May 21 Minutes of the Bettendorf School Board

The Community Use of Facilities Ad Hoc Committee presented their follow-up report, including suggested changes to the various Board policies associated with use of facilities by community groups. Jerry Fagle, Grant Wood Principal, and Mark Brooks, Athletic Director, highlighted suggested changes, including a new regulation on rules for usage of district facilities by clubs and AAU groups. Potential changes in user fees for outside school groups were discussed. Directors recommended staff discuss potential changes and associated costs with the affected group(s). The revised policies will be place on the June 4 Board agenda as an action item.

Unofficial Minutes of the May 21, 2001, Regular Meeting

Pending Board Approval



1. Call to Order.



The Board of Directors of the Bettendorf Community School District, in the County of Scott, state of Iowa, met in open session according to Iowa law for the regular meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on May 21, 2001. President Roski called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and students from Grant Wood and BHS lead members in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary, verified that the meeting notice had been posted and mailed to the media as required by law.



Members present: Directors Anderson, Castro, Luton, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle.

Member absent: Director Arney.

Other officials present: John Perdue, Superintendent; Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent; Paul Bobek, Executive Director of Business Affairs; Celeste Reuter, Director of Communications; Ron Egger, BEA Representative; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.



2. Agenda Approval.



Motion by Director Wahlstrand, seconded by Director Castro, to approve the agenda as presented.



Ayes: 6 Directors Anderson, Castro, Luton, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle.

Nays: 0

Absent: 1 Director Arney. Motion carried 6-0-1.



3. Comments and Suggestions from Audience.

3.01 President's Statement. On behalf of fellow Board members, at this time I would like to invite any member of the audience to step to the microphone with comments about items of interest or concern that do not appear on the agenda this evening. Please begin by stating your name and address. It would be most appreciated if you would limit your comments to three minutes so that we can keep the meeting moving in a timely fashion and allow others an opportunity to speak. We ask that you remember that Iowa law prohibits us from discussing specific employees or their job performance. If you have thoughts to share about items that are included as topics for tonight's meeting, we would invite those comments when we reach that point in the meeting. Thank you for your support of our school district.



There were no comments from the audience.



Patrick VanNevel, Board Treasurer, arrived at 7:05 p.m.



4. Commendations.

Students from Grant Wood Elementary made a presentation to the Board on the Meals on Wheels program and the BHS tutor program, sharing their many positive experiences.

Eighth grade SAIL students from Bettendorf Middle School made a presentation to the Board on classroom ability grouping. They presented data and research information on the concept of cooperative learning versus group learning; class advancement and enrichment; acceleration; and compacting. The Projects CIVICS team recommended classroom ability grouping be implemented at BMS in order to meet the needs of individual students. Superintendent Perdue suggested this proposal be presented to the BMS and BHS School Improvement Teams.

4.03 Molly Quinn, BHS senior, has been selected to receive a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship. Sixty-six Iowa high school senior were each selected to receive the $1,500 scholarship by the Department of Education's Education Advisory Selections Committee. The scholarship is renewable contingent upon funding and continued academic achievement for up to four years.

4.04 At the 2001 All Sports Banquet, Brian Cutright was named MVP for Male Athlete of the Year and there was a first ever tie between Julie Fick and Katie McGaffigan for Female Athlete of the Year. Recipients of the Chuck Nolting Scholarship were Anne Sanyi and Aaron Doerder and the Booster Club Scholarships went to Praveen Bontu and Jamie Buhman.

5. Consent Agenda



Motion by Director Anderson, seconded by Director Castro, to approve the consent agenda as distributed.



Ayes: 6 Directors Castro, Luton, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle, Anderson.

Nays: 0

Absent: 1 Director Arney. Motion carried 6-0-1.



Approval of May 7, 2001, Special Meeting Minutes.

Approval of May 7, 2001, Public Hearing Minutes.

Approval of May 7, 2001, Regular Board Meeting Minutes

Approval of May 11, 2001, Special Meeting Minutes.

Approval of May 21, 2001, Bills Recommended for Payment.

Approval of Administrative Recommendations--Personnel.

Certified Approval to Hire

Chris Coy/MT/Move from .50 FTE 1st Grade Core at Mark Twain to 1.0 FTE Title I Reading at Mark Twain/MA, 15.5/Per 2001/02 Salary Schedule/Replacing Jan Wixon/Effective 8/20/01

Brenda Farnsworth/PN/Move from .50 FTE 1st Grade Core at Paul Norton to 1.0 FTE Kindergarten at Paul Norton/BA, 4.5/Per 2001/02 Salary Schedule/New Position/Effective 8/20/01

Certified Involuntary Transfer

Monte Coy/BHS/Transfer from .50 FTE Project Ready to .41 Math due to enrollment/Effective 8/20/01

Ben Driscoll/MT&TJ/Transfer from 1.0 FTE Art at Mark Twain and Thomas Jefferson to 1.0 FTE Art at Bettendorf Middle School due to declining elementary enrollment/Effective 8/20/01

Schedule D Resignation

Renee Fluhr-Callahan/TJ/Co-Teacher Assistance Team .5 Increment/Effective 6/08/01

Schedule D Request to Hire

Melissa Macmanus/TJ/Co-Teacher Assistance Team .5 Increment/Per 2001/02 Salary Schedule/Replacing Renee Fluhr-Callahan/Effective 8/20/01

For Your Information

Lisa Wooldridge/HH/Return from Leave of Absence/5th Grade /Replacing Pam Dennison/Effective 8/20/01

Letter of Assignment Modification-Classified

Earl Dean Arner/From GW and MT to NA and BMS/Second Shift Custodian/Same pay/8 hours per shift/Replacing Brandon Adkins/Effective 4/30/01

Classified Resignation

Debra Droessler/PN/Teacher Associate/Effective 6/8/01

Carolyn Halverson/GW/Secretary, Class I/Effective 6/8/01

Joy Tuckett/BMS/Individual Aide/Effective 5/18/01

5.07 Approval of Student Teaching Agreement with Augustana College.

5.08 Approval of Requests for Open Enrollment.

Into Bettendorf, 2000/01

Zachary Danielson, grade 10, from Muscatine, good cause due to change of residence

Into Bettendorf, 2001/02

Matthew Boyer, grade 11 (as of 01/02), from Davenport, good cause due to change of residence

Cecilia Clifford, kindergarten (as of 01/02), from Davenport

Daniel Guerrero, grade 7 (as of 01/02), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change in residence

Lindsay Guerrero, grade 9 (as of 01/02), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change in residence

Kelley Hardy, kindergarten (as of 01/02), from Davenport

Kathleen McGuire, grade 5 (as of 01/02) from Pleasant Valley

Lauren Sitter, kindergarten (as of 01/02), from Davenport

Out of Bettendorf, 2001/02

Isabella Collins, kindergarten (as of 01/02), to Pleasant Valley

Devon Spreen, grade 2 (as of 01/02), to Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence

Hunter Spreen, grade 3 (as of 01/02), to Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence



6. Discussion Items and Reports.



6.01 Shared Communications.



Director Weigle recently visited various classrooms at Mark Twain elementary and shared her positive experiences; she expressed her appreciation to staff for being so accommodating of visits. Director Weigle also attended ìlunch on the lawnî at Jefferson elementary.



Director Castro visited all the elementary sites during Teachersí Appreciation Week and commented on the superb programs and teaching taking place in the district. He also visited BMS and Project READY, stating it was nice to see people loving their work and making a difference.



Director Wahlstrand expressed his appreciation to Superintendent Perdue for sending the school board election packet to those directors whose term expires this year. He notified the Board he would not be seeking reelection this fall.



Community Use of Facilities Policy & Guidelines.



The Community Use of Facilities Ad Hoc Committee presented their follow-up report, including suggested changes to the various Board policies associated with use of facilities by community groups. Jerry Fagle, Grant Wood Principal, and Mark Brooks, Athletic Director, highlighted suggested changes, including a new regulation on rules for usage of district facilities by clubs and AAU groups. Potential changes in user fees for outside school groups were discussed. Directors recommended staff discuss potential changes and associated costs with the affected group(s). The revised policies will be place on the June 4 Board agenda as an action item.



Satisfaction Survey.



Celeste Reuter, Carol Webb, and Superintendent Perdue shared the data collected from the February 2001 satisfaction survey of students, parents, and staff. The goal of the survey was to understand the satisfaction level of BCSD stakeholders with their experience in Bettendorf Community schools, as well as to utilize results in guiding school and district improvement initiatives. Response rates for parents and staff were 27% and 26% respectively. Directors discussed a biennial survey, utilizing this yearís data as a baseline for comparing future results, and expressed their appreciation to Celeste Reuter for her efforts in compiling and interpreting this data. A summary of the survey findings will be published in the next PRIDE community newsletter.



Student Achievement Report.



Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent, reviewed the Annual Comprehensive Student Achievement Report, highlighting key indicators of student achievement trends during the 2000/2001 school year. This report will be the basis for the districtís required Annual Progress Report to the community, due to the Iowa Department of Education in September 2001.



Approval of Lunch Fees Increase.



Cindy Jacobson, Director of Food Service, presented a proposal to increase student lunch fees by 15 cents per meal across the district for the 2001/2002 school year. She shared a comparative report of current lunch prices and proposed price increases for Bettendorf and various other school districts in Iowa and Illinois for the 2001/2002 school year. The proposed increase is due primarily to rising labor costs and a service fee now charged by food providers to cover their additional energy costs. Directors recommended the following lunch prices for 2001/2002: BHS, $1.75; BMS, $1.75; Elementary Schools, $1.50. This item will be placed on the June 4 Board agenda as an action item.



Communicating the Work of the Board.



Directors discussed the publishing of Board minutes in the Bettendorf News and on the district web site prior to their formal approval at Board meetings. According to Iowa Code, Chapter 22.8, there is a statutory requirement minutes be provided to the public within ten business days of the meeting. As the Board is unable to approve these minutes within ten days, the unofficial minutes have been published until formal approval at the next regular meeting. Superintendent Perdue recommended the district continue to publish minutes, realizing corrections may be made at the next meeting and these corrections will be noted in the minutes which are published to the community. It was the consensus of the Board to continue the publication of minutes in the Bettendorf New and the district web site, with a notation of ìUnofficial Minutes ñ Pending Board Approval.î



Additionally, the Board discussed the option of using voice-streaming technology to allow the tape recording of Board meetings to be posted to either the district web site or the Bettendorf.com web site. Greg Gackle has approached the district and volunteered to offer this service to the community at no charge. Following the Boardís review, directors agreed to utilize Mr. Gackleís equipment, allowing the tape recorded Board meeting to be posted to the Bettendorf.com website. As a condition of this agreement, meeting tapes would need to be available in their entirety, not just specific segments.



Director Weigle stated that the Pleasant Valley School District distributes their Board minutes to each household in their community on a regular basis. She suggested the districtís communication could be improved if we could encompass the entire district, not just those families with children currently attending school. She reminded members that the PRIDE publication only goes to those in the community who subscribe to the Bettendorf News.



7. Action Items.



SEIU Contract Approval.



Motion by Director Weigle, seconded by Director Wahlstrand, to approve the SEIU contract agreement for the 2001/02 school year as presented, with a total package of 2.58 percent in wages and benefits which included an increase of 10 cents/hour across the board, district-paid single dental insurance, and district-paid health insurance, under Preferred Provider Option.



Ayes: 6 Directors Castro, Luton, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle, Anderson.

Nays: 0

Absent: 1 Director Arney. Motion carried 6-0-1.



BEA Contract Approval.



Motion by Director Luton, seconded by Director Castro, to approve the BEA contract agreement for the 2001/02 school year as presented, with a total package of 5.38 percent in wages and benefits which included a change in health insurance plan to the Preferred Provider Option; an employee contribution of 10% on the family health insurance premium; and a $1,100 base salary increase.



Ayes: 6 Directors Luton, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle, Anderson, Castro.

Nays: 0

Absent: 1 Director Arney. Motion carried 6-0-1.



8. Superintendentís Report.

Spending and Staffing Plans. Directors reviewed the latest update on the districtís spending and staffing plan for 2001/02.

Facilities Advisory Council Update. Superintendent Perdue update Directors on the FAC projects, including project ranking, costs, and status. Potential bonding options for upcoming projects are being investigated and explored.

State Budget for K-12 Education. A review of proposed state budget cuts for K-12 education were estimated at $316,000 for the district in the areas of technology, class size reduction, and Phase III. Due to major budget cuts in technology, Superintendent Perdue requested the Boardís input on incorporating appropriate computer equipment in the BHS renovation project for funding under the one-cent local option sales tax fund. Directors recommended a more in-depth review of the technology budget prior to making any decisions on this issue. The district is also awaiting the Governorís decision on K-12 education funding proposals from the legislature.

8.04 Next Agenda Planning. Superintendent Perdue reviewed agenda items for the June 4, 2001, meeting, including a retiree reception beginning at 6:15 p.m.



Future Events and Informational Items.

9.01 Thursday, May 24, Parent Executive Council, 12:00 noon, RSAC

9.02 Monday, June 4, Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m., RSAC

9.03 Saturday, June 9, Board of Education Retreat, 8:00 a.m., RSAC

10. Adjournment.