HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021_08_24 Board Minutes
IDAHO FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 91
BOARD OF TRUSTEES – ANNUAL BOARD RETREAT
DISTRICT OFFICE BOARD ROOM 690 JOHN ADAMS PARKWAY IDAHO FALLS, ID
4:00 PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021
Present from the Board of Trustees: Present from the Administration:
Lara Hill, Chair Dr. James Shank, Superintendent
Hillary Radcliffe, Vice Chair Dan Keck, Assist. Superintendent Secondary
Larry Wilson, Treasurer Kelly Coughenour, Assist. Superintendent Elementary
Paul Haacke, Clerk Margaret Wimborne, Director of Communications &
Elizabeth Cogliati, Trustee Community Engagement
Tito Paredes, Director of Information Technology
Heather Wade, Director of Human Resources
Angela Pendlebury, Director of Finance
Gail Rochelle, Director of Federal Programs
Jessica Means, Recording Clerk
Chairwoman Hill called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
ADOPT AGENDA
Trustee Radcliffe made a motion to adopt the agenda. Trustee Cogliati provided the second. Motion carried
4 ayes, 0 nays. Trustee Wilson joined the meeting at 4:03 pm.
ANNUAL BOARD RETREAT:
I. Facility Planning
Superintendent Shank starts by stating we have Cooperative Strategies on stand by and they
will be answering some questions that the board expressed a few weeks back in terms of
renewing our plan and he would like to build some context around it. He then explains that
the SPFF fund levy will be coming up in March so we will need to think about that work as well
as the plan of attending to our facility needs and having the levy that will support that. He is
looking forward to the other projects that we need to take care of.
a. 5-10-year plan
Superintendent Shank has asked Angela Pendlebury, Director of Finance to provide the SPFF
expenses over the last 10 years. He states the importance to look at what we have spent and
to try to project ten years out or what it is we will need to do. Also think about how we will
fund things in the environment of inflation, he spoke to a financial expert today that stated we
were at about 5% right now in the country. He also stated he was unsure on where the
inflation percentage will end for the year and that information does make people nervous
about committing to projects. Trustee Haacke asks for a clarification of non-student occupied
and student occupied, in reference to the SPFF expense report provided by Angela.
Superintendent Shank answers that a student occupied facility is where a student would go to
school and non-student occupied facility would be where students are not at, for instance the
maintenance building. Angela adds to keep in mind, it also includes outside of the school
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 1 of 8
building. She states the state requires specification of non-student occupied. Superintendent
Shank states in preparation for the levy we will provide more detail to the board and the
public to be transparent with our expenses.
b. Cooperative Strategies Webex @ 4:15 pm
c. Supplemental Facilities Levy March 2022
Superintendent Shank welcomes Cooperative Strategies and asks them to join us vis Webex.
We are joined by Karen Daniel-Hamberg and Scott Leopold from Cooperative Strategies with a
presentation. Karen starts with how much she loved working with our district in the past and
is excited to work with us again. She explains that they will be presenting the facilities master
planning in general and what was previously recommended and their process. She introduces
Scott Leopold as the partner and Executive Director in planning services. Together they go
through the Power point presentation provided. They mention the process includes heading a
steering committee that are involved. Scott states he does not believe the process will need to
include a complete retread of this and they can pick up the process with changes to
recommendations from the past and have a bridge process of conditions that have changed.
Then engage the community with those changes and updates. Scott asks if the Board has any
questions. Trustee Hill asks about the previous birth rate projection, if it was a 5-year or 10-
year projection? Scott answers that they provided a 10-year cohort survival projection that
looks at historical births that reside within the district. This information is recorded by the
state public health department and audited. This information feeds our kindergarten
enrollment and track the ratios from grade to grade and project for 10 -years. Trustee Hill
states during the pandemic we have seen an influx of move-ins to our area and then asks how
they track those numbers. Trustee Haacke also states how does the data provided three years
ago compare to now. He also asks what data do they feel like they will need to redo to
present to us. Scott answers that they will need to look at those survival ratios and move-ins
will affect those ratios. He also said they would look at housing and other data points pre-
pandemic to make better projections. Trustee Haacke asks for clarification when preparing
the proposal would it include the redoing the projections. Scott answers yes, it would be a
good start with past recommendations. Trustee Hill asks how soon they can have a proposal
to us, hopefully in time for our next board meeting. Scott answers that it should not be an
issue. Superintendent Shank asks if the previous work from Cooperative Strategies was geared
towards the last bond or SPFF levy. Trustee Haacke stated it was to see what our needs were
and then based on the needs to present information to bond. Margaret Wimborne, Director
of Communications & Community Engagement, states after the last bond failed the board had
made the decision to stand back and look at creating the 5- and 10-year plan with the
recommendations made to develop a bond proposal but then the world shut down. Trustee
Hill stated that she thought the proposal was written or close. Margaret stated it was close
with conversations of rough estimates from Bateman Hall. Scott states they can include in
their proposal’s options for funding plans with structure and the potential impact on tax
payers. Superintendent Shank agrees that it is necessary and something the Board has
requested. He states that it can serve dual purpose with the expenses spent on the levy and if
we are engaging in a 5 to 10 year plan we need to have that as a funding source so that we
can communicate that out to the public. He also states that it will help with the planning to
prepare for March. Scott asks what the deadline is for the plan to be finalized.
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 2 of 8
Superintendent Shank states that we need a good 5 to 10-year plan by December or January.
Trustee Hill asks if there are any other questions for Karen or Scott and also thanked them for
their time.
II. High Reliability Schools
th
a. First Schools to Report on Sept. 8 Board Meeting
1) Templeview Elementary
2) Edgemont Elementary
Superintendent Shank states the first two schools to report at the next board meeting will be
Templeview and Edgemont Elementary. Superintendent Shank states that Kelly Coughenour,
Assist. Superintendent Elementary Education, has prepared the items to expect for the
schools to report on and has a focus on the accomplishments on the HRS (High Reliability
Schools) work, school goals, student achievement data, and celebrations, as well as any Q&A
the Board has for them. Superintendent Shank states that the reports should be quick and
concise without a competitive nature going on between schools. Kelly asks the Board if there
is anything else that they would like added to the reports. He also states the schools are
excited to present to board. Superintendent Shank states they have done a little research and
to certify to be an HRS school it will cost $2000 per school. He goes on to say Moodle is the
platform process that Marzano group will share with us that schools can go on and check the
items they need to be working on, we will want to get that available to them.
thth
b. Professional Development January 17 & 18
Superintendent Shank states they have been in discussion with the Marzano group to roll out
a professional development across the district and they will need to be trained at the same
th
time. He would like to propose January 17th and 18 and hope that the Civic Auditorium is
th
available, however we are not sure about the location yet. He states January 18 is a school
day, so we would need to have students stay home that day to offer the two full days of
training. This will build a strong foundation across the district for teachers and para educators
with instructional assignments. Trustee Hill asks about how many would be in attendance.
Superintendent Shank states we figure to be about 1000 people. Trustee Hill states she will
check the Colonial Theatres calendar as well, to see if it is available. Trustee Cogliati asks what
th
day of the week January 17 is. Superintendent Shank answers that it is a Monday, Martin
th
Luther King Jr. day, so there is no school and the 18 is a Tuesday. Superintendent Shank
th
states if we do not have a snow day to use for the January 18 date, we might have to plan for
an online learning day and prepare for that. He then states that the criticality around the vison
and clarity of what we want to accomplish makes sense and in preparation for that day with
learning opportunities for the students. Trustee Radcliffe asks if we will vote on that at the
next board meeting to get it on the calendar and let parents know. Superintendent Shank
states yes, it will be an action item. Trustee Wilson asks if there is a plan in place teacher that
will come on board after the Professional Development is done. Superintendent Shank
responded with he was not sure that Marzano has that available. He mentions there is about
85 new staff members currently that would need to be trained and we would put together a
training on additional days for those new members with compensation. He states we will
need to be proactive with providing the training before school starts. Trustee Hill states we
could possibly have a trainer within the district to provide the training or someone to be
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 3 of 8
groomed. Dan Keck, Assist. Superintendent Secondary Education, states that there are a lot of
training videos available, some that they have used recently with the new teachers and
principals and would be easy to set up for new staff. Trustee Radcliffe asks how do we get HRS
information to the community and why it should be important to the community. She states
knowing a lot of this information will come from the school level, are we helping the schools
identify how the parents will find out and what we are hoping to accomplish. Superintendent
Shank states he has an answer, first we need to go out and talk about so his plan is in the
th
State of the District addresses, around September 20 he will start going to various
community groups to share the HRS process, where it is that we are, what it is we are working
on, and where we want to be. He also states that we have to give people the opportunity to
ask, so the system has to be known throughout the district. For instance, our food service and
bus drivers need to know what the HRS process is so if they are asked from the community
they are able to share their understanding, so we will need to provide training to them also.
Superintendent Shank also states that will do some specific Facebook lives about the HRS
process and try not to overwhelm people with this information, rather give them the sense
that this is something the district is doing. He then refers to a draft handout that Margaret has
provided, the HRS and PLC (Professional Learning Communities) resolution. He asks that the
board to consider, this resolution as an important piece that will be placed in policy that this is
the work in the district and therefore becomes a non-negotiable. It will then be a public
document that will go out to everybody and very clear of what we are trying to accomplish in
terms to a strategic plan and how we will go about the systems works with board approval.
Trustee Hill asks if there is an infographic available to help people understand. Margaret
Wimborne states she is currently working on an infographic to hopefully be finalized by end of
the week to share on the Facebook live. Trustee Hill brings up that understanding the PLC
piece and late start Fridays was important so if people understand the HRS process it will help
with them understanding the bigger picture. Trustee Haacke states in the Facebook lives he
recommends to be thorough with lots of explanation what HRS is, why we want to be HRS
certified, what it means to be certified, how it impacts the children, and what it means to our
district, teachers, and students. Trustee Radcliffe adds we had talked about Phil from HRS
come help the Board develop a mission and vision, so it might be a good opportunity and time
to start that process. Superintendent Shank then presents the book “Professional learning
communities at work and high reliability schools; cultures of continuous learning” and
mentions the directors have started a book study and shared the book with the principals.
They are also waiting for a shipment to share with all teachers. He states that in the book
study there is a good explanation and understanding of high reliability schools and the
purpose behind it and why it is effective. He also states that we asked the principals questions
at their open meeting to find out what really is our understanding of what it is we are asking
everyone else to understand, because if we do not know it then who does. Superintendent
Shank states his intent is to create clarity around this initiative. He also states the HRS is the
framework for Continuous Improvement and PLC is the vehicle by which we will arrive and
there is much to do around this and is not a simple thing. He asks the Board if there are any
questions on implementing this process. Trustee Wilson states he is glad to here there is a
plan to let to get the word out and it will be imperative for parents to have a basic
understanding and realizing what it is and what it can do for our district. Trustee Radcliffe
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 4 of 8
states she is hoping this can be a sense of pride in our schools. Trustee Hill states this all is
about continuous student achievement. Trustee Wilson adds we need to advertise the success
with the HRS program to help people understand the importance.
c. Continuous Improvement Plan
1) Strategic Planning
Gail Rochelle, Director of Federal Programs, states the annual Continuous Improvement Plan
is legislative for LEAs in the State of Idaho. She presents a PowerPoint on the Continuous
Improvement Plan with requirements, components, changes, and next steps.
d. HRS and PLC Resolution
Discussed previously when talking about Professional development days.
Superintendent Shank asks the board for a recess to be taken for dinner at 5:02 pm.
Returned from recess at 5:25 pm.
III. State Performance Data
a. IRI
b. ISAT
c. SAT/ACT
d. Learning Loss/Learning Fund Grant
Superintendent Shank presents a State Performance Data PowerPoint prepared by Renee
Nelson, Assessment Coordinator, that shows a comparison with the state and district scoring
levels. Trustee Haacke asked for clarification for Juniors taking the SAT and state
requirements. Superintendent Shank said it is still scheduled for Juniors to take but the state
does not fund it anymore, the district will have to pay for it. Superintendent Shank thanks
Renee Nelson for her help providing the PowerPoint information. Superintendent Shank states
that there are funds to improve the learning loss and will report the spending of those funds.
IV. Community Engagement
a. State of the District Presentations
Superintendent Shank reports again he will start the State of the District Presentations around
th
September 20 and ask various community groups around Idaho Falls who would like to
entertain us. This will also be on the Facebook Lives and the information will present, this is
where we are at, this is what we are doing, this is how we are doing, and this is what we are
doing to get where we need to be. Superintendent Shank states that HRS will be part of the
presentation and facilities planning and will provide a great opportunity to engage with the
community.
b. Board/ Superintendent Walk-throughs
Superintendent Shank asks the board if they have interest in doing Board/Superintendent
walk-throughs of our schools. He states usually it would be one or two Board members with
him to visit the schools to learn and see the schools in action. Trustee Hill recommends that
Superintendent Shank put together a schedule that meets his needs and the Board members
can filter in as they are available. Superintendent Shank asks how soon they would like to
start the walk-throughs. Trustee Hill states to possibly wait till after the next board meeting
th
on September 8 so the schools can be more prepared. Superintendent Shank says he will
work on a schedule and get it out to the Board.
c. Director Engagement
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 5 of 8
Superintendent Shank states he would like to report, per Board request, the Directors have
all reported their involvement with a community group or looking into a community group to
participate in. He also reports that many have already been out and about participating in the
community events and it’s exciting to see.
Trustee Cogliati asks about the communications on the back to school night and the websites
not having the proper information. She believes that we are lacking in the outreach to
parents. Superintendent Shank states that we will work on it and be better with the
communications and processes. Margaret Wimborne stated that there was a lot of
communications from schools and on Facebook that was sent out and there was a lot of
coordinating with the vaccination clinics with the EIPH. She also apologized if the information
was not clear. Trustee Hill reminds the Board that normally the school is in charge of
updating their own school website and it is registration time, a busy time of year, so to please
show patience and if the information is not found to just call the school. Margaret Wimborne
states we are changing our school messaging system to Blackboard and they offer lots of new
features that will help with outreach to our families.
V. Superintendent and Board Development
a. Update on Board Docs
1) Tentative training date for board members-
th
October 26 Board Work Session
2) Tech will provide instructional video for Board Docs for the
community to access
Superintendent Shank states that there is a tentative training date for board members of
th
October 26 for Board Docs. He then states Jess Means will be lead on Board Docs because
she prepares the Board information for us. He asks Jess about the training she will have. Jess
Means, Assistant to the Superintendent and Board Clerk, states that there are three training
sessions that she has scheduled for the last week in September, that is the earliest they can be
scheduled. She also states she asked if the October date will be ok to train the Board and is
waiting on a response.
b. Professional Development
1) ISBA Region 6 Meeting – Sept. 29 Rigby, ID @ 6PM
2) ISBA Annual Conv. – Nov. 17-19 Boise, ID
3) NSBA Annual Conf. – April 2-4 San Diego, CA
Superintendent Shank asks who of the Board would be available and interested in attending
the ISBA Region 6 meeting on September 29th. He asks the Board to respond in an email if
they are interested in attending. He also asks who of the Board would be available and
interested in attending the ISBA Annual Convention in Boise, November 17-19. He states that
registration opened up on Monday and need to get account on who might be able to attend.
Trustee Hill asks Jess Means when the Early Bird registration deadline is for the Boise
th
Convention. Jess states Early Bird registration ends September 30. Trustee Haacke states he
feels differently about the convention if it is in-person or virtual. Superintendent Shank states
at this point in time it is in-person. Trustee Haacke states the fee for virtual convention should
be less. Trustee Radcliffe proposes that Jess Means should attend the convention if possible
because of her new position. Superintendent Shank asks who of the Board would be available
and interested in attending the NSBA Annual Conference in San Diego in April, so please check
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 6 of 8
your calendars. Superintendent Shank provides information to the board on Idaho Board
Standards for board work, Boards of distinction from Washington, and Master Boards from
Utah for them to review. He states this will provide information on how we look as a system
and what it is we want to do around PD for the group in addition to going to conventions.
VI. Board Policy Work
Superintendent Shank states that the Board should have a copy of the table of contents for
model policy from ISBA. He asks where the board would like to start with board policy work.
He states if there is no need to change a policy we add the new date of review to update older
policies. Trustee Hill states we need to look at the oldest policies first. He also states that Dan
Keck has been working with a committee on the attendance policy because of things from last
year that do not pertain to things this year. Superintendent Shank is asking for direction on
how the board would like to start. Trustee Hill states that we should start with the first series
and update the oldest ones. Trustee Wilson asks if Board Docs provides easy access to update
board policy. Superintendent Shank confirms that it does but will require some work in Word
Documents.
VII. Full day Kindergarten
Superintendent Shank states that we currently have a few schools that have full day
kindergarten and have some good results from it. He also states we have learning loss funds
and last year the legislature talked about full day kindergarten and this year they have more
money. He states he thinks that now full day kindergarten maybe more of an agenda item to
discuss. He states that in Washington the legislature funded full day kindergarten, however
only a third of the schools had room for it so that is all that got funded. He states he hopes
that the legislature doesn’t decide to fund full day kindergarten and we do not have plans for
it and are not ready for it. He states that we should start discussion about it to prepare and
because it gets results. Kelly Coughenour states that he spoke with all the elementary schools
and the only schools that did not have space for all day kindergarten was Sunnyside and
Westside. He also states another issue would be staffing of teachers, right now there are not
enough people to hire for teachers, some teachers only want to work half day. Trustee Haacke
asks Superintendent Shank if he has any idea if legislature will pass for all day kindergarten.
Superintendent Shank states there has not been discussion but it was part of the agenda last
year. He states that it is a cultural issue and a financial issue that the state has chosen not to
fund in the past. He states part of the discussions is the importance of first grade readiness
and the return on investment with those students. He then states that parents will have
choice to send their students to all day kindergarten.
VIII. Financial Update
Superintendent Shank invites Angela to speak on the financial update. Angela Pendlebury,
Director of Finance, states that we are up on finances with the enrollment because we have
budgeted conservatively, if all the students show up to school with our projections for the first
day of school. She states we still have K-3 and learning loss money to utilize.
IX. Trustee Rezoning Census
Superintendent Shank states just an update that we received information the census is
complete and the trustee rezoning that ISBA was contracted to do will be reported back, so it
will be coming.
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 7 of 8
Chairwoman Hill called for a motion to adjourn. Trustee Wilson made a motion to adjourn.
Trustee Cogliati provided the second. Motion carried 5 ayes, 0 nays. The meeting adjourned at
6:31 p.m.
08/24/2021 D91 Board Minutes Page 8 of 8