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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-06-24 Board Minutes Page 1 of 3 IDAHO FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT 91 BOARD OF TRUSTEES BOARD MEETING – JUNE 24, 2008 DISTRICT OFFICE BOARD ROOM - 12:00 A.M. Present from the Board of Trustees: Present from the Administration: Jerry Wixom, Chairman George Boland, Superintendent Mary Ann Smith, Vice Chair Guy Wangsgard, Director of Business Ernest Jensen Karla LaOrange, Director of Elementary Caroline Meagher, Recording Secretary Jerry Wixom called the meeting to order. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Ernest Jensen. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA: Mary Ann Smith motioned to adopt the agenda as written. Ernest Jensen seconded the motion. Motion passed. WORK SESSION: A)CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN REVIEW. Superintendent George Boland reviewed the District Continuous Improvement Plan with the Board of Trustees. Items included: 1.update all elementary websites over the summer 2.to create a plan to entice substitute teachers 3.to continue to hire quality teachers to fill open positions 4.upgrade to fiber network—currently in progress and going well 5.implement textwire emergency notification to parents and guardians 6.the transportation supervisor has created “bussing zones” for potential closures of school for areas where weather conditions make it un-safe to transport students. A map of these zones will be posted on the web to eliminate confusion. 7.Document control has been added as a major initiative under Goal 7. All departments will start scanning documents into Laserfiche for electronic storage of documents. Superintendent Boland stated that this plan will be transferred into Microsoft Project for management of the plan and creation of timelines and ghant charts for the 2008-09 school year. Board Meeting Minutes – May 27, 2008 Page 2 of 3 B)BOND PLANNING Superintendent George Boland introduced Eric Heringer, Senior Vice President of Seattle-Northwest Securities (SNC). SNC consults entities through the bonding process, and they primarily work with school districts. Eric came today to help explain bonds and discuss options with the board of trustees. Bonds are a form of debt that we sell to investors. Eric ensured the board that school district bonds are very appealing to investors because the pledge is in the form of property taxes—which are a more stable form of collectible. The tax impact on our patrons is somewhat negotiable. Naturally patrons want the lowest possible tax rate – yet it needs to be a rate that is high enough to generate interest from investors. SNC helps districts to determine what tax rate is optimal. District 91 is well under our debt capacity and school districts typically receive lower interest rates because there is no federal income tax on a bond issue. Spring is historically the best time to run a bond election. If the district decides to renew the Plant Facility levy it will impact the success of the bond. A bond campaign should begin 9-12 months prior to the anticipated election. We should form a committee to do studies and to determine our target audiences and our stakeholders. The better our infrastructure to communicate with the public, the better our chances are at a successful bond campaign. The district’s current bond (from 1990) concludes in 2010 – which is when the district hopes to replace that bond with a new one. It is the district’s intent to minimize the impact a new bond campaign to property owners. A rough estimate of the tax impact should be known by October. ACTION ITEMS: A)WEST BUS LOT LEASE AGREEEMENT: th Superintendent George Boland addressed the questions from the June 10 board meeting the Friday letter to the board of trustees. The additional cost per month is $160 and not $360 as initially thought. Ernest Jensen motioned to except the West Bus Lot Lease Agreement as presented. Mary Ann Smith seconded the motion. Motion passed. 3 ayes votes. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Ernest Jensen motioned to enter Executive Session. Mary Ann Smith seconded the motion. Motion Passed. Ernest Jensen motioned to enter Open Session. Mary Ann Smith seconded the motion. Motion Passed. Ernest Jensen motioned to adjourn. Mary Ann Smith seconded the motion. Motion Passed. Board Meeting Minutes – May 27, 2008 Page 3 of 3 Board Meeting Minutes – May 27, 2008