October
4, 2005
The Montgomery County School Board met on the above date in the administrative building at 6:30 p.m. for the purpose of a regular business meeting.
Tacy L.
Newell, Chair B. Wendell Jones
Penny J.
Franklin Susan Morikawa
W. Wat Hopkins
(6:33
p.m.) Mary Hayne North
Richard J. Johnson
Staff Members Present
Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent
Daniel A.
Berenato Katherine M. Rodgers
Christine C.
Burton Walter L. Shannon
Sandra Z.
Colman Jeanette R. Warwick
Harvey
C. Goodwin Brad King, Attorney
Anita P. Johnston
Call
to Order
Ms.
Newell called the meeting to order with the pledge of allegiance to the flag at
6:30 p.m.
Adoption
of Agenda
On motion by Mrs. North, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the agenda as presented.
Closed Session
Mrs. North moved,
seconded by Mr. Jones, and the Board voted unanimously to enter into a closed
meeting pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A) of the Code of Virginia at 6:31
p.m. for the purpose of discussion of the following specific matters:
Legal Matter: Consultation
with legal counsel and briefings by staff members or consultants pertaining to
actual or probable litigation, where such consultation or briefing in open
meeting would adversely affect the negotiating or litigating posture of the
school division, as authorized by Section 2.2-3711 (A)(7) of the Code of
Virginia.
Superintendent’s
Evaluation: 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. North, and the Board voted unanimously to return to
open session at 7:32 p.m.
Mrs. Morikawa
moved, seconded by Mrs. North, 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: Penny J. Franklin Susan Morikawa
W.
Wat Hopkins Mary Hayne North
Richard
J. Johnson Tacy L. Newell, Chair
Ms. Newell had to leave the meeting after
closed session and was not present for certification. Mr. Jones presided during the remainder of the meeting.
_______________________________ October
4, 2005
Clerk
of the Montgomery Date
County
School Board
Velvet Duncan, a Christiansburg resident, addressed the Board regarding concerns about her daughter, a special education student.
Sandra
Toensing, a Blacksburg parent, urged the Board to take the federal mandate
regarding a wellness policy seriously.
Ms. Toensing requested that the Board include a wide variety of parents
and community members on the committee to establish a wellness policy within
the school division.
Michelle
Lewis, a Blacksburg parent, told Board members that a wellness policy should
encompass nutritional education information, physical education, classroom
instruction, etc. She presented a
proposed guideline for the committee charged with developing a wellness policy.
Item
10/05-172 Personnel Report: On motion by
Mrs. North, seconded by Mr. Johnson, the Board voted unanimously to approve the
personnel report with an addendum.
The report is attached and made a part of
these minutes as pages A1-A6.
Item
10/05-173 Payment of Bills: On motion by Mrs. Morikawa, seconded by
Mrs. North, the Board unanimously voted to approve the bills as presented.
Operating Fund:
Utilities, 09/22/05, Ck. Nos. 433442-433466,
$113,768.31
Bills, 10/04/05, Ck. Nos. 433467-433741,
$570,713.46
Payroll, 09/09/05, supp. Ck. Nos. 42106-42108, $2,766.80
Fixed Charges, 09/09/05, Ck. Nos. 42109-42114, $819.80
Payroll, 09/30/05, Ck. Nos. 42115-42124,
$4,230,945.96
Fixed Charges, 09/30/05, Ck. Nos. 42125-42195, $1,322,252.06
Item 10/05-172 and Item 10/05-173
Cafeteria:
Bills, 09/28/05, Ck. Nos. 1759-1785,
$118,029.39
Payroll, 09/30/05, Direct Deposit,
$132,489.75
Fixed Charges, 09/30/05, Ck. Nos. 4433-4456, $27,817.33
Item 10/05-174 Consent Items: The following items were approved by general consent:
1.
Minutes: Minutes from the August 16, 2005 work
session and the September 6, 2005 regular session.
2. Field
Trips:
a.
Blacksburg High School (BHS) art guild students to travel to the Native
American Museum at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on November 30,
2005. Students will travel via
chartered bus. No accommodations are
needed. The cost per student is $35.
b.
The BHS DECA club to travel to New York City, New York, on December 7-10,
2005. Students will travel via
airplane. Accommodations are to be
provided by the DoubleTree Hotel in New York City. The cost per student is $600.
c.
The BHS DECA club to travel to Orlando, Florida, on February 1-5,
2006. Students will travel via
airplane. Accommodations are to be provided by Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
in Orlando, Florida. The cost per
student is $800.
d.
The BHS DECA club to travel to Dallas, Texas, on April 28 through May 3,
2006. Students will travel via airplane.
Accommodations are to be provided by the Marriott in Dallas. The cost
per student is $1,200.
e.
The BHS DECA club to travel to Norfolk, Virginia, on March 9-12,
2006. Students will travel via
chartered bus. Accommodations are to be
provided by the Sheraton Hotel in Norfolk.
The cost per student is $200.
Item 10/05-173 (Continued) and Item 10/05-174
f.
The BHS DECA club to travel to New York City, New York, on December
18-21, 2005. Students will travel via
airplane. Accommodations are to be
provided by the DoubleTree Hotel in New York City. The cost per student is $600.
g.
The BHS concert band, symphonic band, madrigal singers, and jazz and
concert choirs to travel to Chicago, Illinois, on April 19-22, 2006. Students will travel via chartered bus. Accommodations are to be provided by a hotel
in Chicago. The cost per student is
$485-$500.
h.
BHS Biology I students to travel to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on November 7,
2005. Students will travel via
chartered bus. No accommodations are
needed. The cost per student is $40.
i.
Blacksburg Middle School (BMS) social studies students to travel to the
Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, on October 26, 2005. Students will travel via chartered bus. No
accommodations are needed. The cost per
student is $50.
j.
The Christiansburg High School (CHS) band to travel to Boston,
Massachusetts, on April 26-30, 2006.
Students will travel via chartered bus.
Accommodations are to be provided by a hotel in Boston. The cost per student is $500.
k.
Life skills and health and physical education students at Wilson Avenue
to travel to Bozoo, West Virginia, on October 14, 2005. Students will travel via county car. No
accommodations are needed. There is no
cost to students.
l.
The Future Farmers of America (FFA) club at Christiansburg Middle School
(CMS) to travel to Louisville, Kentucky, on October 26-29, 2005. Students will travel via county car. Accommodations are to be provided by hotel
in Louisville. The cost per student is
$250.
m.
Chorus and band students at CMS to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, on April
21-23, 2006. Students will travel via
chartered bus. Accommodations have yet
to be determined. The cost per student
is $300.
Item 10/05-174 (Continued)
3. Grants:
a.
Earn to Learn: A grant to allow Elliston Lafayette Elementary
School (ELES) students to participate in a reading incentive project in which
they earn books of their own by reading books in the Accelerated Reader program
and passing the associated comprehension tests.
b.
“What’s On Stage?”: A grant requesting funding to add an overnight
trip to Washington, D.C., to the activities of Harding Avenue Elementary School’s
(HAES) “What’s On Stage?” after-school cultural program for at-risk third
through fifth grade students.
c.
Community Foundation of the New River Valley, 2005 Fall Grant Cycle:
(1)
“What’s On Stage?”: A grant requesting continuation of funding for
“What’s On Stage?,” a HAES after-school program that exposes at-risk third
through fifth grade students to cultural events while expanding their language
arts and technology skills.
(2) Reading Library, BHS: A grant to
purchase high-interest adolescent literature novels and magazines to stock a
classroom library for struggling readers at BHS.
d.
Everybody Reads, Everybody Learns: A grant to supplement the current
Shawsville Middle School (SMS) library holdings with a large volume of
high-interest reading materials to appeal to reluctant readers. These materials will strengthen the current
Everybody Reads, Everybody Learns school-wide silent reading program at
SMS.
e.
Best Buy’s 2005 Te@ch Grants Program:
(1) Computer Repair, CHS: A grant to
provide additional computer building and repair components for CHS’ computer
repair courses (computer systems technology I, II, and III and networking I and
II). These courses are offered as part of CHS’ Career and Technical Education
(CTE) program.
Item 10/05-174 (Continued)
(2) Social Studies Interactive Technology, SMS:
A grant to allow SMS teachers and students to create more sophisticated
multi-media presentations and games addressing seventh grade history and social
studies topics.
4.
Memorandum of Understanding: A Memorandum of
Understanding between Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Virginia
Tech.
5. Special Education Advisory Committee Members: The special
education advisory committee members as presented.
Superintendent’s Reports, Recommendations,
Announcements:
Item 10/05-175 Secondary Enrollment Numbers (Information): Carl Pauli, principal at Auburn High School
(AHS), provided the Board with a report on secondary enrollment numbers. Mr. Pauli told Board members that enrollment
at the secondary level increased by a total of 73 students (an increase of 73
students at the high school level and no change in the number of students at
the middle school level).
Item 10/05-176 Additional
Special Education Instructional Assistants (Action): Ms. Franklin moved,
seconded by Dr. Hopkins, and the Board voted unanimously to approve five
additional special education instructional assistants.
Item 10/05-177 Part-Time
Employee Benefit Plan Update (Information): Walt Shannon, Director of
Management Services, updated the Board on the Part-Time Employee Benefit Plan
approved last year for the 2005-2006 school year.
Ms. Franklin expressed concern about employees formerly
covered by the plan who are not currently receiving benefits. Mr.
Shannon said a realignment of the plan (based on the number of hours
worked by part-time employees) created this problem. Board members expressed a desire to review the plan and
procedures during upcoming budget discussions.
Item 10/05-178 Discussion of Topic/Dates for Joint Meeting
with Board of Supervisors (Discussion):
A joint meeting was scheduled with the Board of Supervisors at 6:00 p.m. on
October 17, 2005. Agenda items proposed
by School Board members for discussion were budget issues, fuel cost concerns,
and other real estate/land use items including old Blacksburg Middle School.
Mrs.
Morikawa said she would like an update on the school nutrition program and
wellness policy issue. Dr. Anderson
remarked that the health advisory board, in conjunction with Michael
Marcenelle, Supervisor of the School Nutrition Program, along with Mr. Shannon,
would be handling the development of a wellness policy for the school division.
She said the group would be expanded to include more parents and community
members interested in the issue.
Mrs.
North reported to Board members on her visit to the Southwest Virginia
Governor’s School. She said positive
plans are in the works, which may impact the school division.
Dr. Hopkins moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa,
and the Board voted unanimously to direct the School Board Attorney to amend
the superintendent’s contract to allow her to use the funds designated for
health insurance (up to the amount in the contract for health insurance) for
other purposes as she chooses and authorized the chair to sign the amended
contract.
Mr.
Jones said he would like an update on Student Congress. Dr. Anderson responded that Student Congress
and the Diversity Forum are just getting started with their work this year.
Mr.
Jones reminded Board members that it will soon be time to schedule meetings
with state legislators. Dr. Anderson
noted that the director of instruction is planning ways for legislators to be
involved in schools during the month of November.
Mr.
Johnson said he has heard that there is a new proposal for old Blacksburg
Middle School, but the School Board has not been apprised of the proposal.
Ms.
Franklin announced that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) will be holding a Freedom Fund Banquet at 6:00 p.m. on November
12 in Muse Hall at Radford University. She noted that Dr. Anderson would be speaking
at the event.
Agenda Preparation
October
18, 2005 Report on the Governor’s School
Discussion of Policies
Related to Discrimination, Student Code of Conduct, Harassment, etc.
Scheduling of Budget
Meeting Dates and Proposed Public Hearing Date
Update
on September 30 Enrollment
November
1, 2005 MCPS Comprehensive Plan –
Biennial Report and Adoption