November
7, 2006
The
Montgomery County School Board met on the above date in the administrative
building at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of a regular business meeting.
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 Walter L. Shannon
Christina T. Gilley Patricia Talbot
Harvey C. Goodwin Jeanette D. Warwick
Anita P. Johnston Laura Williams
Mark Pasier Brad
King, Attorney
Carol Reynolds
Call
to Order
Ms.
Franklin called the meeting to order with the pledge of allegiance to the flag
at 6:00 p.m.
Adoption
of Agenda
On motion by Mrs. Morikawa, seconded by Mrs. Lythgoe, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the agenda as presented.
Closed Session
Mrs. Lythgoe
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 6:01 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.
Real
Estate Matters: The discussion or consideration of the
acquisition of real estate for the construction of a new school, where
discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or
negotiating strategy of the public body, as authorized by Section
2.2-3711(A)(3) 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.
The Board agreed to certify at the end of the meeting after their return to closed session.
Action
Dr. Hopkins moved, seconded by Mr. Jones, 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.
Mr.
Dunkenberger moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board voted six to one
to long-term suspend student B from MCPS through the end of the first
semester. Voting in favor were Mrs.
Bond, Mr. Dunkenberger, Dr. Hopkins, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Lythgoe, and Mrs.
Morikawa. Voting against was Ms.
Franklin.
Mrs.
Lythgoe moved, seconded by Mr. Dunkenberger, and the Board voted unanimously to
expel student C from MCPS.
Public Address
Donna Thornton, founder of the Adventure Club, provided the Board with survey results from parents and staff members regarding the Adventure Club and its services.
Mike Keen, an Auburn Middle School (AMS) parent, expressed his gratitude to the Board for actions taken to improve the administration at Auburn Middle School.
Brianna Keen, a student at AMS, expressed concern about the lack of a gym, crowded hallways, open classrooms, etc. at AMS. Miss Keen urged the Board to proceed with a new school for the Auburn community.
Kathy Albert, an AMS parent, asked Board members to approve the feasibility study for renovation/construction projects in the Auburn area.
Tonya Smith-Jackson, a Blacksburg High School (BHS) parent, expressed support for Dr. Anderson and the School Board for holding teachers and administrators accountable for actions and test scores at schools. Mrs. Smith-Jackson said she is concerned that people are speaking as if they are representing an entire community of people when that is not the case.
Item
11/06-161 Personnel Report: Dr. Hopkins moved,
seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board voted unanimously to approve the
personnel report with an addendum.
The report is attached and made a part of the minutes as pages
A1-A5.
Item
11/06-162 Payment of Bills: On motion by Mr.
Jones, seconded by Dr. Hopkins, the Board unanimously voted to approve the
bills as presented.
Operating Fund:
Utilities, 10/18/06, Ck. Nos. 440230-440256,
$147,373.64
Bills, 11/07/06, Ck. Nos. 440257-440616,
$1,061,696.56
Utilities, 11/02/06, Ck. Nos. 440617-440633, $164,674.54
Payroll, 10/11/06, Ck. Nos. 43507-43557,
$8,982.97
Fixed Charges, 10/11/06, Ck. Nos. 43558-43563, $1,737.37
Payroll, 10/31/06, Ck. Nos. 43564-43577, $4,585,026.85
Fixed Charges, 10/31/06, Ck. Nos. 43578-43658, $1,600,457.59
Cafeteria Fund:
Bills, 11/01/06, Ck. Nos. 2083-2102, $149,198.30
Item 11/06-161
and Item 11/06-162
Payroll, 10/31/06, Ck. No. 4760, $140,661.01
Fixed Charges, 10/31/06, Ck. Nos. 4761-4784, $32,410.26
Item 11/06-163 Consent Items: The following items were approved by general consent:
1.
Minutes: Minutes from the August 29, 2006 special
session, the September 19, 2006 work session, and the October 3, 2006 regular
session.
2.
Donations:
a.
The Christiansburg-Blacksburg Rotary Club to donate $6,115 to
Christiansburg High School (CHS) for a new scoreboard for the baseball field.
b. Betsy
Andrew to donate a computer printer to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
3.
Field Trips:
a.
Seventh and eighth grade honor band students at Christiansburg Middle
School (CMS) to travel to Orlando, Florida, on April 12-14, 2007. Students will
travel via charter bus. Accommodations
are to be provided by a hotel in Orlando.
The cost per student is $500.
b.
CMS chorus students to travel to Orlando, Florida, on April 12-14,
2007. Students will travel via charter
bus. Accommodations are to be provided
by a hotel in Orlando. The cost per
student is $500.
c.
The Blacksburg High School (BHS) forensics team to travel to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 17-19, 2006. Students will travel via county car. Accommodations are to be provided by the Philadelphia Marriot
West. The cost per student is $200.
4.
Grants:
a.
Food Lion Charitable Foundation:
(1)
Standards of Learning (SOL) Instruction at Auburn Elementary School (AES): A grant to
enhance student understanding of the SOLs by improving the quality of
instructional delivery through the use of effective electronic presentation
methods.
Item 11/06-162 (Continued) and Item 11/06-163
(2)
SOL-Based Instruction at Shawsville Elementary School (SES): A grant to
enhance student mastery of the SOLs through the purchase of materials including
the Windows on Science program, Flanagan and Mott academic achievement tests,
and the Test Ready program.
(3)
SOL-Based Instruction at Blacksburg Middle School (BMS): A grant to
enhance the SOL achievement of all student groups through staff development,
technology, and materials.
b.
Partners for the Future: A grant to
develop a cadre of clinical faculty at SES to serve as models for effective
teaching and mentors for student teachers.
c.
Eastern Montgomery High School (EMHS) Journalism Program: A grant to use
technology to enhance the ability of EMHS journalism students to create modern
photograph-filled newspapers and yearbooks.
d.
MCPS Academic Year 2006-2007 Project Graduation Academy: A grant to
provide instructional academy (tutoring) sessions for MCPS seniors who have not
passed SOL end-of-course tests needed to give them the required verified
credits for graduation.
e.
Raku Pottery Project: A grant to
enable BHS advanced sculpture students to integrate art and techniques of
creating ceramic works with a study of the history and culture of ancient
Japanese Raku pottery.
f.
Technology to Enhance Classroom Learning at BMS: A grant to enable
BMS teachers to better integrate technology-based content into instruction
through the installation of AverKeys units.
These units allow teachers to project computer text and images onto
their classroom television screens where multiple students can view them at
once.
g.
America’s Anniversary Garden at Margaret Beeks Elementary School (MBES): A grant to
develop a red, white and blue America’s Anniversary Garden in conjunction with
the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office’s celebration of the 400th
anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia.
Item 11/06-163 (Continued)
Superintendent’s Reports, Recommendations,
Announcements:
Item
11/06-164 MCPS Environmental Service Learning
Grant Proposal (Action):
Mrs. Morikawa moved, seconded by Mrs. Lythgoe, and the Board voted
unanimously to approve the MCPS Environmental Service Learning Grant Proposal.
Item 11/06-165 School
Improvement Plans for Belview Elementary School and Auburn Middle School
(Action): Rhonda Baker, principal at Belview Elementary School (BES), and
Guylene Wood-Setzer, principal at Auburn Middle School (AMS), provided the
Board with information on the schools’ updated school improvement plans.
Ms. Franklin said it would be helpful for Board members
to have the exact changes made to the plans.
Mrs. Lythgoe moved, seconded by Mr. Jones, and the
Board voted unanimously to approve the school improvement plans for BES and
AMS.
Item 11/06-166 Feasibility Study for Capital Projects
(Information/Action): Dan
Berenato, Director of Facilities, presented the Board with information and
costs associated with feasibility studies for capital projects and a Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) study. Mr.
Berenato told Board members that a feasibility study for one capital project
would be approximately $25,000. He
added that the GIS study would cost approximately $60,000. Mr. Berenato stated that the GIS study would
be beneficial to Board members in providing enrollment information for the
entire school division.
Dr. Hopkins moved, seconded by Mr. Dunkenberger, and
the Board voted unanimously to request funding from the Board of Supervisors in
the amount of $85,000 for a feasibility study for the Auburn area and the GIS
study.
Item 11/06-164, Item 11/06-165, and Item 11/06-166
Item 11/06-167 .3 Full Time Employee (FTE) English as a
Second Language (ESL) Teaching Position (Action): Mrs. Morikawa moved, seconded by Mr.
Jones, and the Board voted unanimously to approve the .3 FTE ESL Teaching
Position.
Item 11/06-168 Legislative Priorities (Action): The Board discussed and made changes to the
2006 legislative priorities for distribution in 2007. Board members talked about items they would like to see added in
the future and agreed to spend more time revising the legislative priorities
next year.
Mr. Jones moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the
Board voted unanimously to approve the following 2007 legislative priorities:
1.
Full Funding of Standards of Quality (SOQ)
Positions & JLARC Efforts - At this time, Montgomery County is fully funding
approximately 102 teaching positions above the Standards of Quality (SOQ). The school division supports efforts to expand
positions and funding under the SOQ to reflect actual education practices in
school divisions. The Montgomery County
School Board also supports efforts to change the funding formula for elementary
and secondary education in Virginia to reflect true costs incurred by school
divisions in meeting the requirements of the SOQ, the Standards of
Accreditation (SOA), and the Standards of Learning (SOL).
2.
Funding for School Construction - There continues to be a significant need
for new facilities and renovation of old and/or outdated facilities across the
state. School division needs in this
area are critical.
Item 11/06-167 and Item 11/06-168
3.
Continued Support and Expansion of the
Four-Year-Old Virginia Preschool Initiative - The biennium budget approved by the
General Assembly increased the funding for this program. The funding formula used provides 100
percent support for the estimated number of at-risk four-year-olds not served
in Montgomery County (162 students).
The School Board supports expansion of the program and encourages
further expansion since even with this increase there are still MCPS at-risk
four-year-olds that are not served by the program.
4.
Flexible Spending for Funding Received from
the General Assembly - School boards and the school district leadership
have the key knowledge to make the best decisions about allocation of funds.
Every effort should be made to allow localities to make the best decisions for
their students. The School Board opposes
legislation that strives to restrict or regulate the School Board’s ability to
utilize resources (including facilities) efficiently.
5. Increase in Funding for Salaries - Salaries in
Virginia continue to lag behind the U.S. Southeast and the nation. Supporting professionals with a professional
wage is critical if the school division is to remain competitive in attracting
young competent people into the field as well as retaining and recognizing the
crucial efforts of veteran teachers. In addition, the General Assembly and
State Board of Education have made a commitment to recognize teachers who
achieve National Board Certification.
The School Board asks that this support be increased so that Virginia
will be able to compete with neighboring states.
6.
Oppose Vouchers or Tuition Tax Credits - Resources are
already very limited. Some view this as
having no impact on schools. However,
if some students leave public schools, it will not reduce the number of teachers
needed. In most cases, this will create
a greater financial burden.
Item 11/06-168 (Continued)
7.
Opposition to any Change to Charter Schools
Legislation – The School Board has conducted a public hearing and indicated a
willingness to accept charter applications.
This process should be allowed to work and then be evaluated before any
changes are made to the law.
Item 11/06-169 Dates for Legislative Visits (Action): The Board asked the clerk to try and
schedule a legislative luncheon on November 20.
Item 11/06-170 Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2007-2008
School Operating Budget (Action):
Dr. Hopkins moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board voted
unanimously to schedule and advertise a public hearing on the Fiscal Year
2007-2008 School Operating Budget for November 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the
administrative building.
Item 11/06-171 Budget Calendar for Fiscal Year 2007-2008
(Action): Mrs. Morikawa
moved, seconded by Mr. Dunkenberger, and the Board voted unanimously to approve
the fiscal year 2007-2008 budget calendar as recommended by the administration.
Item 11/06-172 Use of Bio Diesel Fuel (Information/Possible
Action): Walt Shannon, Director of Management
Services, presented the Board with information on bio diesel and alternative
fuels. Mr. Shannon reported that there
is a shortage of bio diesel fuel in the area making the purchase of bio diesel
fuel inefficient. He told Board members
that as technology continues to progress and alternative fuels become more
available, the administration would continue to evaluate and provide updates in
the future.
Item 10/06-173 Announcements/Calendar
for November (Information): Dr. Anderson told Board members that a Parent
Teacher Association (PTA) volunteer at Christiansburg Elementary School and
Christiansburg Primary School recently received the Virginia PTA Elementary
Volunteer of the Year award. She added
that the art teacher at Auburn Middle School also received the Virginia Middle
School Art Teacher of the Year award.
Dr. Anderson said these individuals would be recognized at the next
School Board meeting.
Item 11/06-168
(Continued) and Items 11/06-169-173
Unfinished
Business By School Board Members
Mr. Jones asked if the efficiency study surveys have been distributed. Dr. Anderson said they would be available next week.
Dr. Hopkins told Board members that he received a telephone call from a citizen concerned about the fate of the old Blacksburg Middle School. He said the citizen would like for the School Board to be represented on a task force, which has been established between the Board of Supervisors and the Town of Blacksburg to discuss use of the old Blacksburg Middle School.
Ms. Franklin said she met with the Mayor of Blacksburg last week and agrees that the School Board needs to cultivate a better relationship with the Town of Blacksburg.
New Business By
School Board Members
Dr. Hopkins said he would like the School Board to discuss the handling of discipline cases at a future meeting. Board members agreed.
Mr. Dunkenberger stated that he would like for the administration to look into busing for students to after-school activities. Mrs. Morikawa agreed.
Mr. Dunkenberger said he would like for the administration to look into the New Promise program.
Mrs. Lythgoe noted that it’s interesting that more than half the survey respondents in the Adventure Club survey want more interesting after-school activities.
Closed Session
Mrs. Lythgoe
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 10:15 p.m. for the purpose of discussion of the following specific matters:
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.
Real
Estate Matters: The discussion or consideration of the
acquisition of real estate for the construction of a new school, where
discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or
negotiating strategy of the public body, as authorized by Section
2.2-3711(A)(3) 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 11:00 p.m.
Dr. Hopkins moved, seconded by Mr. Dunkenberger, and
the Board unanimously 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
_______________________________ November
7, 2006
Clerk of the Montgomery Date
County School Board
Agenda Preparation
November 21, 2006 Public
Hearing on the 2007-2008 School Operating Budget at 7:00 p.m.
Human
Resources Presentation – Recruitment/Retention and Licensure
Recognition
of BHS Golf Team – Group AA State Champions
December 7, 2006 Joint Meeting with the Montgomery County Planning Commission – 7 p.m. at the County Government Center
Adjournment
The
meeting was adjourned at 11:01 p.m. on motion by Mr. Dunkenberger, seconded by
Mr. Jones, and passed unanimously.
School Board Chair Clerk of the School Board