Marta McAllister Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Proceedings of the Planning and Development Committee School District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana December 7, 2009 CALL TO ORDER Chair Kathy Aragon called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 7, 2009 in Room 219 of the Lincoln Center. Committee members in attendance were Trustees Kathy Aragon, Mary Jo Fox, Sandra Abraham, Doug Armknecht, Margaret Aukshun, Annette Cabrera, Deana Elder, Amy Griffin, Krista Hertz, Lance King, Jennifer Molk, Jodi Schreiber, Josi Wilgus, and Kathy Olson, Elementary Executive Director. Also in attendance was Trustee Teresa Stroebe, representing Lockwood and out lining elementary areas. INTRODUCTION FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS Trustee Kathy Aragon asked members to introduce themselves and tell what contribution they can bring to the Planning and Development Committee. The Committee is made up parents, teachers, administrators, county officials, community representatives, and representation from BEA and BCEA. 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. Teresa Stroebe questioned the Lockwood projected growth numbers of 1,200 in the year 2035 as Lockwood currently is at that number. Kathy Aragon will ask Candy Beaudry from City Planning to clarify questions using the maps at the next Planning and Development meeting. Teresa Stroebe also questioned the Districts’ dropout rate numbers and will address her concerns at the appropriate time. Teresa Stroebe suggested recruiting someone to represent the outlining areas of Billings to the Committee. It was also suggested to ask someone from the Cottonwood Task Force Committee to represent their area. Kathy Aragon and Teresa Stroebe will look for volunteers to represent both areas. ROLE OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMIITTEE Kathy Aragon explained the role of the Committee is huge and encompasses a multitude of areas such as curriculum, facilities, planning, etc. Kathy Aragon would like the Committee to concentrate on creating a Capital Improvement plan for School District 2 using plans that follow School District 2 policies. Kathy Aragon stated one of the recommendations by this Committee to the Board can be a plan for a professional process. Kathy Aragon stated she would like the Committee to look forward over a longer range to determine what is best for School District 2 and where waste can be minimized. Kathy Aragon stated the charge is to look at planning and development for Billings Public Schools, looking at the long term process and determine within our financial budgetary constraints what we can or can not do. Kathy Aragon stated the Committee will first focus on Policy 9001 – Planning, and Policy 9002 - Facilities Master Plan. Kathy Aragon said the Committees’ role is to ensure that this Committee follows School District 2 polices. Kathy Aragon explained a current Facility Plan Summary exists. Kathy Aragon noted the Facility Plan Summary was adopted this past summer by a 3-2 Board vote with several Board members not in attendance. At this time Kathy Aragon opened the meeting up for discussion. Sandra Abraham understood that Phase 1 of the Facility Plan Summary plan had a motion, but the other phases did not. Kathy Aragon stated Phase 1 is the only phase that was approved by the Board. Kathy Aragon explained Phase 1 is from 2008 – 2012. Phase 1 includes plans to remodel McKinley and Broadwater and increase their capacity to 400 students. Phase 1 also included a plan to build Cottonwood elementary school with a capacity of 400 with potential for expansion and lease Rimrock elementary school for up to five years. Sandra Abraham would like to know where the Board’s information to increase student enrollment to 400 with the intent to design and run efficient schools came from. Sandra Abraham would like to know if that assumption has any data or scientific bases. Kathy Olson said the administration was not involved in the plan, but she thought it might have initially been introduced by Board Committee from a study session of the Board. Kathy Aragon will ask Superintendent Copps about this issue. Kathy Aragon suggested that demographics and census data need to be clarified for this Committee. Kathy Aragon asked Kathy Olson for this information. Kathy Olson said the school district has never kept census data at the District. Candy Beaudry, from city planning provided the information. Kathy Olson noted it was an overwhelming request for Candy Beaudry to provide this information to the District. Kathy Olson reported two people on staff have been trained to do GEO-Code mapping. Kathy Olson said the numbers she can provide are student data from a particular school. Doug Armknecht asked if there is any updated demographic information. Kathy Aragon stated 1990 to 2000 is the most current. Kathy Aragon stated the responsibility of the Committee is to use demographics to plan forward and the fact that we do not have access to data in house is a problem. Teresa Stroebe asked if the Board is going to move forward with Phase 1 or do away with it. Kathy Aragon stated this is an action item and this Committee is to make a recommendation to the Board. Kathy Aragon explained that Phase 1 is a Board directive. The Phase 1 Board motion hangs over the head of the current administration and Board until this Committee makes a recommendation. Teresa Stroebe stated the Board has entered into a contract with Montana School Boards Association to do a Strategic Planning Process. Teresa Stroebe questioned what the Committee’s role will be in relationship to what the school Board is doing with the Montana School Boards Association. Kathy Aragon stated there has been little discussion regarding the student enrollment efficiency number in this plan by the Board. Teresa Stroebe feels 450 students in a school has no educational relevance. Teresa Stroebe noted the District has to be sensitive to the community wants of neighborhood schools, walkable communities, and bicycle paths. Teresa Stroebe suggested that the Board address the legislatures’ lack of state funding for their mandates regarding class size for different age groups. Teresa Stoebe noted until funding is addressed this will be difficult for the District to look at numbers and data. Kathy Aragon stated the current census data indicates a flat under 19 population, but the general growth rate of Billings has increased. Jennifer Molk feels the public will not accept the fact that the enrollment is flat and suggested the Committee work to clarify this issue to the public. Kathy Aragon suggested working in cooperation with the city and county when building a new school and on school boundary issues. Kathy Aragon asked Kathy Olson to provide data for the next meeting regarding the 300 student increase this year, kids attending private schools, bussing issues, migration of students to out lining areas, students being home schooled, and transfer requests. Kathy Aragon provided maps of city population density. There was discussion regarding how the new census data, re-designation of boundaries, and zip code changes will affect school District boundaries. Kathy Olson will provide population numbers from OPI on how many kids are in each school, how many bussed, how many Special Education students in each school, kids attending different schools due to the No Child Left Behind mandates, and students out of their school’s boundaries for the next meeting. Kathy Aragon reminded Committee members that this Committee’s mission and recommendation to the Board is to look at Billings Public Schools data to make knowledgeable decisions. The Committee discussed that more classroom space was needed when kindergarten increased to full time. The Committee discussed bussing issues due to overcrowding at students’ home schools. Mary Jo Fox stated that the Board made the motion to increase the school sizes based on reality based figures from the Budgeting for Results Committee. Kathy Olson provided some historical information on how boundaries may have been set by the Board due to increase in population and new subdivisions being built at the time. Kathy Aragon and Teresa Stroebe questioned how boundaries were set in the past. Kathy Aragon and Teresa Stroebe suggested they were not based on data, did not make sense, and conflicted with the whole neighborhood school concept. Kathy Aragon suggested this committee may recommend that a re-boundary policy be created by the Board. Kathy Aragon stated that looking from 1986 to Oct of 2009 there has only been an increase of 300 students in the Heights. Kathy Aragon would like the Committee to look at the big picture to make a general analysis about the current plan the District has. The Committee can decide whether that document should stay on the books or be suspended until a document is created with data based and demographic data to support it. Kathy Aragon stated as a Board member at this time she can not support that document. Kathy Aragon would like a current plan that makes sense, can be supported by data, and can be explained to the public with supported data. Lance King asked for background information regarding the current plan. How many people were part of this plan, how many people on this committee were part of the plan, what is the overlap, what is the term, and when was it established. Kathy Aragon stated two Board members, Trustee Peter Gesuale and a Board member that is no longer a member, brought it to the Board as a discussion document. Kathy Aragon stated the current document did not include policy information the Board is required to do. No data was applied to the document and the document was not presented to the public. Kathy Aragon stated it was pushed through Committee to be approved. Mary Jo Fox stated it was taken to the Budget Committee. Mary Jo Fox stated the main consideration that was taken into account for the plan was of the budget. Mary Jo Fox stated the Board has to face the reality that mill levies do not pass and the fact that the legislature does not fund education needs completely. The Board at that time had good motives and good intentions and made decision based on budgetary concerns. Mary Jo Fox stated it does not mean that the Board does not have educational interest. Mary Jo Fox suggested that in moving forward past and present Board members and Committees be respected even if there are disagreements. Teresa Stroebe disagreed with Mary Jo Fox and stated knowledge and data were not used and must be used. Teresa Stroebe believes the reason we have the reality of the budget is due to the fact of public perception and misperception of the District. Teresa Stroebe feels if knowledge based decision making is applied the community will pass mill levies and bond issues. Teresa Stroebe believes that the lack of money we get from the legislature is due to their lack of knowledge regarding our educational needs. Peter Gesuale will be asked to come to the next meeting to discuss the current plan. The other Board member who developed the plan is no longer a member. Lance King would like to know if the document is based on facts, where the data can be obtained, and would like to review the plan in order to accept the plan. Doug Armknecht would also like to know if decisions were discussed in terms of values and if it is written down somewhere. Kathy Aragon feels there are conflicting values. Kathy Aragon stated values are an issue that she would like to see ironed out in the Strategic Planning Process. Kathy Aragon noted Phase 1 plan calls for consolidation of existing schools, but not how infrastructure will be provided to those schools. Kathy Aragon suggested the plan needs to be done with transparency, using data, and the community needs to be included. Kathy Aragon suggested in order to get bonds and mill levies passed the community must embrace them. Kathy Aragon suggested that The Planning and Development Committee work with the Budgeting for Results Committee to be aware of the reality of the budget. Kathy Aragon suggested the two Committees meet together. Educational space for the 21st century was briefly discussed. No decisions were made. The next scheduled meeting date is Monday, January 4, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. Adjournment There being no further business Kathy Aragon adjourned the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Kathy Aragon, Chair Brenda Cross, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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