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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-20-2013 Minutes_Work_SessionDr, Charles J,oackeuSUpenmondent wmrreanwcC^nelf, Deputy Superintendent Wednesday, November 20, 2013 11:30 AM i Call to Order Chairperson Winchester called the meeting k/ order adU:3Oam. Roll Call Those Board members in attendance were Chairperson Annette Winchester, Vice-chairperson Kip Nelson, Trustee Jeff Bird, Trustee Brian McBride, and Treasurer Arny Landers. Others in attendance were Superintendent Chuck Shackett Deputy Superintendent Marjean McConnell, Curriculum and Instruction Director Michaelena Hix, Director of Plant Facility and Purchasing Roger Hill, Director Shalene French, Chief Financial/Operation Officer April Burton, School Improvement and Technology Director Scott Woolstenhulme, Principal Steven Cziep, Computer Technicians Creighton Harris and Clifton Weight, and Community Relations Liaison Wendy Norman. Ui Welcome Visitors and Deleqa8nna Chairperson Winchester wobmnod. Renee Cook, Tammie MoCommon. Karla Harris, and Justin Harris. Chairperson Winchester asked Mr, Cziep to share some of the great things happening at Falls Valley Elementary, They had 123 students with perfect attendance this first quarter and 89 students on the honor roll ingrades 4-6. They hosted e family movie night and silent auction and raffle this fall and made two to three thousand dollars. They held a canned food drive for the local veteran's home where they donated 1000 cans of food, The book drive was combined with a literacy night and book exchange where every student was able to take a book home and extras were donated to the Haven. During PLC Ume, Mr. Czimp talked bo the teachers about the importance of building relationships with kids. He reported that everything is running smoothly. In Star Testing, the students are averaging +10 in reading and+12 in math. Dr. Shackett stated that he has heard success stories of teachers understanding data and becoming excited about it, Mr. Cziep responded that they talk about it weekly everyone understands that they need data to understand where the Student is functioning. Teachers need |o monitor and see if Students are progressing ornot. Mm, McConnell stated that she attended e PLC meeting aiFalls Valley where teachers were talking about their goals and whether they or the kids are achieving those goals. She saw reinvigorated teachers who were looking at goals and knowing where they are going and how they are going to attain thern. There was equestion regarding whether the parents get involved. Some dnand some don't. K( Items for Discussion A. Finalize Bond Committee Namea and Pumoseof the Committee Chairperson Winchester asked Dr. 8hmcke#to update the Board on the process, D/. Shackedohated that he is trying io get two people from each zone, The committee's job will be to help patrons understand what we are doing, raise eeomneao, and get people out to vote. There was a question regarding whether we want this group to participate in the school design. The Board's direction was to open it up to the community and allow them a say in what they want to see in the schools. That input will gobo the architects and then they can work on the design. Mr. McBride stated that people went the buildings to be complete and ready to expand if needed in the future. Chairperson Winchester stated that expanding often costs more money. We need the committee hxsell the bond. We need to let the committee meeting |obeopen to the public and run by the architects ao patrons can voice their opinions, We need bn involve the high aohon| principals. D/. 8hackettn\aied that we need to wait until about five weeks before the election before we promote the election, We may get together iu December and we will need two hoard members at that meeting, The committee will be used to get the word out. We can't use District employees or money to promote the bond. If the committee opts to use money, they will need to raise it. We have tremendous support from parents. However, we don'( have a sense of the support from older patrons and bigger land owners. There was discussion about the possibility of Board of Trustees Annette Winchester Kip Nelson Amy Landers 0 Brian McBride 0, Jeff Bird running e telephone survey. Other districts pulled voter lists from the County hz generate names hcall. Survey monkey will send out automated Calls using Superintendent Shackett's voice. The intent is to keep it short and hopefully get a better sense ofCommunity support. Mr. Bird asked what is planned in the budget, We should be able hdn what wo need bodo. We should be able to construct the main building for $36 million. Then the rest of the estimated $52 million would be used b/du the outside uf the building. We need hobe careful and make sure patrons are educated. There was discussion regarding who would head the committee, Usually Mr. Hill and Dr, Shackett head the committee and then ask one of the patrons hobe the representative. We will organize the meetings and the spokesman will bobefore the camera. We need to involve teachers and administrator and get feedback on the necessities, We need hz open that discussion b everyone aewell. B� HiQh School/ Middle School Visits - Royo H0 Tomorrow will be the first day ofvisits, We will meet rd Rigby High School sd8:3Oam. Bateman Hall and the principal will show the school and hold a question and answer meeting until 11:3Oam. We will gok/ lunch sdApp|ebao'sthen to Madison High School at 1:00 p.m. Principal Mike Bennett will conduct the tour. They may have facility people available to answer questions. There was discussion regarding when the Board would be available to tour Middleton High School, Rocky Mountain High Sohon|, Heritage Middle School, and Lone Star Middle School. Mr. Hill will check nn December 1G-i7 and will send am invitation Out in Outlook, These schools' plans are the same ae many schools that are being built in the area. We will need a list of names and positions nf people who will b*visiting. We will need k/ let them know about wheel chair access. There was some dioounuionon travel arrangements. We will probably rent a couple of cars. That will ba the most 000numina| way to travel. Mr. Hill needs a |ioi of names and positions of those who will be visiting en he can email them hoDr. Bosh. Mr. Hill stated that he will be advertising the request of qualifications for architects in paper tomorrow. He should receive information by December. HewiUAnthnmghtheinformetionwithhis committee and have arecommendation aoh who the architects will boat the January regular Board Meeting. BuiNinqOpUonoPmoeooendTlneUnev - Aph|Budon Mrs. Burton reported that she has Put together atimeline based on information wa have talked about today. iiwill change along the way. The request for qualification will bo post in the Post Register on November 21u and 28m. We will doing the phone poll nn 2nd —20m. We are still in the process of putting that together. Three ioa Board meeting in December and right now there is nothing that we will be discussing with regard to the bond. There is no work session scheduled in January. Maybe we need one prior k/ the January regular meeting xoupdate the Board on Our phone poll and finalize projects to be included in the bond and what we need to have in the bond question. We still will boworking nn pricing for the bond. We have preliminary idea of the cost. We will most likely put items in the question that we may not be able huafford, We need to put them in the question so if we have excess money, we will be able to use the funds for those long term upgrades and projects we have been talking about. The timeline goes through process of what the district will do and deadlines that are required by the onunty regarding the election, Mm. Burton indicated that we need cottage and public ineetings about five weeks out. She has not included specific dates. It also indicates some of the absentee voting requirements. Committee will rneet with neighborhoods and have public informational meetings. The date of the election is on March 11, 2014. If the bond passes, we will then get into the design of the secondary schools. The bond financing will happen in March, April, and May. Ansoon as bond paoo*n. Erin Heringerwi|| put plans together hz move forward. We will then Put together Our offering to send Out to perspective buyers. The rating we receive tells the market how strong we are in paying back Our debt. Typically the chairperson, Mrs. Burton, and the Superintendents Duto this rating meeting in San Francisco. Mr, Lords was great ai this. Hoin very knowledgeable and can speak well ho the subject, The rating affects the ability sell bonds. We can bring him along because ha really knows how to speak h the questions. Mr. Hehngeraod his group puts together the information that helps uatell the story uf ouroommunity.Thobnudaa|ehappwnoinMuy.Thedooumon\a|ouindudaabiddingandanUcipatedconekouUon dates. The school should ba able b/bnommpiedin the fall of2017. Mr. McBride asked how the builder and architect work together, Ha wanted to know how *e find a balance between the architect and the builder. We don't have o builder until the bids are awarded and then we have monthly construction meetings, They email back and forth if there are questions aawell. Mm. Burton reviewed the new analysis put together by Piper Jaffrey. We are using $02 million bond amount to do calculations, There are three options as in the past. A 20, 25, and 30 year bond option. They add about a%point variance depending on what has happened in the past and using their models. You can also see the true interest costs ea well. For a20 year bond, it would Cost Our patrons all additional $15.G7 monthly uwo taxable market value of $100,000, It is important that we focus on the taxable value and not the assessed value. We need ha look a| the costs per acre for landowners. Wedo have a meeting set for January 24met noon kz discuss the bond with the Farm Bureau. /dleast the chairman should beat the meeting and one other board mamber,|f more than two Board members attend, we will need hopost the meeting. Mm. Burton then discussed the District's future debt oapaohy. With enogrowth assumption, in 2O14we could bond for an additional $8 million with the pay down of our debt, |o2O15,wa would have the capability of$13 million with a20 year bond. So, there is some ability to build later based on these assumptions, Chairperson Winchester asked about our Current growth rate, |tiaabout zero, We have been under >6 percent. This ioa conservative projection o/whemwe will be. Mrs. Burton then discussed a presentation from |SB&Uisa blueprint for building oschool. We will use the material as o reference point. We have been building for many years. This gives unan idea of what it takes toput together agreat building. Many districts are building the same plan and making internal changes. We can possibly increase the capacity by changing their schedule. Chairperson Winchester explained that it will be interesting for the Board to see the western high schools and what options are available and that make sense. Mrs. Burton will keep updating these documents and will work on a place to access information that is updated electronically. Chairperson Winchester wanted (o know if the Board knows where woare going. Mr. McBride asked Jwe are set un the $92 million, There was discussion regarding whether we can pass a resolution that asks for Lip to $92 million. That type of question would give Lis some latitude. There was discussion regarding when we will know how much the high school will actually cost. We will have estimates based oil current construction as soon as we have architects on board. There is wiggle roorn in the estimates because there are contingencies built in for unknowns. A lot of things call vumeup. Mr. MoBhde'a concern ia the legality nf the amount in the bond. We need tobe transparent and ask for what we need. Mr. Hill ia reasonably comfortable that $4S—$SO million will dn everything we need for the new high school. During the 10 — 12 month design period, we will finalize what we want, Then when we go out to bid, the architects will let us know what they expect the design will come in at. If the estimate looks high, we can do add alternates so if we don't have enough money when the bid comes in, we don't include them. If we do have enough money we will include them. Rigby did a hard dollar bid like we do. Madison did a construction management (CM) bid. They are still involved in law Suits. VVe have never gone that route and wedon't think wm want b»doso. Mr. Nelson wondered if doing the CM bid Would save the District any significant annount of money. It cost more because the CM generally takes most of the money. Then the school district Could have multiple contracts with the Subcontractors. Chairperson Winchester indicated that oil big projects like this we need to stay with the hard dollar bid process. There was some discussion Oil the bond term. Chairperson Winchester asked Mrs. Messick |o schedule a work session for Wednesday, January 8, 2814at11:30 o.m.in the Board Room to finalize the bond question for the January 1Smmeeting, Chairperson Winchester asked J any Board member had any other questions or concerns. Hearing none, she asked Dr. Shackett to speak about the scheduled legislative luncheon, D. LeqislativoLunchmmAnendm — ChuckShacketi Dr. Shackett stated that on December 4, 2013 we will sponsor the 5th annual Legislative Luncheon Meeting, We have invited all elected officials in the area. It is scheduled froin 11:30 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. We have also invited District 01but, only five people are able to attend because of a conflict This a Board run meeting where we brag about the District and then dialogue with legislators, This a great way to get to know the elected officials and hit Up Our legislators before they go to Boise. They will ask Lis questions as well. We will get information oil hot topics. You can ask them any questions you want. This a much better venue for You to interact with the legislators. Chairperson Winchester explained that the Board members never sit ot the namo table during this meeting, That arrangement facilitates more interaction with mayors and legislators, Dr. Shackett explained that we will move this to the Technical Careers High School. Mrs. Messick will schedule TCHS for December 4, 2013. Chairperson Winchester stated that it Would be nice to have these in the schools in the future. She asked that we invite student body presidents to present at tile meeting and let legislators know what Our issues are, This is more productive than the Day on the Hill because we interact with our local officials, They need to get the feeling for Our individual districts. V. Board Traininq Communication Protocol and Board Unity — Valerie Messick Chairperson Winchester asked Mrs. Messick to go over the PowerPoint Presentation with the Board Members, Mrs. Messick stated the information was obtained from ISBA publications, Board Policy, and information from Attorney Doug Nelson's presentation to the Board at their retreat in July. The Board discussed information regarding the Board's job, the individual mernbers'job, protocol for communication with the public and staff, the chain of command, and Board unity once a decision has been made by the Board. Chairperson Winchester asked for agenda items for upcoming meetings. VI. Call for Aqenda Items for Upcominq Meetinqs A, Legislative Luncheon - Wednesday, December 4, 2013 — Technical Careers High School - 11:30 a,m. - 2:30 p B. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 7:00 p.m. C. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 7:00 p.m. D. Work Session - Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - Summit Hills Elementary Media Center - 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p..] VII. Adjournment Chairperson Winchester asked for a motion to adjourn at 2:40 p.m. MOTION: Jeff Bird made the motion adjourn. Amy Landers seconded. The vote was 5 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions, Motion passed.