Business Committee Meeting - May 16, 2006

[Guest sullinss]

Proceedings of the Business Committee

School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

May 16, 2006

 

Call to Order

 

The Regular Meeting of the Business Committee of School District No. 2, Yellowstone County and High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County, Montana met at Lincoln Center, 415 North 30th Street, Billings, Montana, on Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Acting Chair Katharin Kelker called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. and led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance. Committee members present were Katharin Kelker, Jerry Hansen, Kari Altenburg, Jerome Chvilicek, Jerry Hansen, Tim Cranston, and Shanna Henry. Absent were members K. Dale Getz, Curt Prchal, Peter Grass, Joan Sleeth, and Joel Guthals. Also present were Dan and Patti Vierthaler, Mike Dilley, Nancy Story, Pat Bellinghausen, Bob Whalen, Thomas Harper, and Rich Whitney.

 

Business Committee High School Representative

 

Business Committee High School Representative Randy Durr will be the new Superintendent at Fromberg and has been asked to begin attending their Board meetings. They occur on the same evening as our Business Committee meetings. Senior High Principal Scott Anderson is willing to serve in the capacity of Business Committee High School Representative.

 

Jerry Hansen moved to recommend the Board appoint Senior High Principal Scott Anderson as the High School Representative member of the Business Committee. Tim Cranston seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

 

Consent Agenda

 

Jerry Hansen requested the Addition of Skyview Star Observatory ECA Account be separated from the Consent Agenda.

 

Tim Cranston moved to recommend Board approval of Consent Agenda items as follows:

• Sub-Committee Minutes of April 04, 2006

• Regular Business Committee Minutes of April 10, 2006

• Addition of Trust Accounts for BPEF 2006 Classroom Grant Recipients

Scott Anderson seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

 

Addition of Skyview Star Observatory ECA Account

 

Board approval is required to set up a new extracurricular account. Principal Whalen is requesting a Skyview Star Observatory ECA account be set up at Skyview High. The Rotary Club built the observatory about 5 years ago with the idea it would be temporarily housed at Newman Elementary and then moved to Amend Park. They did not want it and asked the District to take ownership at no purchase cost. Amend park Development Council and the Rotary Club of Billings donated $4401.87 in November, 2004, to offset relocation and operational costs. This agenda item is also a request to transfer these funds to an ECA account for upgrade, maintenance and repair of this equipment.

 

Jerry Hansen objected to transferring Building Fund money to a trust fund, stating state law says it can only be transferred to the Debt Service Fund. Jerry questions why it was originally deposited to the Building Fund and not a miscellaneous trust account. He does not believe it belongs in an extracurricular fund.

 

This item was tabled to the next meeting and Thomas Harper will research these questions.

 

Skyview Surveillance System – 2006

 

A bid was let for the Skyview Surveillance System-2006 and opened on May 2, 2006 with results as follows:

 

Contractor Bid Alt.#1 Total Bid

Johnson Controls 178,597 25,907 205,504

Metro Electric 235,000 39,000 274,000

Yellowtone Electric 232,125 43,162 275,287

 

Facility Services recommends the project be awarded to low bidder Johnson Controls. Funding would come from the Building Reserve (dollars left from the original Skyview bonds).

 

Dan Vierthaler and Pat Bellinghausen addressed the Committee asking them to urge Board approval of this system to promote student safety, prevent vandalism, thefts, deter drug trafficking, and reduce administrator time monitoring these issues. Skyview is the only high school without a surveillance system.

 

Principal Scott Anderson related how the security system reduced thefts at Senior High by 80%. Other Committee members spoke to the need of having a standard plan and a budget plan for security at all of the high schools. Rich Whitney is incorporating all high schools as a whole in the long term plan for maintenance and development. Jerry believes since the levy failed we can’t spend dollars on the security system when we need it to repair buildings.

 

Scott Anderson moved to recommend the Board accept the bids for surveillance at Skyview and award the bid for the Skyview surveillance System-2006 to the low bidder Johnson Controls for $205,504. Jerome Chvilicek seconded the motion. Voting in favor of the motion were Katharin Kelker, Jerome Chvilicek, Kari Altenburg, Shanna Henry and Scott Anderson. Voting against the motion were Jerry Hansen and Tim Cranston. The motion carried.

 

Request Summer Custodial FTE for Boys & Girls Club at Castle Rock

 

The Boys & Girls Club has an agreement with our District to provide after school services at Castle Rock during the school year and all day during the summer when school is not in session through August 1, 2006. Per the agreement, the Boys & Girls Club has already paid the District $2,000 for additional janitorial services and reasonable repair and maintenance of the facilities used by the Club. These funds are available for use.

 

Principal Randy Morrison is requesting permission to hire one person for 3.5 hrs. per day for 10 weeks (June 5 through August 4, 2006) for additional custodial duties. The $2,000 will cover this cost plus needed supplies.

 

Tim Cranston moved to recommend the Board approve hiring summer custodial FTE for 3.5 hrs. per day from June 5 through August 4, 2006 for additional custodial duties incurred by the Boys & Girls Club at Castle Rock. Scott Anderson seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

 

Elementary Indian Education for All FTE

 

This item was removed from the agenda.

 

Secondary Indian Education for All FTE

 

This item was removed fro the agenda.

 

Temporary Summer Help – Support Services/Materiel Center

 

Support Services/Materiel Center is requesting to hire four temporary summer help: two lunch drivers for the Summer Food Program to be reimbursed by Sodexho; and, two warehousemen to fill the new fiscal year school orders paid from the enterprise fund 282. These positions are currently in the budget.

 

Jerry Hansen moved to recommend the Board hire four temporary summer help for Support Services/Materiel Center. Shanna Henry seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

 

 

 

Facility Services Temporary Summer Help – 2006

 

Facilities Services recommends the District hire temporary summer help within the current Board approved budget to complete work in a timely manner to support current District programs and projects including: 1) move District property from old structure at Orchard before demolition; 2) move District property for Special Ed. Summer Program; 3) move teachers and Arrowhead & Eagle Cliffs Kindergarten classrooms: and, 4) install PTA purchased playground equipment at Big Sky and Rose Park. The budget allows about $8200 Elementary and $4000 High School General Fund expenditures for these items.

 

Jerry Hansen moved to recommend Board approval to hire Facility Services temporary summer help as outlined by Rich Whitney in the agenda item. Jerome Chvilicek seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

 

Free Summer Credit Recovery Program

 

Scott Anderson and Nancy Story explained that last year Senior High did a pilot summer school project through the Smaller Learning Community Grant for 9th graders to meet sophomore status in the fall. 44 students recovered 63 credits at an overall cost of $12K. SLC grant dollars cannot be used in the future for this program. This year the proposed program would be housed at Senior High and offered to all 9th graders in the District. The Nova Net computer system will be the vehicle to deliver the curriculum of English, Earth Science and PE/Health. The teacher/student ratio would be 1/20. The estimated cost would be $16K funded from At Risk dollars.

 

Thomas said the total At Risk revenue amount is $64K. Shanna is concerned there is not enough At Risk funding for this request and the request for the Cafés’ Remediation Program. Scott assured they could make both these programs work with that funded amount.

 

Shanna Henry moved to recommend Board approval of the Free Summer Credit Recovery Program as presented. Kari Altenburg seconded the motion. Jerry believes we only have $57K because we should set aside 5-10% for reserves. Several members assured that this was “At Risk” dollars and could not be used for reserves.

 

Tim Cranston introduced a substitute motion to recommend the Board approve $13,398.80 (95% of $14,104) of At Risk dollars for the Free Summer Credit Recovery Program. The substitute motion died due to lack of a second.

 

The Committee voted unanimously in favor of the original motion.

 

Bear Café, Bronc Café and Wings Café Remediation Program

 

Each high school has a remediation program designed to help students bring failing grades up by working over their lunch time and getting the necessary tutoring to help them complete their assignments. The Small Learning Communities grant money can no longer be used for this remediation strategy. The estimated cost of this program is $54K ($18K/year per high school) to be funded from the At Risk dollars.

Students are referred by teachers and this program is open to all grades. Teachers are paid a curriculum rate since they volunteer their lunch time so it doesn’t interfere with the Master Contract.

 

Jerry Hansen moved to recommend the Board approve $50K of At Risk money for the Café Programs for fiscal year 2007 with the Board considering it in their budget process. Jerome Chvilicek seconded the motion.

 

Tim Cranston introduced a substitute motion to recommend the Board approve $46,900 of At Risk dollars for the Café Programs with the other 5% to be put into reserves. The Committee established that this money is At Risk and if it was reserved it would not be General Fund Reserves it would be restricted reserves. Tim withdrew his substitute motion.

 

The Committee voted unanimously in favor of the original motion.

 

 

 

 

Tuition Rates 2006-2007 School Year

 

Administration recommends approval of the maximum allowable tuition rates FY 2006-07 to be $445.60 for Pre-K and Kindergarten, $891.20 per K-6 elementary student, and $1140.80 per student grades 7-12 for non-resident students.

 

Shanna Henry moved to recommend Board approval of the tuition rates as outlined in the agenda for the 2006-07 year. Scott Anderson seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

 

Katharin Kelker was excused from the meeting at 5:21 p.m. to attend the Board meeting.

 

Health Insurance – Financial Statements – March, 2006

 

The Balance Sheet and Statement of Revenue & Expenditures for March, 2006 is prepared by the Business Office and is presented to the Committee for review. The Insurance Fund is continuing to perform well.

 

Bills Paid – April, 2006 (summary sheet)

 

The April bills were approved by the trustees at their Regular Board Meeting on May 15, 2006. Jerry wants to see an allocation of the 115 Fund, and what was spent for utilities in the Flexibility Fund. Jerry prefers all of the Flex funds be spent on utilities so the Budget Amendment does not have to be so large.

 

Financial Reports – April, 2006 (Unaudited)

 

The April Financial Reports were presented to the trustees at their Regular Board Meeting on May 15, 2006. The Committee reviewed the April Financial Reports.

 

 

Business Office/Technology News

 

The 2nd quarter Business Office/Technology Newsletter was presented for information only.

 

Grant Applications

 

Various grant abstracts were presented for information only.

 

General Comments/Announcements

 

Discussion was held on the budget shortfall and the Business Committee’s involvement. Some members were frustrated with the process, but saw the Budgeting for Results as a positive process for the following year. Tim is concerned not enough is being done to rebuild reserves and not enough is budgeted for severance, and believes the Business Committee should be making recommendations on these items. Shanna said the Committee was charged with providing options and included building reserves as part of the options. The Committee presented these options and there was discussion at the Board workstudy. Thomas agreed the budget sessions produced two goals: 1) balance the budget; and, 2) cuts needed to replenish reserves to certain levels.

 

Adjournment

 

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 5:37 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Katharin Kelker, Acting Chair

 

 

 

Sherrill Sullins, Recorder