The Shelton School District Board of Directors met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. on April 25, 2006 in the board room located at CHOICE Alternative School.

 

Board members present:  Chairman Ross Gallagher, Julianna Miljour, Bill Freund, Sue McCausland and student board representative Amy Thornton.

 

Staff members present:  Superintendent Joan Zook, Alison Nutt, Jackie McGuire, Debbie Wing, Steve Warner, Linda Arnold, Joyce Weston-Smith and quite a few members of the Shelton Education Association.

 

Others present:  Jeff Green, Geoff Ubrina and Walt Archer.

 

CALL TO ORDER

Chairman Gallagher called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Amy Thornton read the district’s Mission Statement.

 

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

There was one addition to the consent agenda which was a new Item 9.08 – supplemental personnel report.  Julianna Miljour made a motion to adopt the agenda as amended with the addition of Item 9.08.  Sue McCausland seconded the motion and the motion passed 4-0.

 

COMMUNITY COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Joyce Weston-Smith spoke on behalf of the Shelton Education Association (SEA).  Joyce read the following statement:  “We the members of the SEA are encouraged that bargaining with the district has started.  Last year the district forecast declining enrollment, concern about passing a levy and non-anticipated costs of opening a new building.  This year we have found that enrollment has increased significantly.  With the support and involvement of the SEA the levy passed and Olympic Middle School has opened.  In order to hire and retain quality teachers in the Shelton School District we hope that the district will see the necessity of offering a compensation package that is competitive with other districts.”  Board members thanked Joyce for her comments.

 

PUBLIC HEARING ON THE I-728 EXPENDITURE PLAN:

Chairman Gallagher opened the public hearing on the district’s I-728 expenditure plan for the 2006-07 school year.  Debbie Wing, Director of Teaching & Learning, reported that the total projected I-728 revenue for 2006-07 is $1,721,375 in the following categories:

 

·        Class Size - $940,519  (Salary and benefits – represents the addition of 1.5 teachers at the K-4 level and 1 additional FTE at the 5-12 level for reading and math at Shelton High School.  This results in a total of 17.5 teachers in I-728.)

 

·        Extended Learning - $68,840  (This includes summer school, after school programs and credit recovery at the high school.)

 

·        Professional Development - $434,668  (This includes district and building level staff development dollars for reading and writing training P-12 as well as curriculum development.)

 

·        Early Childhood - $75,688  (This continues to pay for 1 teacher for bilingual preschool.)

 

·        Indirects - $76,068  (Similar to previous years)

 

·        Planned Carryover - $125,592  (From 2005-06)

 

Chairman Gallagher asked for comments from the audience.  Hearing none, he closed the public hearing.

 

REPORTS AND RECOGNITIONS

Chairman Gallagher commented that Sue Barnard was in Washington, D.C., along with the 3 other finalists for National Teacher of the Year, awaiting tomorrow’s announcement of the winner by President Bush.

 

DISCUSSION ITEMS

8.01 – Proposed I-728 spending plan for the 2006-07 school year:

Chairman Gallagher asked for a motion to approve the I-728 spending plan for the 2006-07 school year, as presented by Debbie Wing during the public hearing.  Julianna Miljour moved, seconded by Bill Freund, to approve the spending plan as presented.  The motion passed 4-0.

 

8.02 – K-2 writing adoption:

Debbie Wing explained that last school year the board approved a fairly large K-5 reading adoption.  The Literacy Team had been meeting for about 2 ½ years and spent all that time on reading, so they didn’t get to writing until this year.  They are now recommending the adoption of “Units of Study: Primary Writing” by Lucy Calkins in the amount of $6,853.00 for grades K-2.  The funds are available in the curriculum budget.  Sue Harris, a 1st grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary, is currently piloting the program and she talked briefly about the materials.  Bill Freund made a motion to approve the K-2 writing adoption as presented in the amount of $6,853.00.  Sue McCausland seconded the motion and the motion passed 4-0.

 

8.03 – Plans for Summer School:

Debbie Wing also discussed plans for this year’s Summer School Program.  Summer School for students in grades K-3 will run from July 31st – August 18th at a cost of $10 per student for Shelton School District students and will be located at Bordeaux Elementary.  Classes are targeted for students who are below grade level in reading and math.  Sharee Waite is the elementary coordinator. 

 

For high school students, Summer School will run from July 5th – August 10th at a cost of $25 per class for Shelton School District students and will be located at Shelton High School.  Classes being offered are WASL Prep Math; WASL Prep Reading/Writing; and credit recovery for World Geography, US History and Science.  At the end of Summer School students will have the option of taking their first WASL retake. Richelle Vining is the high school coordinator.  Transportation will also be available this year for all Summer School students.

 

Debbie said the district has also received a $50,000 grant to offer college courses to Native American adults through our Early College High School Program.  Shelton is one of 3 school districts in the United States to receive this grant.

 

8.04 – Highly Capable Program grant application:

Steve Warner asked for board approval of the 2005-06 Highly Capable Program grant application in the amount of $27,807.  He said that the actual program budget is $133,969 but the state only funds about 20% of the program.  Currently, the program serves ten 4th grade students and ten 5th grade students from all three elementary schools in one self-contained classroom located at Evergreen Elementary.  Steve said he is in the beginning stages of forming a district-wide task force to look at refiguring the current self-contained classroom because it requires students to leave their home school, which they don’t like to do.  Julianna Miljour made a motion to approve the 2005-06 Highly Capable Program grant application.  Sue McCausland seconded the motion and the motion passed 4-0.

 

8.05 – Bond refunding:

Board members have heard presentations on bond refunding from two different companies.  It is the recommendation of Joan Zook and Jackie McGuire that the board continue to watch interest rates and if rates being to look more favorable then we will come to the board with a recommendation for action.  Joan and Jackie both feel it’s appropriate to just watch rates for now.  Board members were in agreement.

 

8.06 – Proposed out-of-state travel for Even Start staff:

Board members reviewed a request for Even Start staff members Ellen Shortt-Sanchez, Katie Pitroff and Linda West to travel to Scottsdale, AZ on May 9-11, 2006 to attend mandatory
Even Start training.  Additional federal funds through OSPI will be allocated to our Even Start grant to cover all travel expenses.  Julianna Miljour made a motion to approve the travel and Sue McCausland seconded the motion.  The motion passed 4-0.  Julianna would like to invite the Even Start staff to give an update on their program upon their return from the training.

 

CONSENT AGENDA

Julianna Miljour made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda with the addition of Item 9.08.  Bill Freund seconded the motion and the motion passed 4-0.

 

Kelsea Larson and Jen Hoss, Shelton High School marketing students, were present and spoke briefly about their proposed trip to the National DECA Conference in Dallas which is on the consent agenda for approval.

 

The board:

·        Approved minutes of the April 11, 2006 regular board meeting.

·        Approved General Fund Voucher Nos. 103704 through 103952 in the amount of $419,106.89.

·        Approved Associated Student Body Fund Voucher Nos. 16230 through 16296 in the amount of $48,479.49.

·        Approved Capital Projects Fund Voucher Nos. 1607 through 1612 in the amount of $150,842.88.

·        Approved Payroll Voucher Nos. 39779 through 39910 in the amount of $2,334,033.26.

·        Approved overnight travel to Burlington, WA for several members of the Shelton High School boys’ golf team to participate in the 25th Anniversary Bill Egbers Memorial Golf Tournament on May 4-5, 2006.

·        Approved out-of-state travel for 8 Shelton High School DECA students to attend the DECA National Conference in Dallas, TX on April 28-May 4, 2006.

·        Approved the surplus of old high school girls’ soccer uniforms no longer useful to district operations.

·        Approved the regular and supplemental personnel reports as presented and as listed below:

-         Hired Linda Arnold as the Director of Human Resources effective July 1, 2006.  (From Director of Administrative Services.)

-         Hired Liliana Dujela Espinoza as a permanent 5th grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary effective with the 2006-07 school year.

-         Accepted the retirement of Judith Pegg effective at the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Approved a leave of absence for Heather Byington beginning approximately May 18, 2006 through the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Approved a leave of absence for the 2006-07 school year for Ellen Dombrowski.

-         Hired Ana Radke as a substitute Food Services worker effective April 10, 2006 as needed.

-         Hired Marnie Striplin as a Custodian I at Olympic Middle School beginning April 24, 2006.  (Leave replacement for Sunni Wood.)

-         Accepted the retirement of Esther Cunningham effective at the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Accepted the retirement of George Davidson effective at the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Accepted the retirement of Connie Jo Nelson effective at the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Accepted the resignation of Kayce Newman effective at the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Approved a leave of absence for Dawn Stevens for the 2006-07 school year.

-         Approved a leave of absence for Cindy Vernon from May 3, 2006 through the end of the 2005-06 school year.

-         Accepted the resignation of Maize Elford-White effective April 21, 2006.

-         Hired Kelly Johnson as Asst. Track Coach at Oakland Bay Junior High for the 2005-06 season.

-         Approved the list of certificated teaching and administrative staff for the 2006-07 school year.

 

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

10.01 – Budget status report:

Jackie McGuire gave a budget status report as of March 2006.  We remain at 141 FTE’s above budget, at 4,000.83.

10.02 – New graduation requirements:

Joan Zook talked about the new graduation requirements that this year’s sophomores will have to complete.  She talked about the High School and Beyond Plan; credit requirements; Certificate of Academic Achievement and Certificate of Individual Achievement; and the culminating project.  Bill Freund said he was bothered that Shelton does not required 2 years of a world language as a graduation requirement.  Amy Thornton and Sue McCausland were under the impression that 2 years of a world language were already a requirement.  The board agreed to explore further the requirement of having 2 years of a world language.

 

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

·        Amy Thornton said she has 37 days of school left; she presented her senior project last Friday; the weekend after next the band will be marching in the Long Beach parade; and she is officially attending Whitworth University next year.

 

·        Julianna Miljour talked about the collection of county-wide data at the 6th, 8th and 10th grade levels on substance abuse and violence. 

 

·        Sue McCausland attended the last Shelton High School home soccer game this afternoon.

 

·        Ross Gallagher reminded everyone of the Drake Scholarship interviews next Thursday; said the Rotary Club is honoring the high achieving students in the county on Thursday; said the new windows in the board room look nice; and that he is still considering running for political office in November.

 

FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER

At 7:20 p.m. Ross Gallagher said the board would take a 5-minute recess and would then enter into executive session for 20 minutes.

 

At 7:45 p.m. the board briefly returned to regular session and announced that they would need another 20 minutes in executive session.

 

The board returned to regular session at 8:05 p.m.

 

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Chairman Gallagher declared the meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.