Diane Blevins Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Proceedings of the Board of Trustees District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana December 13, 2010 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, December 13, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. Members present included Trustees Travis Kemp, Kathy Aragon, Joel Guthals, Connie Wardell (via phone at 6:25), Barbara Bryan, Joyce Weber, Lindy Graves, Greta Besch Moen, Teresa Stroebe, District Clerk Leo Hudetz, and Superintendent Keith Beeman. Registered guests included Patty Pinter, Edie Hanson, Julia Pierce, Allen Ostby, Jim Coons, Shea Coons, Billie Paske, Brian Paske, Jennifer Smith, Tiffany Hall, Barb Lasar, Bill Dunham, Clara Dunham, Jeff Dunham, Brenda Dunham, Michael Dunham, Chris Sorli, Jeni Sorli, Kyle Sorli, Bryn Sorli, Larry Disney, Cindy Husby, Eric Disney, and Jeff Weldon. 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. Kevin Nelson addressed the Board regarding the legislative agenda. He urged the Board to take a proactive approach on school funding issues. Mr. Nelson asked the Board to request public opinion before making any decisions. He further reported the City of Billings is making decisions that will impact the District’s revenue scene. The Board needs to ask legislators to allow the Board, by law, to be able to participate in decisions that affect this District. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Trustee Graves made the following motion with a second by Trustee Stroebe: Motion to approve the agenda. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. RECOGNITION AND GIFTS AND DONATIONS Dennis Holmes, Senior High Principal, introduced the following students from the National Merit Scholarship Program: Semifinalists Alice Stears and Julius Ostby, commended student Shea Coons, and outstanding participant Erika Disney. Dave Cobb, West High Principal, introduced the following students from the National Merit Scholarship Program: Semifinalists Krista Bailey, Samuel Copeland, Michael Dunham, Ryan Marcotte, Jeni Sorli, and commended student Ben Gleason. The Board also recognized Krista Bailey as the 2011 U. S. Senate Youth Scholarship Program Winner from West High. Dan Martin, Human Resources Director, introduced the following National Board Certified Teachers: 2009-2010 Joan Brown, Special Education, Student Services; Tiffany Hall, Grade 1, Arrowhead; Theresa Waite, Social Studies, Skyview High; 2010-2011 Margaret Aukshun, Math, West High, Katherine Cordes, English, Senior High; Rodney Gottula, English, Skyview High; and Lawrence McMullen, Science, Senior High. The Board further recognized the following Alternative National Certified Specialists: 2009-2009 Dr.Vicki Burford, Social Worker, West High School; Teresa Hammerquist, Speech Therapist, Orchard; Sallyanne Klatt, Speech Therapist, Boulder; 2009-2010 Lisa Lopez, Social Worker, Boulder; and Billie Paske, Social Worker, Riverside. Trustee Aragon made the following motion with a second by Trustee Guthals: Motion to accept the gifts and donations with gratitude. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. The following are the gifts and donations: Arrowhead -- Qwest Big Sky -- PTA Boulder -- Michelle Stockton Broadwater -- Dotty Lowman, Newcomers Club of Billings Eagle Cliffs -- Mr. and Mrs. Guenthner McKinley -- Karolyn Smith Joanne Weyman Marsha Hotchkill Miles Avenue -- PEO Newman -- CTA Architects and Engineers Claudean Chappel Stockman Bank Echo Jamieson and Forever Families Karen and Scott Bloomenrader First Student Bus Drivers and Assistants Ponderosa -- Faith Chapel Billings West Rotary St. Thomas Church Sam’s Club Washington -- Junior Women’s Club Mr. and Mrs. Lowman, Newcomers Club of Billings Poly Drive PTA Lewis & Clark -- Anonymous Will James -- William and Susan Cunningham Myra Dyk Faith Chapel Megan Swanson Myrle Theimer Karen Dooley Darren and Tammy Holmes Eddie Bayne Memorial Fund Lois Urion Tom and Kim Hauptman ACCEPTANCE OF COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT Marcy Mutch, Audit Committee Chair, presented awards to the Board: the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Association of School Business Officials International and the Certification of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Ms. Mutch further reported Jack Eagle would be resigning from the Audit Committee this year. Kim Higgins, Eide Bailly in Denver, presented the audit report to the Board via phone. Ms. Higgins reported Eide Bailly gave an unqualified or a clean opinion. The accountants found the District’s personnel used professional standards for their accounting. There were minor findings in two extracurricular accounts. The overall opinion is a clean one on major programs. Eleven programs were audited and found to be clean. The issues with the extracurricular accounts were addressed in the internal control report. Trustee Guthals suggested the Board take time to review the report before the next meeting and develop a methodology for the comments that have been made for corrective measures. Kim Higgins reported the report must be filed before December 31, 2010. Ms. Mutch stated she spoke to the District’s management and procedures have been implemented for corrective measures. Trustee Bryan asked the members to review the report and it would be on the January meeting agenda. Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Aragon: Motion to accept the Comprehensive Annual Financial report FY2010 and approval submittal to the state. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. BOND RESOLUTIONS AND BOND FINANCIAL PROCEDURE Bridget Ekstrom, D. A. Davidson, reported a tax credit interest rate of 5.4% which was locked into on December 2nd. There is no interest rate charge to the District. It is the desire to offer these bonds for a period of sixteen years which will lower the cost to the taxpayers. Five different local banks participated in the bond sale. Superintendent Beeman stated the next step is to put together a plan for the public as to what projects will begin first. Trustee Aragon made the following motion with a second by Trustee Weber: Motion to approve the resolution as presented in the Board agenda packet starting on page 11, relating to $2,420,000 Qualified School Construction Bonds (elementary only). Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Connie Wardell, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. Trustees Guthals and Stroebe are ineligible to vote on elementary issues. Trustee Aragon made the following motion with a second by Trustee Weber: Motion to approve the resolution as presented in the Board agenda packet starting on page 26, relating to $2,000,000 Qualified Zone Academy Bonds. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Connie Wardell, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. Trustees Guthals and Stroebe are ineligible to vote on elementary issues. Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Stroebe: Motion to approve the resolution as presented in the Board agenda packet starting on page 45, relating to $7,580,000 High School Qualified School Construction Bonds. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Connie Wardell, Teresa Stroebe, Joel Guthals, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Aragon: Motion to approve the Bonds Financial Procedure 7000-P1 as set forth on page 60 of the agenda which addresses tax credit bonds as well as investments and record management. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Connie Wardell, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. ENERGY EDUCATION PRESENTATION Rich Whitney, Facilities Director, reported there are low-energy star savings to be gained and this District is the only district in the state to receive the energy star savings. Twenty-eight of the thirty-one district schools have qualified for the savings. Lew Anderson, Energy Savings Manager, reviewed the energy usage comparison from 1993 to 2010. The goal for 2010-2011 is to save $599,500 in utilities for the District. Ed Graf, Energy Education Inc., stated the energy savings program is people based. He thanked the staff for getting on board with the program. He presented the Board with the Environmental Energy Award and commended the District for being financially and environmentally aware. BUDGET DISCUSSION 2011-2012 Superintendent Beeman reported the Governor’s proposed budget does no harm to this District but does not help the District either as the financial picture is still very uncertain. The beginning of the process began with the Governor submitting his proposed budget. The legislative session is set to begin on January 3, 2011. Dr. Beeman reviewed the various proponents of the budget as shown in the agenda packet. Trustee Weber asked how deferred maintenance was being addressed. Dr. Beeman reported administration has discussed what should be set aside for dollars for deferred maintenance. The assumption was that dollars will be budgeted into the deferred maintenance account. Trustee Aragon asked what the amount would be for reserves. Thomas Harper, Chief Financial Officer, stated 5% is the medium range for reserves and the tax bond rating of AA- received from Standards and Poor reflects the District’s reserves level. Dr. Beeman reported COLT (Central Office Leadership Team) has begun their work on the budget and is pulling together information that the Board will need. Chair Bryan stated the Board work sessions will occur in January, February, and March to discuss budget issues. LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS Trustee Besch Moen reported the Legislative Ad Hoc Committee has been meeting and is comprised of Trustees Besch Moen, Stroebe, Aragon, and Wardell. District Clerk Leo Hudetz and Legal Counsel Jeff Weldon also attend the meetings. The December 10th meeting at the Career Center was attended by Legislators Moss, Branae, Essman, McDonald, and Moss. There was a AA caucus meeting this afternoon. The Senate Education Committee is comprised of 5 of 10 members from the larger school districts. Six members on the House Education Committee are from larger school districts. Ms. Besch Moen reported the Legislative Ad Hoc Committee has endorsed two issues: 1) legislation regarding administrative staff assignments; and, 2) legislation regarding use of the district transportation fund. Jeff Weldon reviewed the two issues for those present. His draft language is included in the agenda packet. The current language states tenured administrators earn the same salary as the previous year when moved back into the classroom. The new language addresses, if an administrator is transferred back into the classroom, the salary would decrease. The language in the current transportation fund statute is limited. The concept is to include flexibility for districts with transportation funds with a few items such as paying parents for individual travel, school busses or purchasing bus passes for students. Mr. Weldon stated he would also like to add into the transportation fund language the suggestion by Trustee Guthals to include capital improvements. If the Board decides to move forward with these issues, the sponsor will take it forward to the submittal phase, changes will be made, and the final draft will then be submitted. Trustee Guthals suggested language changes in 20-10-121(3)b to include the suggestions for modes of travel to school and change the term “walking school bus program” as it may mean something different in the future. Trustee Guthals requested that additional language be added to include capital improvement and infrastructure investments. He wanted to make the language such that the school districts are given the maximum discretion. Trustee Guthals’ suggestion is to change the language in the transportation fund statute, MCA 20-10-143(3)d, to include capital improvements, infrastructure investments and expenditures to improve the availability, safety, cost effectiveness, and efficiency of student travel to and from school or to extracurricular school activities and out of school activities. Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Weber: Motion to support the legislative committee’s recommendations regarding tenured administrators and the transportation fund and authorize the Ad Hoc Committee for the 2011 Legislative Session to find sponsors for the draft legislation. Those voting in favor of the motion were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, Connie Wardell, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. Trustee Stroebe stated she received emails on the Montana School Boards Association’s responses to the superintendents’ viewpoint on the proposed Governor’s budget. She will send these emails to the Board as it pertains to Dr. Beeman’s presentation on the budget. Trustee Guthals stated the State must decide how much should go toward funding public education and let the districts figure out how to fund their programs. Trustee Graves felt the Governor is trying to divide and conquer the school districts with his proposed budget when the issue is oil and gas dollars. He recommended waiting and seeing what the legislators decide before endorsing any proposed budget. It was the consensus of the Board that it did not want to have any budget be a detriment for rural districts but wanted what is good for the State as a whole. SUPERINTENDENT’S EVALUATION Trustee Aragon reported she and Chair Bryan are compiling an evaluation and will have them out to the Board. A final evaluation will be sent to the Board soon and the process will be on the January Board agenda. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT Dr. Beeman reported Stan Barr and his staff at the Career Center were excellent representatives for the legislators last Friday. The culinary staff prepared an exceptional luncheon. Dr. Beeman stated he has attended numerous musical programs that are currently taking place in our school and urged members of the Board and public to partake of the programs. Administrators from the elementary and secondary curriculum departments are working with the Salvation Army to provide various programs including school gardens. The Salvation Army will fund these programs at some of our selected schools. Information will be available in the near future. Dr. Beeman stated he has attended a meeting as a District advocate for the committee working on the Tax Increment Districts. More meetings will be held where the public will be able to give their input. Superintendent Beeman reported he would be meeting with various people regarding Exxon as to their intent and for the possible tax protest for 2011. This District stands to lose approximately $950,000. Dr. Beeman thanked the Board, the staff, students, and the public for their support of the District. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE REPORT Trustee Aragon reported the committee’s report is on the District’s website and public comment is still being received. She is currently adding further information to the report. CONSENT AGENDA Trustee Guthals 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. Those voting in favor of the motion were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Barbara Bryan, Lindy Graves, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, Connie Wardell, and Joyce Weber. The motion passed unanimously. Items contained in the Consent Agenda are as follows: Monthly Legal Report Personnel Report Bills Paid – November 2010 Financial Reports – November 2010 (Unaudited) Regular Board Meeting Minutes, November 15, 2010 Special Board Meeting Minutes (Retreat), November 18, 2010 Audit Committee Meeting Minutes, November 12, 2010 1401-P1Copy and Research Fees Procedure As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. \ Barbara Bryan, Chair Diane Blevins, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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