Special Board Meeting April 8, 2006

[Diane Blevins]

Proceedings of the Board of Trustees

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

April 8, 2006

 

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, April 8, 2006, at 8:30 a.m.

 

Those present included: Trustees Katharin Kelker, Karen Moses, Sandra Mossman, Mary Jo Fox, Dale Getz, Joel Guthals, Conrad Stroebe, Superintendent Rod Svee, and District Clerk Leo Hudetz. Dawn Achten was absent.

 

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. There were no public comments.

 

Employment Contract for George B. “Jack” Copps through June 30, 2006

 

Trustee Mossman reported the Interim Superintendent Committee met and looked at all points of view for proposals for a salary and contract for Jack Copps. The committee is requesting approval to hire Jack Copps as of April 1st, until June 30th, 2006, as the Assistant Superintendent at one-half salaryof the current Superintendent or $5,150.00 per month. The committee felt this proposal was the best way to handle the transition. The committee will bring forward another contract for Mr. Copps as the Interim Superintendent, starting on July 1, 2006, for the regular meeting on April 17th.

 

Trustee Guthals made the following motion with a second by Trustee Mossman:

 

Motion that the Billings Public Schools, namely Billings Elementary School District #2 and Billings High School District #2, enter into a contract as set forth on agenda item C, with Mr. Copps, to act as school administrator as set forth in the contract for a period of April 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006.

 

Those voting in favor were Katharin Kelker, Karen Moses, Sandra Mossman, Mary Jo Fox, Dale Getz, Joel Guthals, and Conrad Stroebe. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Trustee Malcolm Goodrich joined the meeting after this vote.

 

This portion of the meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

 

Budget Work Session

 

The high school budget work session began at 9:00 a.m. The elementary budget work session followed at 100 p.m. Approximately 50 staff members attended these sessions.

 

Anna DeCrane addressed the Board as a parent, grandparent, community member, and a Crow tribe member. She urged the Board to use the funds provided for the purpose of closing the achievement gap, At Risk, and Indian Education for All.

 

Trustee Getz reviewed the handouts for the high school district budget for 2006-2007. Those present broke into seven small groups to discuss ways of addressing the $1,950,889 budget deficit in the high school district. The following gave a brief review of the list compiled for their group: Malcolm Goodrich, Conrad Stroebe, Karen Moses, Joel Guthals, Mary Jo Fox, Danette Cerise, and Karen Palmer. Items listed by the groups included: activities, 4.6 FTE, textbooks, closure of Crossroads, no increase for substitutes, hire an attorney to save money on legal costs, warehouse, use of Flex and MAC funds, and moving a portion of the weatherization funds into the general fund.

 

The participants were given a ballot in order to vote on what expenditures should remain in the fiscal year 2007 budget and which ones should be cut. The participants also recommended what revenue could be used to balance the budget. A summary of these results is attached to these minutes.

 

At 1:00 p.m., a group comprised of Board members and administrators met to discuss the elementary budget for 2006-2007. After a review of the materials by Trustee Getz, the group broke up into six small groups to discuss ways of addressing the $2,192,910 budget deficit in the elementary district. After about an hour of discussion each group gave their recommendations for balancing the budget. The following were spokespersons for their groups: Sandra Mossman, Dan Martin, Curt Prchal, Jack Copps, Karen Moses and Katharin Kelker. Some of the areas considered by the groups included elimination of 9 FTEs at the middle schools, eliminating all activities at the middle schools, and using revenue from Medicaid Administration Claims (MAC), Indirect cost recovery and the Flexibility Fund.

 

Jack Copps told the group that the new funding for addressing the Indian Achievement Gap, Indian Education for All and At Risk Students was intended for very specific purposes by the Governor and Legislature. He stated that any uses of these funds for purposes other than those intended would not be looked at favorably by the State.

 

Pat Gum talked about the importance of saving the activities budget at the middle schools.

 

The participants were given a ballot in order to vote on what expenditures should remain in the fiscal year 2007 budget and which ones should be cut. The participants also recommended what revenue could be used to balance the budget. A summary of these results is attached to these minutes.

 

As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:30 P.M.

 

 

 

Katharin Kelker, Chair

 

 

 

Diane Blevins, Recorder