Ad Hoc Committee Meeting September 9, 2008

[Diane Blevins]

Proceedings of the Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee

Of the Board of Trustees

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

September 9, 2008

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

The Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee Meeting of the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Yellowstone County, Montana, and High School District, Yellowstone County, Montana, was duly held at The Lincoln Center, 415 North 30th Street, Billings, Montana, September 9, 2008, at 12:00 p.m.

 

Those present included Trustees Tim Trafford, Sandra Mossman, Kathy Aragon, Joel Guthals, District Clerk Leo Hudetz, Superintendent Jack Copps, and Executive Directors Scott Anderson and Kathy Olson.

 

Chair Mossman stated the committee had been asked to make a recommendation to the Board on Board committee structure consisting of the School/Community Committee, Planning & Development Committee, and possibly a revised Education Committee.

 

Trustee Guthals felt a district-level or district-wide committee should not exist unless there is a 50% membership of non-associated district persons. A Planning & Development Committee, at this point, could conflict with the three elementary task forces.

 

Trustee Trafford was not sure what committees were suppose to do. The committees should not meet without a well-developed direction from the Board. After the committee meets, it should report back to the Board. Mr. Trafford stated he has never seen a committee report back to the Board. Trustee Guthals felt the committees are of the Board with specific functions. Budgeting for Results is working well and has plenty to do, as well as the Audit Committee. Mr. Guthals believed the charges from the Board to the committees are broadly written. It is important for the Board members to understand the curricula. Mr. Guthals also felt the Budgeting for Results Committee is given some tasks that belong with other committees such as the Education Committee. Mr. Guthals felt the Policy Review Committee also works well. Mr. Guthals suggested the committees not be scrapped but kept available for tasks and assignments as needed.

 

Trustee Aragon strongly felt that the committees should have community involvement. The Planning & Development Committee could have a large task right now to decide on neighborhood school concepts or mega school concepts. Trustee Guthals suggested the Board adopt the idea used by banks of citizen advisory groups for the Planning & Development Committee. Trustee Trafford stated he sits on Exxon’s citizen advisory panel, which is used as a sounding board. Trustee Aragon recommended an easily accessible web page for each committee so people could have more information.

 

Scott Anderson stated he agreed with Mr. Trafford’s perspective and was not sure the School/Community Committee did anything of value. He liked the idea of community involvement in each of the buildings and suggested parent advisory councils also be used as sounding boards and have a sub-committee of the Board hear the issues and take them back to the Board.

 

Superintendent Copps suggested a task force be formed to deal with one issue, i.e. math. He liked the idea of community sounding boards but cautioned those present to be careful in selecting its members. Trustee Trafford recommended including city council members also.

 

Kathy Olson stated the reality is that people do not have the time to go to meetings all of the time. She liked the idea of the three task forces for Broadwater, McKinley, and Cottonwood. If the Board wants the public to know what is going on in a meeting, put out a call to the public to hear the report to the Board. The problem is the committees do not give a report to the Board. Trustee Trafford suggested the committee reports be given in written form.

 

Scott Anderson explained George Selover’s Gang Task Force. They have been called back into service to discuss the uprising of gang activity. People from across the community meet to discuss the issues, including the Chief of Police and the Sheriff. In the past, media reports have been given to the public to inform them of the various gang activities. Trustee Guthals stated the Board should designate what it needs and have Board members sit on standing committees and the Board would also establish a citizen’s advisory panel for the entire school district or one for the elementary district and one for the high school district.

 

Trustee Trafford felt there are issues that should not go before the Board and then to a committee, but straight to a committee. Sometimes issues do not have to go back to the Board but could be handled by a committee. Mr. Trafford believed there should be a mechanism for this in the committee set up. Trustee Guthals agreed with Mr. Trafford and suggested the policy on not responding to what is said during public comment needs to be revised. Trustee Trafford felt the Board agendas are too rigid and the public should be able to weigh in on issues, such as voicing their concerns before a vote is taken. Trustee Guthals stated, by law, Board responsibilities are policies, budgets, and hiring and firing. There are things the Board addresses other than those three things.

 

Superintendent Copps felt it was important for community people to be able to place an item on the Board agenda or possibly a committee, and then a written report could be given to the Board. Trustee Trafford suggested putting how to communicate with the Board on the District’s website, or how to place an item on the agenda.

 

Trustee Mossman stated there must be a Board definition as to how to get information to and from the public. She asked those present to consider having a community advisory council, how committees should be structured, and involving citizens as needed. She also asked them to look at the agenda setting process and how the focus should be narrow and clearly defined. It was the consensus of those present that committees must report back to the Board in written form. Trustee Mossman stated she would give an update to the Board at the September 15th meeting. Trustee Mossman said that decisions and recommendations regarding the committee structure and functions should be made at the next meeting of this committee.

 

The next meeting was scheduled for noon on Tuesday, September 30th.

 

As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Sandra Mossman, Chair

 

 

 

Diane Blevins, Recorder