ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS’
BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013, 7:00 P.M.
HS CONFERENCE ROOM
1. Call Regular Meeting to Order and Roll Call: President Mark Jamison called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. All proceedings hereafter shown were taken while this meeting was open to the public.
Roll call was taken. Present were board members Mark Jamison, Matt O’Daniel, Luanne Sundberg, Greg Sampson, and Shanon Willmott. Also present were Lynn Johnson, superintendent, Andrew Farber, high school principal, David Fritson, elementary school principal and Cheryl Keeler, recording secretary. Micheal Dwyer was absent.
1.2 Approval of Regular Meeting Agenda: Moved by Greg Sampson and seconded by Matt O’Daniel to approve the regular agenda as presented. Motion carried on a 5-0 roll call vote with Mark Jamison, Matt O’Daniel, Greg Sampson, Luanne Sundberg and Shanon Willmott voting in favor of the motion.
2. Welcome to Guests and Public Forum: Kathy Rhea addressed the board concerning September minutes and the recording of her comments. Not all of her comments at the September meeting were recorded and she felt the comments that were recorded, while accurately reflected, were taken out of context.
3. Consent Agenda
3.1 Minutes/Ratify Action of the September 9, 2013 hearing and regular meeting.
3.2 Monthly Financial Reports, Claims (Check Register), Special Fund Transfers, Hot Lunch Report and Activity Report.
Employee Benefit Fund - BCBS Health Insurance $7237.60
Moved by Matt O’Daniel and seconded by Shanon Willmott to approve the consent agenda as presented. Motion carried on a 5-0 roll call vote.
4. Curriculum/Instruction Reports: Guidance Reports: Kerri Harris, elementary guidance counselor and Floyd Everitt, high school guidance counselor, presented reports. Highlights included a report on the TeamMates Mentor Program, surveys designed to help identify any transition issues from grade to grade and the implemented John Baylor Test Program.
Micheal Dwyer entered the meeting at 7:10 p.m.
5. Review of Annual District Plan: Plan Item 3.0: The technology plan was discussed. The board reviewed a report provided to them from the Technology Committee. The report contained three main items: 1) updating existing classrooms for technology and to address safety concerns, 2) to review and revise integration of technology at upper levels, 3) develop the capacity of staff members to enhance effective integration. The board will revise 3.2 to incorporate technology committee summation and the board vision. Return to this item again next month.
6. Principals’ Reports: Andrew Farber, high school principal, presented data on parent-teacher conference attendance. Attendance was down slightly possibly due to parents being better informed with online information throughout the school year and teachers being readily available to discuss issues prior to conferences. David Fritson, elementary principal, addressed staffing issues in the elementary. Currently, the elementary is fully staffed. He also informed the board of a science presentation by the Strategic Air and Space Museum. The presentation was free to the district. Erin Reed won the presentation at Teacher’s Night at SAC. The fire department conducted a presentation on safety for the students. James Shada, athletic director, was absent due to the birth of his son. He had submitted a written report.
7. Superintendent’s Report
7.1 State Education Conference: November 20-22, LaVista Embassy Suites
7.2 Board Retreat – Time frame and focus: Retreat will be held in February with date to be announced.
7.3 Safe Routes Grant: No update was available.
8. Board of Education Committee Reports
8.1 Americanism/Education Evaluation: Committee Chairperson Shanon Willmott presented the report. The committee reviewed the Americanism Statute and ensured compliance. The committee is recommending that they will examine and review core area textbooks recommended by the administration and faculty to make an informed recommendation to the full board. The committee also discussed the dual credit opportunities offered students through Metro, the NeSA Alternative Assessment Guidelines and the current efforts to review and adopt curriculum materials in the area of Health/PE and Language Arts.
8.2 Buildings and Grounds Committee: Committee Chairperson Mark Jamison presented the report. The committee met and went through summative needs and prioritized roof sections as well as having Lawrence Reed review the HVAC items on the list and attempt to consolidate and group them. Safety straps on basketball hoops are still on the list and will be purchased in the future. Repairs to baskets and equipment have been made to improve safety. David and Lynn met with the village street committee and representatives from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department to discuss certain crossings and road safety around the school. It was decided to post more no parking signs on the west side of 9th Street and on a limited portion on east side of 11th Street. The school will post one-way signs at the exit of east drive. The Washington County Sheriff will do research on cost and kinds of yellow warning lights that could be used at the crossing lanes. The committee discussed being forward thinking and into acquiring adjacent land when appropriate and feasible, they decided to have a set monthly meeting on the fourth Monday of each month and to table the review of the 7000’s policies until the next committee meeting.
8.3 Finance Committee: No meeting.
8.4 Legislative Update: Mike Dwyer presented the legislative report. Lydia Brasch is supporting a bill to get more Medicaid money for the schools. Senator Lautenbaum wants to see a bill introduced to have third graders read at a certain level before they can advance to fourth grade.
8.5 St. Paul Liaison (AD HOC): Arlington school board delegates met with representatives from St. Paul Lutheran School. In attendance at this first meeting of the year were David Green, St. Paul's Board of Education President, Luanne Sundberg, Arlington Board of Education Liaison and Superintendent Lynn Johnson. The meeting focused on the shuttle bus contract, shared services to include Title IID funds and special education services, textbook agreement, professional development and technology. Barb Cook was not in attendance so another meeting may be scheduled for a later date.
8.6 Negotiations Committee: Will meet in the near future.
8.7 Professional Development Sharing: Board members shared information they received from sessions they attended at an NASB conference. Among the highlights were utilizing technology based programs through NASB that enable meeting minutes to be online and archived for easy accessibility. NASB also offers a program that would be helpful in gathering useful information during negotiations. A session on SRP (Standard Response Protocol) identified the need for a consistent and universal plan to be in place for crisis situations which would allow for improved handling by multiple agencies. The conflict resolution session identified and reinforced the purpose of the Board of Education and how they should function with their three roles to include hire the superintendent, evaluate the superintendent and set policy.
9. Unfinished Business: None
10. New Business
10.1 Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to accept non-certified resignation.
Moved by Mike Dwyer and seconded by Greg Sampson to accept the resignation of Marcia Kaup as an elementary paraprofessional effective September 19, 2013 as presented. Motion carried on a 6-0 roll call vote with Mike Dwyer, Mark Jamison, Matt O’Daniel, Greg Sampson, Luanne Sundberg and Shanon Willmott voting in favor of the motion.
10.2 Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to hire a non-certified employees.
Moved by Matt O’Daniel and seconded by Mike Dwyer to hire Elizabeth Schumann as an elementary special education paraprofessional effective October 14, 2013 as presented. Motion carried on a 6-0 roll call vote.
10.3 Discuss and Consider board committee reporting format: It was presented that committees should take minutes and have them available for the public via the monthly board meeting documents. A special committee, composed of Matt O’Daniel and Shanon Willmott, will look into the format of recording minutes in order to be consistent from committee to committee and bring their recommendations back to the full board.
10.4 Discuss and Consider entering into an agreement to become a participating member in the Nebraska Whole Child Project Consortium. Members of the consortium will work together with NASB and the NCSA to address student fitness and health issues of Nebraska children with the purpose of sharing best practices for improving student fitness and health. More information will be gathered and discussed again next month.
10.5 Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to recognize the Arlington Education Association to represent the certificated non-administrative staff as the exclusive bargaining agent for 2015-2016.
Moved by Greg Sampson and seconded by Shanon Willmott to recognize the Arlington Education Association to represent the certificated non-administrative staff as the exclusive bargaining agent for 2015-2016 as presented. Motion carried on a 6-0 roll call vote.
10.6 Discuss and Consider superintendent evaluation forms and review process. Use same form for this year but modify next year to tie evaluation to specific goals. It was expressed that evaluation should be on something measurable. More discussion on the evaluation form will be conducted at the board retreat.
10.7 Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve the purchase of a used mini van.
Moved by Matt O’Daniel and seconded by Greg Sampson to authorize Superintendent Johnson to purchase a used mini van with price not to exceed $24,000 within the stated guidelines as presented.
11. Executive Session: Discuss and Consider information relevant to the evaluation of the job performance of an employee and to prevent needless injury to the employee's reputation.
Moved by Greg Sampson and seconded by Mike Dwyer that the board enter closed session to evaluate the job performance of an employee and to prevent needless injury to the employee's reputation.
Entered executive session: 9:28 p.m.
Exited executive session: 10:53 p.m.
12. Action On Executive Session Items: No action taken.
13. Adjournment: There being no further business meeting was adjourned at 10:53 p.m.
_____________________________ ____________________________
Mark Jamison, Board President Lynn Johnson, Board Secretary
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