Mission Statement: Grand Forks Public Schools will provide an environment of educational excellence that engages all learners to develop their maximum potential for community and global success. REGULAR MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD GRAND FORKS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT #1 Monday, August 14, 2017 6:00 p.m. Mark Sanford Education Center, 2400 47 th Avenue South, Grand Forks, ND TO THE MEMBER ADDRESSED: Notice is hereby given that the School Board of Grand Forks Public School District #1 will be meet in regular session on Monday, August 14, 2017, at 6:00 p.m., at the Mark Sanford Education Center, 2400 47 th Avenue South, Grand Forks, ND. 8.10.17 Edwin J. Gerhardt, Business Manager AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE II. PREVIEW OF AGENDA III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. July 10, 2017 B. July 26, 2017 V. CITIZEN COMMENTS (non-agenda items) (Citizens wishing to address the school board are asked to complete a Citizen Comment Card and submit it to the school board secretary prior to the start of the meeting. Citizens wishing to comment on non-agenda items will be invited by the chairperson to speak during the Citizen Comments item. Citizens wishing to comment on a specific agenda item will be invited by the chairperson to speak when that specific agenda item is reached.) VI. SPECIAL REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS A. Superintendent s Recommendations for Discussion 1. Public Hearing on 2017 Property Tax Levy as required by NDCC 57-15-02.1 2. Resignation of School Board Member 3. Process for Filling School Board Vacancy 4. Work Sessions B. Superintendent s Recommendations for Action 1. Consent Agenda a. Appointments b. Open Enrollment Applications c. Resignations 2. General Fund Financial Statement 3. 2017-2018 Preliminary Budget and 2017 Property Tax Levy 4. Head Start Supplemental Application 5. Consolidated Grant Application for Federal Title Funding 6. Alerus Parking Lot Lease for 9-1-2017 through 8-31-2018 C. Other Reports & Recommendations 1. Committee Reports 2 Announcements VII. ADJOURNMENT Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service to allow access or participation at a school board meeting is asked to notify the superintendent s office (787-4880) at least one day before the meeting.
GRAND FORKS SCHOOL BOARD GRAND FORKS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT #1 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES July 10, 2017 The school board of Grand Forks Public School District #1 held its annual meeting on Monday, July 10, 2017, at the Mark Sanford Education Center with Dr. Larry P. Nybladh and Douglas C. Carpenter presiding. Board Members Present: Eric Burin, Doug Carpenter, Katie Dachtler, Dane Ferguson, Amber Flynn, Eric Lunn, Meggen Sande, Cynthia Shabb, and Matt Spivey. Board Members Absent: None. Others Present: Superintendent Dr. Larry P. Nybladh, Assistant Superintendent Jody Thompson, Business Manager Ed Gerhardt, GFEA President Tom Young, and Meeting Secretary Cindy Johnson. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance. President pro tem Nybladh called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Declaration of 2017-2018 School Board. Membership of the 2017-2018 School Board of Grand Forks Public School District #1 was declared as follows: Board Member Term Expires Eric Burin June 2018 Douglas C. Carpenter June 2018 Katie Dachtler June 2018 Dane J. Ferguson June 2018 Amber Flynn June 2020 Eric Lunn June 2020 Meggen Sande June 2018 Cynthia H. Shabb June 2020 Matt Spivey June 2020 Election of President of the School Board. President pro tem Nybladh called for nominations for president of the school board. Lunn nominated Doug Carpenter. Sande nominated Eric Burin. Burin declined the nomination. No other nominations were made. It was moved by Lunn and seconded by Spivey to accept the nomination and elect Doug Carpenter as president of the 2017-2018 School Board. Motion carried on roll call vote as follows: Aye: Burin, Carpenter, Dachtler, Ferguson, Flynn, Lunn, Sande, Shabb, and Spivey. Nay: None. Absent: None. Election of Vice President of the School Board. President Carpenter called for nominations for vice president of the school board. Lunn nominated Eric Burin. No other nominations were made. It was moved by Flynn and seconded by Shabb to accept the nomination and elect Eric Burin as vice president of the 2017-2018 School Board. Motion carried on roll call vote as follows: Aye: Dachtler, Ferguson, Flynn, Lunn, Sande, Shabb, Spivey, Burin, and Carpenter. Nay: None. Absent: None. Preview of Agenda. Dr. Nybladh reported there were no corrections or additions to the agenda and recommended approval. Approval of Agenda. It was moved by Shabb and seconded by Ferguson to approve the agenda as written. Motion carried unanimously. Approval of Minutes. It was moved by Shabb and seconded by Sande to approve the minutes of June 13, 2017, as written. Motion carried unanimously. It was moved by Spivey and seconded by Dachtler to approve the minutes of June 15, 2017, as written. Motion carried unanimously. Citizen Comments (non-agenda items). Alyssa Black, 1403 South 20 th Street, Grand Forks, ND, appeared before the board regarding mental health issues at school. Tina Randle, 391 9 th Street NE, Reynolds, ND, appeared before the board regarding suicide prevention. Demographer s Report. Robert Schwarz, CEO of RSP & Associates, reviewed a comprehensive report on the districts enrollment, demographics, and developments in the city. In summary, RSP & Associates projects enrollment to increase by three percent over the next five years, some challenges related to capacity exist, and additional infrastructure and building inventory in the city is strong. When asked if RSP & Associates had a recommendation about reviewing boundary lines or minimum building capacity requirements, Schwarz responded that those topics would be part of the discussion with the facility master plan. He added that all spaces in the districts school buildings were being used but buildings may have a different feel to them because of the varying uses and programming in each building. Burin commented that three percent growth over five years may not sound like a lot, but it could potentially mean eight to ten additional teachers and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost, which given the current financial situation would be hard to absorb. School Board Self-Assessment. Dr. Nybladh referred to his memo that was included in the agenda packet, which gave a brief history on the process of self-assessment. While there is no statutory requirement for the school board to complete a selfassessment, it has been a long-time practice per school board policy. Administrative recommendation was that an ad hoc school board self-assessment committee be established this year to determine the board s self-assessment process. Following discussion, it was moved by Flynn and seconded by Sande to establish a school board self-assessment committee to discuss the self-assessment process and report a recommendation to the full board. Motion carried unanimously. Board members were asked to GFSB, 7-10-17 Page 1 of 4
add this committee to this year s School Board Committee and Liaison Interest Survey. School Board Committee and Liaison Interest Survey. Dr. Nybladh explained current practice for making school board committee appointments and community and district liaison assignments and requested board members complete and return the interest survey to Cindy Johnson by July 24. Thereafter, the president and superintendent would meet and make the committee appointments and liaison assignments. Consent Agenda. It was moved by Spivey and seconded by Ferguson to approve the consent agenda as follows: Teacher Appointments effective August 21, 2017, as follows: Cassandra Baasch (salary $40,000), Angela Gietzen (salary $47,480), Timothy Gregoire (salary $40,000), Jordan Halseth (salary $44,509), Courtney Hedstrom (salary $40,000), Jessica Larson (salary $40,000), Laura Manstom (salary $40,000), Leanna Nelson (salary $40,000), Amy Peters (salary $45,517), Julie Schauer (salary $51,193), and Andrea Tyce (salary $48,169); and Resignations effective June 2, 2017, of Patrick Anderson, Laura Berg, Kayla Carlson, Carrie Cariveau, Kori Hedlund, Heather Johnson, April Maertens, and Renee Moon. Motion carried unanimously. Designation of Official Newspaper of the School District. President Carpenter reported that state law requires that the school board, at its annual meeting, designate a newspaper of general circulation as the official newspaper of the school district. Administrative recommendation was to designate the Grand Forks Herald as the official newspaper. It was moved by Shabb and seconded by Sande to designate the Grand Forks Herald as the official newspaper of Grand Forks Public School District #1. Motion carried unanimously. Designation of Authorized Representatives for Title Programs and Grants for 2017-2018. President Carpenter explained that school districts that receive funds from federal programs and competitive grants were required to appoint an individual or individuals as the authorized representative(s) for the program or grant. Administrative recommendation was to approve the appointments as follows: Federal Program / Competitive Grant Title I Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards Title II Part A Teacher and Principal Quality Training and Recruiting Title III English Language Acquisition/Enhancement Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants Authorized Representative Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Title VI-B (IDEA) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Title VII Indian Education Title VIII Impact Aid Title IX of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Indian Education Formula Grant Johnson O Malley Act (Indian Education) Head Start 21 st Century Community Learning District Homeless Liaison Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Dr. Larry P. Nybladh and Ed Gerhardt Tracy Abentroth Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Jody Thompson Jennifer Modeen It was moved by Ferguson and seconded by Dachtler to appoint the above-named individuals as the authorized representative(s) for the above-named federal program or competitive grant as designated for 2017-2018. Motion carried unanimously. Annual Governance Review. Current practice has been for the school board to review annually its procedures for general operations, special assignments, and meetings. Administration did not have any suggested modifications. Shabb referred to the special assignment for building representatives and reported that she had not been contacted by anyone this past school year. She suggested the board think about whether to continue these assignments. Dr. Nybladh explained there was autonomy at the building level for principals to decide how to implement this assignment; however, different practices have resulted in disparities. Dr. Nybladh clarified it was not a question of role responsibility, but enforcement of practice. There is a memo from 2001 that outlines the duties of a school board representative to the schools but there is no policy or procedures. He suggested conversation begin with the principals at their back-to-school meeting in August and then move forward with conversation at the board level. President Carpenter indicated that the liaison appointments would be made with the exact function to be determined in September. Lunn asked if the agenda format could be tweaked to have a standard statement read, similar to the statement for executive sessions, about the process for Citizen Comments and why the school board could not comment. Some board members pointed out that at City Council meetings, there was follow-up conversation, and they asked whether the law was the same. Dr. Nybladh indicated that administration would revisit the topic with the school district s legal counsel. It was moved by Burin and seconded by Dachtler to approve the current practice for general operations, special assignments, and meetings for 2017-2018 as written in the annual governance review. Motion carried unanimously. 2017-2018 School Board Regular Meeting Schedule. Dr. Nybladh explained the proposed GFSB, 7-10-17 Page 2 of 4
regular meeting schedule included one deviation from the current practice of meeting once a month. The deviation is to hold two meetings in January in order to hold a public forum, which is required by North Dakota Century Code in each even-numbered year. It was moved by Shabb and seconded by Spivey to approve the proposed regular meeting schedule for 2017-2018 as follows: Day Date Time Location Monday July 10, 2017 6:00 PM MSEC Monday August 14, 2017 6:00 PM MSEC Monday September 11, 6:00 PM MSEC 2017 Monday October 9, 2017 6:00 PM MSEC Monday November 13, 2017 5:30 PM Twining School Monday December 11, 6:00 PM MSEC 2017 Monday January 8, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC Monday January 22, 2018 6:00 PM South MS Monday February 12, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC Monday March 12, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC Monday April 9, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC Monday May 14, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC Monday June 11, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC 2018-2019 Annual Meeting: Monday July 9, 2018 6:00 PM MSEC Flynn asked whether consideration could be given to having a second meeting every other month as a work session with no action taken in order to engage in dialog and learn more in depth about certain topic areas. Dr. Nybladh pointed out that state law and School Board Policy 8100 already provided a process for calling special meetings or work sessions. President Carpenter liked the idea but preferred special meetings or work sessions not be part of the regular meeting schedule. Flynn asked whether the board might benefit from a retreat. President Carpenter replied that there has been conversation about retreats in the past but there has not been consensus about having a retreat. Spivey suggested a work session could be melded into a retreat. He liked meeting once a month and suggested a work session be held every third month. Thompson suggested the time allotment for Celebrating Success could be expanded and then use that slot for discussing requested topics. Board members wanted to keep special meetings and work sessions as a separate meeting. Flynn requested this topic be put on the next agenda for discussion and identifying future topics. Lunn spoke on past experience and suggested that guidance from the board president, vice president, and superintendent be given so that the picking of future topics does not end up to be somebody s pet project. Motion carried unanimously. Declaration of Potential Conflict of Interest. Dr. Nybladh reviewed information from the school district s legal counsel regarding school board member potential conflict of interest. Any potential conflict of interest of an individual board member is addressed when a matter is on the agenda and before the school board for consideration. The exception would be with the annual appointment of committees during which any potential conflict of interest could be considered at the time of appointment. Following discussion about the process for declaring a potential conflict of interest, school board members responded and disclosed potential conflicts of interest related to committee appointments as follows: Board Member Ferguson Flynn Lunn Sande Shabb Spivey Burin Dachtler Carpenter Potential Conflict of Interest None None Health Insurance Committee None None None None Teacher Bargaining Committee None Compensation of School Board Members (School Board Policy 8330). Gerhardt explained that per the school board governance review, this policy is being reviewed. Sande suggested that in light of teacher negotiations and the district s current financial situation, school board compensation for 2017-2018 be reduced. It was moved by Sande and seconded by Lunn to amend School Board Policy 8330 to reduce compensation for each member to $3,500 annually and to $4,000 annually for the president. Motion carried unanimously. General Fund Financial Statement. Gerhardt reported that he was still in the process of finalizing revenues and expenditures for FY2016-2017, however, actual revenues through June 30, 2017, were $97,092,834 or $1,516,829 less than actual expenditures for normal operations of $98,609,663. In addition to normal expenditures, $246,760 was expended to complete the purchase of the portable classrooms at Wilder Elementary School, $37,526 to repair the HVAC system at Ben Franklin Elementary School, $393,907 to repair the heat pump supply tower at Red River High School, and $281,910 for the replacement of the Cushman Field lights. The General Fund balance as of June 30 was $16,956,367. It was moved by Burin and seconded by Sande to approve the General Fund Financial Statement for the period July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. Motion carried unanimously. Authorization to Issue Notice of Public Hearing for 2017 Property Tax Levy. Gerhardt explained the North Dakota Century Code requirement to hold a public hearing before it could levy property taxes in an amount greater than the zero increase number of mills. The latest information from the Grand Forks County Auditor show that the district s taxable valuation increased by 5.05% for the 2017 tax year. If the school board were to authorize GFSB, 7-10-17 Page 3 of 4
the same total levy as last year, 97.36 mills, the percentage increase on existing property would be 2.86%. An itemized budget statement will be made available for the board s review and approval at the August 14 meeting in order to comply with the August 15 deadline. The board has until October 10 to amend the tax levy and budget so a final budget will be considered at the September 11 meeting. It was moved by Spivey and seconded by Lunn to authorize administration to publish the required notice in the Grand Forks Herald and send a letter to each property owner who received a notice of assessment increase for the taxable year under NDCC Section 57-02-53 so that the board can conduct the required public hearing at the August 14 regular board meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Student Handbooks. Thompson reported on recommended changes to the elementary, middle, and high school handbooks. Topic areas included student suspensions and academic eligibility interpretations, expanded definitions regarding the use or possession of tobacco, recognition awards, and no medical insurance for participants in school activities. It was moved by Sande and seconded by Ferguson to approve the revised language as presented. Motion carried unanimously. of the public were invited to return to the meeting room and the school board returned to open session. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. APPROVED (Date) Douglas C. Carpenter, President Edwin J. Gerhardt, Business Manager Recess/Reconvene. The school board recessed at 8:06 p.m. for the purpose of convening the annual meeting of the Building Authority. The school board reconvened at 8:12 p.m. Committee Reports. None. Announcements. Ferguson spoke about his time on the school board and stated that this would be his last meeting. Going forward, he encouraged board members to keep students first and taxpayers equitable. Ferguson, Flynn, and Shabb left the meeting at 8:13 p.m. Executive Session (Closed Meeting). The legal authority for closing this portion of the meeting is North Dakota Century Code Section 44-04-19.1(9). It was moved by Spivey and seconded by Sande to convene into executive session to discuss negotiating strategy or provide negotiating instructions regarding teacher contracts which were currently being negotiated or for which negotiation is reasonably likely to occur in the immediate future. Motion carried with all members present voting aye. Absent: Ferguson, Flynn, and Shabb. Members of the public were asked to leave the meeting room and a brief recess was held. Ferguson, Flynn, and Shabb returned to the meeting at 8:20 p.m. The executive session was held from 8:20 p.m. to 9:29 p.m. Following the executive session, members GFSB, 7-10-17 Page 4 of 4
GRAND FORKS SCHOOL BOARD GRAND FORKS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT #1 SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES July 26, 2017 The school board of Grand Forks Public School District #1 met in special session on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, at the Mark Sanford Education Center with President Douglas C. Carpenter presiding. Board Members Present: Eric Burin, Doug Carpenter, Katie Dachtler, Dane Ferguson (via telephone), Amber Flynn, Eric Lunn (via telephone), and Meggen Sande. Board Members Absent: Cynthia Shabb and Matt Spivey. Others Present: Superintendent Dr. Larry P. Nybladh, Business Manager Ed Gerhardt, and Meeting Secretary Cindy Johnson. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was called to order at 5:33 p.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Teacher Contract Bargaining Committee - Teacher Negotiated Agreement for July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. President Carpenter reviewed all items the Teacher Contract Bargaining Committee and GFEA Negotiating Team had tentatively agreed to as follows: 1. Add the following position to the Extracurricular Salary Schedule under the Middle School Coach/Director category: Position: Yearbook Advisor %Base: 0.11 Weeks: 36 Weekly Base: TBD based on salary schedule Season Total: TBD 2. Tie 5 th /6 th Grade Instrumental Music (band) extracurricular salaries to the base, as per similar contracts on the schedule. 3. Two (2) personal leave days shall be granted per year cumulative to a maximum of six (6) days. Starting with the 11 th year of teaching in Grand Forks Public Schools, three (3) personal leave days shall be granted per year cumulative to a maximum of six (6) days. 4. The school district will contribute 78% and the employees 22% of the health insurance plan costs. All monies paid by current employees and retired plan members will be contributed to the plan s revenue. 5. Elementary Teacher Preparation Time: Grand Forks Public Schools and the Grand Forks Education Association will form a committee to study the request of elementary preparation time being provided in no less than a 60-minute block. The committee will be composed of three members appointed by the Grand Forks Education Association, the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, one elementary principal, and one school board member. The committee will provide a recommendation to the school board for consideration for implementation in the 2018-2019 school year. 6. Maternity Leave: Grand Forks Public Schools and the Grand Forks Education Association will form a committee to study the options that could improve Article VII, Section 3.C dealing with maternity leave. This committee could also research sick leave policies and how a sick leave bank might be beneficial to employees in the zero-to-five years of teaching experience. The committee will be composed of three members of the Grand Forks Education Association, the school district business manager and human resources manager, and one school board member. The committee will provide a recommendation for consideration by the bargaining teams when negotiating the next Teacher Negotiated Agreement. 7. A one-year agreement with step and lane changes and no increases in the salary schedule cells with an exception to add $500 to each cell in all Step 25 lanes. The overall cost of the proposed agreement for 2017-2018 is $2,248,028 or 3.86%. When comparing the North Dakota Education Fact Finding Commission recommendation, the cost of the proposed agreement is nearly the same cost as the Commission s recommendation. The main difference is the Commission s recommendation would have been a one-time payment and not repeated into future years. It was also noted that the one-time payment would not be counted toward TFFR career earnings. It was moved by Sande and seconded by Burin to ratify the proposed Teacher Negotiated Agreement for 2017-2018 as presented. Motion carried on roll call vote as follows: Aye: Burin, Ferguson, Flynn, Lunn, Sande, and Carpenter. Nay: None. Absent: Shabb and Spivey. Abstain: Dachtler (due to declared potential conflict of interest). Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:42 p.m. APPROVED (Date) Douglas C. Carpenter, President Edwin J. Gerhardt, Business Manager GFSB, 7-26-17 Page 1 of 1