Ad Hoc Committee for Strategic Planning - May 24, 2011

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Proceedings of the Ad Hoc Committee for Strategic Planning

School District No. 2. Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

May 24, 2011

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

Chair Barbara Bryan called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 24, 2011, in Room 216 of the Lincoln Center. Ad Hoc Committee members in attendance were Trustees Barbara Bryan and Kathy Aragon. Also in attendance were Superintendent, R. Keith Beeman, Ph. D., and Jeff Greenfield, BEA President.

 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC

 

No communication from the public.

 

FIELD NAIR VIA WEBEX-TM

 

Prakash Nair and the Committee discussed a proposed contract for developing the 21st century vision and scope of work for the Billings Public Schools comprehensive facilities planning process.

 

Mr. Nair presented by WebEx a proposed list of visioning activities, to include a best practice workshop, focus groups, technology workshop, and other activities. The complete draft proposal is attached.

 

Committee members asked a variety of questions about the proposal. Based on the ensuing discussion, the Committee and Mr. Nair agreed upon the following:

 

▪ To add a focus group for community and business leaders.

 

▪ That the teacher survey will consist of teacher ranking of 30

different learning/teaching strategies and their usefulness

to teachers.

 

▪ To add a teacher focus group.

 

▪ Pilot projects are smaller-scope projects used to demonstrate

various design concepts. They can be done less expensively

than renovating a complete building and allow communities

to see 21st century design in place before committing to

major capital spending. They also help build support for

capital projects by allowing teachers, parents, and students

to see and experience a 21st century learning environment.

 

▪ The Committee will take the Fielding Nair proposal (with any

subsequent revisions) to the board for approval at the June

Board meeting.

 

Additional discussion focused on handouts provided by Fielding Nair on how visioning

fits into the facilities master planning process and what additional contracts might be

needed to complete the master planning. There was also discussion as to whether it would be feasible to start the visioning process in summer 2011 rather than waiting until fall; Trustee Aragon spoke in favor of this option, but no consensus was reached.

 

Mr. Nair indicated that he would send the name and phone number of a financing consultant (Mr. Rick Murray) to Superintendent Beeman. He suggested that the superintendent may wish to call this individual to see if we might be interested in the services of Mr. Murray’s company to investigate financing options for future capital projects.

 

Mr. Nair will revise the proposal based on the discussion at the meeting and re-send it for Committee review.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business Trustee Bryan adjourned the meeting.

 

 

 

Barbara Bryan; Chair, Ad Hoc Committee for 2011 Strategic Planning

 

 

 

 

Brenda Cross, Recorder