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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-30-2022 Minutes Special Public Input MeetingDr. Scott Woolstenhulme, Superintendent 3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401  (208) 525-4400  Fax (208) 557-6800  www.d93schools.org Board of Trustees  Chad Dance  Paul Jenkins  Greg Calder  Carissa Coats  Randy Smith Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer Special Public Input Meeting March 30, 2022 8:00 PM Bonneville HS/Little Theater 3165 E Iona Road Idaho Falls, ID 83401 I. Call to Order Chairman Dance called the meeting to order at 8:03 p.m. II. Roll Call Paul Jenkins present Greg Calder present (via phone) Carissa Coats present Randy Smith present Chad Dance present Others in attendace were Superintendent Woolstenhulme, Jason Lords, Executive Director of Learning and Instruction, Heath Jackson, Executive Director of Planning and Personnel, Guy Wangsgard, Chief Financial Operations Officer, Ben Parker, Principal at Discovery Elementary, Cara McCartney, Principal at Bridgewater Elementary, Jason Curtis, Principal at Iona Elementary, Phil Campbell, Director of School Public Relations and Communications, Dr. Yvonne Thurber, Director of Special Education, Nicki Pack, Principal at Cloverdale Elementary, Tina Orme, Principal at Falls Valley Elementary, Barbara Simpson, Alycia Birch, David Oliver,Terri Oliver, Darren Birch, Rebbeca Sommers, Jordan Cummings, and Samantha Williams, Board Clerk. III. Approve/Amend the Agenda (Action Item) MOTION: Paul Jenkins moved to approve the agenda. Carissa Coats seconded. Motion carried. IV. Discussion Items A. Proposed FY23 Boundary Changes and ERR Expansion Presentation. Chairman Dance invited Superintendent Woolstenhulme to present to the Board the FY23 Boundary Changes and the ERR Expansion proposals to the Board. Dr. Woolstenhulme reiwed the proposed plans to the Board with some revisions to the original boundary change proposal. He stated the reason for the reivision was to get us to a new elemenatry school without having to make any changes which was one concern the district had with the original proposal. Dr. Woolstenhulme continued on with the presentation by discussing the proposed ERR program locations which were as follows: • Expand (and move) Extended Resource Rooms o 3 elementary schools with 3 dedicated classrooms o Elementary programs will align with middle school and high school ERR programs o Shortened bus rides for students o Susatined peer groups through middle school and high school ▪ Bridgewater Elementary – Rocky Mountain Middle School, Bonneville High School ▪ Cloverdale Elementary – Black Canyon Middle School, Thunder Ridge High School ▪ Mountain Valley – Sandcreek Middle School, Hillcrest High School 2 • FY23 Boundary ChangeProposal (about 115 students) o Berkley Park / Hatch Hollow Iona to Discovery ▪ North of Iona Road ▪ South of Telford Road (49th N) ▪ West of Crowley (45th E) ▪ East of Canal o Proposal revision is bussing a small portion of the Berkley Park neighborhood, (currently under construction) and the northwest corner to Falls Valley. The reality is the Iona corridor schools are full. Falls Valley has classroom space and the GATE program will be relocated to Sandcreek Middle School. By doing this, we will no longer have to move Pinewood/Applewood from Summit Hills to Falls Valley. Superintendent Woolstenhulmne concluded his presentation by explaining that families with currently enrolled students may submit an open enrollment form from April 15th - April 30th. New students will not automatically be granted approval for open enrollments. Bus routes will only run to the new schools. Families who open enroll will need to provide their own transportation. V. Chairman Dance stated that pursuant to Board Policy #4105 Public Participation in Board Meetings, Public Input shall be held to a maximum of (90) min and will provide an opportunity for any Board Member, administrator, staff member, student, or patron to raise issues of interest. The Board will receive such input without comment, except to ask germane questions of those speaking. Comments should be limited to three (3) minutes. The Board will take no action relative to any items during the meeting unless on the agenda but may direct the Superintendent to consider such items at a subsequent meeting. Barbara Simpson, Idaho Falls, ID – Ms. Simpson asked via Facbook comment if the district could consider adding a third DRR classroom at Summit Hills Elementary Schools that is ERR/DRR medical program. Superintendent Woolstenhulme enswered by saying the district can always consider thngs. However, logistically due to staffing, adding a third classroom would be challenging. The number of teachers the district hires tightly follows the allocation from the state. The district d oes not have a large enough supplemental levy to hire extra teachers. We are really beholden to when it comes to the number of teahchers that we hire. The second issue with adding a third classroom is not having the classroom space. A third issue is the need. Currenly we do not have any students who qualify for both services. Alicia Birch, Ammon, ID – Ms. Birch is concerned about the ERR expansion proposal. She has a special needs student and she is really concerned about the services that her students will not receive if she is not at Summit Hills. Ms. Birch is also very concerned about transportation issues. Ms. Birch expressed some concerns on how many times the special programs students get moved. Summit Hills was built with these kids in mind and is concerned that Cloverdale will not be able to support these kids medically. Dr. Woolstenhulme explained that the district knows that there will have to be some renovations to support the needs of these students. We are hoping to have the rooms ready before the FY23 school year. Dr. Thurber, Special Education Director and Nicki Pack, Principal at Cloverdale Elementary are currently working with the district to make sure these classrooms will support the needs of the DRR students. David Oliver, Idaho Falls, ID – Mr. Oliver stated that his question or comment was clarified in Superintendent Woolstenhulme’s opening remarks. Jordan Cummings, Idaho Falls, ID – Ms. Cummings concern is what the long-term effect of the proposed boundary changes, more specifically busing students to Falls Valley? Superintendent Woolstenhulme expressed that the district is not a fan of creating islands in school boundaries. We have property in that square mile adjacent to the area for a new elementary school. If our patrons will support a bond, this boundary change will be a relatively short-term solution. Hopefully two to three years is what the district is looking at. If a bond is not supported, we know that Falls Valley has not had a lot of growth in their boundary so those kids would not have to move again and again it would be more long-term. That is if a bond is not supported. Rebecka Sommers, Idaho Falls, ID – Ms. Sommers needed some clarification on the boundary for the proposed boundary change. More specifically with the change of Iona Elementary students to Discovery Elementary and how many kids that this move will affect. Superintendent Woolstenhulme clarified the boundary to Ms. Sommers. 3 Darren Birch, Idaho Falls, ID – Mr. Birch’s grandchild is a student in the ERR program at Summit Hills elementary. They are very happy with the services at Summit Hills. He expressed that change is very hard for his grandchild. The children bond, and this type of move would be very disruptive to his grandchild.Dr. Woolstenhulme really expessed that these concerns be brought up and discussed with their case managers and in IEP meetings. Chairman Dance asked Superintendent Woolstenhulme to give a brief summary of the proposals. Dr. Woolstenhulme again explained the ERR move/expansion proposal and the FY23 boundary change with rivisions to the board and to the public. VI. Call for Items for Upcoming Meetings Chairman Dance asked the Board for any upcoming agenda items for upcoming meetings. Hearing none, he asked for a motion to adjourn. VII. Adjournment MOTION: Carissa Coats moved to adjourn. Randy Smith seconded. Motion carried. Chairman Dance adjourned the meeting at 9:09 p.m. APPROVED: ______________________________________ Chairman ATTESTED: _______________________________________ Clerk DATE: ___________________________________