B.E.A. Minutes from BCSD School Board Meeting 2-13-17

School Board Meeting Minutes 2/13/17

1. Call to Order- Welcome
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Adoption of Agenda
4. Public Comments
1. Dave Zeller - Employee of district. Sharing concerning early retirement and pay.  Sharing information about all that they do, their certifications and wages.  Gave the board starting wages they would like to have to start with since they don’t have a union.  
2. Amy Drew - Teacher for 14 years - started teaching with the focus on students.  Went for the TLC position for literacy.  She worked hard to get the training for that position and works hard with teachers.  Mentioned how teachers have worked hard and we are people and she has worked hard for teachers.  She asked that the board think about the staff and teachers as the new legislation goes through.  We are people.  Please contact legislation to support teachers.  Ended on a quote along the lines - “A person who feels appreciated will put more time and effort than required.”  (I tried to get all her major points- she spoke well).
5. Consent Agenda
1. Minutes, Bills, Human Resources Report, Gifts
1. Kendell mentioned something with $300,000 +, Robberts mentioned that open enrollment affects that.
6. District Positive Accomplishments-
1. Aldo Leopold English/Language Arts
1. Amy Drew and Melody James came up to talk about good things happening.  Melody talked about doing the PLP training this unit over Charles Dickens, and she asked Amy to help. They worked together to make it a student focused unit.  Research/training showed that collaboration between students is a much needed practice.  Melody talked about some of the hands on activities to relate to child labor, counting beans and carrying buckets with weight, smashing rocks, carrying bricks, washing clothes in buckets.  Talked how it connected to other units.  Read Christmas Carol and the importance of mankind helping, and then kids chose a charity to support and then presented it to a board (principles and TLC coaches).  Showed images of all the work that the students did and the importance of seeking information, presentation/speaking skills.  Then three charities were chosen.  Then did a penny war to raise money.  Selling cookbooks at Fairway.  School wide garage sale.  Raised over $1600 for the three charities.  Board thanked and appreciated all the work.
7. Student Representative Report
1. Boys swim team made it to state, with a broken record in there.  Three boys made it to state wrestling.  Iowa Assessments were exhausting but done.  Future Problem solvers with Mr. Fleece.  Sam Schulte performance at the SE Iowa orchestra - read about more in the paper.  Regional Scholastic Art Reading and Writing had several winners.
8. Superintendent’s Report
1. He mentioned the following. Art work on Facebook page.  Google Doc - Cabinet meeting.  Completed audit of transportation.  Get your 12 program. Principle audits.  Greater Burlington meeting - Robberts and Coen were there with safety, tax rates and how that works.  Alumni representatives - discussion about a water feature and talked about cost.  Round table at BHS - information in the notes (Ed Stone round table cancelled).  Meeting with Pres. Hawkeye about 1.1% increase, Piece program - Nationwide.  Saturday breakfast at faith temple.  Swimmers and Wrestlers.
9. Items for Discussion or Action
1. Harmony Bible Church Lease Extension
1. Harmony bought Tom’s Market.  Extending time for them to rent.  Lease Expires Feb. 15, 2017.  Extension requested until May.  Rent of $450 per week.  Worked well between the two.
2. Early Retirement Applications
1. Tabor - 12 applications for the voluntary retirement - Agreed in the order of seniority - 9 applications can be accepted with limit, but asks board to accept all 12.  Robberts - Clarify with Mr. Reynolds - could you share the affect this would help us? Reynolds - Savings to the general fund for accepting 9 is $259,000.  When looking at the 12, the savings is $326,000.  Annual cost would be  $119,350 for 9 and 12 would be $146,250.  Something about the management levee.  Able to keep the management levee the same and get a savings in the end.  Board accepted all 12 retirees.
3. Audit
1. Mr. Reynolds - Audit Report - Board members had… bare with me (there are a lot of screens with numbers and I don’t know what they are)…  Mr. Reynolds - Footnotes and something else is good to look at when the board goes through this.  Recieved and unqualified opinion, no adjustments to the financial statements.  $59,767,436 combined revenues - Combined expenses was 56,526,223. (there are a lot of numbers). Economic factor - Highly dependent on student enrollment state aid at 1.11% combined with low allowable growth and more numbers. Revenues for 2016 were $50,544,414 (earlier # ?).  Expenditures $49,678,111 salaries with the highest.  Capital projects are increasing.  Proprietary fund - numbers are going up, but the numbers have be measured differently after 2014 - Ipers is apart of the factor.  Summary - BMO - automatic payment - update policies every 5 year - consult with legal counsel about something about business transaction associated with board members.  Report approved
4. Cell Tower Update Information Only
1. Approached by US Cellular about putting in a cell tower.  Getting close to bring a proposed contract about it. Potential recommendation of $1500 a month and looked at every 5 years with some kind of increase ($18,000 a year to general fund). Plan to hold a community wide meeting about this at the White House at 6 (I think).  Representatives from US Cellular there to answer questions. Proposal hopefully next meeting.  Placed in the corner of the white house.  Doesn’t seem to conflict with technology or location.  US Cellular will tear it down if it has to come down.  It will be smaller tower that some others
5. Board Policy 501.12 Second Reading
1. Mr. Tabor - Equity Audits said that there needed to be equal access is needed for pregnant students.  Policy approved.
6. Trimester Update Information Only
1. Mrs. Dentlinger and Mr. Keane - High school - all teachers made an effort to set up a meeting with the houndoom teachers and parents and then help students get the schedule imputed into Infinite Campus.  Already seemed to start positively.  Middle School and elementary - change to trimester leads to a change in grading - fast testing three times a year, fall winter and spring - there will be a change in report card time - Contact time with parents will be a little different - exciting to offer new opportunities that we have not offered.  We will be back to inform you more about these changes.  Mr. Keane - the Incoming 9th graders had a parent meeting at Ed Stone and there were some good questions - Mr. Keane got good vibes from the conversations that he had with parents.  The middle school counselors did a real nice job about getting this all set up.  Coen - Brian Johnson has a solid plan for next year with this.  The calendar is being set up to align for trimesters.  Mr. Keane - registration is happening to check numbers and finding problems early to fix changes before the final schedule happens - Question asked about transfer students and trimesters - Mr. Keane there is a way to help with that, BILA can help with that, trimesters can help because if a kids comes in and the student can be held in BILA until the next trimester and do online work.  Hattenberg - Some middle school parents didn’t like the shortened time period to get the new schedule turned in along with the four year plan did make some parents nervous.  Mr. Keane - the four year plan is a fluid plan, not a definite document for an 8th grades.  Hattenburg - special thanks to the counselors.  Will the elementary keep the same conferences schedules?  Sharon - Trying to find time for conferences to align with fast testing (something like that)  Hattenberg - What about specials in the middle school?  Sharon - trimesters will open some of those periods. Can add some focus trimesters - Bross - In 8th grade class, and Grimes, - trimesters didn’t seem to bother students.  He brought up kids graduating early how will that affect that (48 graduating credits) - Mr. Keane - Government should be taken senior year because of maturity of the student, some kids should be able to early (TAG). Said he will bring up proposed graduation changes to account for students graduating early (no numbers said) - Talked about a math class where students make graphs and have basic skills in spreadsheets and data analysis with statistics.  Shareon - we are offering more classes like internship, where students are leaving campus to get reworld experience.  Coen - Keane and Sharon has brought up increasing requirements, Coen said let's get it started before we raise the graduation bar (does this mean freshman will still be held to 48 and can graduate early? This could lead to more decline in enrollment- my question/thought - not in the minutes).  Sharon - We are excited and the teachers have embraced it, change is hard but they are working hard - Anna - how will the grades work in a transcript - Mr. Keane -  three chunks of grades.   Coen - talked about some teachers with advanced degrees wanting to teach college/credit courses at zero hour (sounded like any teacher in the district).  Kendall said there was a good effort for the parent contact night.  Sharon encourages anyone to contact them about any questions about next year.
7. Assessments Update Information Only
1. Smarter balance assessment - the state board was heading that direction, but got pushed back - costs about 5x the time amount of Iowa Assessment, so the state is saying hold back (cost of 2 full times positions) plus a science assessment.  Our assessment forever has been Iowa Assessment.  Smarter Balance head is in California, not Iowa.  Suggested to Iowa Assessment change the test - the test does not align to the Iowa Core.  Every Child Succeeds Act requires an assessment.  So the future is unclear, and Iowa testing is waiting on legislation before they act.  She anticipates Iowa Assessment will stay until funding is provided with smarter balance or iowa testing comes up with a new test.  Coen mentioned that Iowa Assessments supports thousands of jobs and if that goes away, jobs might be hurt.  
8. 21st Century Update Information Only
1. Cassie Gerst - Coen - She is a hard worker who gets stuff done, she has helped us out so much.  Cassie then proceeds - Wonderful site coordinators that work hard - had a site visit by the state and passed, Aldo, Ed Stone, and summer school, there will be decreased funding, but partners said they would cover the shortage - participation numbers goal for summer school 143 students, but had 223 students.  Seeing similar trend in the at North Hill.  Aldo goal is in the 80s but did not go that high, but 60 regular attenders.  Survey from kids found that the kids like to be there, majority says the staff does listen, they try new things, it makes the kids want to do better and they generally feel better after going to the programs.  Programs is looking at Iowa Assessment data to see how kids show progress towards proficiency, there was a one years grow, but stronger numbers will be put together.  Stronger growth the second year around.  Make sure staff is intentional about the program to make it educational as well.  Looking at absenteeism to see if there is data to show that the program helps to keep numbers down.  She is seeing declines in ODRs  in elementary, but not in the middle school.   Are we doing all that we can to meet the needs/wants of the students.  New partnership with the YMCA - regular attendees can attend friday night youth nights, and the grant helps pay for that, - the library and Stars Cave also have been good.  Lots of people are happy with the program
2. Jennifer Laymen - She ties into how the change in the numbers ties into the attendance of students to the programs.  The hard work of the staff helps tremendously to this program and the success the kids are showing.  There are a lot of community supports that is just incredible, and the effort they show into the program is great.  The family engagement is good - the parents are overwhelmingly positive to the program.  The numbers Cassie gave is just great.  The success of the programs is due to the best practices that the state of Iowa has set for the program.  Bross - can the other schools benefit from this? - Cassie - yes, but I am waiting from the grant application, I worked hard on it and it would expand to several other schools.
9. Supplemental State Aid Update Information Only
1. New Money Projections is now -174,000 to now something over -200,000.  We are losing money next year, we are getting more money from the state, but enrollment is going to lower our funds as well.  The new money is spending authority. Our revenues are declining...Greg talked about raising property tax (I think that is what he said).
10. Superintendent Contract
1. Superintendents are hard to replace.  We feel that we don’t want to have an opening so we want to keep him so he keeps.  We want to make sure the Hawkeye to know that he will not be getting a raise for the fourth year in a row (emphasized it several times).  Coen does not want to take a raise since the district is experiencing cuts.  Garwood - I am very pleased with your dedication and connection to the community.  We commend your family.  Kendall mentioned an error in the contract.  Kendall wanted to amend - mentioned that Coen’s insurance should not exceed that of certified staff that.  Brought to discussion to the table - Bross said we cannot see the future and Coen is not part of a collective bargaining.  Robberts and says up to 90% allows for less.  Bross didn’t agree with the amendment, we want to keep him and is says up to 90%.  Kendall wants it to be fair for certified staff. Hattenburg said we could look at it next year.  Coen said if the staff gets a reduction in insurance, he should too, but it does say up to 90 percent which allows for not to exceed.  Bross we can talk about it into the future, but now we need to keep it as is.  Motion to amend did not pass.  All voted to approve contract.
10. Board Communications
1. Robberts - We have a lot of good, awesome things going on , but right now is a hard time for education.  We don’t know what is going to happen in our state, and we want the best.  We ask that the staff be willing to work with us and need to work together for the hard decisions we will have to make.  We care for you and want what is best.
2. Bross - worked with Grimes and PTO - Talking about a test that students are taking that is hard for students.  Employees are our most important resource.  We understand that wage, benefits are important for our employees.  We want to keep doing what is working well no matter what happens of the state level.
3. Garwood - Good news about participation of our students, after school programs and community.  Bad news is our money situation.
4. Vickstrom - Our teachers are in a hard time, we are getting a double wammie.  I am sad to see the retiree staff go, I don’t think some of the people of the community don’t realize how awesome these people are.  
5. Brueck - echo, we are all in this together, we are doing our best to treat the staff as best as we can.
6. Hattenberg - Amen to what others said - contact our legislature. We something else was said.
7. Kendall - Matt Rowland for breaking a 15 year old record, Sam Schulte in music, wrestlers, after school programs (Cassie is awesome) are awesome.  
11. Adjournment