School Community Committee Meeting - February 12, 2007

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Proceeding of the School/Community Committee Meeting

District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

February 12, 2007

 

 

Call to Order:

A joint meeting of the School/Community Committee and Planning and Development Committee was held at Lincoln Center, 415 N 30th St., Billings Montana on Monday, February 12, 2007. The meeting was called to order by Malcolm Goodrich at 5:30 pm.

 

Members Present:

School/Community Committee: Mary Jo Fox, Jack Copps, Sandi Mammenga, Jim Hartung, Taren Kingser, Sara Spielman, Shane Gibbs, Jan McCandless, Lynn Davis, and Shauna Kerr.

 

Planning and Development Committee: Malcolm Goodrich, Dawn Achten, Sandra Mossman, Kathy Olson, Scott Anderson, Cheryl Malia-McCall, Margaret Aukshun, Jim Berry, Al Bloomer, Kristi Fred, Cindy Gopp, Sara Nyquist, MD., and Alicia Manning.

 

Communication from the Public:

No one addressed the Committees at this time.

 

Neighborhood Schools:

Malcolm Goodrich announced that the Board has had a presentation regarding neighborhood schools by the Planning and Development Committee. Malcolm Goodrich clarified that the neighborhood school concept needs to work its way through the Committee system and he wants the School/Community Committee included. Malcolm Goodrich explained that each Committee will have their own charge regarding neighborhood schools. Malcolm Goodrich read the charge of the School/Community Committee.

 

Sandra Mossman introduced the members that were present from the Planning and Development Committee and welcomed new member Alicia Mannning. Sandra Mossman explained that the Planning and Development Committee receives directions and tasks from the superintendent, administration, and Board to research ideas and come up with suggestions and/or plans. The Planning and Development Committee will present planning recommendations regarding neighborhood schools at the May Board meeting.

 

Mary Jo Fox explained that the Board wants the School/Community Committee to advise the Board on how best to reach our community with ideas regarding what the district is doing and why. Mary Jo Fox suggested it is a big assignment to explore effective ways to communicate this information to our community.

 

Jack Copps, superintendent, suggested that a looming crisis exists in which Billings is neither able to attract or retain young people and families that will allow this community to be viable and vibrant . Jack Copps stated that only nineteen percent of families in Billings have children in school. Jack Copps suggested that the further away the family is from the school, the more disconnected families tend to be from the school and to know their childrens’ needs.

 

Jack Copps answered the question as to why would any community not want neighborhood schools, the simple answer is affordability. Jack Copps noted that Billings has the capacity to afford neighborhood schools. But, there is a group of people that believe schools should be as efficient as they can be, by adding students in a class until it is full. This result is busing students throughout the district and losing the concept of the neighborhood school. Jack Copps presented statistics nationwide that neighborhood schools K-12 produce less student dropout rates.

 

Jack Copps presented figures regarding the debt of the district, mills vs dollars, and school taxes. Jack Copps stated that the elementary school tax went down by eight percent and the high school tax went down by eleven percent.

 

Jack Copps explained that re-opening Beartooth elementary school will create a neighborhood school in the Heights where there has not been one in that location for a long time. This will allow all students, including kindergarten students to go to a neighborhood school instead of being bused all over the city.

 

Kathy Olson, Executive Director/Elementary Education, and Scott Anderson, Executive Director/High School Education gave a presentation of the current practice in Billings Public Schools and the concept design for delivery of Education in the district regarding neighborhood schools.

 

Kathy Olson and Scott Anderson presented a map of Billings School District 2 school attendance boundaries. Kathy Olson explained that the colors on the map represent where students are living, attending elementary and middle school, and which high school they will eventually go to.

 

Kathy Olson and Scott Anderson explained the idea of the feeder school program. Kathy Olson and Scott Anderson referenced the map to show that as Billings grows and changes, the impact to the feeder school program changes due to boundary changes.

 

Kathy Olson noted that when the population in Billings began to spread west and to the outskirts of town, overcrowding began in several schools and geographic school boundaries were all but abandoned. Kathy Olson stated, that as a result of overcrowding, space needed to be created, resulting in our youngest children being bused all over the city.

 

Kathy Olson said that some overcrowding will be eliminated with a successful mill levy. Kathy Olson also noted that with continued growth to Billings, schools could easily become over crowded. Kathy Olson explained if the legislature approves full-day kindergarten there will be an additional 600 students.

 

Kathy Olson reported actual numbers of students who attend elementary schools. Questions as to what the law is regarding student-teacher ratio were asked? Kathy Olson stated that at the elementary level, the student-teacher ratio in kindergarten through grades 2 is 20-1. In grades 3 and 4 the student-teacher ratio is 28-1. In grades 5 and 6 the student-teacher ratio is 30–1. It was suggested using student-teacher ratio numbers might be easier for the public to identify with than the actual numbers of students in a classroom.

 

Jack Copps stated that if full day kindergarten is implemented by the legislature, below the Heights area, existing elementary schools will not be able to accommodate the students without the students being split into different schools. Jack Copps said that a new elementary school in the West end will be needed.

 

Malcolm Goodrich noted that re-opening Beartooth elementary school will only happen if the elementary mill levy passes. Malcolm Goodrich also stated that even without all day kindergarten the elementary budget will still be in the red. Malcolm Goodrich indicated the mill levy is not to secure all day kindergarten, but to get the elementary budget back into the black for current operational status.

 

Jack Copps stated a group of business and education leaders, and parents launched “Yes for Kids”, a task force that is supporting Billings School District 2 school levies today, Februay 12, 2007. Jack Copps will get committee members information regarding the task force and a list of the “bullet point items” recommendations for public education regarding the mill levies. Jack Copps encouraged anyone or any group interested in a presentation by him to call his office to schedule a presentation.

 

The joint committee meeting adjourned at 6:45 pm. Each committee member adjourned to their original meeting locations to discuss topics presented in the joint Neighborhood School agenda item.

 

The School/Community Committee continued discussion regarding Neighborhood schools.

 

Mary Jo Fox suggested that committee members identify items they would like to see on the mill levy. It was suggested that there is still a perception that the district will not use the money for items identified on the mill levy. It was indicated that the district as an organization focus on ways to be positive and informed regarding the mill levy.

 

It was discussed that not only is it important to let parents of school age children know what is happening at schools, but extend information to aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, etc. because of the disproportionate number of families without children that reside in Billings. It is important to talk about economics and how education influences work, productivity, product, and employee-employer relationships for economic development to keep young people in the state.

 

It was suggested that the Career Center be utilized as a four year accredited school. It was also suggested that the public perception of the Career Center reflect that the Career Center is not just for drop outs, but enhances job training for both college bound and non college bound students. It was noted that students are waiting to get into the Career Center.

 

Mary Jo Fox reported that after talking with people in the Heights and speaking with the Heights Task force, it is her belief that people will vote against the mill levy if it meant it would defeat all day kindergarten. It was related that at this point it will also depend on what the legislature proposes with all day kindergarten.

 

Jim Hartung suggested focusing on economic development and the elementary area neighborhood schools. Shauna Kerr stated that not only an elementary school is needed, but a high school is also needed. Sandra Mammenga explained that when addressing the public regarding building a new school to articulate that the actual dollar amount to the community might be significantly less due to the state funding portion. It was noted that it might be helpful to explain to the public differences regarding funding and budget issues. For example, some funds can not be co-mingled, such as building funds, general monies, one time allocations, and federal grants, etc.

 

Some suggestions given by the high school students on the School/Community Committee were: to conduct a public poll to see what the public wants and then focus on one item, create a message board on the district web-site, and provide information regarding the mill levy in the school newspaper. Mary Jo Fox explained that there are certain laws regarding who can promote the mill levy.

 

A high school member noted that high school students were disappointed with the new bleachers that were installed this fall at the football field. It appears the bleachers are bowing and students have been asked not to jump on the bleachers. It was suggested Dave Williams, Director of Activities be notified of the problem.

 

There was discussion that the district focus on attracting and retaining quality teachers.

 

Minutes:

A motion was made by Jim Hartung and seconded by Jan McCandless to approve the November 20, 2007 School/Community Committee minutes. The motion passed unanimously.

 

 

The next scheduled meeting is March 26, 2007. The Committee members will meet in the Board Room located in the Lincoln Center, at 415 N 30th at 6:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

_______________________ _______________________

Mary Jo Fox, Chairperson Brenda Cross, Recorder