Guest sullinss Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Proceedings of the Board of Trustees District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana June 29, 2005 Call to Order The Special 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, June 29, 2005, at 5:30 p.m. Chair Katharin Kelker presided and led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call Trustees and officers present included Katharin Kelker, Dawn Achten, Dale Getz, Karen Moses, Conrad Stroebe, Sandra Mossman, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Mary Jo Fox, and Superintendent Rod Svee. District Clerk Leo Hudetz was absent. Registered guests included Curt Prchal. Also attending were Business Manager Thomas Harper, Human Resources/Federal Programs Director Dan Martin, and Director of Technology Karen Palmer. Announcements Sandra Mossman is working with Jack Copps on arrangements for the July 19, 2005 MQEC meeting with current and former trustees. Mary Jo Fox provided a draft of information for the Gazette regarding the levies. Chair Kelker provided a Strategic Planning draft and asked trustees to review the Strategic directions. 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. No one present wished to address the Board. Elementary and High School Information for August 2, 2005 Levy Election Superintendent Rod Svee presented a list of textbook backup material totaling $556,900. In addition to this is science lab equipment for $120,000. Rod also presented the summary report from the Special Education Review Team. Rod pointed out that in the summary report; the checked items are technology items that total over $400,000 identified within the Special Education plan. These items are part of the needs identified in the levy. No personnel (FTE) are on the list for the levy per administration’s recommendation. The bulk of the $545,000 for the elementary Reading 180 Program and the $80,000 high school Reading Intervention Upgrade items are in the technology items listed. Questions relating to the District’s need for technology related items were answered by Karen Palmer, Director of Technology. Karen stated the mobile computer labs are wireless laptop computers that go into a cart and are pushed between classrooms and are used where we don’t have dedicated classrooms available. Each high school has two stand alone computer labs that are fully occupied; Senior has the newest computers which are four years old and were donated by Adult Education. Old computers support a lot of software and have security issues. Parent Connection software is an add-on to the student information program and allows parents to log-on to access attendance, grades and teacher contact information. No dollars are identified in the budget for computers, but our Technology Plan calls for a four-year refresh cycle of all computers in the District. We rely on one-time funds like Timber dollars. Distance Learning allows us to collaboratively host city-wide classes via video. Library computers would cost $60,000 due to the number of computers required. Libraries need updated computers for check-out and interlibrary loans. Our Technology Plan calls for libraries to have 5 computers in every elementary school, our middle schools to have 8-12 computers and our high schools to have 12-20 computers for research. Our schools do not meet these requirements. Superintendent Svee said $120,000 for science labs was equipment to allow labs to keep up with new science textbook requirements. Lathes at the Career Center are WWI and WWII surplus equipment and replacements would cost $15,000 each. Additional vocational programs would tie education more closely to industry. Karen Palmer advised that Computers on Wheels is a presentation station on a cart that can be moved between rooms. Technology items listed are the bare necessities needed for our District. Karen is developing a rotation schedule to keep technology labs staffed during school hours. Karen asked the Board to prioritize items on the technology list. No dollars are identified for staff development; we have enough staff in each building to use this technology; and, some teachers are identified as tech. mentors and were given a laptop to fill in behind the technicians. Community Seven is committed to videotaping computer tutorials for teacher use. Karen said she has worked with the education directors to be able to handle additional technology responsibilities for the Read 180 implementation. This will be accomplished by implementing the schools in stages and they will bring people in from the company to train the technicians. It will take about one year to implement Read 180 in each school. Superintendent Svee reported the Chemical Vents at Skyview are for safety; there is no ventilation in the chemical storage rooms. Safety equipment listed is for various items like lab eye wash equipment, fire extinguishers, chemical storage, etc. Lab safety is critical to the District. Karen Palmer reported the Phone System item would provide a centralized system for staff, and would provide elementary schools with voice mail. There are currently only four lines into each elementary school. There is no caller identification for security purposes. Superintendent Svee reported on other items in need of repair including the track at West, no partitions in bathrooms at West, summer grounds crew for Facilities, parking lot repairs at West and Senior, and a leaking roof at Crossroads. Superintendent Svee said staff will be involved with the planning and setting of priorities on the project list and it will be brought back to the Board through the Business Committee. Chair Kelker said the Superintendent has given assurance that projects will be done as described on the list to the public, but if there is a logical reason to replace an item on the list, it will come back to the Board for approval. Chair Kelker stated she would call for a straw vote to poll the number of trustees inclined to go to the maximum amount allowed for the levy. If the majority wants to go to the maximum, there is no need to discuss priorities since the list of items exceeds the maximum dollar amount of the levy. The Chair called for a straw vote for the maximum elementary levy: four elementary trustees of seven voted for the maximum elementary levy. The Chair called for a straw vote for the maximum high school levy: seven of nine high school trustees voted for the maximum high school levy. Resolution, Setting the Amount of the Elementry Levy for the August 2, 2005 Election Trustee Fox moved to adopt the resolution declaring that the amount of the elementary levy election to be held on August 2, 2005 shall be $1,039, 329, such amount being approximately 7.38 mills. BILLINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, DISTRICT NO. 2 TRUSTEE RESOLUTION SETTING THE AMOUNT OF THE ELEMENTARY LEVY ELECTION WHEREAS, the trustees of any district shall have the authority under the provision of section 20-20-201, MCA, to call for a school election; WHEREAS, the trustees of this district shall have the authority under the provisions of section 15-10-425 and Title 20 of the Montana Code Annotated to set the amount of a mill levy; WHEREAS, the trustees of this district adopted a resolution on June 23, 2005 calling for an elementary levy election on the 2nd day of August, 2005, as an alternate date allowed by legislative action, for the purpose of voting upon the question of whether or not the trustees shall be authorized to make a levy for the purpose of providing funds to support the general fund for the proper maintenance and operation of the elementary district for the 2005-2006 school year, beginning July 1, 2005: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the trustees of School District No. 2, Yellowstone County declare that the amount of the elementary levy election to be held on August 2, 2005 shall be $1,039,329, such amount being approximately 7.38 mills. Trustee Moses seconded the motion. Dale Getz stated he would vote against this motion because when they decided to have a levy it was based on his understanding that we needed the amount of $400,000 for Read 180 and the current motion more than doubles that amount. Malcolm Goodrich supports the motion because of education needs and would like them prioritized above the facility needs. Karen Moses supports the motion. Mary Jo Fox supports the motion for the full levy amount because when the Legislature decides their funding she does not want to send a message that we don’t need the dollars. Sandra Mossman asked if the levy passes, what it meant in terms of future budgets. Dan Martin explained if enrollment remains the same the dollars will be sustained and we would keep our funding authority; but if enrollment drops, so does our funding authority. Sandra supports the levy. Katharin Kelker supports the levy because of the educational needs. The question was called. Voting in favor of the motion were Dawn Achten, Mary Jo Fox, Malcolm Goodrich, Katharin Kelker, Karen Moses, and Sandra Mossman. Voting against the motion was Dale Getz. High School trustees Joel Guthals and Conrad Stroebe are ineligible to vote on this item. The motion carried. Resolution, Setting the Amount of the High School Levy for the August 2, 2005 Election Trustee Moses moved to adopt the resolution declaring that the amount of the high school levy election to be held on August 2, 2005 shall be $2,429,661, such amount being approximately 13.59 mills. BILLINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, DISTRICT NO. 2 TRUSTEE RESOLUTION SETTING THE AMOUNT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVY ELECTION WHEREAS, the trustees of any district shall have the authority under the provision of section 20-20-201, MCA, to call for a school election; WHEREAS, the trustees of this district shall have the authority under the provisions of section 15-10-425 and Title 20 of the Montana Code Annotated to set the amount of a mill levy; WHEREAS, the trustees of this district adopted a resolution on June 20, 2005 calling for a high school levy election on the 2nd day of August, 2005, as an alternate date allowed by legislative action, for the purpose of voting upon the question of whether or not the trustees shall be authorized to make a levy for the purpose of providing funds to support the general fund for the proper maintenance and operation of the high school district for the 2005-2006 school year, beginning July 1, 2005. The levy shall provide funds for Special Education and High School Dropout Prevention: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the trustees of High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County declare that the amount of the high school levy election to be held on August 2, 2005 shall be $2,429,661, such amount being approximately 13.59 mills. Trustee Goodrich seconded the motion. Voting in favor of the motion were Dawn Achten, Mary Jo Fox, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Katharin Kelker, Karen Moses, Sandra Mossman, and Conrad Stroebe. Voting against the motion was Dale Getz. The motion carried. Contract Support Negotiations Malcolm Goodrich reported he and Conrad Stroebe met twice with members of the Contract Support group. Malcolm said he sensed the Board thought the original proposal of 6% pay increase was too much and the Board supported a maximum $.70 per hour increase. They relayed this to Contract Support and they did agree with that modification. Malcolm said they advised the Board would not agree to longevity because of the cost. Contract support wanted some provisions that would dove-tail with other bargaining units and/or State law which Malcolm thought the Board would find acceptable. Malcolm said the only thing left for discussion they offered to bring back to the Board is a request for five fewer contracted work days. Malcolm noted that initially there was a request for additional Personal Leave days from two to five, but he didn’t believe that would be acceptable. Contract Support then modified that to shorten the contract year for twelve-month positions by five days from 260 day to 255 days. The two ten-month Contract Support would not have their contracts shortened. Superintendent Svee said the BCEA twelve-month employee contract increases ranged from a 5.5%-7.0% increase. The reduced five-day contracts for Administrative Support would change their increases to the range of 5.2%-7.8%. They also added language into the Administrative Support Benefits Booklet agreement that the “Administrative Support employees will continue to be exempt from a union contract until the employee resigns or retires. At that time, the position will be reviewed and a determination made as to the position becoming a part of a union contract.” At that time, it would be an Administrative decision only to bring it to the Board with a Superintendent’s recommendation. Superintendent Svee clarified that the Administrative Support are paid on a salary basis and were originally in those positions because of confidentiality or in negotiations requiring confidentiality between the negotiating group and the union group. State law does not prohibit payment to salaried employees on an hourly basis, for example, on an overtime basis. The financial impact on the budget is about $12,523 elementary and $6,726 in the high school. Trustee Goodrich moved to approve the upcoming contract for the Contract Support personnel as presented for the $.70 per hour increase, 5 fewer contracted work days, and to include approval of the Administrative Support Benefits Booklet. Trustee Fox seconded the motion. Voting in favor of the motion were Dawn Achten, Mary Jo Fox, Dale Getz, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Katharin Kelker, Karen Moses, Sandra Mossman, and Conrad Stroebe. The motion carried unanimously. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:53 p.m. Katharin Kelker, Chair Sherrill Sullins, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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