Marta McAllister Posted October 12, 2007 Report Share Posted October 12, 2007 Proceedings of the Planning and Development Committee School District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana September 10, 2007 The Planning and Development Committee Meeting 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, Monday, September 10, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. Members present- Committee Chair Sandra Mossman; Kathy Olson, Executive Director of Elementary Education; Scott Anderson, Executive Director of Secondary Education; Trustee Tim Trafford; Trustee Kathleen Aragon, Cheryl Malia-McCall, Trustee Dawn Achten, Margaret Aukshun, Sara Nyquist, and Trustee Peter Gersuale. Superintendent Jack Copps also attended. Call to Order Communication from the Public - There were no comments from the public. Chair Mossman opened the meeting while awaiting the arrival of the Lockwood Steering Committee. She informed the committee they would be recruiting people in the community who would be interested in strategic planning. Five members have returned from last year. The members will be looking at where the district is heading in the next five years. There will be an urgent matter the committee needs to address that is coming up quickly. They will put out a request for proposal (RFP), a consultant that will help guide the district through the strategic process. She would like the committee to decide whether to take the action to the Board or not. Approval for Planning and Development Committee Meeting Minutes April 9, 2007- Trustee Aragon moved to approve the motion for approval of the minutes and Trustee Achten seconded the motion. The motion was unanimous. All voting in favor were: Committee Chair Sandra Mossman, Kathy Olson, Executive Director of Elementary Education, Scott Anderson, Executive Director of Secondary Education, Trustee Kathleen Aragon, Cheryl Malia- McCall, Trustee Dawn Achten, Margaret Aukshun, Sara Nyquist, and Trustee Peter Gersuale Trustee Gersuale questioned if there was going to be a representative from the Chambers Education Committee sitting on the Planning and Development Committee. Chair Mossman said her understanding was that at the present time, the School Community Committee does not exist and some of the members from that committee would sit on the Planning and Development Committee. She was unclear of any other members but said Trustee Goodrich could clarify this information when he arrived. Chair Mossman stated the committee spent last year on preparation and research. This year the committee would be taking action after review of the past research and any new information brought forward. After the research was complete, the committee would take the action to the Board to proceed or not. She said the committee would need to be acquainted with what is happening in the schools. She noted the Board would be aware of the committee’s deliberation. Kathy Olson went over data information of the schools for 2006. There will be updated information for the next meeting. Kathy Olson said the most up-to-date enrollments for the year would be in by the end of October. She explained the data for Beartooth Elementary and Rimrock Elementary were current. The boundaries for the schools in the heights have changed for the current year. The new subdivisions that have been identified for the last 4 years need to be monitored to track growth she said. Trustee Gersuale questioned what the timeline was for the most current information. Chair Mossman explained the mission of the committee was to be responsible for strategic planning and look at the goals and objectives of the district for the next five years. Included in that responsibility; would be the facilities, curriculum, and delivery of instruction. The district will be putting out for an RFP immediately. Trustee Aragon questioned where the provider would be located. Chair Mossman said it would probably be someone local and she would be getting information to the committee on this matter. Chair Mossman wanted discussion on the neighborhood school concept. She asked the committee to share what they felt constituted a neighborhood school. Trustee Aragon felt it was important for kids to have a close boundary range for kids to commute to school. This was based on the negative comments she had heard concerning boundary changes. She cautioned that the district should consider the total community and not just certain segments in boundary changes. She claimed more discussion with community members would help with the buy-in of this concept. Sara Nyquist had only heard one negative comment on neighborhood schools, which was a boundary issue. She liked the fact the children could walk and ride their bikes to school and not have to worry about transportation. Trustee Achten stated she loved the neighborhood school concept but noted diversity does well for students. She commented the district is doing a good job providing the student with the education they need regardless if they have to get on a bus to get to school. Kathy Olson claimed her kids went to various schools and appreciated the diversity of students. Cheryl Malia-McCall, the newest principal at Beartooth Elementary School, commented it was nice to see parents walk their kids to school. She didn’t necessarily believe it mattered if the students traveled less than three miles or twenty miles. What was most important was that the school be viewed as a community center. The schools need to be available and open to the families. The commonalities of families bond them to the school. Trustee Gersuale asked Cheryl Malia McCall to comment in general about the boundaries and student density around Beartooth Elementary School. Cheryl Malia-McCall stated it had increased due to new housing developments and there wasn’t a significant change in student density. Cheryl asked how big the neighborhood school could be. She questioned what the community wanted and what could they afford. She said the schools of 280-350 were considered luxury schools. Trustee Trafford worked with the Lockwood schools and he commented that the size of a school wasn’t as important as having viewed it as a learning center within the school. Lockwood has a full-time nurse and the cafeteria feeds 1250 students sufficiently. He noted there were no split classes and the teachers could easily communicate with each other to track students. He agreed that smaller schools were a luxury. Superintendent Copps held there were various factors that influence the size of a school. One factor is the density of the community or community sprawl. The efficient operation is offered in 3 sections per grade, which would be about 450 students. Kathy Olson declared the size of a school doesn’t necessarily tell the story. There is need for space for the programs that the district offers to the students. She commented the elementary schools have no extra space available at this time. Trustee Gersuale cautioned the terminology “luxury school”. He noted there are additional programs that bring in kids from other schools and impact the size of the classroom. Margaret Aukshun agreed with the word community. She said it is important to get parents in and help raise achievement levels of our schools. Scott Anderson said the middle schools do have community support. Middle Schools serve a larger group of students. He explained that people moving into the area view the community as the entire city. When talking to people it must be remembered that people have different perspectives on what the community is or if they are a part of the community, school community, or neighborhood. He believed there are many variables and we must serve as many as possible in the closest area possible in the elementary schools. It should be convenience as well as community. Trustee Gersuale recognized that a student walking to school is important but shouldn’t negatively impact school’s diversity. He would like to track kids from elementary school to middle school and high school. He commented the district has done a good job providing educational equity for the students. He said there should be consistency between school programs. Chair Mossman said her kids had a neighborhood school but the community concept seemed to be the bottom line. Superintendent Copps and Scott Anderson reported on the Cottonwood site for the new school. Jack said the committee would make a decision on this charge. He commented the past studies had no traction. Superintendent Copps recommended the committee address the deferred maintenance issues. The estimate to update the schools is $80,000,000.00 to date. West High school needs to be completely redone to make it properly equipped for what currently is done in classrooms. The long-range planning study warrants serious discussion that will take a lot of time. He asked if we have any facility needs that are so apparent that we assign that effort an equally high priority as a long-range planning effort. Beartooth Elementary was opened and took care of a significant facility problem on top of the rims. Below the rims there is a large segment that feels they are not being considered properly for having an elementary school in their area. He said kindergartners do not belong on buses. It is timely because we have a 450-student facility which would be in the area cost of $6,500,000.00. There is money from Crossroads which is elementary money that could be appropriated for the new building. The cost would then be $4,400,000.00 and the state would pay half. In the end the community would only pay $2,200,000.00 for a new school. A two million-bond issue could be passed and paid off in two years. The operating side is expensive and he would like the state to increase the base entitlement. He believes it is affordable and it could be built in two years. The Board has decided to proceed with the election for Cottonwood property this fall. In November there will be an election for the purchase of the property. The Don and Betsy Forbes family donated the parcel of land for public use only to the city in 2002. It was with the understanding the school district would have the option to secure ten acres of that property for an elementary school. The deadline is October 2008 for the option. If the district purchases the land for $200,000.00, it does not commit the district to build a school. If the district doesn’t build a school in ten years, the city would return the $200,000.00 to the district and take the land back. The city would have to consider the site for a public library. The school district would purchase the land for a potential elementary school site. The $200,000.00 comes from existing resources from the building fund. He asked the committee if they want to act on it. If they act on it, the school is two years out. If they want to put the money to a greater study, then the school could be four years out. A long-range planning effort might merge many issues together and become one large bond issue versus a smaller bond, which could be paid off in one year. He would like the committee to decide on this issue. He believes it is important to look at where the school is located, in conjunction the attendance boundaries. Middle school boundary families could petition their child to attend the school they want their child to go to. Superintendent Copps explained the process with the committee. • He stated if the Board would entertain the furtherance of this consideration; the Board would put out a request for qualifications for an architect from the community. The Board has great discretion in this area. • The Board could receive possibly 8-9 applicants and they could reduce the applicants down to 3-4. • The architecture teams would be invited to make a presentation to the Board. • The Board would choose a firm to build the school. If the committee believes there should be a move forward for consideration for the new elementary school, then they need to ask the questions what the committee should do to prepare a recommendation to the Board. Kathy Olson forecasts the Heights will need another elementary school due to new developments and the west end presently needs a new elementary school due to overcrowding. In the future there may be a need to build a new middle school and high school. She stated it is financially sound to build schools over a period of time so the costs are spread over the duration of years. Trustee Aragon cautioned the committee the district needs to be sure to take care of current schools. Trustee Gersuale confirmed that the committee would greatly benefit from community involvement. He said he is concerned about operational costs and deferred maintenance. Superintendent Copps would like to have the retiring ten-million bond issue at Skyview high school and a retiring ten-million bond issue in the elementary schools be extended. He stated (just for investment purposes) there should be a continuing ten-million bond issue (which would not raise taxes as it just a continuance) for elementary deferred maintenance. Trustee Achten said Orchard elementary was in great need of repair. Chair Mossman informed the committee they need to vote yes or no to take the action to the Board to consider the construction of a new elementary school. Trustee Gersuale was concerned where all the kids are located. He wanted more data to make a decision. Sara Nyquist requested the committee talk in lay terms so the community members could make proper decisions and understand the general concepts. Chair Mossman stated, in absence of community members and committee consensus, the action would be postponed until the October meeting. She would provide more information to the committee and welcomed requests. The October 8th scheduled committee meeting would be postponed until October 29th due to conflicts. As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm. _________________ Sandra Mossman, Chair _________________ Barbara Gustafson, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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