September
6, 2005
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
Tacy L.
Newell, Chair Richard J. Johnson (6:05
p.m.)
Penny J. Franklin Susan Morikawa
W. Wat Hopkins Mary Hayne North
Staff Members Present
Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent
Judith K.
Barylske Kimberly T. Lee
Daniel A.
Berenato Katherine M. Rodgers
Sandra Z.
Colman Marilyn M. Session
Christina
T. Gilley Walter L. Shannon
Harvey C. Goodwin Jeanette R. Warwick
Carol Jennings Richard D. Weaver
Anita P. Johnston Brad King, Attorney
Betti C. Kreye
Call
to Order
Ms.
Newell 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. North, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, the Board voted unanimously to adopt a revised agenda by adding Item 09/05-158 (Request for an Additional Elementary FTE) and Item 09/05-164 (Update on Fuel Costs) to the agenda.
Closed Session
Mrs. North moved,
seconded by Ms. Franklin, and the Board voted unanimously to enter into a
closed meeting pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A) of the Code of Virginia
at 6:02 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.
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
Dr. Hopkins moved,
seconded by Mrs. North, and the Board voted unanimously to return to open
session at 7:30 p.m.
Mrs. North moved,
seconded by Ms. Franklin, 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
_______________________________ September
6, 2005
Clerk
of the Montgomery Date
County
School Board
Action
Mrs. North moved, seconded by Ms. Franklin, and the Board voted
unanimously to grant a religious exemption from Montgomery County Public
Schools (MCPS) for Student A.
Ms. Franklin moved,
seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board voted unanimously to readmit Student B
to MCPS.
Ms. Franklin moved,
seconded by Mrs. North, and the Board voted unanimously to readmit Student C to
MCPS.
Public Address
Kelly
Roark, President of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), said
the MCEA is opposed to several of the policy changes the School Board is
considering.
Susanne
Dana, a MPCS teacher, urged the Board to reconsider the proposed policy
regarding leave for parents adopting a child.
Lee
Wonson, a MCPS teacher, opposed the handling of a community meeting by the
superintendent.
Jerolyn
Deplazes, a MCPS employee, distributed letters from Christiansburg Middle
School (CMS) parents, staff, and community members regarding the demotion of
the CMS principal.
Nicki
Scardina, a MCPS employee, spoke against a School Board policy regarding leave
for parents adopting a child.
Item
09/05-152 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-A13.
Item
09/05-153 Payment of Bills: On motion by Mrs. North, seconded by Mrs.
Morikawa, the Board unanimously voted to approve the bills as presented.
Operating Fund:
Utilities, 08/18/05, Ck. Nos. 432982-433005,
$379,786.74
Bills, 09/06/05, Ck. Nos. 433006-433219,
$661,357.85
Payroll, 08/31/05, 12pp Direct Deposit, $2,458,025.16
Fixed Charges, 08/31/05, Ck. Nos.
41937-41973, $188,976.25
Payroll, 08/10/05, supp. Ck. Nos. 42033-42039, $3,469.14
Fixed Charges, 08/10/05, Ck. Nos. 42040-42043, $270.52
Payroll, 08/31/05, Ck. Nos. 42044-42064,
$1,675,713.22
Fixed Charges, 08/31/05, Ck. Nos. 42065-42105, $260,540.32
Cafeteria:
Bills, 09/06/05, Ck. Nos. 1748-1758, $15,218.61
Payroll, 08/31/05, 12 pp Direct Deposit, $90,263.80
Fixed Charges, 08/31/05, Ck. Nos. 4408-4415, $7,085.28
Payroll, 08/31/05, Direct Deposit, $19,996.58
Fixed Charges, 08/31/05, Ck. Nos. 4425-4432, $2,498.68
Item 09/05-154 Consent Items: The following items were approved by general consent:
1.
Minutes: Minutes from the August 2, 2005 regular
session.
2. Donations:
a.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ketterer to donate a computer, printer, and sound
equipment to Christiansburg High School (CHS).
b. Marvi Stine to donate two computer monitors
to MCPS.
3.
Field Trips:
a.
The Blacksburg High School (BHS) forensics team to travel to North
Carolina for a speech and debate tournament on September 16-18, 2005. Students will travel via school bus. Accommodations and the cost per student have
yet to be determined.
b.
The BHS Future Farmers of America (FFA) club to travel to Louisville,
Kentucky, for the national convention on October 25-29, 2005. Students will travel via chartered bus. Accommodations are to be provided by the
Galt House in Louisville. The cost per
student is $250.
c.
BHS sports marketing students to travel to Baltimore, Maryland, on
September 24-25, 2005. Students will
travel via chartered bus.
Accommodations are to be provided by AmeriSuites in Linthicum, Maryland. The cost per student is $125.
4. Cancellation of Checks: Approved cancellation of the following
checks:
Check # Date Amount Payable To:
4387 06/30/05 $352.12 Carilion St. Albans
4404 07/29/05 $319.10 Carilion St. Albans
4421 07/29/05 $244.92 Carilion St. Albans
The
School Board recessed at 7:45 p.m. and reconvened at 7:50 p.m.
Superintendent’s Reports, Recommendations,
Announcements:
Item 09/05-155 MCPS Emergency Response and Crisis Management
(ERCM) Grant Project (Action):
Mrs. North moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the Board voted unanimously
to approve the MCPS ERCM Grant Project.
Item 09/05-156 Elementary
Curriculum Guides (Information): Jeanette Warwick, Director of Instruction;
curriculum supervisors; elementary teachers; and elementary administrators gave
a presentation on the newly developed elementary curriculum guides.
Mrs. North and Dr. Hopkins expressed concern about the
guides restricting the creativity of teaching and the integrated
curriculum. Ms. Franklin voiced concern
about the pacing piece in the curriculum guides.
Item 09/05-157 Elementary
Enrollments (Information): Mrs. Warwick provided the Board with an update
on elementary enrollment. The Board
will be updated on elementary and secondary tenth day enrollment at the next
Board meeting.
Item 09/05-158 Request for an Additional Elementary
Full-Time Employee (Action):
Dr. Anderson expressed a need for an additional full-time elementary
teacher.
Mrs. North moved, seconded by Mrs. Morikawa, and the
Board voted unanimously to approve an additional full-time elementary teacher.
Item 09/05-159 Update
on Accreditation and SAT Results (Information): Dr. Anderson informed the Board that preliminary
numbers (unofficial) suggest that MCPS will have 18 of 20 schools fully
accredited as per results from the Standards of Learning tests (an increase of
seven schools from last year). She said
Belview Elementary School and Auburn Middle School are predicted to be
Accredited With Warning.
Mr.
Johnson commended the administration and teachers on the improved results.
Item 09/05-160 Two-Year
School Calendar (Discussion): Sandra Colman, Director of Human Resources, provided the School Board
with last year’s parameters regarding the school calendar. Ms. Colman asked the Board for guidance on
developing a two-year school calendar.
The Board set the following parameters:
q
Reduce the
number of days school is out during January;
q
Implement a
make-up plan for inclement weather;
q
Develop a plan
to fix graduation dates;
q
Begin school
later in August and end school earlier in June;
q
Maintain the
number of elementary early release days for collaborative planning; and
q
Maintain Martin
Luther King Day.
Mr.
Johnson expressed that he would like to decrease the number of early release
days in the calendar but he is always out-voted.
Item 09/05-161 Policy
Manual Revisions (Second Reading): Mrs. North moved, seconded by Ms. Franklin, and the Board voted five
to zero with Ms. Newell abstaining from the vote to adopt the changes to the
policy manual as recommended with the exception of the bottom of page 124
through the top (parental leave) of page 128 as noted during the meeting.
Item 09/05-162 Request for an Additional Full-Time Bus
Driver (Action): Dr.
Hopkins moved, seconded by Ms. Franklin, and the Board voted unanimously to
approve the request for an additional full-time bus driver.
Item 09/06-163 Request
for Additional Special Education Instructional Aides (Action): Ms.
Franklin moved, seconded by Mrs. North, and the Board voted unanimously to
approve the request for three additional special education instructional aides.
Item 09/06-164 Update
on Fuel Costs (Information): The Board discussed the impact of rising fuel
costs on the budget. The Board will
continue discussing this item at the next meeting.
Item 09/05-165 Announcements/Calendar
for September (Information): Dr. Anderson announced that she is looking at dates to host an
orientation session for prospective School Board members. Ms. Newell noted that one candidate has
filed paperwork with the registrar as a write-in candidate for District C.
Unfinished Business By School Board Members
Ms. Franklin and Mr. Johnson expressed the need to continue discussions on drug and alcohol issues in the school division to include strategies in place and additional steps that may be taken.
New Business By School Board Members
Ms.
Franklin suggested, and the Board agreed, that the superintendent be directed
to write a letter to state legislators on the need for assistance as a result
of the higher fuel prices.
The
Board agreed to continue discussion of the superintendent’s evaluation in
closed session at the next meeting.
Agenda Preparation
September
20, 2005 Tenth Day Enrollment Update
Recognition of
School/Business Partners
Senior Recognition
Real Estate Matter
Briefing on School Nutrition
Adjournment
The
meeting was adjourned at 10:15 p.m. on motion by Ms. Franklin, seconded by Mrs.
North, and passed unanimously.
School Board Chair Clerk of the School Board