The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About07-29-2020 Minutes Special 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  Amy Landers  Chad Dance  Greg Calder  Paul Jenkins  Scott Lynch Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer Special Meeting July 29, 2020/7:00 PM Hillcrest High School/2800 Owen St/Ammon, ID 83406 1. Call to Order Chairman Amy Landers called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. She welcomed all in attendance - patrons, parents, community. She recognized the Board, Doug Nelson, District Legal Counsel, and District Administration Superintendent Dr. Scott Woolstenhulme, Executive Dierctors Heath Jackson and Jason Lords. Others in attendance were Community Relations & Communications Phil Campbell, D93News Samantha Williams, Hillcrest Theater Manager Adrian McCracken, Board Clerk Mary Hansen. 2. Roll Call Chad Dance present Greg Calder present Paul Jenkins present Scott Lynch present Amy Landers present 3. Action Items A. Approve/Amend Agenda MOTION: Greg Calder moved to approve the Agenda. Paul Jenkins seconded. Motion carried. 4. District Report A. School Reopening Plan Parent & Staff Feedback Chairman Landers invited Dr. Scott Woolstenhulme to present the District report. Dr. Woolstenhulme expressed his appreciation for all the input and contact by patrons and community. He expressed his appreciation for teachers who took on remote instruction this last spring. He reviewed moving into summer with reopeining with summer school. He stated that the proposed reopening plan for the 20-21 school year has taken three months of many meetings, research and following the Eastern Idaho Public Health (EIPH) and CDC guidelines as required by Idaho Code 39- 419. The District reopening plan includes a four phase plan. Key points of the reopening plan are: • Moderate to cirtical risk levels are determined by EIPH. • Mondays will be an online learning day for students and collaboration day for teachers. • Anyone tested positive will be quarentined for 14 days; students will receive online instruction. • Special Education students will be addressed on individual basis. • Students will be grouped alphbetically. • Masks and social distancing are key factors throughout all phases. • Five-percent budget cut from state will stretch funding for technology devices for student use for online learning. • EIPH set the numbers of active cases as it relates to the four phases. • The district’s reopening plan follows both EIPH and CDC guidelines. • Purpose of Monday collaboration time is for lesson planning for blended learning and teaching strategies. • Students under the age of 10 are at low risk; however, concern for staff and teachers is fundamental for effective instruction and learning processess. • IHSAA sports and extracurricular activities will continue up to Phase 4 with specific guidelines for participants, coaches, and spectators. 2 5. Discussion Item A. Proposed Changes to Reopening Plan Chairman Landers invited Dr. Scott Woolstenhulme to present changes to reopening plan. Dr. Woolstenhulme reviewed through the proposed changes to plan – • Masks required in all phases where social distancing is not able to be maintained; exceptions would include students with disabilities or certain health contitions. If parents refuse to have children wear masks, they will be encouraged to enroll in our online programs. • Students will attend school every day in Phases 1 and 2 with staggered lunch periods; Mondays will be remote online instruction and learning only. • Phase 3 students will attend on an alternating day schedule creating three online instructional and learning days; sport events will not include spectators. • Back-to-school event will be morved to August 31st, starting in mid afternoon. • Desk Shields will be placed at all public facing office spaces. • School based online learning strategies will be available to parents. • Grade 7 and grade 9 students only will attend on August 31st in the morning as currently planned. 6. Public Input Pursuant to Board Policy #4105 Public Participation in Board Meetings. Public Input shall be held to a maximum of 1 hour 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, but may direct the Superintendent to consider such an item at a subsequent meeting. To submit an online public input comment, please use this form: https://d93schools.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aq3yaA7JiU89Bb • Kevin Kempf, BHS Head Football Coach - spokesperson for the “Yes to Fall Sports” group expressed his appreciation to the administration for continued support for high school sports and activities. • John Landers, Clinical psychologist – He stated the number of adolescents with depression and suicidal tendencies is higher than COVID-19 numbers; 3% of high school students attempt suicide. It is important for these at risk students to feel connected and worthwhile by being in the classroom or involved in sports/activities. Suicidal numbers will rise if schools are closed. (Ken Marlowe is acting as the social-emotional administrator to help both staff and students with concerns during this pandemic) • Scott Miller, HHS Principal – Rumors are false! School sports will continue!! • Quinn Thibodeau – Expressed gratitude to district administration. He asked how moving from phase to phase will be coordinated. (The EIPH will convene to determine change in phases after three consecutive days; shortest time in a phase is two weeks) • Ryan Bezzant - Due to budget shortfalls and increased expenses, he recommended to reach out to the community for volunteer support, for tutoring and help after hours, etc. • Katy Chambers – She likes the revisions to the plan. Her children want to be at school with their teachers; she is concerned for the underperformance in their learning due to online schooling. Teachers have accountability to their students in Phase 3. • Dr. Katie Liljenquist - Since testing is not always accurate, numbers should be determined by those who are hospitalized or have died vs. active cases. There are many other health conditions that affect children, not just COVID-19, such as parental leadership, social development, mental health, depression, parents working, increase of abuse. Do not mess up one generation by focusing on just one health concern. • Dr. Kelly Anderson, Pediatrician - Closing schools in the spring lowered all infectious diseases, but has increased since reopening. This disease will spread and emotional health concerns, as well. Get kids back to school – it is the best for kids. • Shandee Browning - Thank you for having your best interest in our children. She expressed concerned for what is to become of our kids, concerned for future of children and if capable to meet state requirements or standards. She does not feel confident to teach her kids and inquired for options for parents trying to teach at home. (The 3 district provides many online teaching programs available to parents to help support at-home curriculum) • Mike Hansen - He expressed concern about depression; kids need school to keep them busy. What are the plans for curriculum in Phases 3 & 4 and for online instruction? (Mondays will provide extra time for teachers to prepare for the mixed curriculum in class and online) • Whiney Lewis, Junior student – On track to earn her Associates of Arts degree and in order to earn credit for French will need to travel to another school. She asked about distance learning program to help prevent spread of disease. (Distance learning will be an option at all high schools this year) • Andrea Steffensen – Let us have meaningful volunteer activities for parent involvement! (Volunteers are essential – one way to help alleviate over crowded busses and congested parking lots is to have more kids walk or ride bicycles to school) • Alisa Bitner - Kids are important; miscommunication with masks will be challenging. Parents need access to common core curriculum in order to teach our students at home. • Margaret Anderson – She questioned wearing masks vs. clear shields. Loss of facial and body language. Could shields be available for all staff and students, cleaned daily and reused? • Scott Daly – Wearing masks make it hard to hear and understand what is being said. Community is willing to help, but is up to the admin and board. • Julie Smith, District teacher – She likes the new changes and supports plan. Teachers have been learning this summer how to teach children better online. Teachers want to be with their students; connections are important and provide safety for students. Online instruction takes so much more time to prepare quality lessons for students. Elementary teachers need a lot of preparation time. 7. Action Items Reopening Plan 2020-2021: Dr. Scott Woolstenhulme, Superintendent The board expressed their appreciation for emails and comments and attendance tonight; it is important to have kids in school. Questions from the board were answered. James Corbett, from EIPH, explained how and why the numbering system is used. The figure includes active, hospitalized cases and ICU cases. Active cases are still contagious. Currently 5% of active cases will be hospitallized, with 1% in ICU. The reported cases are only Bonneville County cases and all hospitalized cases are Idaho residents. Current cases are within the last ten days; continued research will change the metrics of the desiase. The EIPH is concerned for all diseases, not just COVID- 19. Reducing the spread is the key and to present increase of cases. District Counsel, Doug Nelson stated that is unlawful for the district not to follow public health orders/guidelines. The district’s insurance does not cover pandemics if a claim is made; the legislature is meeting to define additional sheilding for liability claims. CDC guildelines for school closure is for 24 hours when a positive case is reported; sports will be cancelled, too. Volunteering in schools will be discussed in upcoming meetings. More parents and people in schools could increase chances for spreading the disease. There would be more instructional time lost if Fridays were the collaboration day for teachers and online for students. Masks in Phase 1 are encouraged, not mandated. MOTION: Paul Jenkins moved to approve the Proposed Reopening Plan for the 2020-2021 school year as presented. Chad Dance seconded. Motion carried. 8. Discussion Items A. Levy Rate Planning Chairman Landers invited Guy Wangsgard to present infomation on Levy Rate Planning. Mr. Wangsgard reviewed the bond defeasance and analysis. The district’s current levy rate of $5.80 per $1,000 and the assumed market growth rate of 17% increases the levy amount over the maxium required by Idaho Code 33-802A. The district has two options to address the accumulated bond funds: budget to utilize the reserves in the next few years and decrease the district’s levy rate below the current rate of $5.80 per $1,000 or utilize the reserves to pay off bonds when they mature through defeasance and continue to levy at the currernt rate of $5.80 per $1,000. Defesance funds are kept in an escrow account for the purpose of paying off bonds as they mature in the future. This escrow account will make all interest and principal payments and the district would no longer required to make payments on the defeased bonds from levy revenue. When the defeasance period is over, the district is not liable to pay the remaining bonds because funds have been set aside in the escrow account to pay the outstaning bond debt. The 4 defesance would allow the district to pay down existing debit that matures in the future with exisitng bond funds rather than lower the levy rate to make current bond payments. Timing is favorable now to lower the levy rate due to market value growth. Many other districts have lowerd their levy rates as market value growth has risen. The two choices are for the district to lower levy rate to $4.98 per $1,000 or defease bonds at the current $5.80 per $1,000. The decrease in the levy rate could lower property taxes by $150 on average per year. The board will take action on this issue in the August 12, 2020 meeting. 9. Action Items – Action was postponed to another meeting. A. Facility Committee B. Financial Committee 10. Call for Items for Upcoming Meetings A. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, August 12, 2020 - Thunder Ridge HS - 7:00 p.m. B. Work Session - Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - Thunder Ridge HS - 11:30 a.m. C. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, September 9, 2020 - Thunder Ridge HS - 7:00 p.m. D. Work Session - Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - Thunder Ridge HS - 11:30 a.m. Adjournment Chairman Landers adjourned the meeting at 10:26 p.m. MOTION: Chad Dance moved to adjourn. Scott Lynch seconded. Motion carried. APPROVED: ______________________________________ Chairman ATTESTED: _______________________________________ Clerk DATE: ___________________________________