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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018_07_18 Board Minutes IDAHO FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 91 BOARD OF TRUSTEES -- ANNUAL BOARD MEETING JULY 18, 2018 IDAHO FALLS HIGH SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER -- 7:00 P.M. 601 S HOLMES AVE Vice Chairman Larry Haws called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. and recognized Chairman Lisa Burtenshaw who joined the meeting via telephone this evening. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Trustee Lent. Trustee Lent made a motion to amend the agenda to move Section III. b. Patron Input to follow item III. d. School Calendar Discussion. Trustee Wilson provided the second. Motion carried, 5 ayes, 0 nays. SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY a. Reorganization of the Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Haws declared the Idaho Falls School District 91 Board of Trustees dissolved and asked the superintendent to proceed with reorganization of the Board. Superintendent Boland declared the office of Chairperson open for nominations. Trustee Lent nominated Deidre Warden as Chairperson. Trustee Haws provided a second. Trustee Wilson made a motion to cease nominations. Trustee Burtenshaw provided a second. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. Superintendent Boland called for a vote to accept Trustee Warden as Chairperson. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. Superintendent Boland welcomed Trustee Deidre Warden to the chairmanship and turned the meeting over to her. Chairman Warden called for nominations to fill the positions of Vice Chairman, Clerk, Treasurer and Deputy Clerk. Trustee Lent made the following slate of nominations: Trustee Larry Wilson as Vice Chairman Trustee Lisa Burtenshaw as Clerk Trustee Larry Haws as Treasurer Debbie Wilkie, Executive Office Assistant, as the Deputy Clerk Trustee Haws provided a second. Trustee Lent made a motion to cease nomination. Trustee Haws provided the second. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. Chairman Warden called for a vote to accept the slate of officers as stated. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. b. Set Dates and Times of Regular Board Meetings Chairman Warden reviewed the proposed dates and times for the 2018-2019 School Board Meetings. Superintendent stated that the August 15, 2018 board meeting location is yet to be determined, the district office remodel is underway and the boardroom will not be available at that time. A discussion was held. Trustee Haws made a motion to accept the 2018-19 Board Meeting Schedule as presented. Trustee Lent provided the second. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. The meeting schedule will be posted on the district webpage and is updated as necessary. ADOPT AGENDA Chairman Warden called for a motion to adopt the agenda as amended. Trustee Haws made a motion to adopt the agenda as amended. Trustee Wilson provided the second. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. 07/18/2018 D91 Board Minutes Page 1 of 6 REPORTS/INPUT/INFORMATION a. Superintendent’s Report Superintendent Boland provided updates regarding the progress of construction for the new transportation center, district office remodel, building access control project, and staffing for the 2018-19 school year. The superintendent stated it is a very busy summer but overall the projects are progressing nicely, and there we have two elementary and 2 secondary teaching positions left to fill. b. IFEA Report Outgoing Co-President Joyce Rogers reported that the New Educator’s Breakfast, a joint event hosted by the Idaho Falls Education Association and the District to welcome new teachers, will be held on August 21, 2018 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Idaho Falls. Joyce also read a statement from the IFEA Executive Board regarding their position on the proposed 2018-19 school calendar modifications. The written statement is attached. c. Other Items i. Board Committee Updates – no updates were provided. ii. School Calendar Discussion Superintendent Boland stated that in December 2016 the Board adopted a series of calendars that started school on the last Wednesday of August and being out by the end of the first full week in June to provide consistency for parents, students and staff. What has happened since then is surrounding districts have changed their calendars to be out by the end of May. Several community activities were scheduled to start at that time which caused some of our students to miss out on those activities or school days this past year. After a directive from the School Board, the administration looked at how the 2018-2019 school calendar could be modified to end school by May 31. Superintendent Boland reviewed four options, reducing instructional hours to the minimum required hours, adding minutes to each instructional day, changing teacher in-service days to student instructional days, or keep the calendar as is. d. Patron Input (Sign-in Required) Chairman Warden reviewed the three-minute time limit per person for patron input, a warning will be given with one-minute remaining. Chairman Warden reminded the audience that we are all here as community members and neighbors, and our best interest is that of the children. Derek Reed, Dawn Meek, Katherine Hart, Kim Nate, Brad Cole, Ester Johnson, Anthony Palmer, Ryan Hansen all shared input regarding the school calendar, and Sharon Montgomery provided comments in support of Emerson Alternative High School. Chairman Warden led a discussion reviewing that the school calendar is something the administration and the Board works hard on every year. Superintendent Boland stated the difference is that D93 is starting on thst Monday instead of Wednesday this year, and they do not have October 5 and January 21 as teacher in- service days, that makes the difference of four days. We will have the same Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks. Discussions were held regarding the options, past surveys conducted to gather patron and parental input, emergency closure days, statutory requirements, cost adds, and creating a calendar that meets everyone’s needs. In past experience, calendar committees spend 80% of the time educating parents and patrons about all of the variables before coming up with a couple of options for the Board to vote on. If the Board feels it is important to be out be the end of May, the recommendation would be to select Option 1 – Minimum Hours, add back instructional days on October 5, 2018 and January 21, 2019, and to leave the 07/18/2018 D91 Board Minutes Page 2 of 6 early dismissal times for elementary schools at Parent Teacher Conference time. Trustee Burtenshaw made a motion to cease discussions. Superintendent Boland stated setting the calendar is really about where the holidays fall each year, state testing dates, and fitting everything else into a calendar to meet the required instructional hours. Board members will have a chance for further discussion when the calendar modifications are voted on as an action item later on the agenda. CONSENT AGENDA Chairman Warden called for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Trustee Lent made a motion to accept the Consent Agenda as presented. Trustee Haws provided the second. No discussion. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. Items approved included: a. Approval of Minutes June 13, 2018 Budget Hearing and Business Meeting b. Payment of Claims for June 2018 $4,639,543.56 c. Staff Actions New Hires: Karen Juell Part-time Interventionist Dora Erickson Elementary th Karen Richman 4 Grade Linden Park Elementary Nicole Hughes Science Taylorview Middle School Rebecca Norton Math Taylorview Middle School Jacob Humphries History Taylorview Middle School th Angela Groberg 6 Grade Sunnyside Elementary Catarina Janotti Economics, Psychology & Student Gov. Idaho Falls High School Chenelle McCoy .50 FTE Kindergarten Longfellow Elementary Jennifer Luu Spec. Ed. Eagle Rock Middle School Ray Miller Science Skyline High School Nina Griswold History Taylorview Middle School David Hurst Counselor Skyline High School David Gemar Counselor Taylorview Middle School A. H. Bush/Edgemont Laurie Jackson Spec. Ed. Elementary Resignations: Julia Buell Spec. Ed. Longfellow Elementary th Shannon Randol 5 Grade Theresa Bunker Elementary LaRae Hanson Counselor Taylorview Middle School Alexis Grove Early Childhood Spec. Ec. Hawthorne Elementary Christopher Thomas Spec. Ed. Eagle Rock Middle School Cindy Lemon Counselor Skyline High School Sharon Paine Kindergarten Fox Hollow Elementary Transfers: Carrie Clyde From: Spec. Ed. From: Edgemont Elementary To: Spec. Ed. To: Longfellow Elementary 07/18/2018 D91 Board Minutes Page 3 of 6 Theresa Rainsdon From: Spec. Ed. From: Temple View Elementary To: Spec. Ed. To: Ethel Boyes Elementary Linda Birkinbine From: CCR Advisor From: Skyline High School To: Business To: Compass Academy d. Other Items i. Surplus Equipment - student desks from Eagle Rock Middle School as documented. ii. Eagle Rock Middle School Bank Change Eagle Rock Middle School to switch banking institutions to the Bank of Idaho going forward as requested by Principal Matt Hancock and his office staff. PROPOSALS a. Second Readings - Board Policy Revisions and New Policies i. Section 104.0 – Organization of the Board of Trustees (Revised) ii. Section 208.0 – Administrative Travel Authorization (Revised) iii. Section 309.0 – Travel Expense Reimbursements (Revised) iv. Section 816.0 – Certified Travel (Revised) v. Section 503.2 – Authorization of Signature (New) vi. Section 313.1 – Bond Account (New) vii. Section 313.2 – Bond Continuing Disclosure and Certification Requirements (New) viii. Section 412.0 – Naming Facilities (New) Superintendent Boland stated this is the Second Reading for the proposed policy revisions and additions. Carrie Smith reviewed the key points with the Board. The proposed changes come about from a change in statute or as a recommendation from legal counsel with respect to best practices. Carrie reviewed that in Section 104.0 the proposal is to change in the description of the Deputy Clerk, by striking the financial portion of the duties, and to add Deputy Treasurer and Assistant Deputy Treasurers to take care of the financial duties for the district to better align their duties with those listed in Idaho Code. Carrie stated as they looked at policy 208.0 there were three different sections regarding travel, the recommendation would be to consolidate them to simplify policy regarding employee travel. Section 503.2 – Authorization of Signatures, is new policy based on the ISBA sample policy regarding signatures, including descriptions for electronic signatures, provides guidance regarding who has authority to sign contracts, checks, send invoices and complete employee paperwork. Sections 313.1 and 313.2 are new policies regarding bond funds, and ratings, as recommended by legal and financial counsel. Superintendent Boland reviewed that questions recently surfaced regarding naming facilities, or components of facilities, so new policy to help provide consistency and identify the process for naming facilities is proposed. The policy recommendations will move forward to the August meeting for the third and final readings. The proposed policies are posted on the District webpage for patron review, no input has been received to date. A discussion was held, Supt. Boland stated that if the Board wanted to change or add language to any of the proposals it would need to be done prior to the next reading. 07/18/2018 D91 Board Minutes Page 4 of 6 ACTION ITEMS a. E-Funds for Schools – Fee Structure Carrie Smith stated the administration would like to propose that the district cover the convenience fee for the use of electronic funds for schools. In the past, parents who paid fees online paid the convenience fee and we think by doing this it would encourage more parents to utilize it. If the Board approves, the hope is to have point of sale machines in our secondary schools in time for registration this fall. Carrie stated parents are asking to be able to take of school financial transactions this way. It is the recommendation of the administration to proceed with e-fund, the cost would be 3.2 percent and .20 cents per transaction to be covered by the district. Trustee Burtenshaw made a motion to adopt the use of e-funds for schools with the district covering the convenience fees as presented. Trustee Lent provided a second. A discussion was held about forward thinking and utilizing technology as patrons use it in their daily lives. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. a. 2018-19 School Calendar Modifications Trustee Burtenshaw made a motion to change the end date of 2018-19 School Calendar to May 31, 2019 by adopting Option 3 and to make October 5, 2018 and January 21, 2019 student contact days. Trustee Haws provided a second. Chairman Warden called for discussion. Trustee Lent stated he would like to see all stakeholders, including parents, teachers and the administration, engaged in the calendar setting process. The superintendent asked for clarification. Trustee Lent stated the intent is to have a policy in place that defines a process that engages our patrons. Chairman Warden read the list of ramifications that would need to be addressed. Superintendent Boland stated that there are no show stoppers, the most challenging thing will be to find a place to hold the IFHS Graduation because the Civic Auditorium is not available, but the administration will figure it out. Chairman Warden called for a vote. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. b. 2018-19 Student Teacher/University Relations Contract Authorization Superintendent Boland read the relations contract provided and stated this is something the Board needs to approve annually as we get student teacher in the district. Trustee Haws made a motion to approve the 2018-2019 Student Teacher/University Relations Contract Authorization as presented. Trustee Lent provided a second. No further discussions. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. c. Idaho School Board Association School District Member Dues Trustee Wilson made a motion to approve the Idaho School Board Association School District Member dues in the amount of $15,387.69. Trustee Haws provided a second. Discussion was held regarding some frustration with ISBA and their endeavors to represent public schools, particularly since charter schools have been brought into the mix. Board members discussed the value of ISBA and their role in lobbying the legislature. Chairman Warden called for a vote. Motion carried 4 ayes, 1 nay. d. Board Policy, Section 201.4.2.1 – Superintendent’s Staff Organizational Chart (Revised) Superintendent Boland stated he would like to make a slight modification to the Superintendent’s Org Chart by elevating the Directors of Elementary and Secondary Education to Assistant Superintendents for Elementary and Secondary Education. The Assistant Superintendents are the direct supervisors of their respective school principals, it would provide clarity about who principals are to go to for what and it 07/18/2018 D91 Board Minutes Page 5 of 6 would also allow them to veto actions that might come from one of the various departments or buildings that may have an impact on instruction. Trustee Wilson made a motion to accept the revisions to Board Policy, Section 201.4.2.1 – Organizational Chart as presented. Trustee Haws provided the second. A brief discussion was held in support of the revision especially helps for communication purposes and it develops capacity by allowing the Superintendent to delegate more authority. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. e. Board Policy, Section 1012.3 – Athletic Eligibility (full-time student defined) Superintendent Boland reviewed that the Idaho High School Athletic Association has changed their interruption of academic eligibility based upon status of a student as a full-time student. The IHSAA has informed school districts that the Board has the prerogative to identify what constitutes a full-time student for the purpose of athletic eligibility. The recommendation of the administration would be to add language that states a full-time student is defined as enrollment in four credit bearing classes. Where students can th now earn high school credits starting in 8 grade they may not need the credits by their senior year. The student would not need to be taking all four credit bearing classes at one of our facilities, they may be taking online courses or college classes to meet the requirement. Trustee Wilson made a motion to accept Board Policy 1012.3 – Athletic Eligibility revisions that define a full-time student as presented. Trustee Haws provide the second. No further discussion. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. f. Emerson Alternative High School Time Request Waiver Superintendent Boland stated currently within state board rule a student must attend 60 hours of class time to receive a credit. The Board of Trustees must approve the submission of the time request waiver before it can be submitted to the State Department of Education for approval. Essentially this would assign credits to classes that have less than 60 hours of seat time as we try to align Emerson’s block schedule to the district’s trimesters. Trustee Haws made a motion to approve the submission of Emerson Alternative High School’s time request waiver as presented. Trustee Lent provided a second. A brief discussion was held. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. Chairman Warden called for a motion to adjourn. Trustee Haws made a motion to adjourn. Trustee Wilson provided the second. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m. 07/18/2018 D91 Board Minutes Page 6 of 6