BEA Notes 10-22-18 BCSD Board Meeting

School Board Minutes 10/22/18




Call to Order- Welcome


Bross started


Pledge of Allegiance


Adoption of Agenda -


Robberts - Hatteberg


Public comments


Melissa Carlson - Employee, teacher, mom of a three kids. Research does not support the resizing plan on reconfiguring middle school and elementary - 5-6 config is a failure, middle school benefit kids 11-14 year, brains are growing quickly and need to be in the best environment - list behaviors and changes that these students face. The middle school years are pivotal for kids since it is a great predictor of their future. We are your last defense and your plan will tear us apart. We are setting up kids for failure with the new plan. It will not be successful, we need adolescence in our minds as we teach. Research shows that the best support for middle school is to keep the current system. We need not reshuffle them. Students should come first over money. Middle school gives fresh start and is configured in a way that best support them. The two grade levels does not help this. With the break up then students will feel more disconnected and after two years there will be a new change. Adolescence spends more time on electronics and when we shuffle them we reduce the time we can develop relationships. Superintendents come and go and we will stay. Please be a voice for these kids. If this goes through and we will consider sending our kids somewhere else. This came up years ago and the public said no.


Annika McVey - Passed out a survey - I decided to do a survey. The district did not do a survey to support the proposal. Why are kids leaving the district? Have not seen this asked. 28% of 70 some parents said they would homeschool if Burlington was the only option. Discipline is the biggest issue - 60% said this was the biggest issue. Kids are kicked out, sent to office and not dealt with - and is then sent back to the classroom to still be a distraction. Not every child is going to be perfect, but I want them to succeed. We don’t have detentions. We need to be able to put discipline back in the schools. We need to find the root of the problem and not put a bandaid on the problem that keeps oozing and needs to be replaced. We all can fix it, it starts with parents, and then is the schools and the district needs to support it.


Consent Agenda - Minutes, Bills, Human Resources Report,Travel and Gifts


Brueck - large numbers - second with Robberts - passed


District Positive Accomplishments -BHS Student Football


Shay - Thank you Coen and School board by letting us come and speak - Taven Harris is in the paper a lot, but it is a team effort - Players came up and listed name, position and grade. -8 of them. Shay - two coaches here too. Taven accomplished so much - Taven shattered 1897 yards rushing - 2nd in the state by 13 yards this year. Tony Baker in 1962 held the record to 56 years - Taven passed his record in the seventh game - 289 rushing attempts - Taven has a GPA 3.6+ and 39th in his class. Listed some more stats, number 1 all time leader in Burlington history. It has been an honor to coach him in the past four years. Taven - I went into every game not just to make my family proud, but I wanted to carry the community and make them proud. Bross - you all worked hard and made them proud. Robberts - The younger kids know your names and look to you all a lot. Kids would mention how Mr. Newman went out there and made a tackle. Taven and these guys you set the tone. Thank you.


Student Representative Report - Kaely Lawler


(kinda quiet) Already heard a lot about the game. The girls swim team won in Fairfield. Saturday - Josh’s eyes, and Sunnybrook. Friday Course Trunk or Treat. Nov. something - some kind of presentation in Cedar Rapids.


Superintendent's Report


Positive - Tomorrow - Red Ribbon week. Great collaborative work with the right sizing. Talking with transportation with buses. Talked with Keane and Butler about something. Got positive feedback about Steffensmeier and then and some about how he is not the most dynamic speaker. Poverty training was good - Cory and Jeremy got trained with the something sequence to manage items in district. Talked about a communication course with Mr. Keane as a possibility. On the radio and only got one call. Greater Burlington Partnership - some kind of pipeline . 10th street house Nov. 12th hearing - sell the house. This was a failure and I claim responsibility. Talked with Courtney and someone else to selling property and subdividing Mr. Taylor and Mr. Johnson meeting with CASA? List with principles. Attended parent teacher conferences and parents sure wanted to talk about math. Attended Thursday NCP meeting about bus drivers. Talked with parents. Delivered outstanding artwork to the bus barn - tell the busdriver thank you - appreciation week. Jet Bus - artwork was pretty cool. And shared policy about obsolete equipment and how to get rid of them and please review them and update.


Items for Discussion


Update of Certified Enrollment Numbers (Information Only)


Greg - schools are funded by the number of student enrolled - lost 122.8 students - include open enrolled $827,000 loss down 155 students , but dual enrolled adds 32.2. Elementary down 100 student, middle school up 2 and high school is down 57. We are down in preschool as well but that does not affect our overall budget like K-12. Robberts - there are 90 students moved out of our district. Bross - some of that is that the kids were not not born smaller. Hatteberg - The projectsions? Greg - it was originally 70 ish then 90 student by we are up to 155 lost - more than expected.


Title I Application (Information Only)


Greg - Tag team to with CASA? funds - all the programs are federally funded. What paper we gave you was just an overview and have and summary. Taylor and Johnson will give you more information. Taylor - there is flexibility with the funds - Title I all elementary and can use that money to support the day - summer school programs were supported by - 17.2 staff members from this, supports afterschool programs, parent and family support, supplies, softwares, transportation - summer school, services to Notre Dame, 9th largest allocation in the state, we have a good pool of money to support students and staff. Johnson - Title 2 supports instruction - Class size reduction 2.5 elementary teachers, helps to maintain teacher student ratio. Title 4 - well rounded ed program and a needs program, school culture and safety issues - tier 1 PBIS programs and implement these programs and electronic programs to reduce kids falling in the cracks, and technology - flexible learning spaces in the elementary. Title 5 - areas of reading and mathematics - secondary level and have software online and support teachers in the middles and high school. There is an equitable share that goes to support Notre Dame. Brueck - can we use them in counseling support - Bross - Homeless support - Johnson - Gerst is helping to support this. Helps us to give transportation for homeless students, staff time support to help. Bross - does this money cover it or put a dent in it? Taylor - The biggest fund here is used for transportation, and now we can talk with admin to better support these students and find them or get students referrals. Johnson - this is a student by student basis - Taylor, most homeless are doubled up in homes and we try to get them to go to their school of origin because studies support leaving them there.


Board Policies 400’s (First Reading)


Coen - Tabor could not be here. Hatteberg - Robberts - Hatteberg - there are a few typos or words I don’t know. = pg 3 of 19 - emergency - no exigency is a word, 9 of 19 takinge to taking no - it is crossed out it is good.


Board Communications


Hatteberg - A little more information on the bus hub is going to work. I would like to have more information - Coen - It is in the BLDD. Bross - there was an email, with an overview. Hatteberg - Handbook committee at the high school? I wonder if there is an update on it - Coen - I can’t comment on that now, but Cory went to Iowa City and here in December there will be a 2 week time period where he can meet with students and staff. We need to know who is on the committee and Cory will get it on. Hatteberg - I am just trying to get this figured out so we are not doing it last minute. Brueck - I have talked with Keane and he has people on his list. Once more thing, I asked the question - Staff is unsettled - How are we going to work out where the students go - I hope we follow the hand book, Seniority? The more details, the more information the better. Coen, I can't tell you until we decide. I can act and plan when you decide. There would be no reason to deviate from the handbook. Hatteberg - grade alike is going to make people are upset. The sooner the better. Positive - BHS waiting for an appointment and I want to thank the staff for the positive welcoming environment.


Vickstrom - I like to complement the football team on their effort. They worked hard even though they knew they were going to get hammered. The gave good effort. Thank you for all to bring us logical information. Hopefully people come and give us suggestions and tell us why. I didn’t have to deal with the same age group as teachers do now - and I need the logical information from you all.


Brueck - We do actually survey people in the public. Congratulate the orchestra - Sam made it to all state.


Kendall - Gone


Courtney - Gone


Bross - Reviewed the dates and times for the meeting at BHS on Wednesday, Saturday, and Monday (at Ed Stone). We have an Alumni - Brian Metzer - got an award and is a professor - another fine example of our alumni - Vickstrom - we have a nationally recognized student with welding. I want to thank the football team and sharing tonight. We need all the input we can get from the public.


Robberts - Football team - congratulations. I would like to ask the Hawkeye to print the specific dates and times of the meetings. Thank you for you coming and sharing your views - and we cannot give response, but I encourage you to contact your board members (talking towards Melissa). This week are PT at grade school. Wednesday - are we sending our a staff survey? Bross - not until staff can hear the presentation - Robberts - Suggestion is to get the survey or feedback from staff sooner rather than later. Please contact board members.


Adjournment - pass 8:08 - closed