Diane Blevins Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 Proceedings of the Board of Trustees District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana September 21, 2009 CALL TO ORDER The Regular Board 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 21, 2009, at 5:30 p.m. Members present included Trustees Peter Gesuale, Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Jo Fox, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, Joyce Weber, Superintendent Jack Copps, and District Clerk Leo Hudetz. Registered guests included Lew Anderson, Sarah Sheldon, Michael Stenberg, Becky Shay, Lori Booke, Kim Anthony, Sandra Abraham, Amy Griffin, Ed Graff, DeeDee Larsen, and Paige Darden. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC The Board recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of listening to members of the public in its meetings. The Board also recognizes the statutory and constitutional right of the public to participate in governmental operations. The Board encourages members of the public to participate in and express opinions about issues important to the District. This part of the Board’s meeting is dedicated to public comment on any public matter that is not on the agenda of this meeting and is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees. Members of the public may also address particular items on this agenda either now or at the time the Board considers the particular item. Sandra Abraham addressed the Board on overcrowded classrooms and aides. She voiced her concern about how a teacher cannot develop relations with students when the classrooms are overcrowded. She urged those present to visit a classroom to see the large numbers. Ms. Abraham also requested the procedure for bringing an item forward to a Board member. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The Chair informed the Board that a report was made available for Item H, Report from Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Facility Issues. He further pulled O-6, Approve School Bus Runs FY2009-10, from the Consent Agenda to be discussed separately. Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Achten: Motion to approve the agenda as amended. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. GIFTS AND DONATIONS Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Achten: Motion to accept these gifts with gratitude. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. The following are the gifts and donations: Alkali Creek – Dr. Brian Linde, Heights Eyecare, $630 for recycling Beartooth –Sue Ness, school supplies Michelle Carlson, school supplies Laura LaFrombois, school supplies Bench – ExxonMobil Foundation, $1,000 grant Kris Carpenter, Sanctuary Spy, $630 for recycling Wal-Mart, laptop and desktop computer Big Sky – EBMS, $344 Bitterroot – Wilma Alexander, school supplies Wal-Mart Store 2923, @250 (matching Nancy Russell) First Interstate BancSystem, $272 Target, Take Charge of Education, $116.73 Heights Exchange Club, school supplies Shiloh United Methodist Women, school supplies Broadwater – Ed Thurner, $630 for recycling Central Heights – Little Horn State Bank, $630 for recycling Eagle Cliffs – Mr. and Mrs. A. N. Brownell, 200 school supply items Highland – Colleen Nichols, Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic, $630 for recycling McKinley – Rimrock Foundation, school supplies Hearts & Hands, school supplies Beartooth Chapter Harley Owners Group, school supplies Mike and Elizabeth Perius, school supplies St. Pius X Church, school supplies Charlotte Partin, school supplies Verizon Wireless, Jim Novotny, school supplies Meadowlark – OPE, Scott Buswell, computer equipment Newman – CRA Architects Engineers, $630 for recycling Anita Linder, school supplies Curves for Women, school supplies Costco, backpacks containing school supplies Billings Lions Club, school supplies Employees of Cabela’s, school supplies, snacks and clothing Orchard – Simon Harper, Car Wash Systems, Inc., $630 for recycling Poly Drive – OPI, Scott Buswell, computer equipment Ponderosa – James, Karen and Yvonne Ray, school supplies Grace United Methodist Church, school supplies Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Gilstad, school supplies Allan and Pat Karell, school supplies Rose Park – Grade United Methodist Church, school supplies Joe Emon, $100 Washington – Tom Dimich, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co., $630 for recycling Lewis & Clark – Pat Curry, beanies and buddies valued at $1,692.33 Will James – Mike and Mona Stevens, $150 for music department District – Vann’s Giving Event, $111.49 (Dave Cellan purchase) ENERGY EDUCATION PRESENTATION Trustee Guthals gave a brief history on the process followed by the Energy Education and Innovation Committee. For the first year of the contract with Energy Education Inc. (EEI), the net savings were $389,728. There have been no capital outlay costs by the District and a guarantee was given by EEI in the contract with the District. EEI guaranteed that if the energy savings to the District did not at least equal EEI’s fee, then EEI would write a check to the District for the difference. Mr. Guthals further reported that EEI had been paid their contractual fee. Ed Graff, President of the Rocky Mountain area of EEI, presented an award for Energy Stewardship to the District. Mr. Lew Anderson, Energy Conservation Manager, reported there was no air conditioning used in the elementary schools over the summer. Trustee Guthals reported the savings for the District resulted in the saving of 42,000 trees and 5,5147,185 kilowatt hours so far in this program. UPDATE ON PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF 2010-2011 BUDGET Trustee Guthals gave a report from the Budgeting for Results (BFR) Committee. The members had a problem approving the bus routes as they did not have the necessary information to approve the routes. The BFR Committee recommended approval of the bus routes when the Board received the necessary information to do so. The committee also reviewed the 403(b) charter which included the changes in federal law that requires districts to have 403(b) plans in place. The members recommended approval of the charter, as well as the bills paid for August 2009. The committee reviewed and discussed the financial reports and felt the information can be overwhelming. The BFR decided to review the reports on a three-month basis, or quarterly, until the last three months when the BFR committee will review the financial reports on a monthly basis. It was decided that a subcommittee be developed to look at the health insurance situation to determine if wellness programs could obtain savings on overall health costs. Trustee Guthals wanted the BFR committee to analyze the budgets of the district and figure out a way to get it into better shape and develop a method to avoid continued budget deficit situations in the future. Superintendent Copps reported on enrollments for the District. There are different methods required by the State for determining enrollments. The State requires a count of students in October and February to determine the amount of state funding the District receives. As of September, the enrollments are up by 304 students in the elementary district which is possibly the result of more families with young children moving into the city because of the poor situation in the national economy. At the high school, there is currently a 3% decline. Mr. Copps said, if the elementary district’s increased enrollments continue for the count dates in October and February, next year’s (2010-2011) budget projection will have a smaller deficit than previously anticipated. A shortfall of $3,300,000 was projected, but now it may be reduced approximately 58%, or $1,900,000 deficit if enrollment trends continue. After the use of one-time only federal funds, the deficit will decrease to approximately $800,000. Superintendent Copps reported the downside to increased enrollments is the student/teacher ratio. Classrooms in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades have increased in enrollments with the accreditation standards being 20 students per classroom. There are 28 classrooms in Kindergarten that exceed accreditation standards, 25 in the first grade, and 18 in the second. The student/teacher accreditation ratio for 3rd and 4th grades is 28:1, there are no overcrowded classrooms in the 3rd grade and 3 classrooms in the 4th grade. In the 5th and 6th grades, the accreditation ratio is 30:1 with no classrooms currently being over the accreditation standards. Trustee Stroebe asked what happens when the District exceeds the maximum students per class allowed. Superintendent Copps reported the District must have an aide in that classroom and if it does not, the District receives a reprimand from the State and is asked for a remedy to correct the situation. The State has never held back funding if accreditation standards are not met. The Chair reported Trustee Guthals will come back to the Board every month on a report from the BFR Committee regarding the budget. The October enrollment count will help clarify the financial forecast for the District. Trustee Guthals will also bring forward any recommendations from BFR on the possibility of a mill levy. REPORT FROM AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE ON FACILITY ISSUES Trustee Bryan gave a report from the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Facility Issues. There are three steps in the plan with the strategic planning for all district operations being the first step. The second is strategic planning for key areas, and the third is for individual schools. The committee had consensus on the issue of immediate issues needing to be addressed as soon as possible. Trustee Gesuale stated there were other current challenges present, the most important was the fiscal responsibility of the Board to address budget shortfalls. The committee felt strongly that the public must be involved in the process. The Chair suggested that the Board members review the report before the retreat on September 28th where it will be discussed further. Trustee Gesuale urged the Board members to study the report carefully as there are other districts with established strategic plans who are able to pass mill levies. The Board will also decide if this report should go to the Planning and Development Committee. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT Superintendent Copps reported on the H1N1 flu which is currently threatening to become a worldwide pandemic. A brochure was sent out to homes of the students. It covers procedures if cases of the flu occur. RiverStone Health Group has joined the District in a partnership to administer the procedures. The outbreak in Billings Public Schools is small at this time. MONTHLY LEGAL REPORT The Chair reported on the new case against the District and there were no long-term suspensions. BILLS PAID – AUGUST 2009 Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Aragon: Motion to approve the bills paid for August 2009. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. The following are the bills paid: Claims $1,814,057.64 ACH Tax Deposits 336,891.91 Payroll Warrants & Direct Deposits 1,225,538.50 Procurement Card 321,631.35 EBMS ACH Payments 885,596.92 INTERCAP Loan 80,539.32 Network infrastructure & vehicle purchases TOTAL $4,664,355.64 FINANCIAL REPORTS – AUGUST 2009 (UNAUDITED) The following financial reports were received: CS101 Account Expenditure by Fund CS102 Account Receipts by Fund CS105 Statement of Estimated and Actual Revenue CS108 Object Cost Analysis APPROVAL OF BILLINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS 403(b) COMMITTEE CHARTER Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Bryan: Motion to approve the resolution and committee charter from the 403(b) committee. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVE MEMBERS TO BPS 403(b) COMMITTEE Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Achten: Motion to approve the membership to the 403(b) Committee. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. The members are as follows: Trustee – Peter Gesuale BCEA Representative – Janet Baum BEA Representative – Jeff Greenfield MPEA Representative – Travis Weidinger Superintendent Designee – Cheryl Malia-McCall Board Clerk – Leo Hudetz Chief Financial Officer – Thomas Harper Human Resource Director – Dan Martin PERSONNEL REPORT Trustee Gesuale made the following motion with a second by Trustee Fox: Motion to approve the Superintendent’s current employment recommendations. Trustee Guthals asked if there was anything unusual in the report. Mr. Copps reported there was nothing unusual. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. CONSENT AGENDA The Chair reminded the Board members that O-6 has been removed for discussion. Trustee Gesuale made the following motion with a second by Trustee Aragon: Motion to approve and accept the items within the Consent Agenda without objection to recommended action with the exception of Item O-6. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. Items approved are as follows: Regular Board Meeting Minutes, August 17, 2009 Budgeting for Results Committee Minutes, August 10, 2009 Approve Committee Members Career Center Carl Perkins Grant Committee Members 3300-F1 Special Ed. Manifestation Determination Form Addition of Sixth Grade ECA Fund Account at Rose Park Addition of Library ECA Fund Account at Rose Park Addition of Chemistry ECA Fund Account at Senior Addition of 6th Grade ECA Fund Account at Boulder Addition of 6th Grade ECA Fund Account at Poly Drive Addition of Staff Social Trust Fund Account at Ponderosa Addition of Social Trust Fund Account at Big Sky Addition of Special Pay Agreements Trust Fund Account at Lincoln APPROVE SCHOOL BUS RUNS FY2009-10 Trustee Guthals explained that under State law, statutes exist that Districts will ‘establish, maintain, budget, and finance the transportation program of the district’. The Board has approved the contract with First Student bus company and the busses are running. Trustee Guthals wanted to have an understanding on how the bus routes are developed. Sondra Baker, Transportation Director, explained that the regular bus runs are based on the number of students who live more than three miles from their school. Additional safety bus routes under three miles only take into consideration K-8 students. The District is reimbursed by the State in the routes, not the number of students. The District is not reimbursed for school to school runs but only home to school and school to home. A software program is used to design the routes. Students who live more than three miles from the school are not required to ride every day but the State requires that the District keep those seats available. Trustee Stroebe reported that the State mandates that Districts must have so many seats available even if those students do not ride that bus every day. Ms. Baker stated another issue in scheduling is the time constraints on the afternoon bus routes as elementary schools end their day at two different times. Trustee Aragon asked for data that would show if there are more students riding the city bus. Ms. Baker reported there is no data available. Trustee Bryan suggested the BFR Committee could look at developing new school boundaries that would aid in bussing. Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Fox: Motion to approve Billings Public Schools 144 Special Education bus runs, 70 bus runs for K-6 elementary, 23 bus runs for middle school, 17 bus runs for high school/middle school, and 37 bus runs for high school FY2009-10. Those voting in favor were Dawn Achten, Kathy Aragon, Barbara Bryan, Mary Joe Fox, Peter Gesuale, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. ____________________________________________ Malcolm Goodrich, Chair __________________________ Diane Blevins, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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