SOUTH WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOLS JUNE MEETING MINUTES

District 833

School Board Regular Meeting

Summary of Clerk's Minutes

16 June 2011

Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the School Board of Independent School District 833, South Washington County, was held on Thursday, June 16, 2011. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Leslee Boyd at 7:00 p.m. at the District Service Center, located at 7362 East Point Douglas Road South in Cottage Grove, MN. School Board members present were Marsha Adou, Leslee Boyd, Tracy Brunnette, Jim Gelbmann, Laurie Johnson and David Kemper. Board member Ron Kath was absent. Superintendent Mark T. Porter was present for the meeting.

It was moved and seconded to approve the consent agenda and the main agenda. Approved items on the consent agenda included resignations and terminations; leaves of absence; new employees/change of status; electronic fund transfers; gifts/field trips; April 2011 financial statements and cash disbursements; May 19, 2011 and June 2, 2011 School Board meeting minutes; 2011-2012 health and safety certification; 2011-2012 miscellaneous wage sheet; annual membership and dues for 2011-2012 for MSHSL, AMSD, MSBA and SEE; 2011-2012 petty cash limit; resolution for committed fund balances under GASB Statement #54; student teacher placement agreements with the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota-Duluth; change orders.

Aaron Bushberger, Director of Finance, and Gary Dechaine, Director of Transportation, presented the final reading of the proposed 2011-2012 Designated for Transportation budget. This budget was presented in detail at the June 2, 2011 School Board workshop. Projected revenue consists primarily of state aid as a percentage of the district's general education formula allowance. Other sources of revenue consist of miscellaneous state aids, levy for Valley Crossing alternate calendar days, field trips and interest earnings. The major areas of expenditures include administration and office operations, mechanics / bus garage, bus operations, student safety and capital expenditures. The budget reflects contract settlements consistent with those budgeted in the General Fund, includes replacement of two buses and two special needs vans, and a continuation to purchase fuel in cooperation with the state through the Fuel Consortium Purchase Program. The current fuel contract is set at $2.88/gal through 1/31/12. For the remainder of the budget in 2012, the fuel needs are calculated at $3.70/gal. For 2011-2012, projected revenue for this budget is $5,531,282 while expenditures are projected at $6,021,086. The projected fund balance for June 30, 2012 is $622,234. It was moved and seconded to approve the budget as presented. Motion was carried.

Aaron Bushberger, Director of Finance, presented the final reading of the proposed 2011-2012 General Fund Budget. This budget was presented in detail at the June 2, 2011 School Board workshop. Staffing recommendations and budget adjustments were approved by the School Board at their March 24, 2011 meeting. The 2011-2012 Integration Revenue budget was approved at the April 21, 2011 meeting. Other components of the General Fund Budget - Reserved for Operating Capital and Reserved for Health and Safety - were approved at board meetings earlier in the year. Budget assumptions include an enrollment change of 0%; state revenue change of 0% (unknown until the Legislative process is complete); 2% increase to salaries and benefits (unknown until contracts are settled); and increase in tuition, utilities and insurance at 5%. Revenue highlights from the General Fund include:

•General Fund revenue comes from state aid/credits; federal aid; local levies; interest earnings and other local sources

•Revenue is projected at $146,484,413

•State revenue is unknown until the Legislative process is complete

•79% of General Fund revenues come from the state

•The primary source of state funding is General Education revenue ($5,124 per pupil)

•Enrollment is estimated at 17,116

Expenditure highlights from the General Fund include:

•86% of the budget is for salaries and benefits - two contracts have settled through 2011-2012 and eight contracts will expire on June 30, 2011

•Expenditures are projected at $153,061,586

•Staffing ratios are: K-5 is 28.5:1; 6-8 is 30.5:1; 9-12 is 31.5:1

One-time budget adjustments already made include - eliminate Internal Service Fund contribution of $2,500,000; allocate remaining EdJobs Funds of $500,000; and other one-time adjustments of $188,543. Ongoing budget adjustments include - early retirement incentive plan of $855,000; other ongoing adjustments of $1,064,584. The projected fund balance for June 30, 2012 is $10,692,178. It was moved and seconded to approve the budget as presented. Motion was carried.

Mark T. Porter, Superintendent, presented the final reading of the proposed Pathway to Excellence Strategic Plan. The plan was presented in detail at the June 2, 2011 School Board workshop. Following approval, the work will begin in earnest to move forward with Pathway to Excellence, a five-year plan that will include a new mission statement, value statements, strategic objectives, with more narrow goal statements connected to individual action plans. The effort involved many people from the beginning of the process. Parents, students, staff and community members responded to surveys and participated in public meetings. A team of 41 representatives from many facets of our district came together for a day and a half to develop a mission statement, value statements and strategic objectives. It was moved and seconded to approve the plan as presented. Motion was carried.

Mark T. Porter, Superintendent, presented the final reading of the Series 700 policies that focus on the non-instructional operations and business services of the school district. These policies were presented in detail at the June 2, 2011 School Board workshop. The school district's Policy Manual went through a much needed review and revision process starting in November of 2006 and was completed in the spring of 2009. To keep the policies current and up to date, a periodic review is needed from staff and the School Board. Board members Leslee Boyd and Marsha Adou have been meeting with Superintendent Mark Porter and Mary Amidon on a regular basis to keep this process moving and did a thorough review of the 700 policies. No changes have been made since the June 2nd meeting. It was moved and seconded to approve the policies as presented. Motion was carried.

Mary Amidon, Assistant to the Superintendent and School Board, presented a resolution that calls for the school district to hold a General Election for the purpose of electing three (3) School Board members for terms of four (4) years each. The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 between the hours of 7:00am and 8:00pm. The ballot will include those names that file affidavits of candidacy during the legal filing period. Once approved, the district will proceed with legal posting of this resolution. It was moved and seconded to approve the resolution as presented. Motion was carried.

Mary Amidon, Assistant to the Superintendent and School Board, presented a resolution that establishes the dates for filing affidavits of candidacy for open School Board seats for the November General Election. Three members will be elected to the School Board for terms of 4 years each. Duties will begin in January, 2012. The filing shall begin on August 2, 2011 and shall close at 5:00pm on August 16, 2011. An affidavit of candidacy, along with the $2 filing fee, must be filed in the district office prior to the deadline on August 16, 2011. A candidate must be an eligible voter, must be 21 years of age or more upon assuming office, must have been a resident of the school district for 30 days before the General Election, must have no other affidavit on file for any other office at the same General Election, and must not be listed as a predatory offender as outlined in Minnesota Statute. Once approved, the district will proceed with legal posting of the dates. It was moved and seconded to approve the resolution as presented. Motion was carried.

Denise Griffith, Director of Human Resources, presented a resolution proposing discipline of a continuing contract employee as outlined in Minn. Stat. §122A.40, Subd. 13. Following the School Board's approval of this, written notification of this action will be provided to the employee along with the stated grounds. Within ten days after receipt of this notification, the employee may make a written request for a hearing. It was moved and seconded to approve the resolution as presented. Motion was carried.

Board member Jim Gelbmann requested to add this item to the main agenda. At the May 19th regular School Board meeting, the board voted to approve the 2011-2012 Nutrition Services Budget. It was noted during that discussion that school lunch prices would change effective July 1, 2011. Section 205 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide the same level of support for lunches served to students who are not eligible for free or reduced prices lunches as they are for lunches served to students eligible for free lunches. Therefore, per that USDA rule, Nutrition Services recommended an increase in lunch prices at the minimum requirement of $.05 for elementary and high schools - middle school prices will remain the same. An amendment was proposed for the district not to implement the USDA mandated $.05 increase at the elementary and high school level unless there were negative consequences or an adverse impact to the school district. That amendment was approved by the School Board. Board member Gelbmann asked other board members to reconsider the motions made at the May 19th School Board meeting. Motion failed due to lack of a second.

The meeting adjourned at 8:58pm.

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Tags: public notices, meetings