BETTENDORF SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES 1.26.05 SPECIAL MEETING

Unofficial Minutes of the January 26, 2005, Special 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 a special Board meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on January 26, 2005. President Anderson 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, Castro, Crockett, Ehrmann, Luton, Weigle. Members absent: Director Mayer. Other officials present: John Perdue, Superintendent; Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent; Celeste Reuter, Director of Communications; Judy Miller, Director of Human Resources; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.

2. Agenda Approval.

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

Ayes: 6 Directors Anderson, Castro, Crockett, Ehrmann, Luton, Weigle. Nays: 0 Absent: 1 Director Mayer. 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.

4. Consent Agenda.

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

Ayes: 6 Directors Castro, Crockett, Ehrmann, Luton, Weigle, Anderson. Nays: 0 Absent: 1 Director Mayer. Motion carried 6-0-1.

4.01 Approval of Superintendentís Retirement and Resignation. Superintendent Perdue provided his letter of resignation and retirement with an effective date of July 1, 2005. 1.

5. Discussion Items.

1. Shared Communications.

Director Castro shared information from a recent IASB newsletter entitled ìAll Children Can Achieveî recognizing six school districts for improving student achievement by 20 percent or greater among African American, Hispanic, or low-income students. Director Castro also shared information from IASB recognizing Marshalltownís Board with an Award of Excellence based on their ability to improve academic excellence with a diverse population.

Director Castro distributed an article from the American School Board Journal, October 2004, entitled ìStretching Construction Dollarsî and suggested it may be a useful tool as the Board moves forward with a planning process and potential decisions on various construction projects.

During the ìWeek of Diversity,î Director Castro plans to speak to the Grant Wood kindergarten class on diversity and the history of Bettendorf.

Director Luton attended a recent meeting at Thomas Jefferson Elementary regarding the Facility Advisory Councilís study. He complimented Superintendent Perdue on his address to those in attendance.

Director Weigle pointed out a potential safety issue related to the student drop-off area at Mark Twain Elementary. She received a phone call from a concerned parent; Superintendent Perdue is working with Mr. John Campbell, Director of Operations, for a resolution.

Director Weigle inquired as to the Cedar Rapids channel that hosts ìIowa Liveî and asked for assistance in providing talking points for discussion with a community person. Superintendent Perdue suggested IASB as an informational resource.

Director Castro commended Superintendent Perdue and Mr. John Campbell for their diligence in pursuit of the electronic sign at Bettendorf High School, expressing his enthusiasm about its potential usage and positive appearance.

Director Luton shared positive feedback from his involvement with the elementary invention convention.

Director Anderson, Director Weigle, and Superintendent Perdue met with the two co-chairs of the Facility Advisory Council, Mr. Scott Tinsman and Ms. Laura Dellos. The purpose of this meeting was to provide information to them regarding the Boardís discussion of the Bettendorf- PV merger, as well as school boundaries, and to reiterate the Councilís charge. Superintendent Perdue suggested the Board may wish to hear an interim report from the Facilities Advisory Council to provide feedback and/or redirection.

1. Superintendentís Search

Ms. Celeste Reuter, Director of Communications, presented a summary of proposals received from six search firms and discussed comparative information. Various criteria for evaluation were outlined. Ms. Judy Miller, Director of Human Resources, provided her opinion on the various firms and discussed the process involved. Board members shared their perspective on the firms and discussed timeline for screening and/or potential interviews of the search firms. Based on a ranking process conducted by Board members, the following firms were selected to be contacted for a telephone interview: McPherson & Jacobson, LLC and The Bickfert Group. Directors Ehrmann, Castro, and Luton volunteered to conduct this telephone interview and will address the timeline for beginning a search, fee structure, clarification of charges and other pertinent information. Ms. Reuter and Ms. Miller will assist with this process and provide a summary of the findings at the February 7 Board meeting for review and action.

6. Action Item.

6.01 Selection of Superintendent Search Consulting Firm.

Motion by Director Luton, seconded by Director Weigle, to table definitely action on the appointment of a Superintendent search firm until the February 7, 2005, Board meeting.

Ayes: 6 Directors Crockett, Ehrmann, Luton, Weigle, Anderson, Castro. Nays: 0 Absent: 1 Director Mayer. Motion carried 6-0-1.

6.02 District Audit Proposals.

Directors reviewed proposed fees for the districtís auditing services.

Motion by Director Crockett, seconded by Director Weigle, to approve the appointment of Nolte, Cornman, and Johnson as district auditors for fiscal years ending 2005 and 2006.

Ayes: 6 Directors Ehrmann, Luton, Weigle, Anderson, Castro, Crockett. Nays: 0 Absent: 1 Director Mayer. Motion carried 6-0-1.

. Superintendentís Report.

Next Agenda Planning. Directors discussed the proposed agenda for Monday, February 7, 2005.

. Future Events and Informational Items. 8.01 Tuesday, January 28, Scott County Legislators, 1:30 p.m., Davenport Holiday Inn 8.02 Tuesday, February 1, Facilities Advisory Council, 4:00 p.m., RSAC 1. Monday, February 7, Board of Education Meeting, 6:00 p.m., RSAC

9. Adjournment.

Motion by Director Luton to adjourn the meeting at 8:33 p.m.



_______________________________________

Barry Anderson, President ATTEST:

__________________________________ Lynne Lindstrom, Secretary