July 15 minutes of Bettendorf School Board

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BETTENDORF COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BETTENDORF, IOWA

Unofficial Minutes of the July 15, 2002, 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 their regular Board meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on July 15, 2002. President Roski called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and the Board recited 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, Arney, Castro, Luton, Mayer, Roski, Weigle.
Members absent: None.
Other officials present: John Perdue, Superintendent; Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent; Candy Egger, BEA Representative; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.

2. Agenda Approval.

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

Ayes: 7 Directors Anderson, Arney, Castro, Luton, Mayer, Roski, Weigle.
Nays: 0 Motion carried 7-0.

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.

4. Commendations.
4.01 Congratulations to he following students who were named to 1st and 2nd Team MAC All Conference for Girls Soccer: 1st Team Hila Anderson, Karissa Vandello, Ashley Pipes, Laurie Fritz, Marci Fritz; 2nd Team Christina Brandt.
4.02 Bettendorf High School students raised $1,000 for the 2002 United Way High School Student Campaign. These funds will be allocated to a number of health and human service programs in the community.
4.03 Bettendorf High School junior, Jeff Wakeland, has been selected to 1st Team All State Boys Soccer as a midfielder. He was selected by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association.

5. Consent Agenda.

Motion by Director Anderson, seconded by Director Weigle, to approve the consent agenda as presented.

Ayes: 7 Directors Arney, Castro, Luton, Mayer, Roski, Weigle, Anderson.
Nays: 0 Motion carried 7-0.

5.01 Approval of June 17, 2002, Special Meeting Minutes.
5.02 Approval of June 17, 2002, Regular Board Meeting Minutes.
5.03 Approval of Monthly Financial Reports.
5.04 Approval of July 15, 2002, Bills Recommended for Payment.
5.05 Approval of Administrative Recommendations--Personnel.
Administrative Approval to Hire
Mia Frommelt/RSAC/Director of Financial and Business Services/$80,000/Replacing Paul Bobek/Effective approximately August 12, 2002
Administrative Contract Modification
Caroline Olson/MT/Principal/Adjustment of base salary from $66,845 to $76,565/Effective 7/1/02
Certified Approval to Hire
Susan Miller/BHS/Math/BA, 1/$25,282/Replacing Heather Hepner/Pending receipt of certification/Effective for the 2002/03 school year due to approved leave of absence
Jennifer Like/BHS/Special Education/BA, 2/$26,498/ Replacing Lori Walker/Effective August 2002
Jane Steele/BHS/Business Education/BA, 0/$24,310/ Replacing Amy Van Sickle/Pending receipt of certification/ Effective August 2002
Kathleen Hayward/TJ/Physical Education/.50 fte/BA, 4/ $15,058 /Replacing Bobby Sturms/Pending receipt of certification/Effective August 2002
Christine Walker/TJ/1st Grade Core/.725 fte/BA, 0/$17,899/ Replacing Lisa Davis/Effective August 2002
Certified Contract Modification
Ann Bitter/TJ&TELC/Special Ed-Multi Cat/Increasing current .80 fte contract to 1.0 fte due to IEP students at Project Ready & Lourdes /Effective August 2002
Karla Thode/GW/Combining .50 fte 2nd Grade Core position to current .50 fte 1st Grade Core position/ Replacing Jody Boddicker/ Effective August 2002
Ardith Simms/GW/Special Ed/Increase current .66 fte to 1.0 due to IEP student increase/Effective August 2002
Lorri Nelson/TELC/Transfer from .50 fte position at Project Ready to 1.0 fte position/Replacing Dave Terronez/ Effective August 2002
Jody Boddicker/GW/Transfer from .50 fte 2nd Grade Core position to 1.0 fte 3rd Grade Teacher/Replacing Sara Schaefer/Effective August 2002
Certified Resignations
Lisa Woolridge/HH/5th Grade Teacher/Effective immediately
Julia Carter/BHS&BMS/Modern Language/Effective immediately
Schedule D Approval to Hire
Jody Boddicker/GW/Safety Patrol/$973/Replacing Nicole DeKeyzer/Effective 2002/03 school year
Ben Driscoll/BMS/.5 Technical Director/$170/Replacing Craig Lennon/Effective 2002/03 school year
Ben Driscoll/BMS/.5 Art Club Sponsor/$486/Replacing Craig Lennon/Effective 2002/03 school year
Jayme Olson/BHS/Asst Varsity Girls Basketball/$3647/ Replacing Gary Hirsch/Effective August 2002
Jennifer McDaniel/DW/District School Improvement Council-Lang Arts Curriculum Leader/$l,945/Replacing Bill Brunkan/Effective September 2002
Patricia Meier/DW/District School Improvement Council-Library Media Curriculum Leader/$l,288/Replacing Margie Schwaninger /Effective September 2002
Brian Barquist/BHS/Asst Varsity Football Coach/$3,647/ Replacing Chad Remmert/Effective August 2002
Erin Flynn/GW/Head Varsity Girls Cross Country Coach/ $4,133/ Replacing Scott Conway/Effective August 2002
Schedule D Resignations
Amber Thompson/BHS/.2 Cheer Advisor/Effective immediately
Phil Schaefer/Asst Sophomore Football Coach/Effective immediately
Brian Barquist/BHS/Head Sophomore Football Coach/ Effective immediately
Joe Girsch/BHS/Asst Freshman Football Coach/Effective immediately
Bobby Sturms/TJ&MT/5th Grade Intra-extramural Coach/Effective immediately
5.06 Construction Change Orders.
5.07 Approval of Requests for Open Enrollment.
Into Bettendorf, 2001/02
Zachary Bregman, grade 1, from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Kyle Ernst, grade 10, from Davenport, continuation due to change of residence
Raquel Liskey, grade 8, from Davenport, continuation due to change of residence
Kelley Raymon, grade 7, from Pleasant Valley, good cause due to change of residence
Nicholas Raymon, grade 5, from Pleasant Valley, good cause due to change of residence
Dylen Shalla, grade 2, from Davenport, continuation due to change of residence
Andrew Truitt, grade 3, from Davenport, continuation due to change of residence
Kaitlyn Truitt, grade 4, from Davenport, continuation due to change of residence
Into Bettendorf, 2002/03
Alexio Casas, grade 4 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, good cause due to change of residence
Miraya Casas, grade 2 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, good cause due to change of residence
Xavier Cribbs, grade 4 (as of 2002/03), from Davenport, continuation due to change of residence
Alyssa Curtis, grade 7 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Brandt Curtis, grade 9 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Kara Curtis, grade 1 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Lauren Curtis, grade 4 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Halle Foltz, grade 3 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Madison Foltz, grade 5 (as of 2002/03), from Pleasant Valley, continuation due to change of residence
Ashley Fritz, grade 11 (as of 2002/03), from Davenport, good cause due to change of residence

President Roski welcomed Mia Frommelt as the new Director of Financial and Business Services.

6. Discussion Items.

6.01 Shared Communications.

President Roski thanked the Weigle’s for hosting a farewell party, July 13, honoring Paul Bobek, Executive Director of Business Affairs, and Dave Lewis, retiring Principal. Director Luton was also recognized for the song he composed and sang, which was dedicated to Paul Bobek.

Appreciation was expressed to Directors Castro, Roski, and Weigle, who represented the Board in the July 4 parade.

Director Luton shared his daughter’s teaching experience in Austin, Texas, where she documented 510 “extra” hours beyond the normal workweek during the 2001/02 school year. He suggested this could be similar for teachers in our district as well. In light of the financial constraints, he suggested the district/board be innovative in rewarding our teaching staff for their dedication and extra efforts.

Director Arney announced he would not be running for reelection in August, and Director Anderson stated his intentions of filing papers for reelection.

President Roski asked directors for their input on nominations to the Facilities Advisory Council (FAC) to fill two vacancies. Please submit these nominations to Superintendent Perdue.

6.02 High School Fitness Proposal.

Diane Lichtenberg, BHS Physical Education Instructor, presented a proposal to enhance the high school’s wellness curriculum with the LIFT (Leadership in Fitness Training) America Program. The LIFT program, which is sponsored by the National School Fitness Foundation, is an every-other-day program that takes about 20-25 minutes to complete. It is considered a “super circuit” program which addresses strength training, cardiovascular training, and body composition. The program provides each school with state-of-the-art equipment and staff training and certification at no cost. The program has assessment tools for the students where data will be collected, analyzed, and sent on to the National Fitness Foundation to be included in their study. Equipment costs will total approximately $208,000 and would be reimbursed to the district over a three-year time period. Directors requested a financial fact sheet and additional information related to LIFT’s success rate amongst the schools participating in the program. This item will be discussed further at the August 5 or 19 meeting.

6.03 2002/03 Retirement Planning.

Directors reviewed the components of last year’s retirement plan and an evaluation of the results. Superintendent Perdue outlined the participation levels and replacement savings and recommended the district continue to offer an early retirement plan. Directors discussed various concepts and suggested the following items be considered for the 2002/03 retirement plan:
&Mac183; Providing an insurance payout option
&Mac183; $1,000 stipend for an early announcement (prior to November 1)
&Mac183; Exchanging 3 days of unused sick leave for a day of single health insurance
&Mac183; Reviewing benefit options for part-time employees
It was recommended the Audit Committee meet with Mia Frommelt, Director of Financial & Business Services, to determine a minimum balance for the Management Fund. Directors also stated their interest in finalizing a plan by September 17 so staff would have ample time to make their retirement decision.

6.04 High School C Building Roof Replacement.

Superintendent Perdue discussed the need for Building C roof replacement at the high school. While installing roof ventilation for the science labs, it was discovered the current roof contained wet insulation. Replacement of Building C roof was scheduled for next summer; however, to avoid further damage, Superintendent Perdue recommended a full roof replacement with a cost of approximately $45,000, utilizing contingency funds from PPEL. Directors requested this item be placed on the August 5 agenda as an action item.

6.05 Professional Services.

Superintendent Perdue presented a summary of the legal services proposals submitted. Eight law firms responded to the inquiry for services. Superintendent Perdue recommended retaining Lane & Waterman as the Board of Education’s legal counsel due to their specialization and experience in school law and comparable fees. The majority of directors concurred with the recommendation. This item will be placed on the agenda for the August 5 meeting.

In addition to the legal services proposals, Superintendent Perdue updated Directors on proposals received from a variety of architects and engineers. Due to the nature of these proposals, John Campbell, Director of Operations, will also be involved in developing criteria and the evaluation process. This item will be brought back to the Board for further review in the near future.

President Roski suggested professional services be placed on a three-year review cycle.

6.06 Strategic Plan Update.

Superintendent Perdue and Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent, provided a progress report on the strategic plan. They recommended integrating the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) with goals that can align as major strategic initiatives of the district. Directors suggested an ongoing strategic plan rather than a five- or three-year plan. Superintendent Perdue will begin developing a new strategic plan, blending the CSIP and the district’s strategic plan together where appropriate.

The Board recessed at 9:04 p.m. and reconvened at 9:12 p.m.

7. Action Items.

7.01 Approval of Legislative Priorities.

Motion by Director Mayer, seconded by Director Luton, to approve the legislative priorities for the 2002/03 school year as illustrated in item 7.01 in the Board packet.

Ayes: 7 Directors Castro, Luton, Mayer, Roski, Weigle, Anderson, Arney.
Nays: 0 Motion carried 7-0.




7.02 Teacher Quality Compensation.

Judy Miller, Director of Human Resources, discussed the state’s legislation on the Teacher Quality Compensation bill and recommended approval of the distribution of funds based on an index distribution for the 2002/03. The teachers are also advocating for this option because it would benefit all teaching staff based on the district’s salary index.

Motion by Director Castro, seconded by Director Weigle, to approve the distribution of funds from the Teacher Quality Bill based on an index distribution for the 2002/03 school year.

Ayes: 6 Directors Luton, Roski, Weigle, Anderson, Arney, Castro.
Nays: 1 Director Mayer. Motion carried 6-1.

8. Superintendent’s Report.
8.01 Follow-Up Reports Requested. Superintendent Perdue reviewed the list of follow-up reports requested by the Board during the 2001/02 school year. Directors provided input for additional reports in 2002/03.
8.02 Next Agenda Planning. Superintendent Perdue reviewed agenda items for the regular Board meeting scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 5.
8.03 BOE Secretary Evaluation. Directors evaluated Lynne Lindstrom’s performance as Board of Education Secretary and requested her employment agreement be extended for the coming year. At the August 5 meeting formal action will be taken on this item.

9. Future Events and Informational Items.
9.01 Monday, August 5, Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m., RSAC

10. Adjournment.

Motion by Director Castro to adjourn the meeting at 9:40 p.m.