March
6, 2007
The Montgomery County School Board met on the above date in the administrative building at 6:45 p.m. for the purpose of a regular session.
Board Members Present
Penny J. Franklin, Chair B. Wendell Jones
Jamie M. Bond Amy U. Lythgoe
David G. Dunkenberger, II Susan K. Morikawa
W. Wat Hopkins
Staff Members Present
Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent
Daniel A. Berenato Carol Reynolds
Christine C. Burton Walter L. Shannon
Christina T. Gilley Patricia Talbot
Harvey C. Goodwin Jeanette R. Warwick
Anita P. Johnston Laura Williams
Betti C. Kreye Sharon J. Zuckerwar
Mark J. Pasier Brad King, Attorney
Call
to Order
Ms.
Franklin called the meeting to order with the pledge of allegiance to the flag
at 6:45 p.m.
Adoption
of Agenda
On motion by Mrs. Morikawa, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the agenda as presented.
Closed Session
Mr. Dunkenberger
moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board voted unanimously to enter into
a closed meeting pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A) of the Code of Virginia
at 6:46 p.m. for the purpose of discussion of the following specific matters:
Student
Matters: Discussion or consideration of
student disciplinary matters, as authorized by Section 2.2-3711 (A)(2) of the Code
of Virginia.
Personnel Matters: The discussion or
consideration of prospective candidates for employment; assignment;
appointment; promotion; performance; demotion; salaries; disciplining or
resignation of specific public school officers, employees or appointees, as
authorized by Section 2.2-3711 (A)(1) of the Code of Virginia.
Return to Open Session and Certification
Mrs.
Morikawa moved, seconded by Mrs. Lythgoe, and the Board voted unanimously to
return to open session at 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Hopkins moved,
seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the County School Board of Montgomery County
has
convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative
recorded vote and in accordance with provisions of the Virginia Freedom of
Information Act; and
WHEREAS, Section
2.2-3711(d) of the Code of Virginia
requires a certification by this School Board that such closed meeting
was conducted in conformity with Virginia Law;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
that the County School Board of
Montgomery County
hereby certifies that, to the best of each member’s knowledge (i) only
public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by
Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certification
applies, and (ii) only such public business matters as were identified in the
motion convening the meeting were heard, discussed, or considered.
Ayes: Jamie M. Bond Amy
U. Lythgoe
David G. Dunkenberger, II Susan K. Morikawa
W. Wat Hopkins Penny J. Franklin, Chair
B.
Wendell Jones
_________________________ March
6, 2007
Clerk
of the Montgomery Date
County
School Board
Mrs. Morikawa moved, seconded by Mrs. Lythgoe, and the Board voted five to two to expel student A from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Voting in favor were Dr. Hopkins, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Lythgoe, Mrs. Morikawa, and Ms. Franklin. Voting against were Mrs. Bond and Mr. Dunkenberger.
Brownie Cauley, vice president of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), urged the Board to support a week of spring break in the school calendar to boost the morale of educators in the school division.
Karen Trear, a member of the MCEA and a member of the calendar committee, asked the Board to try something new with the calendar by implementing a week of spring break. Ms. Trear said this request has been made every year, and there is overwhelming support in school buildings for a longer spring break.
Nancy Rooker, a MCPS parent, expressed her satisfaction with services provided by the Phoenix Center. Ms. Rooker thanked Board members for allowing her son back in school since this enabled him to join the Marines.
Item 03/07-36 Personnel
Report: On motion by Mr.
Dunkenberger, seconded by Mrs. Lythgoe, the Board unanimously voted to approve
the personnel report with an addendum.
The
personnel report is attached and made a part of the minutes as pages A1-A3.
Item
03-07-37 Payment of Bills: On motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mrs.
Morikawa, the Board unanimously voted to approve the bills as presented.
Operating Fund:
Utilities, 02/21/07, Ck. Nos. 442355-442379,
$217,668.86
Bills, 03/06/07, Ck. Nos. 442380-442591,
$198,952.40
Utilities, 03/06/07, Ck. Nos. 442592-442610,
$234,515.64
Payroll, 02/06/07, supp. Ck. Nos. 43998-44006, $3,476.73
Fixed Charges, 02/06/07, Ck. No.
44007, $272.94
Item 03/07-36 and Item 03/07-37
Payroll, 02/28/07, Ck. Nos. 44008-44023,
$4,624,536.50
Fixed Charges, 02/28/07, Ck. Nos. 44024-44106, $1,611,311.16
Cafeteria:
Payroll, 02/28/07, Ck. Nos. 4862-4863,
$135,464.53
Fixed Charges, 02/28/07, Ck. Nos. 4864-4888, $33,543.46
Item 03/07-38 Consent Items: The following items were approved by general consent:
1.
Minutes: Minutes from the January 23, 2007 budget
work session and the February 6, 2007 regular session.
2.
Field Trips:
a.
MCPS robotics students at Auburn High School (AHS), Blacksburg High
School (BHS), and Christiansburg High School (CHS) to travel to Atlanta,
Georgia, on April 12-15, 2007. Students
will travel via charter bus.
Accommodations are to be provided by the Holiday Inn Airport in North
Atlanta. The cost per student is $150.
b.
The BHS track and field team to travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, on April
20-21, 2007. Students will travel via
school bus. Accommodations are to be
provided by the Knoxville Hilton. The
cost per student is $35.
c.
Eighth grade students at Blacksburg Middle School (BMS) to travel to
Washington, D.C., on May 24-26, 2007.
Students will travel via charter bus.
Accommodations are to be provided by the Gateway Marriott in Arlington,
Virginia. The cost per student is $250.
3. Grants:
a.
Belview Book Club: A grant to provide books to Belview students as
part of an existing before-school Belview Book Club. As part of the club, students listen to read-aloud books from
8:20-8:40 a.m. and receive personal copies of the books that are read to
them.
Item 03/07-37
(Continued) and Item 03/07-38
b.
Falling Branch Elementary School (FBES) After-School Bird Watching and
Gardening Program: A grant to continue and expand a weekly after-school bird watching and
gardening program for fifth grade students at FBES.
4. Special Education Advisory Committee Appointment: To appoint a member
to the Special Education Advisory Committee.
Superintendent’s Reports, Recommendations and
Announcements
Item
03/07-39 Healthy Fuel for Happy Feet Grant Proposal
(Action): Mrs. Morikawa moved, seconded by Mrs. Lythgoe, and the Board
voted unanimously to approve the Healthy Fuel for Happy Feet Grant Proposal.
Item
03/07-40 Service Learning Program
Extension: Saving History at Price’s Fork Elementary School (PFES) Grant
Proposal (Action): Mrs. Morikawa moved, seconded by Mrs.
Lythgoe, and the Board voted unanimously to approve the Service Learning
Program Extension: Saving History at Price’s Fork Elementary School (PFES)
Grant Proposal.
Item
03/07-41 Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) Projects (Information/Action): Dan Berenato, Director of Facilities, told
Board members that the Board of Supervisors has committed to providing
approximately $98,900,000 for school construction/renovation projects over the
next five years. Mr. Berenato added that the proceeds from the sale of Bethel,
in the amount of $914,000, are available for facility projects and
approximately $2 million remains for the BHS stadium. He presented the Board with a planning, design, and construction
plan for facility projects as follows:
|
|
Stadium
$ |
Bethel
$ |
FY
2008$ |
FY
2010$ |
FY
2012$ |
|
|
$2M |
$914K |
$31M |
$27.9M |
$40M |
|
Air
cond. |
|
dc |
|
|
|
|
AHS/AMS |
|
|
p |
dc |
c |
|
C’burg |
|
|
p |
dc |
c |
|
ELES |
|
|
dc |
c |
|
|
PFES |
|
|
dc |
c |
|
|
Stadium |
dc |
|
c |
|
|
P
= planning d = design c = construction
Item
03/07-38 (Continued) and Items 03/07-39-41
Mr. Berenato told Board members
that funds could increase a little depending on tax assessments and if the
School Board decides to surplus old Blacksburg Middle School for sale.
Mr. Berenato said the
administration is recommending that the funds from the sale of Bethel be used
to air condition the buildings without air conditioning in the school
division. He stated that the air
conditioning systems wouldn’t be full systems with ventilation but would be
split units that would provide cool air (these units already exist in some
schools).
Mr. Berenato told Board members
that the administration is proposing to design the two elementary schools using
approximately the same floor plan (as was done with the new middle schools in
Blacksburg and Christiansburg).
Mrs. Lythgoe said she is highly in
favor of using the Bethel proceeds for air conditioning. Dr. Hopkins agreed and expressed support for
approving, in concept, the funding plan presented by Mr. Berenato.
Ms.
Franklin noted that parking at Belview Elementary School is also a critical
issue. Dr. Anderson said the
administration is looking at using year-end money to fund the parking at
Belview. Mr. Berenato told Board
members that the administration would present the list of capital maintenance
projects at the next meeting.
Mr. Dunkenberger asked how much it
would cost to finish the athletic facilities at Eastern Montgomery High
School. Mr. Berenato said it would cost
around $50,000-$60,000 to finish the baseball facilities.
Mr. Jones asked when information
on the feasibility study would be completed.
Dr. Anderson said she hopes to present this at the second meeting in
April. Mrs. Morikawa inquired about the
GIS study. Mr. Berenato stated that the
contract was awarded to DeJong and Associates yesterday. He said the study should be complete by the
end of June.