Agenda Setting Meeting - August 3, 2010

[coen]

Proceedings of the Board of Trustees

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

August 3, 2010

 

 

Call to Order

 

The Agenda Setting Meeting of the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Yellowstone County, Montana, and the High School District, Yellowstone County, Montana was duly held at the Lincoln Center, 415 North 30th Street, Billings, Montana on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

 

The meeting was called to order at 12:05 p.m. by Chair Barbara Bryan.

 

Roll Call

 

Those attending were: Trustees Barb Bryan, Connie Wardell, Lindy Graves; Clerk Leo Hudetz, Superintendent Keith Beeman, Thomas Harper, Kathy Olson, and David Munson.

 

A draft of the agenda for August 16 was presented.

 

Leo Hudetz explained that the Special Board Meeting scheduled for next Monday, August 9th is for the purpose of opening the budget hearings to comply with state law. The meeting will then be continued to the regular meeting on Monday, August 16th. Thomas Harper stated that there will be a copy of the line item budget at the meeting as well as online. The meeting on the 9th is anticipated to last no more than five minutes but is scheduled to meet state requirements. The meeting is in the Billings Gazette as a legal notice. The Board will formally adopt the 2010-2011 budgets at the meeting on August 16th. Budgeting For Results has been involved in the budgeting process.

 

The Chair asked that there be another item listed under budgets for the 2011-12 budgets with a one-page presentation.

 

There will be an update on the bond election. Jeff Weldon, district attorney, has said that informational flyers can be sent email to parents and staff. Mr. Hudetz suggested that someone on the bond committee could do a presentation. Ms. Bryan will ask Bruce MacIntyre to make a presentation at the meeting. The Billings Chamber of Commerce and the Billings Association of Realtors have endorsed the bond levy.

 

Lindy Graves asked about possible delivery of flyers through pizza delivery, etc. He will check on some possibilities for this.

 

The food service contract is available in draft form and will be ready for the meeting on the 9th.

 

There will be second readings on some policies. The first reading was done in July. It had been suggested that the two policies dealing with financial issues go to the BFR Committee for second reading.

 

The Superintendent has asked that the Board consider moving their regular meeting on September 20th to September 27th because of meetings being held at the Wheeler Center in Helena. This year’s meetings are focused on education in the 21st century. He and Board Chair Bryan would like to attend those meetings and feels that other board members may also wish to attend those meetings. Information will be sent in the packet.

 

An item will be presented on committee members serving until December 31, 2010. The policy will have to be suspended to do this. This will exclude the Audit Committee. Malcolm Goodrich, Peter Gesuale and Joyce Weber were the Board members assigned to the Audit Committee. Mr. Gesuale may wish to continue to serve on that committee. Lindy Graves volunteered to serve on that committee as well.

 

The Committee on Committees will look at, among other things, Kathy Aragon’s concern of the broad description of Planning and Development. This will also be discussed at the Board retreat.

 

Ms. Bryan suggested that the information on the bond issue be presented as part of the Legal Report.

 

Mr. Hudetz mentioned that the financial reports will be done on a quarterly basis now as discussed previously. He also mentioned that there is an item on voiding old warrants. This has to do with checks issued which have not been cashed. Dr. Beeman asked if this could be a former employee who died and their heirs had not cashed the check. Mr. Hudetz will make sure this is not the case.

 

Connie Wardell mentioned that at the AA Caucus on Monday, it was decided that each of the AA districts will make a presentation on August 16th in Helena. She will go if necessary but asked if the Chair would like to make the presentation on behalf of SD2. Ms. Bryan and Dr. Beeman will discuss this and make a decision.

 

There will also be another contract for mental health services. Dr. Beeman stated that there will be a curriculum item on the library.

 

Ms. Bryan stated that she would like to have a presentation at each regular meeting on the educational component. Dr. Beeman stated that this Friday, August 6th, the state will release information on AYP. He stated that the first presentation could be about this, the big picture. He stated that we are a program improvement district.

 

Mr. Hudetz mentioned that this will be Trustee Fox’s last meeting. Ms. Bryan will ask Trustee Guthals to do a farewell presentation. Mr. Hudetz also mentioned that there is one person who has turned in an application for this trustee position and two other people have expressed interest. There will be an update on this at the meeting on the 16th as well.

 

There was a discussion of a board retreat. No date has been set but possibly early October so the new trustee can be on board. Mr. Graves expressed an interest in discussing the union contract at the retreat. Ms. Bryan stated that the retreat will be used to discuss priorities for the coming year for the board, superintendent and the staff, communications, and negotiations in general, role of board, committees, purpose. Lance Melton of MTSBA has been asked to facilitate the retreat. We may want more than one day.

 

Mr. Graves asked for information on salaries and would like to get going on the union contract to get an early start. We need to set priorities.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

 

 

 

_________________________________

Barbara Bryan, Chair

 

 

_______________________________

Nancy Coe, Recorder