Diane Blevins Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Proceedings of the Board of Trustees District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana April 23, 2012 CALL TO ORDER The Special Meeting, Planning & Development Committee, and Performance Monitoring/Stakeholder Relations Committee 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, April 23, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. Members present included Trustees Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Allen Halter, Connie Wardell, District Clerk Leo Hudetz, and Superintendent Jack Copps. Administrators present were Kathy Olson, Gail Surwill, Patricia Hubbard, Scott Anderson, and Lewis Anderson. Trustees Stroebe, Smith and Aragon were excused. Registered guests Mary Westwood, Lyn McKinney, Jan Allen, Nina Jackson, Jeff Weldon, Sandy Riegel, and Mike Dilley. MINUTES OF SPECIAL BOARD MEETING, MARCH 26, 2012 Trustee Graves made the following motion with a second by Trustee Halter: Motion to approve the minutes of the Special Board Meeting, March 26, 2012. Those voting in favor of the motion were Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Allen Halter, and Connie Wardell. The motion passed unanimously. PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TEXTBOOK SCHEDULE AND ROTATION Gail Surwill, Assistant Superintendent, gave a presentation on the textbook schedule and rotation. She outlined the process to be used for the next three years. The curriculum teams will work together for up to one and one-half years prior to purchasing materials for content areas. Large purchases are made for student books with teacher supplies being given free. If a small purchase of textbooks is made, teacher supplies are purchased. Professional development will also be required when tests are changed. Common core standard goals for testing will take place for the 11th grade instead of 10th grade. REPORT FROM ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT Mark Wahl, Activities Director, reviewed the budget for activities. Middle school activities budget consists of 4% for bus service, 5% for other services, 12% for salaries, and 79% for coaches stipends for a total of $508,753.68. In high school activities, the budget is $1,569,787.56 which consists of 5% for other services, 7% for in-state travel, 9% salaries, 18% for bussing, and 61% for stipends. Participation has increased by 400 students this year. If cuts were to be made, they would come out of travel. Mr. Wahl stated he could cut 20% next year by traveling less. There is a fee participants pay to play and fundraisers done by booster clubs pay for meals and uniforms. When making cuts, Title IX must be kept in mind. The high schools give $10,000 each to the central activities office which pays for larger items. Trustee Ellis asked if the district could work with the city on for the tennis courts at Skyview. Mr. Wahl stated he serves on the City Parks and Recreation board. Discussions are taking place on repairing the courts at Castle Rock Park which would help the high school teams. Trustee Moen asked why Senior has an intramural director for only five activities. Mr. Wahl replied that the intramural director develops the schedules and takes care of the intramural duties. Trustee Moen asked if the activities coordinator could handle that duty. Mr. Wahl stated that could be done. BUDGET BACKGROUND ON RESERVES, RETIREMENT, AND SEVERANCE Patricia Hubbard, Financial Officer, reviewed the background of the budget for those present from the handout. Reserved cash can be utilized for budget amendments. As of March 31, 2012, the cash balance in the elementary general fund is $2,142,909 and $1,095,099 in the high school. Ms. Hubbard reported the final numbers for retirements will be known at the end of June. Budget amendments might be required based on those figures. She felt the projected amounts for retirements were better calculated this year. If Governor Schweitzer makes a 1% increase in retirement funds, county retirement funds would be impacted with no impact on the general fund. Ms. Hubbard stated she would put the retirement information on the district’s website. PERFORMANCE MONITORING/STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS COMMITTEE WAREHOUSE UPDATE Mike Dilley, Warehouse Coordinator, addressed those present on the warehouse item. He reported that he was not authorized to speak about the purchasing aspect of the district. He stated he received no report to look at, at this point, from the group who conducted a study of the warehouse. Mr. Dilley was not able to speak to the Billings Clinic group who conducted the study of the warehouse. Two years ago, revenue was taken away from the warehouse. Scott Anderson, Business Office, reviewed the report from the study. The warehouse has been in the red since 2006. Adjustments are made to the warehouse fund on June 30th of each year and reversed on July 1st as it is against state statues to have a deficit balance. The warehouse has five people, 3 warehouseman, one coordinator, and one person who works with purchase orders/requisitions. The warehouse also contains the Digital Academy, print shop, materials center, and equipment repair. The print shop has been carrying the warehouse every year. As of March 3, 2012, there is $173,594 in inventory in the warehouse. Mr. Anderson reported there are two options for the board to consider. The first option is to keep things as they are presently. The second option would be to outsource with no more inventory being added . Trustee Wardell asked if a portion of the warehouse could be leased out. Mr. Anderson stated it might be possible but there is a lot yet to be put together. Administrators were tasked to look at the shoring up of the warehouse every year. There are multiple uses and more review is needed. If the warehouse were to be kept, it would be possible to use the three warehousemen and eliminate the two remaining employees which could be absorbed through attrition. Trustee Halter asked what would happen with the current inventory. Ms. Hubbard stated the schools would be given the option to purchase the supplies. Mr. Anderson reported the print shop would be able to purchase new equipment as it has been shoring up the warehouse and it has not been able to purchase new equipment. Trustee Halter stated it was shame on the board for letting the warehouse be in the red for six years. Deana Elder, Billings Classified Employees Association President, asked that administration meet with her group to discuss the problem. This is the first time she had been told of the possible cuts and did not feel it was fair. It should have been a stipulation that all buildings purchase from the warehouse instead of going outside the district the past six years. Mr. Dilley stated there are more than 15 preferred vendors that he works with. If all buildings purchased ink cartridges from the preferred vendor, the warehouse could save $69,000 a year. He asked the board members to get more information before making a decision. Trustee Wardell made the following motion with a second by Trustee Moen: Motion for the committee to approve, and recommend approval to the board, the administration recommendation to outsource office supplies, school supplies, furniture, as well as other relation items to 360 Office Solutions. Further, to authorize the Superintendent to negotiate a standards based multiyear contract with 360 Office Solutions to include the purchase of our stores inventory. Trustee Ellis stated additional information by administrators would be given for the next board meeting for the final board decision. Superintendent Copps stated the warehouse has been running in the red for the past six years and it can be fixed by outsourcing. Some of the overhead could be shifted from the warehouse. The board could see a multi-year contract with outsourcing which would require board approval. Those voting in favor of the motion were Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Allen Halter, and Connie Wardell. The motion passed unanimously. The item will be sent to the full board for further discussion. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Trustee Ellis suggested the board develop a policy to address information electronically as information is not shared with all trustees. She believed it would be less burdensome for administrators and trustees. Jeff Weldon, legal counsel, reported some districts have individual email address for each trustee. The public has the right to see documents and the right to see the working of the entity. But, right of privacy, is also an issue. Another problem is how to respond in a timely fashion to someone from the public wanting to see emails. If a patron sues the district over an open meeting law, the prevailing party could receive lawyer fees. Trustee Ellis felt the district needed to have a policy that is understandable and needed to make information available electronically. Mr. Weldon reported, with no board emails, it would remove the chance to be sued on open meeting laws. Trustee Wardell stated, if information is sent to one council member for the city, it is automatically sent to all council members. Trustee Moen asked Mr. Weldon to put his recommendations together for direction for the board trustees. Trustee Ellis felt the board could adopt the policy used by the Montana School Board Association. Mr. Weldon stated timing and information is under the control of the trustees. Superintendent Copps recommended that any email to a trustee be referred to all trustees. Mr. Weldon recommended that anything pertaining to the business of the board be placed on the district’s website. District Clerk Leo Hudetz will work with Mr. Weldon on the issue. Mary Westwood addressed the board and stated it is placing a lot of responsibility on the public as piles of emails are being sent. The board needs to have a good balance in what it decides to do. Ms. Westwood felt all of the information from tonight’s meeting could have been placed on the website prior to this meeting. She asked the board to give as much information as possible to the public in order to receive their input. The board reached consensus on the issue. As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Greta Besch Moen, Chair Lindy Graves, Chair Diane Blevins, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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