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<br />3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401 (208) 525-4400 Fax (208) 529-0104 www.d93schools.org
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<br />Parent Meeting
<br />Falls Valley Elementary Media Center
<br />April 3, 2013
<br />5:30 PM
<br />I. Call to Order
<br />Chairman Lords called the meeting to order at 5:33
<br />11. Roll Call
<br />Those Board members present were Chairman Craig Lords, Vice-chairman Annette Winchester, and Trustee DeVere Hunt. Others in attendance were Principal Toni
<br />Gauchay, teacher Rod Rapp, Chief Financial and Operations Officer April Burton, Curriculum Director Michaelena His, Human Resources Director Shalene French, Deputy
<br />Superintendent Marjean McConnell, Health and Safety Coordinator Guy Bliesner, ESL Coordinator Lance Robertson, Superintendent Chuck Shackett, and Board Clerk
<br />Valerie Messick.
<br />III. Welcominq Visitors and Deleciations
<br />Jen Pena, Lynnette Ball, Yvonne Moeller, Amy Landers, Kyle Bailey, Alison Rydalch, Danielle Wells, Cindy Broonley, Scott Rydulch, Molly Barfuss, Mike Bowman, Katie
<br />Burgness
<br />IV. Parent Discussion
<br />Chairman Lords stated that we are here to talk about what is happening. We are adding a new elementary in the District. It will open in August. We have added six
<br />elementary schools in eight years. He explained that the District has increased by 3000 students but has been cut by $7 million from the state.
<br />Chairman Lords introduced Valerie Messick, Annette Winchester, Dr. Shackett, and DeVere Hunt, He stated that board members are elected by zones. They volunteer time
<br />their time and are interested their children, their grandchildren, and patrons children. He stated that he has lived in same home for 45 years and his children attended split
<br />sessions and four or five different schools. He asked those present to keep their remarks brief and the Board and administration will try to respond.
<br />Ms. French stated that the green map change will be discussed at Rocky Mountain this evening at 7:00 p.m. The administration took input from the online survey and the
<br />public hearings. Over 900 people completed the survey. The blue map was most liked.
<br />We want to meet with the Falls Valley folks because Mr. Gauchay will be the principal of the new school and the school will be impacted. Ivan's Acers and Woodbridge
<br />neighborhoods will go to the new school. We will have to bus about 70 students across Hitt Road, There are some people wanting those two neighborhoods to stay at Falls
<br />Valley, Others stated that they support the change and are happy to leave the school. There was appreciation for doing what is best for students. There was concern that
<br />students may need to move again. There was concern about class size with 550 students in Falls Valley. The concern included possible large class sizes and the possibility
<br />of leaving empty classrooms. The response was that the average class size is 23 — 25 students, Falls Valley has the biggest capacity and we will be hiring more teachers to
<br />keep a ratio of 2011 for every school. The average is over the whole school. Some grades may have higher classes sizes and some smaller. There was concern about
<br />support for student with IEPs. We will make sure they receive the support they need. The DRR unit will go to the new school. Falls Valley will still have Title 1 and Special
<br />Education support, We feel that the culture will remain. A parent of two special needs kids in Falls Valley wondered if Mr. Gauchay would be able to talk to the new principal
<br />to help him/her to understand how to support her children, Mr. Gauchay will take only some teachers. There was a question regarding waivers. We do have open enrollment
<br />in the District and we have extended the deadline to the end of June. So, if there are openings students can go to another school. The boundary decision will be made at the
<br />regular meeting on Wednesday, April 1011,. There was a statement that a principal affects the school profoundly and then the question was asked about when the Board would
<br />make the decision about the new principal. The response was that the position is posted and will close this Friday. Interviews will begin next week. We have over 30
<br />applicants. We will get an individual who will do a good job and want to come to this school. Dr. Shackett stated that it is difficult when you get used to the style of an
<br />individual. But, there will be a good principal for this school. People want to be in our District. He assured the parents that the individual chosen will be someone as talented
<br />as Mr. Armes or Mr. Gauchay. There was some discussion regarding different ideas for boundary changes. There was discussion regarding a plan to get students across
<br />John Adams, Hitt Road, and I,' Street. We will continue with the walking school bus as well to continue to look at safety bussing. The process of evaluating safety bussing
<br />was described. This generally happens during April and May. We will need to look at the crossing guard issue on John Adams. This school has the most successful walking
<br />school bus program in the state. School Zone designations are the responsibility of the city. Traffic control issues need to be addressed to the city of Idaho Falls. Mr. Bliesner
<br />will work with Mr. Gauchay and a group of parents to make that request. Chairman Lords asked Mr. Bliesner to take the lead particularly with the crossing at Tyra. There was
<br />discussion regarding the cost of hiring a crossing guard as opposed to hire a bus driver. There was discussion about the possibility of arranging a rotating schedule to help t
<br />kids get across the street. The issue is taxing on parents and they want to get help from the District to get that to happen.
<br />There was a question regarding whether free and reduced lunch was taken into account when the boundaries were drawn. The response was that we looked at
<br />neighborhoods when the boundaries were being drawn. We don't know who is involved in the free and reduced program. Falls Valley will probably rank second or third next
<br />year behind Bridgewater and Telford. There was concern that if classrooms remain at a high size it will be difficult for the teachers. There was a request to consider class
<br />sizes. There are students in the school without parental support Some kids don't behave well but, there are issues at every school. There was concern that teachers may
<br />burn Out at a greater rate. High class sizes are taxing on the children on teachers. There was a question about how many teachers Falls Valley can expect to lose, Mr.
<br />Gauchay is authorized to take seven FTE. However, he may not take that many. There was a plea to leave Mr. Rapp at Falls Valley. Mr. Gauchay state that the final
<br />decisions have not been made yet. Falls Valley is a 4 Star school. We are the only district in the state that had all of our elementary schools rated either 4 or 5 Star schools.
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