Regular Meeting Board of Education Independent School District #300 February 19, 2014 Chair Jandt called the regular meeting of the Board of Education of Independent School District #300 to order at 7:03 p.m. in the Middle & High School Band Room. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was recited. Clerk Nissen took roll call. Board Present: Morken, Nissen, Wright, Jandt, Tornow, Summerfield, Dockendorff, and Superintendent Wilke Administration Present: Julie Holman, Business Manager, Jay Woller, Elementary Principal, Steve Smith, Middle School Principal, Rick Wolter, High School Principal, and Beth Theede, Community Education Director MOTION: Summerfield moved, Nissen seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Superintendent Wilke announced the observance of School Board Recognition Week February 17 th to 21 st and expressed the gratitude of the staff and students of the District for their sacrifices in serving. He noted it is not an easy job as they face many challenging decisions and responsibilities, but their efforts are greatly appreciated. Chair Jandt recognized the following donations to the Technology Department, extending the appreciation of the District for the generous gifts: Donation of 40 HP computers and 20 flat screen monitors from Gunderson Health System, valued at $7000, to be utilized throughout the District as needed for instruction. Donation of 200 computers from Mayo Health System, valued at approximately $45,000, to be utilized throughout the District as needed for instruction. MOTION: Dockendorff moved, Wright seconded, to accept the donations to the District as listed. Motion carried unanimously. Brad Lundell, Executive Director of Schools for Equity in Education, was in attendance to update the Board on SEE s platform for the upcoming legislative session and to address board member questions and concerns regarding the status of educational funding. Student Board Representative Jennifer Ingvalson reported that the students are in the middle of Olympic Week, with daily activities and culminating with boys and girls sporting events and a dance on Saturday. The Student Council initiated the week s observance to help students push through the last semester.
Cheri Olson, President of the Youth Basketball Association, represented the Association s current programming concerns and the Association s passionate desire to bring the boys and girls basketball program back under school management. She noted that issues of communication and consistency in the program are of concern and offered the Association s assistance in funding an in-house program. MOTION: Dockendorff moved, Nissen seconded, to approve the following consent agenda: A. School Board Minutes January 22, 2014, Regular Meeting B. February, 2014 Bills Due for Payment C. Staff Resignation Jonathan Rein - C Team Softball Coach (shared) Effective immediately. Amy Brinkman - C Team Softball Coach (shared) Effective immediately. D. Staff Employment Sandra Pyatt - Paraprofessional - 7 hrs/day Replacement Celeste Mader - Paraprofessional - 7 hrs/day New Position Amy Jo Jore - Paraprofessional - 3.5 hrs/day Replacement Michelle Gates - Senior Class Advisor Replacement Effective 2014/15 school year. E. Medical Leave of Absence Linda Bangtson -Secretary to the MS Principal 20 days beginning 2/18/14 F. Electronic Transfers Bills & Payrolls January 8 Health insurance $126,908 January 15 Payroll (gross) $389,572 (net) $211,458 January 16 Payroll (gross) $490 (net) $ 420 January 31 Payroll (gross) $355,643 (net) $192,213 January Bills $252,380 January 15 Fed/FICA/Med Withholding Tax $ 84,606 January 16 Fed/FICA/Med Withholding Tax $ 70 January 31 Fed/FICA/Med Withholding Tax $ 70,002 January 15 MN Withholding $ 13,379 January 31 MN Withholding $ 11,427 Total $ 962,863 Motion carried unanimously. Activities Director Dave Schulte advised that the member districts of the hockey program (Viroqua, Black River Falls, and West Salem) requested a conference name change from the West Central Hockey Conference to the Coulee Hockey Conference. No changes would be made to District policy and the rules of the Minnesota State High School League would continue to be observed. The change is being requested to increase conference awareness and receipt of recognition awards. MOTION: Tornow moved, Morken seconded, to approve the renaming of the West Central Hockey Conference to the Coulee Hockey Conference. Motion carried unanimously. Superintendent Wilke advised that two of the four weather-related closings thus far this year were built into the school calendar, leaving two additional closing days and the potential addition of any future 2
closings unaddressed. He noted that current guidelines require the Board s consideration of and/or action to make up additional days, adding that the sooner a decision is made, the better it is for parents to make adjustments to their schedules. Discussion followed on what make-up days would entail; student and/or staff development days. Building administrators stated they felt any additional student time beyond Friday of the last week of school would not benefit students, but that there is plenty of professional development time that could be utilized. MOTION: Tornow moved to move the last day of school from Wednesday of the last week to Friday of the last week and, if additional makeup days are needed, they be pushed out into the next week. Due to a lack of a second, the motion failed. MOTION: Dockendorff motioned to extend the end of the school year from Wednesday to Friday. Nissen seconded the motion, with an amendment that any additional days beyond Friday be moved to August. Discussion followed on the impact of days added to the 2014/15 school calendar and the necessity of student contact days and/or staff development days. A call of Nissen s amended motion resulted in the following vote: Voting Yes: Tornow, Nissen, Morken Voting No: Wright, Jandt, Dockendorff, Summerfield Motion failed. Dockendorff s motion was repeated and a vote called: Voting Yes: Nissen, Dockendorff Voting No: Morken, Nissen, Jandt, Tornow, Summerfield Motion failed. Chair Jandt entertained a motion to table action on the item to the March meeting to allow more consideration and input on the question. MOTION: Dockendorff moved, Summerfield seconded to table the agenda item. Voting Yes: Morken, Nissen, Wright, Jandt, Dockendorff and Summerfield Voting No: Tornow Motion carried. Elementary Principal Jay Woller reported on the proposed 2013/14 and 2014/15 Curriculum Steering Professional Expectations advising that the Committee examined previous curriculum work expectations, reviewed progress towards curriculum goals, and looked to the future as recommendations were made. He noted the recommendations are designed to address a continuum of curriculum work. MOTION: Nissen moved, Summerfield seconded, to approve the Curriculum Steering Professional Expectations as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Superintendent Wilke advised that following the interview of several construction management firms on February 13 th, the Buildings and Grounds Committee recommended the District contract for services with the Kraus Anderson Construction Company. The company would be utilized to assist with pre- 3
referendum, pre-construction, and post construction facilities work across the District. Discussion followed on whether a management firm is necessary or if a general contractor could serve the same purpose, in conjunction with their construction work, potentially saving the District additional management costs. Member Summerfield referenced information he sought that reflected the potential savings and noted a school currently being built in the LaCrosse area, solely utilizing a contractor. It was noted that a management firm removes the added responsibility of overseeing the contractors from the building administrators duties, while assuring the work being completed is qualitative. It was also noted that the firm of Kraus Anderson was employed for the construction of the middle school and fine arts center additions and that their services and follow-up were excellent. MOTION: Dockendorff moved, Nissen seconded, to approve the Contract for Services with Kraus- Anderson Construction as presented. Voting Yes: Morken, Nissen, Wright, Jandt, Tornow and Dockendorff Voting No: Summerfield Superintendent Wilke referenced the following policies requesting second reading approval. First reading approvals were received during the January 22 nd meeting. 410 FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE 413 HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE 414 MANDATED REPORTING OF CHILD NEGLECT OR PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL ABUSE 414 MALTREATMENT OF MINORS BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL REPORTING FORM 415 MANDATED REPORTING OF MALTREATMENT OF VULNERABLE ADULTS 506 STUDENT DISCIPLINE 514 BULLYING PROHIBITION POLICY 516 STUDENT MEDICATION 522 STUDENT SEX NONDISCRIMINATION 524 INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY POLICY 526 HAZING PROHIBITION 527 STUDENT USE AND PARKING OF MOTOR VEHICLES; PATROLS, INSPECTIONS, AND SEARCHES MOTION: Wright moved, Morken seconded, to approve the second reading of the policies for annual review as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Business Manager Julie Holman and Superintendent Ron Wilke provided information related to the 2014/15 budget and staffing. Business Manager Holman advised that the parameters utilized to identify the September enrollment numbers were not uniformly determined at the various levels and inaccurately indicated approximately 20 students above actual numbers. The areas specific to the decrease in numbers from the previous year were a lower than expected kindergarten enrollment and declining high school and Bluff Country Learning Center enrollments. Revenue and expenditure balances were also reviewed, indicating that a continued need to spend down the fund balance is inevitable. Also impacting the proposed budget are undefined variables such the continued decline in enrollment and unsettled employee contracts. A result of declining enrollment is the need to drop the number of class sections offered at the elementary, high school levels, and BCLC causing the potential reduction of approximately 4.5 FTEs for the 2014/15 school year. 4
Activities Director Dave Schulte addressed the Middle School athletics program proposal by first stating he supports the addition of any activity the District can support. He provided a draft Activities Department budget reflecting the potential increased costs associated with the addition of all middle school sports. Discussion followed on the budgetary impacts of the additional costs, fundraising opportunities, and the challenge of scheduling soccer games at this late date. Chair Jandt entertained a motion moving consideration of the review item to an action item. MOTION: Wright moved, Dockendorff seconded, to make the proposal an action item. Voting Yes: Morken, Nissen, Wright, Jandt, Dockendorff, and Summerfield Voting No: Tornow Motion carried. MOTION: Morken moved to bring the Boys and Girls Basketball program back into District programming. Motion failed for lack of a second. MOTION: Dockendorff moved, Nissen seconded, to decline the move of middle school sports back under District direction. Discussion followed on the lack of funds and the potential of considering the return of middle school sports individually. It was felt there is support to add back the programming at some point, but that it is not acceptable at this time. It was suggested action be tabled, but returned for future consideration. A call of the motion by Dockendorff resulted in the following vote: Voting Yes: Dockendoff Voting No: Morken, Nissen, Wright, Jandt, Tornow, and Summerfield Motion failed. MOTION: Wright moved, Nissen seconded, to table the motion to the next meeting to get answers to program questions. Motion carried unanimously. RSchoolsToday, which provides a program utilized by the Activities Department, is offering the District an opportunity to receive revenue by offering advertising to schools using their program. Activities Director Schulte advised that though no work is required by the District, it would receive 50% of the profits. The type of advertising presented is guaranteed by RSchoolsToday to be of acceptable material and sensitive to competition with local businesses. The proposal conforms to District policy and funds received would be placed in the General Fund. MOTION: Tornow moved, Dockendorff seconded, to move consideration of the RSchoolsToday offering to an action item and move forward. Motion carried unanimously. Superintendent Wilke advised that collaborative efforts are being made with the City to receive public input on the school facilities and City projects. The targeted date for the bonding referendum is August 12 th. A preliminary timeline working back from that date was reviewed, noting that one of the next steps is calling for a Request for Proposals for the Elementary School property. Superintendent Wilke was directed to go forward with scheduling an Ad Hoc Committee to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the sale of the elementary property for Board consideration. 5
Business Manager Julie Holman had nothing further to report on the enrollment numbers beyond what was reported in the budget and staffing presentation. Administrative and Board reports followed, along with a News from the Schools update from Teacher Representative Jeff Copp. Based on M.S.471.705, subd.13d.03, Chair Jandt called for action to close the meeting to discuss negotiation strategies. MOTION: Wright moved, Morken seconded, to move the meeting into closed session. Motion carried unanimously and the meeting closed at 9:26 p.m. MOTION: Tornow moved, Morken seconded, to reopen the meeting. Motion carried unanimously and the meeting opened at 9:45 p.m. MOTION: Tornow moved, Morken seconded, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Ruth Nissen, Clerk 6