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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-16-2017 Minutes Special Meeting & Community Meeting RMMSr -,---.1-WNEV1LLE JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 93 SSM efit. Success bJ,-1�0rve`gri " 3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401 <' (208) 525-4400 A Fax (208) 529-0104 *� www.d93schools.org Dr. Charles J. Shackett, Superintendent Marjean McConnell, Deputy Superintenden, Scott Woolstenhulme, Assistant Superintendent Special Meeting to conduct an Executive Session 6:00 p.m. Community Meeting 7:00 PM Rocky Mountain Middle School 3443 N Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, ID 83406 March 16, 2017 I. Call to Order Chairman Jeff Bird called the meeting to order at 6:09 p.m. II. Roll Call Chairman Jeff Bird Vice Chairman Paul Jenkins Treasurer Amy Landers Trustee Greg Calder Trustee Chad Dance III. Executive Session Present Excused Present connected via phone Present A. Chairman Bird stated that the Board will enter into an Executive Session pursuant to Idaho Code Section 74- 206(1)(b) To consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public school student; and (c) To acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency. The Executive Session will be closed to the public as permitted by law. The Board entered into Executive Session at 6:10 p.m. MOTION: Amy Landers made the motion to enter into executive session for the reasons stated, Chad Dance seconded. The roll call vote was: IV. Roll Call Vote Jeff Bird Yes Paul Jenkins Excused Amy Landers Yes Greg Calder Yes Chad Dance Yes V. Personnel Items - Scott Woolstenhulme A. Employee K2017 has requestedleave without pay to cover 12 days taken in January 2017 for family medical reasons. Discussion from 6:10 p.m. to 6:12 p.m. B. Employee L2017 has received minimal effectiveness on the year's evaluation and it has been recommended that L2017 to be placed on probation. Discussion from 6:12 p.m. to 6:17 p.m. VI. Land Discussion - John Pymm The landowner in which the district bought fourteen acres from in 2007, has offered first take on six additional adjacent acres. The Board advised an appraisal be made on these six acres. Discussion from 6:17 p.m, to 6:28 p.m. Board of Trustees 0 Jeff Bird 0 Paul Jenkins 0 Amy Landers 0 Greg Calder0 Chad Dance Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer Greg Calder arrived at 6:22 p.m. VII. Motion to Move Back Into Oven Meetinq Chairman Bird Asked for a motion to move back into Open Meeting at 6:28 p.m. MOTION: Chad Dance made the motion to move back into open session. Amy Landers seconded. The vote was 4 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions. Motion was carried. VI 11. Motions from Executive Session A. Employee K2017 Decision MOTION: Amy Landers made the motion to approve leave without pay for K2017. Chad Dance seconded. The vote was 4 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions. Motion was carried. B. Employee L2017 Decision MOTION: Greg Calder made the motion to place employee L2017 on probation. Chad Dance seconded. The vote was 4 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions. Motion was carried. Chairman Bird recessed the meeting at 6:29 p.m. and reconvened into: the Community Meeting at 7:00 p.m. IX. Welcome Visitors and Delegations Chairman Jeff Bird welcomed everyone to the Community Meeting, especially all the Boy Scouts. Those in attendance were Superintendent Dr. Charles Shackett, Deputy Superintendent Marjean McConnell, Assistant Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme, Chief Financiall0perations Officer Guy Wangsgard, Director of Maintenance & Operations John Pymm, Energy Education Specialist Don Trauntvein, D93News Samantha Williams, Rocky Mountain Middle School Assistant Principal Thomas Kennedy, Discovery Elementary Principal Ken Marlowe, Discovery Elementary Assistant Principal Shelley Andrus, District Data Analyst Julie Briggs, and Board Clerk Mary Hansen. Others in attendance were Mark Pettet, Michelle Belnap, Maria Mercies, Mistie Loveland, McKayla O'Neill, Adlina Memmott, Bodie Memmott, Lisa Ball, Cheryl Lynch, Scott Lynch, Steven Murphy, Kathy Murphy, Kyle Larsen, Mark Sorenson,.Alisa Moncur, Mary Wilding, Heber Andrus, Shelley Andrus, Edgar Macias, Chris Stacey, Dylan Stacey, Sharla Mann, Malt Teeples, Brent Satherwaite, Heidi Roth, Jodey Grimmett, David Williams, Nathan Williams, Zander Zamora, Timothy Williams, Ronaldo Zamora, and Nick Torman. X. Presentation by District Facilities Committee - John Pymm, Director of Maintenance & Operations Chairman Bird invited John Pymm to present findings from the District Facilities Committee relating to the elementary schools discussion and the increased student growth in the District. Mr. Pymm stated a Facilities Committee was formed to examine the needs in our district as:it.relates to growth and building of future schools. The current options are: First, to move the current 6th graders from the elementary schools to the middle school level and build a third middle school • Second, to build one or more new elementary schools • Third, build additions to four existing elementary schools: Iona, Discovery, Summit Hills, Woodland Hills Mr, Pymm stated that NBW Architects and Headwaters Construction as the CM/GC have already been selected for this project who will advise the district and provide ideas. He handed out a Projected Project Cost sheet for both elementary and middle school options. Projected costs do not increase the tax rate and also includes inflation. XI. Financial Presentation - Guy Wangsgard, Chief Financial Officer Chairman Bird invited Guy Wangsgard to present information from Mark Bird and the District Finance Committee relating to bonding necessary for any additional building for the district to accommodate the student growth in the district. Mr. Wangsgard presented information that answers the questions of what is the bonding capacity that district is now at and what can we can do without raising taxes. Main points were: a Current bond capacity is $34.5 million without raising taxes o Conservative assumptions include 4% market value growth, supplemental levy increase to $5,8 million, and a 17.5 year bond. • Increasing our bonding capacity would require waiting for the market value growth to increase, raising the levy rate, lengthening .the bond terms, or using lower or no -coupon bonds. • Building a middle school is needed due to growth and is the best solution relating to cost. • If 6th graders remain at the elementary level, 1-2 new elementary schools will need to be built. XII. Public Input Chairman Bird invited any patrons to express their suggestions and concerns relating to the increase in student growth in the district. The main topics discussed were: • The district needs to do what's best for kids with less interruption, the better; • Academically and emotionally, long term decisions are better, • Parent concerns that 6th graders will grow up too fast in a middle school environment; • 6th graders are safer and in a more stable environment in an elementary setting; Concerns for special needs students and putting younger students in middle school environment is huge for parents; • Middle school is difficult for special needs students; • The autism programs needs to stay at Discovery elementary; • Moving 6th graders up to middle school will help with the transition for some students; often 6th graders are bored with only one teacher classroom; • Moving 6th grades out of the elementary schools will not alieve the overcrowding in some schools and trailers will still need to be used; • Current middle school students are concerned about the overcrowding in their classrooms; lack of desks, otc.; • When the first bond ran in 2013 was to support the long term planning in the district; however, it was not supported by the community. We are now trying to solve the same problems without spending money to get the schools we need; • If you add all the levy rates on your property taxes from Bonneville school district, it comes to $5.79 per $1,000. This includes all the current bonds. Due to the growth in recent years, our income is exceeding that amount and we are able to service more debt without raising taxes; • The district can bond for a greater amount without a tax increase if growth continues to rise; • Fourteen years ago 62, graders were in the middle schools in the District and were in their separate hallways, with different bell schedules, and maintaining an elementary environment; • Certain extracurricular activities would be separate for 61h graders, such as dances and intermural sports; • The current Rocky Mountain Middle School campus has three buildings used for classrooms and it would be possible to separate the 6th graders from the other students; • Building a middle school first could push off building a new elementary school up to 8-10 years; • A middle school will still need addressed even is a larger elementary school is built; • Every time a new school is built, it will cause boundary changes; • The district cannot guarantee a one-time boundary change with increase growth going on; • If a new middle school is built first, the next new elementary school would be built in the Red Rock subdivision area; • Suggestion to build another middle school and have one school for each separate grade, 6th, 7th, and 8th; • Instead of moving 6th graders to the middle school, it might be best to build two new elementary schools; • There are inefficiencies with the current elementary school designs; • A new elementary school design allowing for growth and additions have been reviewed with the architects and principals; • New elementary school designs allows for more collaborate learning spaces and allows 6th graders to be separate from the older students; • School designs which address the 6th grade student have been reviewed, such as having a homeroom teacher, a separate wing, and separate lunch hours; however, separating 6th graders from older students on the bus would most likely not be possible; • Building a larger 1,000 student elementary school would require increased support staff and would be an area school rather than a community school; • It is important to add an auditorium to the new middle school and would be good for school and community; • If the bond passes in August, a new elementary school would be ready in 2019 or a middle school in 2020; • More busses will be needed as District grows; • Bus routes will need to be addressed, such as designed to fit the boundary changes, taking into consideration economic planning, traffic studies, improved intersections, etc.; • Many parents drive their students due to the lack of supervision on the busses which increases chances for bullying; • Parent traffic will continue to rise if younger students ride with older students, or mixed grade students; • Parents drive for various reasons, such as younger students need to cross busy streets; • Building new schools require the district to do things that are county mandated; • Patrons often have more pull on county commissioners than the school district to address transportation issues; • Recommended to the.board to hold zone community meetings to inform the public about needed school buildings so the public is aware of why it is important to add more schools to the district; • More clear information needed for the patrons when proposing a bond. They need to see the impact and need for additional building; • Putting out a patron survey would bring in greater public input, also including fliers, social media and community meetings. XIII. Adiournment Chairman Bird asked for a motion to adjourn at 8:32 p.m. MOTION: Amy Landers made the motion to adjourn. Chad Dance seconded. The vote was 4 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions. Motion was carried. APPROVED: Chairman ATTESTED: f Clerk Date: � r�i! f