, and the Wisconsin Technical College system and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to study each other s education programs and require the establishment of a longitudinal data system of student data. Fourth, to move the approval of a specific MPS Grant from the Department of Administration to the Department of Public Instruction. Also, WASB testified in opposition to the teacher evaluation bill in both the Senate and the Assembly because of the requirement for school boards to negotiate all aspects of teacher evaluation plans in order to use the results of state standardized tests, and the continued prohibition against using that information as part of a teacher discharge process. Efforts were made in the Senate and Assembly to amend the bills to address WASB s concerns, but the amendments were rejected on party line votes due to objections from WEAC. If the teacher evaluation bill is signed into law without change, WASB will actively be encouraging school boards not to use state standardized test results for the purpose of teacher evaluations. The Legislature approved Senate Bill 41, which is the School Environmental Quality Bill. The bill directs the DPI to create an Indoor Environmental Quality in Schools task force to make recommendations for the development of a model management plan for maintaining indoor environmental quality in public and private schools. This bill now goes to the Governor for his signature. Assembly Republicans released a package of education reforms intended to create a sustainable school funding system and improve student assessments. The school financing recommendations call for restoration of two-thirds state funding; the alignment of revenues and salary increases; and greater school board control over health insurance. WASB issued another statement, commending Representative Davis and his colleagues for putting forward the recommendations. The Healthy Youth Act, AB 458, requires school districts offering sex education to offer a comprehensive program which includes medically accurate, age appropriate evidence based upon information including, but not limited to, abstinence. The Assembly has passed this bill, and it is now moving on to the Senate. Mary Rayome reported on a recent legislative forum event she attended along with Board Member, Anne Lee. Advocacy for students was a main topic, and the group also had the opportunity to listen to legislators speak. Bills Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by Larry Davis to note October receipts in the amount of $373, and approve October disbursements in the amount of $4,048, Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. New Business Request to DPI Waiver for August School Start Date Dr. Crist explained that in his collaborative discussions with local parochial schools, he has been asked to submit a waiver to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for a public school start date of August, rather than September, as required by law. In order for this to occur, Board approval is necessary, a public forum must be held, and a letter requesting the waiver must be submitted to the DPI for consideration. Under State Statutes, the District is obligated to pay for transportation costs when private or parochial schools choose to begin their school year before public schools. Mr. Weigand estimated the cost to transport parochial students during this week, should the District be required to do so, to be just over $2,000 per day. Thus far, area parochial schools have had parents drive their students to school, when they ve chosen to begin their school year early. Dr. Crist stated that if a waiver request is submitted to the DPI in December, it is likely the District would receive an approval or denial notice within approximately four weeks.

6 The Board discussed the timing of the request, given the fact that a new school year calendar is currently under negotiation. Educational benefits for students were considered. Student Representative Albert Webster stated that from a student perspective, an earlier start would be preferred. The Board considered that in prior public meetings, there has been support for an earlier school start date. Motion by Sandra Hett, seconded by Larry Davis to approve of Dr. Crist writing a letter to the Department of Public Instruction to request an August school start date, and to have the request be applicable for three years in order to coincide with the WREA contract. Motion carried unanimously. Budget Timeline President Rayome presented a budget timeline for Board consideration. In order for the Board to make timely decisions, with as much information as possible, a planned timeline should help facilitate the process. At the Board s request, Dr. Crist stated that he would provide a copy of the timeline to administrators at the November administrator meeting to consider their ideas and input. The Board would like a listing of priorities provided to them throughout the budget process, along with sufficient background material provided in order to make informed decisions; Focus Group information should also be considered in any recommendations made. Alternative plans for balancing the budget, in the event that something unexpected would occur like it did last May, should be prepared as well. The Board requested that any pertinent timelines related to State Statutes also be added to the budget timeline sheet so that they are fully aware of any deadlines which need consideration in the process. H1N1 Update Trudy DeSimons, Director of Pupil Services, provided an update on the H1N1 virus and its effect on the health of students and staff within the district. Due to the high degree of illnesses at East Jr. High School recently, a collaborative decision between school district officials and the local Health Department was made to close East Jr. High School for one day. The success of the closure was discussed, and Dr. Crist stated that a positive outcome of all of the planning and implementation of protocols related to the H1N1 concern is the knowledge that the system in place works. Ms. DeSimons provided information on school-based vaccination clinics being canceled, as well as who the target groups for the H1N1 vaccine include. Schools were mobilized and ready, should the clinics have occurred. Calendar Calendar items were reviewed. Mary Rayome adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m. Mary E. Rayome President Maurine Hodgson Secretary John A. Krings Clerk