Legislative Committee Meeting - November 7, 2011

[curnowc]

Proceedings of the Board of Trustees

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

CALL TO ORDER

The Legislative Sub-Committee 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, November 7, 2011.

 

Members present included Trustees Teresa Stroebe, Connie Wardell, Pam Ellis, Greta Besch Moen and guest Jodi Schreiber.

 

Schools participating in this VisionNet meeting were Bozeman, Helena, Great Falls, Missoula and Kalispell. MTSBA staff in attendance was Bob Vogel, Director of Governmental Relations and Steve Meloy, Grassroots Advocacy Specialist.

 

Joe Cohenour began with agenda item # 1 and described his role as chair. He indicated that the

AA bylaws and the MTSBA bylaws were not aligned in that the MTSBA bylaws indicated that a

Chair and Vice‐Chair would preside over meetings and the AA Bylaws spoke to facilitators to

rotate among AA Caucus members to conduct the meetings. Steve pointed out that he had

discussed this incongruity with staff counsel and said that a side by side comparison and

subsequent alignment would be drafted for the group by the December 5th meeting. Joe also

requested a little more time to get agendas out in advance to a time not to exceed the

Wednesday prior. There was also discussion regarding the dues language in the bylaws and it

was determined that the language is fine but that we should create a proposed plan, budget

and timeline for the collection, amount and utilization. Joe, Bob and Steve will meet

(November 10th) prior to next meeting and prepare a proposed draft.

 

Item 3 centered on a summary of MCEL. Steve reported that the AA’s, IE’s and the A’s have

identified a constant monthly meeting date and the B’s and C’s will visit the issue following

their November 17th presentation to the Interim Committee on Education and Local

Government. Joe and Steve shared a few impressions of all the caucus meetings and indicated

that all wanted to come to the next legislative session not asking for more money but to be in a

position to explain the real need and challenges in all sized districts. Caucus meetings for other

caucuses present more of a challenge because of numbers. Each of the other Caucuses has

defined leaders who will meet regularly and we will look for other (electronic) means to

communicate with the entire Caucus memberships.

A draft of Resolution #1 was distributed noting the changes to the document as a result of

action by the MCEL delegate assembly. A question was asked if the process contemplated

involving parent input. Bob pointed out that 1(d) to incorporate a broader set of stakeholders

will certainly invite in parents and parent groups to the collective work of the Multi‐disciplinary

group. He also portrayed the whole work as a “work in progress” as the legislature has the

2017 deadline for revisiting the definition of quality and subsequent appropriate funding.

 

Bob then extended another invitation to AA Trustees and Superintendents and Clerks to be

nominees for the multi‐disciplinary panel pools from which the MTSBA External Relations

Committee can choose. Teresa Stroebe was added to the existing list of nominees. Bob

explained that the External Relations Committee will consider expertise and state‐wide balance.

Bob extended a big thank‐you to Bozeman, Missoula and Great Falls for the fine presentation

they made at MCEL on “Big Issues document” for the AA districts. Bob and Steve will work with the AA Superintendents to refine the document in terms of commonalities, differences and

standardization to prepare it for utilization by the Multi‐disciplinary group. We want to make

sure that each district has the verbiage they are comfortable in the working document going

forward.

 

In summary, Staff will work with MTSBA legal to prepare a draft of amended bylaws for

consideration in December. Also, Joe and staff will work to prepare a plan, proposed dues, use

of dues and a budget in consort with the bylaws.

 

Everyone was asked to keep the challenge and desire of increasing trustee attendance in mind

as we continue to meet.

 

Kirk announced a forthcoming meeting of the AA Superintendents.

 

With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 1:00PM.

 

As there was not a quorum, the minutes would be approved at a future meeting.

 

Next meeting December 5, 2011.

 

 

 

 

_________________________________

Connie Wardell, Chair

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Cindy Curnow. Recorder