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| SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SPRINGFIELD, OR 97477 MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2001 7:30 P.M. MINUTES 7/ An executive session was held October 8, 2001, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Room 312 of the District Administration Center, 525 Mill Street. The meeting was held in accordance with ORS 192.660(1)(e) Property and 192.660(1)(d) Negotiations. Those in attendance included Jennifer Heiss, Tom Atkinson, Marty Lenk, Garry Weber Jonathan Light, Jamon Kent, Steve Barrett, Len Arney, Judy Land, Roger Jordan, Cherie Kistner, Merwin Logan and Anne Williams, of The Register-Guard. The executive session was adjourned at 5:58 p.m. A work session regarding sites and facilities long-range planning was held October 8, 2001 beginning at 6:05 p.m. in the boardroom of the District Administration Center, 525 Mill Street. Board members in attendance included Jennifer Heiss, Tom Atkinson, Marty Lenk, Garry Weber and Jonathan Light. Others in attendance included Jamon Kent, Judy Land, Len Arney, Steve Barrett, Charlie Beck, Roger Jordan, Cherie Kistner, Karen Lewis and Anne Williams of The Register-Guard. The work session was concluded at 6:58 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. board members participated in a tour of the WET Project (Watershed, Ecosystem & Teamwork) mobile laboratory, led by teachers Paul Haley and Stuart Perlmeter, who also provided information on the WELL Project (Water and Energy Learning Lab). 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE A regular meeting of the Lane County School District No. 19 Board of Education was held October 8, 2001 in the boardroom of the Administration Center. Chairman Heiss called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Attendance In addition to Chairman Heiss, board members in attendance included Tom Atkinson, Marty Lenk, Jonathan Light and Garry Weber. District staff, students and community members identified included Jamon Kent, Len Arney, Steve Barrett, Roger Jordan, Judy Land, Charlie Beck, Debbie Egan, Cherie Kistner, Karen Lewis, Julee Reinhart, Erin Wolff, Merwin Logan, Yvonne Atteberry, John Svoboda, Brian Rutter, Rosalynn Jaeger, Mindy Rimbey, Jason Mix, Melissa Bigbee, Judi Mayo, Joann Olivas, Alicia Bongen, Joe Giuffre, McKenzie Firth, Lynda Firth, Steve Stermer, Carl Swan, Tony Satej, Steve Dustrude, Brooke Marshall, Maria Kiplinger, Sandra Wattula, Sheryl Ott, and Kim Sullivan of The Springfield News. 2. CONSENT AGENDA - ITEMS FOR ACTION Marty Lenk moved, Tom Atkinson seconded, to approve the following items in the Consent Agenda as specified in the superintendent's recommendations: A. Approval of September 24, 2001 Minutes B. Operations Report C. Board Policies, First Reading It was recommended that the Board of Directors accept the following board policy for first reading, review and discussion: GDL Staff Development Classified Employees (new) D. WET/WELL Project Report E. Personnel Action, Resolution #01-02.023 It was recommended that the Board of Directors approve the personnel action for licensed employees as reflected in the resolution and Addendum #01-02.023(A) as listed below: New Hires Ana Arias Cynthia Sainz Retirement Greg Smith F. Alternative Education Providers, Resolution #01-02.024 It is recommended that the board approve the following in-district programs and private contractors for alternative education services for the 2001 - 2002 year: In-district Programs o Gateways Learning Center (est. February, 1996) Grades 9-12 o SMS Isaac Newton Technology Program (est. September, 1998) Grades 6-8 o Walterville Rural Middle School (est. September, 1998) Grades 6-8 o Goshen Rural Middle School (est. September, 1998) Grades 6-8 o TurnAround School (est. February, 2001) Grades 6-12 Contracted Service Providers o Creative Minds Alternative School Grades 6-10 o Wellsprings-Friends School (ages 13-19) Grades 9-12 o Center for Appropriate Transportation (ages 12-19) Grades 6-12 o Lane Community College (ages 16-19) Grades 10-12 o Pioneer Youth Corps Military Academy Grades 6-10 o Northwest Youth Corps Outdoor School (ages 14-21) Grades 9-12 o Looking Glass: Riverfront School & Career Center (ages 14-21) Grades 10-12 Lane Metro Youth Corps (ages 14-19) Grades 9-12 Intensive Day Treatment-IDT Grades 6-12 o Department of Youth Services: Centennial Education Center (Court School) (ages 11-19) Grades 5-12 Pathways (ages 11-19) VOTE: The motion passed: 5-0. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS None 4. REPORTS and DISCUSSION A. Student Reports Julee Reinhart, Thurston High School student representative, reported on upcoming activities at the school including Spirit Week and Homecoming; a BBQ fundraiser for the THS Stadium; the annual magazine sale kickoff; the SAT and PSAT exams; auditions for the fall musical; the National Honor Society induction ceremony; and a choir concert on October 23. She also reported that the band drum major placed first in a competition held over the weekend; the band placed second; and the color guard placed third in the competition. Ms. Reinhart also reported the THS placed third in the Money for Minds program sponsored by Valley River Center and will receive a check for $1000. Erin Wolff, Springfield High School student representative, reported that more than 800 students attended homecoming this year; ASB sponsored sumo wrestling during Spirit Week; the Rotary Interact Club is volunteering to assist at the Rotary Duck Race on October 13; and the Human Rights Alliance Club is setting up peer mediation opportunities with Minority Community Liaison Oscar Ponce. Ms. Wolff reported that she had received a packet of anti-Islamic hate mail and was working with the Human Rights Alliance to inform other schools about the materials. Other activities at SHS include the SODA Club working with elementary and middle schools to promote an anti-tobacco campaign; band, choir and orchestra students planning a trip to Disneyland the end of May; the DECA fall leadership conference, which will be held in Springfield; and two students have volunteered to translate bilingual announcements. B. Superintendent's Report Superintendent Kent shared a Japanese newspaper containing information about the district's Emergency Procedures Manual. Journalists from Japan and Washington D.C. interviewed Superintendent Kent for the article. Mr. Kent provided information about the Latino conference he attended and will distribute copies of the Latino Youth Project Survey to board members. Mr. Kent also shared information on student enrollment projections and a self-contained student report. With regard to the updated enrollment report, Len Arney commented that classified staff adjustments had been made as well as adjustments to the supply budgets of the schools involved. Judy Land provided a "jet black" perspective of the 2001-03 state budget update, advising that Springfield Public Schools could expect that reductions for 2002-03 could be $900,000 to $2,100,000 based upon the rumors of an expected two-percent reduction across the state. Education is 60% of the state budget, with K-12 education representing approximately 43%. Ms. Land reported that a special legislative session might be called in late spring if the state does not see a correction to the funding forecasts. Ms. Land also provided an overview of the chart Superintendent Kent distributed entitled "A Decade of School Improvement Efforts." Ms. Land said that in spite of declining revenue sources and increasing numbers of students, Springfield School District teachers have pulled together in the last decade to make remarkable improvements in student test scores. Ms. Land also distributed A Then and Now Overview handout depicting the Springfield School District in 1990-91 and 2000-2001. Ms. Land will provide additional information on the number of special education students and how it has changed during the same time period, at a later date. Garry Weber asked that budget committee members be sent a copy of information. Superintendent Kent shared information on the Public Employees Retirement System Actuarial Changes and reported that many employees have made inquiries about how the changes could affect their retirement plans. Roger Jordan reported that there are 157 certified employees ages 50-55, 65 employees between 55-60 years of age, and six employees age 60 or older who are of eligible to retirement. Mr. Jordan said that there are currently eleven employees within the administrative ranks age 52 or older who could retire. Mr. Kent said the district would continue to assist employees in making informative decisions about retirement, but the PERS situation could have a devastating effect on districts throughout the state. C. Board Communication/Reports Board member Garry Weber reported that he attended a number of elementary open houses and is sharing information about Board Goal No. 2 whenever he has the opportunity. Jonathan Light reported that he recently attended the Brattain open house. Jennifer Heiss reported that she had attended the annual ADK Tea last week and Forest Field Day activities with Agnes Stewart students out on the Petersen property. Ms. Heiss asked board members to let her know if they were interested in jointly purchasing a table for the Springfield Chamber/U of O Tailgate Auction. She reported on the OSBA funding taskforce meeting she attended on Saturday where discussions with other boards will continue at the OSBA conference in November. Ms. Heiss also shared that she was able to join Superintendent Kent and Goshen staff in announcing Springfield's 2001 Teacher of the Year, Sheila Goodrich. Ms. Heiss said that she had received a letter from Steve Dustrude, Springfield Education Association President, inviting board members to join the SEA Representative Council at their monthly meetings beginning November 5. Board members indicated their interest in attending. Jonathan Light suggested giving budget committee members copies of the State Funding Report. Marty Lenk reported on the Lane Council of Governments meeting that he recently attended. Mr. Lenk said that he would continue to push education and funding issues that benefit Springfield Public Schools. He shared discussions from the meeting regarding possible cooperative efforts with other Lane County school districts. D. TurnAround School Report Len Arney introduced TurnAround School principal Sheryl Ott and Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant officer Brooke Marshall. Ms. Marshall provided an overview of the three-year Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant, involving students from Bethel, Eugene and Springfield school districts. Other agencies involved in the grant partnership include the Lane County Department of Youth Services, Lane County Department of Health and Human Services, Lane Council of Governments, the University of Oregon's Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior, and the City of Eugene and City of Springfield Police Departments. The three-year federal grant was received from the US Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice. Sheryl Ott provided an overview of the TurnAround School Program and the services it provides with the focus on social and behavior skills to assist students gain the skills they need to return to their home school. Services provided include intake/assessment, referral to existing academic programs, on-site academic remediation, credit recovery and GED preparation, social skills training, drug and alcohol support services, service learning, and transition components. The TurnAround School also serves both breakfast and lunch for the students. Ms. Ott shared that the TurnAround School has not been able to get an occupancy permit, but would get students into the building as soon as the permit is granted. Board members discussed possible solutions to getting the occupancy permit and getting students into the building. Ms. Ott introduced TurnAround School staff who bring varied backgrounds and hail from all over the United States. In response to a question from Jonathan Light regarding the typical transition timeframe for a student to return to their home school, Ms. Ott said an average turnaround timeframe is four months. In response to a question from Tom Atkinson regarding the length of the grant, Ms. Marshall said the grant was originally awarded in the fall of 1999 as a three-year grant. Under the terms of the federal grant the district was allowed a fourth-year, no cost extension. Ms. Marshall said the district would operate during the 2002-03 school year using carryover funds from year three of the grant to operate all of the programs under the initiative. Board members and staff discussed ways to continue the program and secure sustainable funding. Note: Chairman Heiss thanked principals Carl Swan and Steve Stermer, and Professional/Technical Coordinator Lynda Firth for attending the School Board Meeting. E. Research Services RFP Cherie Kistner provided an overview of the process used for the Research Services RFP process in accordance with Board Goal #2, Design and implement an effective stakeholder engagement strategy to achieve high satisfaction ratings and determine Springfield's vision for the future of Springfield Public Schools. Ms. Kistner reported that a pre-proposal conference was held and a review committee meeting was held (this afternoon) to review written responses. Those involved in the review committee meeting were Judy Land, Steve Barrett, Superintendent Kent, Greg James, Tom Atkinson and Cherie Kistner. Tom Atkinson reviewed the selection criteria and discussed the points awarded by the evaluators. Mr. Atkinson shared that it was the review committee's opinion that Scudder & Associates Research was the most qualified of the firms responding to the RFP, with Moore Information as the second choice. Mr. Atkinson said that Scudder & Associates Research did come in higher than what was budgeted and staff would sit down and fine tune the proposal to hopefully bring the cost more in line with the budget. Mr. Atkinson said that Moore Information had a lot of strength and if a final agreement could not be made with Scudder, Moore would be an option. In response to a question from Garry Weber regarding interviewing the firms, Cherie Kistner said that the firms participated in a pre-proposal conference in person or via conference call. Ms. Kistner said this was, in part, to allow the firms an opportunity to clarify the district's scope of the project. The pre-proposal conference also allowed the district to gain a sense for the style of each of the firms. Ms. Kistner said the review committee got a very good idea of each firm's approach from the written proposals submitted. She said that staff would now sit down, fine tune and narrow scope of the proposal, and then enter into negotiations for the amount of contract. In response to a suggestion from Garry Weber that the board interview the top two firms, Judy Land said in order to not jeopardize the RFP process, the district would narrow the scope of the project with the apparent contract winner (Scudder) in order to fall within the budgetary constraints. Scudder & Associates Research would then be advised that should negotiations fail to meet a desired or satisfactory result, the district would then enter into negotiations with the second firm, Moore Information. Ms. Land said the district may clarify in writing what the board's issues are in order to make sure that the firms clearly understand the scope of the project during this negotiations period. Cherie Kistner clarified that the district did not define a budget in the RFP in order to gain the most knowledge about the firms and how they would process the RFP. She said the district would need to enter into negotiations with either firm, and it is a natural phase of the entire process. Jonathan Light commented that there were a number of individuals that were not entirely satisfied with the results of a previous survey commissioned by the board. He reminded board members that Scudder & Associates Research is a local firm, therefore the dollars invested would spin off to the economic benefit of the community. Superintendent Kent clarified that typically the board doesn't get a report or even see an RFP at this point. The board is asked to take action on a bid award after the negotiations phase is completed, for specific criteria at a set price. 5. ACTION ITEMS A. 2001-02 Board Goal Statements, Resolution #01-02.025 It was recommended that the Board of Directors approve the 2001-02 Goal Statements as printed: Goal (#1) In our effort to provide quality educational opportunities for all students, it is our goal to: Create and implement an integrated plan to keep early leavers in our schools; reduce the number of early leavers by 20% by 2003; and use recaptured revenue to sustain programs for early leavers. Goal (#2) In our effort to more effectively engage our community, it is our goal to: Design and implement an effective stakeholder engagement strategy to achieve high satisfaction ratings and determine Springfield's vision for the future of Springfield Public Schools. Goal (#3) In our effort to foster continuous improvement, it is our goal to: Revise the District Improvement Plan by March 29, 2002, assuring it aligns curriculum and contains components geared toward improved student achievement. (Quantitative improvement goals will be included in the District Improvement Plan.) Goal (#4) In our effort to operate more efficiently and foster more involvement from the community, it is our goal to: By January 1, 2002, the board will revise its operating practices for board meetings. New practices will include adjustments to the agenda, more time allowed for the board to discuss strategic issues among themselves and the community. Make use of technology to communicate the board's agenda, goals and focus. Motion: Marty Lenk moved, Garry Weber seconded, for approval; carried 5-0. 6. OTHER BUSINESS Chairman Heiss thanked Paul Haley and Stuart Perlmeter for the wonderful tour of the WET Mobile Lab and information about the WET and WELL projects. 7. NEXT MEETING Chairman Heiss announced the next board meeting would be held October 22, 2001, at the Administration Center boardroom, 525 Mill Street, Springfield. 8. ADJOURNMENT With no other business, Chairman Heiss announced adjournment at 8:57 p.m. Executive Session Board members returned to executive session at 9:04 p.m. to continue discussions in accordance with ORS 192.660(1)(d) Negotiations. Those in attendance included Jennifer Heiss, Tom Atkinson, Marty Lenk, Garry Weber Jonathan Light, Jamon Kent, Len Arney, Judy Land, and Roger Jordan. The executive session was concluded at 9:15 p.m. KL
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Board of Education: Tom Atkinson • Jennifer Heiss • Martin Lenk • Jonathan Light • Garry Weber |
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