Notes from Board Meeting, 6/12/07

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes. Please follow-up for official minutes upon approval. For copies of printed reports presented visit Board Docs.

(Board member Maura Cook absent)

Public Forum

• Female - Grandchildren in CCPS. Why so many dropouts? Can name 5 dropouts due to failing. Grandson has to repeat 8th grade. Correspondence from school staff was lacking. Parents and grandparents tried to resolve.
• Female - Daughter did not get to graduate with class at Westlake due to staff misguidance. Honor roll student taking AP classes. Tried to get help and removal from the class. One counselor for 494 students. Overwhelmed. Targets students failing 4 or more classes first; then 3 or more; etc. Since her daughter was only failing one class she was not targeted until 3 weeks before the end of the school year and it was too late.

Action - Approval of Minutes from 4/3/07 and 4/23/07

*Vote to approve minutes

Unanimous (Cook absent)

PASSED

Correspondence/Board Member Updates

• None

Report – EACC – Bill Fisher

• School policy on student discipline matters take a back seat when a complaint goes over the heads of the school administration and teacher. The teacher and administration need to know their enforcement of discipline will be reinforced by central office.
• Members will participate in the NEA convention to work on major revisions to NCLB
• Participation in MSTA Leadership Training workshops
• Thank you to current and retiring educators for a job well done
• Annual Back to School Crab Feast August 24th.

Report - Student Board Member – Asin Shah

• None

Report – Superintendent – Jim Richmond

• Graduations a success. Thank you for attending and thanks to Darlene Kahl, staff and community partners for a successful project graduation.

Report – Deputy Superintendent – Ron Cunningham

• Relay for Life - he accepted a plaque on behalf of the Board support. $245,000

Report – Student Services - Keith Greer & staff

• Attendance - NCLB requires system @ 94% attendance. We're at 94.6%
• Pupil Personnel Workers
• Counselors
• School Nurses
• Resource Officers & Juvenile Probation Officers
• PBIS
• Homeless Students
• Section 504 Students (disabled)
• Wise - Requests copy of slides with statistics. Also would like to see a report on out-of-county students attending
• Greer - Most in-county out-of-zone is for daycare exceptions
• Abell - Requests presentation to be place on Board Docs for public to view.
• Abell - Requests report to include lots being bought and students attending schools with no house on lots.
• Carrington - Who is punished when students are referred to the states attorney?
• Greer - Both the parents and students could be punished depending on the circumstances.
• Bailey - 184,777 medical interventions. Is the data organized to determine how many individual students?
• Greer - No
• Pedersen - Hospitalized students count against our NCLB requirements?
• Greer - Yes
• Bailey - What are our consequences for failing this NCLB mandate?
• Greer - Just one of the factors figured into our overall requirements to meet adequate yearly progress.
• Shah - Excused vs. unexcused; can the data show the comparison.
• Greer - Yes

Report – Curriculum (Summer Programs) - Judy Estep & staff

• Summer Reading and Math Academies at all 3 levels
• SHIP (Summer Programs for Children with Special Needs)
• Enrichment Opportunities (Algebra, SAT, PSAT)
• Shah - How are students identified and targeted for invitation to programs? Open enrollment?
• Estep - Prospective list is generated by central office and distributed to schools. Those students are invited first and then open enrollment based on space available
• Carrington - 18 - 22 year old program.
• Estep - Job placement and transportation assistance in a natural environment
• Bailey - Do we see benefits of hiring aids and possible teacher recruiting efforts?
• Hettel - Yes
• Pedersen - Can't find summer information on web site. Is it available?
• Estep - Working on web-site. Advise parents to call office for more information

Report – Supporting Services (CIP)- Chuck Wineland; Steve Hagis, Jerry Barrett

• Davis (Falcons) furniture and equipment being delivered
• Neal - masonry and footings being done
• Craik - Roof-top replacements; contract gone to state
• Martin - Bids are within budget; going to state
• Pedersen - Possibilty of board touring Davis. Date TBD
• Pedersen - Orientation for students
• Cunningham - Orientation and transition dinner will be done when building is ready

Report – Supporting Services (New High School)- Chuck Wineland & staff

• "Green" school and program
• Planetarium and digital dome
• complete 6/2011
• 285,000 square feet + 4,000 square foot domed theater
• Was NOT approved by the state for FY 2008. Schematic development and design will continue and planning approval from the state will be requested in the FY09 CIP.
• County commissioners approved project budget request at total state and local costs of $97.6M
• Educational specifications must be submitted by July 1. Will vote on at next work session
• Shah - Any other schools have integrated planetariums
• Wineland - We will be the first in the nation and the digital dome could become a laser dome based on the latest technology available
• Shah - How much of construction cost is dome/planetarium?
• Wineland - $2M. Biggest and the best

Report – Supporting Services (Educational Facilities Master Plan)- Chuck Wineland & staff

• Elementary School #3 may not be Pinefield but may be Heritage Green
• Scheduled school openings
• Fall 2007 - Davis Middle School
• Fall 2008 - Neal Elementary School
• Fall 2009 - No School
• Fall 2010 - Elementary School #3 (Heritage Green or Pinefield)
• Fall 2011 - High School/Planetarium
• Fall 2012 - No School
• Fall 2013 - Elementary School #4 (Heritage Green or Pinefield)
• Fall 2014 - Middle School #2
• Fall 2015 - No School
• Fall 2016 - Elementary School #5

Report – Budget – Paul Balides

• See report
• Everything on track. Revenue slightly up. Expenses slightly down.
• Fund balance to be used for support/start-up costs at Davis Middle School, television studio equipment, textbooks, school priority requests and various building maintenance projects.
• Abell - formula used for school appropriations
• Balides - yes. Equal allocations based on enrollment and equipment

Report - Technology Update - BJ Devakota & Lora Bennett

• Vital Source presentation
• Textbook, curriculum, lesson plans, references all contained on laptops given to teachers.
• Adding courses annually
• Currently 100 laptops with LCD carts have been distributed. Adding 75 more next school year

Action - Personnel

*Vote to approve Personnel
Unanimous (Cook absent)
PASSED

Action - FY2008 Budget

*Vote to approve FY2008 Budget
Unanimous (Cook absent)
PASSED

Action - Out-of-County Tuition Fees

*Vote to approve Out of County Tuition Fees
Unanimous (Cook absent)
PASSED

Action - New Textbooks

*Vote to approve New Textbooks
Unanimous (Cook absent)
PASSED

Unfinished Business

• Diversity Blue Ribbon Committee
• Wade - Pedersen will represent the board

Future Agenda Items

• Abell - Freshman Seminar Update
• Carrington - Possibility of Diversity Training for students
• Bailey - Grades in database on a % instead of letter grade
• Wade - Ways to upgrade the board
• Pedersen - Trying to be present at all events
• Abell - Interactive Board calendar

ADJOURNED