Agenda Setting Meeting - September 6, 2005

[coen]

Proceedings of the Board of Trustees

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

September 6, 2005

 

Call to Order

 

The Agenda Setting Meeting of the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Yellowstone County, Montana, and the High School District, Yellowstone County, Montana was duly held at The Lincoln Center, 415 North 30th Street, Billings, Montana, September 6, 2005 at 12:00 p.m.

 

Chair Katharin Kelker presided.

 

Roll Call

 

Those attending were: Katharin Kelker, Superintendent Rod Svee, Kathy Olson, Carol Wicker, Thomas Harper, Karen Moses, Jeff Weldon, Dan Martin, Sandra Mossman, Leo Hudetz, Shaun Harrington, Nancy Korizek-Hines. Conrad Stroebe entered the meeting at 12:15, and Malcolm Goodrich arrived at 12:20. Mary Jo Fox entered the meeting at 12:55.

 

The budget consultant will be here on September 12, leaving on the 13th. He wants to interview all Board members by telephone. He will attend the Business Committee meeting. Recommendations will be ready for the Board meeting.

 

Kathy Olson presented information on elementary overcrowding. She stated that Eagle Cliffs is over capacity, and on the west end the new subdivisions will be bussed to Central Heights, Lewis and Clark and Senior High. In many of those subdivisions there are no houses yet; this information is being sent to the realtors for planning purposes. Karen Moses asked if boundaries should be redone. Kathy Kelker commented that these decisions could be made at the administrative level, and to change boundaries would not be helpful. The issue of kindergartens being moved to different locations needs conversation at the Board level and with parents.

 

The big issue on the west end is high school. Rod Svee stated that there is no money for operating expenses for opening another school. Mrs. Olson said that it would cost $1.8 million to reopen Beartooth Elementary. Conrad Stroebe would like Leo Hudetz and Thomas Harper to review this estimate since the savings on closing a school was $200,000, not $1.8 million. Kathy Olson explained that the $1.8 million included hiring all new staff, new library, etc. and the savings was only the cost of the building since the staff were reassigned to other buildings. Leo and Thomas will review the numbers. Rod Svee reiterated that there is no flexibility in the elementary budget for opening a school regardless of what the cost. Kathy Olson and Carol Wicker will prepare an informational item regarding boundaries and attendance areas for the Board meeting, and information will be sent to realtors on school assignments for the new subdivisions.

 

Kathy Kelker reported that the Opie hearing has been concluded and a recommendation will be made to the Board for acceptance.

 

Regarding elementary building projects, Sandy Mossman reported that district staff is doing a lot of the work of the contractors at the building projects, at least at Ponderosa. The Board will receive an update at the regular meeting.

 

Interviews will be done this week for the high school cost feasibility study. Rod Svee stated that the scope of the study needs to be established and the questions need to be narrowed down. Dave Williams, Rich Whitney, Matt Brosovich and Randy Hafer as well as Dale Getz are on the interview committee. They will interview four firms via telephone. Conrad Stroebe questioned how much involvement an educational consultant would have in the process, and believes the Board should consider hiring an educational consultant.

 

Kathy Kelker stated that a session needs to be set up for the Board to review scenarios for the planning task force on high school renovation and capacity. She is proposing either a half-day session on Saturday, November 19, or evening on November 27.

 

Variations in avenues to high school diplomas will go to the Education Committee in November and to the Board in January.

 

A special meeting will be held on September 26 at 5:30 for Board training and employee training on negotiations.

 

The Ad Hoc Committee on Building Ownership will make a recommendation to the Board on Grand Avenue School. The agenda item regarding the Grand Avenue School was tabled in August and will be presented again to the Board exactly as before.

 

Dave Williams will give an update on Daylis Stadium.

 

There will be a brief special meeting on Monday, September 12 at 5:15 to take action on replacing Malcolm Goodrich as the MTSBA representative.

 

Leo Hudetz and Conrad Stroebe will visit the next Senior High Parent Advisory Council meeting to review the findings of the Senior high population study/boundaries.

 

Business Committee will primarily be concerned with the budget consultant.

 

The Education Committee will hear a follow up on the drop out and special education reports. They will receive an update on Smaller Learning Communities grant, what the goals were and the progress made to date.

 

School/Community Committee will hear reports from four schools. They will also hear an update on the communication plan.

 

The Billings Gazette will be notified about openings for community members on each of the committees.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m.

 

 

 

_________________________________

Katharin Kelker, Chair

 

 

 

_______________________________

Nancy Coe, Recorder