HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-06-2015 Minutes Work Session HHS Student CouncilDr. Charles J. Shackett, Superintendent
3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401 (208) 525-4400 Fax (208) 529-0104 www.d93schools.org
Board of Trustees Annette Winchester Kip Nelson Amy Landers Brian McBride Jeff Bird
Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Marjean McConnell, Deputy Superintendent
Work Session of the Board of Trustees
Performing Arts Center at Hillcrest High School Foyer
May 6, 2015
11:30 AM
I. Welcome Visitors and Delegations
Chairperson Winchester welcomed the following and each student council member to introduce themselves: Jordan Denkers, Kylee Cole, Caitlin Speirs, Ashlyn Oswald,
Mikaila Stevens, Carson Bell, Rydder Driggs, Isaac Child, Michael Morgan, Kaeli Tschikof, Dawson Hill, Alexis Simpson, Marissa Norman, Abigail Pollard, Luke
Schweitisberg, Lexi Websterr, Carson Biddulph, Sarah Pickett, Courtney Cushing, Tyler Kurt Marlowe, Christopher, Lo Ann Belnap, Stephanie Gifford, and Renee Cook
II. Hillcrest Student Council Presentation
Mr. McLaren welcomed the Board and District Office personnel. He recognized Mrs. Crabtree as a great student council advisor. She allows students to do what they
want to do. They wanted to do something to encourage all the kids to participate. The hope was to make a real effort to reach out and touch every kid in some capacity.
The student council gave a personalized note to each of the 1450 students in the school this year. Those things make a difference. They have only had a couple of
physical altercations this year largely because of the student council has done a great job of unifying the school. Mr. McLaren then introduced the studentbody president,
Jordan Denkers. He thanked the Board for coming and they look forward to having lunch with Board and showing what they have been doing this year. He appreciates
the Board and Administration for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with the student council members and listen to their presentation.
The student council went to the governor’s office to take a picture and try to expand their knowledge of government. They recited the Mission Statement that they
created at their student council retreat at Mrs. Crabtree’s cabin last summer. The council also set goals that have positively influenced the school. They have focused on
reaching out to every individual in the school. They thought about they wanted to do this year. They have thought a lot about how to reach out to every individual in the
school and help people feel comfortable at the school. They won the best school award at the 4th of July parade. This activity unified the student council. They felt that
they could not unify the school if they weren’t unified as a student council. On freshman day they worked hard to help the freshman feel comfortable at the school before
everyone else showed up at the school. They also sponsored a Senior Sunrise activity on the first day of school at 6:00 a.m. to help unify the senior class. They then
placed a time capsule by the spirit rock that included the senior’s goals for the year. At the opening assembly they welcomed students back and inaugurated new
teachers. They had a back to school dance that was really a fun dance.
They then talked about new activities since the Board was at the school last fall. Homecoming royalty was chosen and they had 32 floats in the parade as well as a
dance and powder puff football game. They had more girls than ever participate. They had a Civil War car smash and tailgate party where they served free hot dogs to
anyone who wanted one. That was a good way to give back to the students. They also had an assembly and sponsored driveway painting. Hillcrest won the civil war this
year. The council held a new student lunch again this year and invited 124 students. They had a good turnout with 100 students participating. They ate pizza in the
library and music. The student council broke the ice with the new kids with this activity. Sadies this year was a Hawaiian theme. It was informal this year and a lot of fun.
For Christmas Week, the got together and decorated the school on the Saturday after Thanksgiving break and spent four hours to make it look more like Christmas.
They sponsored dress up days the week before Christmas break and served the students hot chocolate during lunch.
Adopt a Family is something they have done for the last couple of years and it is one of the ways they can reach out to the community. The councilors provide names of
families in need and then the Council raises money and then buys presents for these families and delivers them. That is the highlight of being in student council.
Random Activity Wednesday was held once a week and gave students a chance to get involved rather than eating by themselves. They distribute student
appreciation birthday notes that contained a personal message. During finals week they had bubble wrap that focused on parts of school year. The bubble wrap helped
students to get their minds off finals. Finals week treats also helped. They used a #stag with Bonneville. A lot of people participated in sports. The committee reached out
to every team and gave seniors a gift and notes. The Council wrote personal Valentine Letters to every student. This took them about 1 ½ months to complete. They
tried to get to know the individual students. These students have done amazing things this year. There have been many positive comments. The Sweethearts Dance
theme was welcome to New York and was held upstairs. Students enjoyed that activity. The Mr. Hillcrest event is always a good time. They also sponsored a talent show
where students were able to share their unique talents with all the students. The council participated in the Boise Student Council Conference did really well. They were
able to get a lot from motivational speakers and other students. It was a huge unity builder for them. They sponsored a Culture Week where they had a Holocaust
speaker. That was the best speaker they have heard. The clubs did different activities and helped them to become more accepting of students and helped students
become more unified. Brawly ball is an activity where junior and senior boys play volleyball. They had a teacher appreciation activity where they did something to let the
teachers know that they are appreciated. They give a bag of sunshine and individual notes to every teacher, janitor, and lunch lady. They held a picnic lunch the week of
Prom where they distributed Otter Pops to everyone in the school. Prom was held at the Shelton wedding Chapel. The dance was outside but pictures were taken inside.
They set up tents and a dance floor. They wrapped up the year with a bang donating a lot of time, effort, and money. Nick Southwick is the new student body president.
Mr. McLaren state that this has been an amazing year and thanked the student council for learning and good memories. They did reach their highest potential this year.
Mr. McLaren stated that over 100 students wanted to be involved in student council next year. Chairperson Winchester wished the seniors well and let them know how
well they have done. She thanked them for their example and caring about the students. She also thanked the council for letting the Board come to visit with them. It is a
highlight of the year.
I. Call to Order
Chairperson Winchester then called the work session to order at 1:04 p.m.
III. Roll Call
Those Board members in attendance were Chairperson Annette Winchester, Vice-chairperson Kip Nelson, Treasurer Amy Landers, Trustee Jeff Bird was excused and
Trustee Brian McBride. Others in attendance were Superintendent Chuck Shackett, Director of School Improvement and Technology Scott Woolstenhulme,
Communications Liaison Phil Campbell, Director of Human Resources Shalene French, Chief Financial/Operations Officer April Burton, Director of Safe
Schools/Maintenance/Operations John Pymm, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Michaelena Hix, Principal Doug McLaren, Assistant Principal Corey Telford,
Assistant Principal Joshua Haggerty, Student Council Advisor Shauna Crabtree, and Board Clerk Valerie Messick.
IV. Items for Discussion
1. New High School Site Plan Review – John Pymm
Chairperson Winchester asked Mr. Pymm to discuss the New High School Site Plan Review with the Board. Mr. Pymm stated there have been some slight
revisions to the site plan. The second option that split the parking areas answered most concerns with traffic coming in from one direction. There is still work to be
done on the details of the site plan. There is a section as you come off 1st Street that could be sold for the construction of a Seminary Building. The District would
have to sell it to someone who would then be willing to sell it to the church. There are a couple of options that the District could sell. There will be copies of the site
plan available at the Open House this evening. The tennis courts setting at the end of Ladino and the cloverleaf shape for the ball diamonds will answer the traffic
concerns. There was a question regarding how much the plan has changed. The parking areas and the fields have been changed. The District is sincere about
roadway concerns going to Crowley, 1st Street, the efforts to block off Ladino, 9th North and Caribou. The plan for tonight is to put out drawings. It is just an open
house to answer questions. There is no plan to take significant input or to have any votes. We have had three meetings for individuals to make suggestions and to
vote on them. We will note any concerns. That meeting has been posted so a quorum of the Board can be present. Robo calls went out. There will be no formal
presentation, it is just an open house. Chairperson Winchester thanked Mr. Pymm for the information and moved on to the discussion regarding the timeline for
split sessions.
2. Timeline for Split Sessions – Scott Woolstenhulme
Chairperson Winchester asked Mr. Woolstenhulme to discuss the timeline for Split Sessions with the Board. Mr. Woolstenhulme stated that there is an answer to
this question. If the bond passes, we will do everything we can to avoid split sessions. We will at some point we will run out of classroom space for teachers to
teach in. The number of teachers is a function of the number of students. At the high schools, the average is 22 students to 1 classroom teacher. That does not
take into account special education teachers, counselors, athletic directors, psychologists, librarians, certified directors, etc. The state funds the District at 18 to
one (1) for high school teachers. We have used use it or lose it funding that pushes ratio up because smaller school districts get a higher funding average than the
bigger school districts so we will always be above the state average. The key thing is that for every 22 students, we are looking at a high school teacher and we
need a place for that teacher to work with students. Class size is a function of several things. If every teacher were teaching without a preparation period, if you
could equally balance all the kids in the classes, then we would have 22 students per classroom teacher. As soon as we put in preparation periods, that pushes
the class size up to 28 or 29 students per classroom. The teachers agreed to larger class sizes to have an additional prep period. Right now they are teaching 3 of
4 periods as part of our PLC process. If teachers were to teach 7 of 8, it would help class sizes but not enrollment. Whether teaching 7 of 8 or 6 of 8, they are
teaching the same number of students. Teachers took larger class sizes so they could have an extra prep period.
At Bonneville this year, we have roving teachers. Hillcrest has held off because of trailers. They have been able to free up teachers and not require them to rove.
When teachers rove, they have to move when kids move and that is difficult when the schools are 125% over capacity. We will need to isolate teachers into their
subject area classrooms so they have access to needed materials. We have 99 regular classroom areas between our two high schools. We have 22 classrooms in
trailers. There are 12 at Hillcrest and 10 at Bonneville. We are looking at an average of nine (9) roving teachers per school. The theoretical number of roving
teachers is about 12 at each but the realistic number is nine. In 2015 the number in classrooms is 26.
The District is looking at purchasing more trailers. Additional trailers (1 at Bonneville and 2 at Hillcrest) will max out the power supply. The District does not want to
spend money to get more power for additional trailers. There is also no more space to place trailers. With those additions, it should get us up to 2017. That will be
the last year we will be able to push through with roving teachers. By the year 2018 there will be no space for the teachers to teach and we will need to move to
split sessions. If the enrollment increases a lot during one year, we may not be able to make it to 2018. If enrollment spikes, we may not be able to make it to 2018.
The year 2017 will be a difficult year. The number of out of District waivers is a fraction of the problem. Those who have been here for several years are allowed to
continue. The gyms are used 100% of the time and we can get more kids per teacher in that area.
Some classrooms will need to be converted into office space for roving teachers. So, as we add roving teachers, we also need to convert some classrooms to
office space. Bonneville has some spaces that will work but Hillcrest wasn’t designed for office spaces for teachers. Having to use roving teachers will impact
protected intervention time and advisory periods may need to be eliminated. That would be unfortunate because that is a great intervention opportunity. Some
classrooms such as those used for PTE or special education were not included in the number of roving teacher calculations.
This information will be posted on the website. Mr. Woolstenhulme will also try to get information from the county regarding the new developments that are platted
out there and then post that on the website. We need to help the public understand the possibility of growth.
The District has purchased land round the future developments so the elementary schools can be built close the communities they serve. We then put the middle
schools next to the high schools. That is good community planning. We need to answer questions about impact fees on the website. It is against the law and it
needs to be authorized by law. Maybe Mr. Doug Nelson can respond to that question. Because there is no prohibition but it is not authorized. We can only make
projections based on the students we have today and historical developments. The community sees the hallways as the overcrowding issue. But they are only a
part of the problem, there are overcrowded bathrooms, cafeterias, and other commons areas. The lack of classrooms is also part of the problem.
3. Budget Information - April Burton
Chairperson Winchester asked Mrs. Burton to discuss the budget for next year with the Board. The Legislature added 3% to base salaries and increased our
operations or our discretionary funds. We will receive about 5% additional funding. We are funded on our support units which are generated based on our
attendance. Last year, Mrs. Burton projected that we would qualify for 553 support units. With the influx of the Harmony students, we actually qualified for 561
support units. This calculation doesn’t factor in growth. She is predicting the enrollment will 11,700 for next year. We will lose about eight support units with the
loss of Harmony Students. If we can grow 200-250 students next year, we will still qualify for the emergency levy. If we don’t qualify it could impact our contingency
fund.
Chairperson Winchester wondered why a veteran teacher is getting less with the new career ladder concept. With the new career ladder, we get an average
funding based on where our teachers are in their various levels of education and experience. With the new Career Ladder, the District is getting more money. Last
year we received an average base salary of $34,000 and this year it is about $38,000. A new teacher by statute will be paid $32,700. They are still working on how
they can convert the funding into a salary schedule. The purpose of the career ladder is to let teachers move up the salary schedule faster Next year the base
goes up to $33,500 and then every year it is ramped up so that in 2019 a new teacher will start and $37,000. It is the District’s job to figure out how to use the
funding to compensate District teachers. The teachers will move in a cohort group. They are working on creating the salary schedule that is fair. We pay 6% more
than what the stays for our teachers. We will work to get on board and move people to the system. The legislature has increased the funding to attract new
teachers but, right now we don’t have the funding for retention. The plan is to look at the staff overall. We want to make sure everyone is compensated fairly and
will receive an increase. They have visited with other districts to get an idea of what they are doing. It is difficult to project. One of the problems is that they don’t
know how much funding the District will receive. It is a function of reporting people the correct way so we receive full funding. The Board needs to remember that
90% of the District’s budget is salary and benefits. The District is not funded for the classified staff we have. Mrs. Burton wants to get to the point where the
District is not deficit spending and where we are no longer eating into our fund balance. Using our fund balance is how we have survived because of the lack of
state funding. We may not get there this year or next year. She will bring up the budget at every work session until the Budget Hearing that is scheduled for June
10, 2015. T We have also been looking at those retiring and what the average will be when we hire back. There is a concern that with the amount of technology
now, we need to hire so many technicians and the pay is not competitive with the industry. We have had very low turnover in our tech department because of the
benefits for working for a school district. We have paid more for technicians than we have received from the state. The state pays only $19,000 for a full-time
classified employee. We are just not funded for the classified support staff that we have in the District. As we look at our discretionary money, we have to look at
about 3% increase in benefits. Although we get an increase from the state of 3% it does not go all the way across the salary schedule. Unfortunately we need to
make some adjustments. Unfortunately all the large districts in the state lost funding this year. It is hard to compete with a district that has very few students. Boise
School District was the only district that was not impacted by the funding mechanism because they are an independent school district. They are not required to
follow the same rules as everyone else. Mrs. Burton will keep talking about the budget at the work session on the 27th. The budget needs to be finished by the
June 10th Budget Hearing meeting. She will ask Val to post budget reports on Board Book so the Board can decide what reporting options they would like for next
year.
There is $400 additional funding for every teacher who has a bachelor’s plus 24 and for every teacher with a Master’s Degree there is $700 extra. The funding will
ramp up each year until it is $3,000 for a Master’s Degree. That will help with our concurrent enrollment, AP classes, and Dual Enrollment. It will also provide for
the possibility of more Master Teachers. The legislature does not like the salary schedule as it is now because teachers automatically move over and down. They
have condensed it to where teachers are required to meet milestones. If a teacher is not proficient or effective three out of five years, they do not move with their
cohort. We need to decide what a Master Teacher is in our District. The person receives an additional $8,000 per year that goes directly to them. This funding
could be good but we just need to figure out what that is going to look like. The District has the right to create its own schedule even though the state will develop
one as well. Larger districts pay more than the state funds so they can stay competitive. The dilemma is how we can be more competitive so we can retain people.
V. Call for Agenda Items for Upcoming Meetings
Chairperson Winchester asked if any Board Member would like to add any agenda items to an upcoming meeting.
A. High School Site Plan Committee Follow-up Open House Wednesday May 6, 2015 - 7:00 p.m.
B. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - 7:00 p.m.
C. Retirement Open House - Wednesday, May 20, 2015 District Board Room - 3:34 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
D. Work Session - TCHS and BOL Student Councils - Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - District Board Room - 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
E. Technical Careers High School Bonneville Online Seniors Graduation - Monday, June 1, 2015
F. Hillcrest High School Seniors Graduation - Tuesday, June 2, 2015
G. Bonneville High School Seniors Graduation - Wednesday, June 3, 2015
H. District Picnic - Thursday, June 4, 2015 - Bonneville High School Cafeteria - 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
I. Lincoln High School Seniors Graduation - Thursday, June 4, 2015
VI. Executive Session
Chairperson Winchester stated that
She then asked for a motion to enter into executive session for the reasons stated.
MOTION: Kip Nelson made the motion to move into executive session for the reasons stated. Amy Landers seconded. The roll call vote was:
Jeff Bird - Not in attendance (excused)
Brian McBride - yes
Amy Landers - yes
Kip Nelson - yes
Annette Winchester - yes
Chairperson Winchester asked if there were any motions from executive session
MOTION: Amy Landers made the motion to accept the probation of employee E15. Kip Nelson seconded. The vote was 4 to 0 with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions. The motion
was carried
VII. Adjournment
Chairperson Winchester asked for a motion to adjourn at 2:22 p.m.
MOTION: Amy Landers made the motion to adjourn. Brian McBride seconded. The vote was 4 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions. Motion was carried.
APPROVED: ____________________________________________
Attested: ______________________________________________
Date: ______________________