SOUTH WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING MINUTES

District 833 School Board Regular Meeting Unofficial Clerk's

Summary for

January 10, 2013

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, January 10, 2013. The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairman Tracy Brunnette at 6:00 p.m. at the District Service Center, located at 7362 East Point Douglas Road South, Cottage Grove, MN. School Board members present were Marsha Adou, Tracy Brunnette, Jim Gelbmann, Laurie Johnson, Ron Kath, David Kemper and Katy McElwee-Stevens. Superintendent Keith Jacobus was present.

Board member Tracy Brunnette administered the Oath of Office for newly appointed board member Katy McElwee-Stevens. Vice-Chairman Tracy Brunnette presided over the election of officers. A motion was made and seconded to nominate Ron Kath for Chairperson; Tracy Brunnette for Vice-Chair; Marsha Adou for Clerk; and Laurie Johnson for Treasurer. Motion was carried. A motion was made and seconded to approve the organizational items for 2013. Motion was carried. A motion was made and seconded to approve the consent agenda items - retirements, resignations, terminations, leaves of absence, change of status, change to ERHS calendar for SEC Music Festival. Motion was carried.

The School Board held a conversation with our local Legislators: Senator Susan Kent representing District 53, Representative Andrea Kieffer representing District 56B, Representative JoAnn Ward representing District 53A, Representative Denny McNamara representing District 57B, and Representative Dan Schoen representing District 54A, were in attendance to meet with the School Board. A summary of this discussion included:

•District 833 believes it will take new and different opportunities and activities to support the learning that will ensure students graduate from high school to college and career ready.

•Streamline current state testing protocols.

•Instruction should be focused on the common core, encouraging students to approach learning more rigorously and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.

•Improve incentives for school districts to form online learning consortia to avoid duplication and to expand digital learning opportunities for students and professional development for staff.

•Amend the continuing contract law to ensure school districts are able to retain their most effective teachers and enhance student achievement.

•Give school districts, educators and students a greater ability to be creative in shaping our educational programs through continued mandate relief and removal of other unnecessary burdens.

•Support the need for local teacher evaluations, including the frequency, but allow the evaluation tool be one that is developed internally, while providing the necessary funding to effectively implement teacher and principal evaluation systems.

•Provide funding to implement early learning programs to close the achievement gap and raise achievement for all students.

•Invest in early learning - as considered by the Education Finance Working Group.

•Make school property tax levies more stable and uniform - as considered by the Education Finance Working Group.

•Reform special education funding - as considered by the Education Finance Working Group.

•Provide resources for capital and technology needs.

•Maintain current funding structure for the ATPPS (Q-comp) program.

•Support an equal or greater level of integration funding for the programs implemented and experiencing success in District 833.

•With increased attention to school safety and security, consider supporting school districts through emergency preparedness efforts.

•Support the possibility of District 833 acquiring a state-owned school - Crosswinds East Metro Arts and Science School - currently operated by the East Metro Integration District and within District 833's boundaries.

Aaron Bushberger, Director of Finance, presented the first readings of the FY 2013-2014 Alternative Facilities, Health and Safety, Debt Service Fund and Trust Fund Budgets. Alternative Facilities budget: Alternative Facilities Program projects are financed through a combination of a dedicated property tax levy and alternative facilities bonds. The projected revenue for 2013-2014 is $27,408,625 and the expenditures are projected at $2,058,625. The projected fund balance for June 30, 2014 is $25,453,905. Health and Safety budget: In accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Health and Safety program activities are recorded as a reserve account within the general fund. Health and Safety projects are financed from dedicated property tax levies. The projected revenue for 2013-2014 is $730,309 and the expenditures are projected at $738,645. The projected fund balance for June 30, 2014 is $51,476. Debt Service Fund budget: Projected revenue for this budget consists of local taxes based on property tax levy amounts certified in the 2012 Payable 2013 Levy by the School Board at the December 20, 2012 meeting. Additional revenue is generated from interest earnings on cash balances during the year as well as estimated earnings on escrow account balances for refunding transactions. Expenditures represent scheduled principal and interest payments due on outstanding bond issuances and payments due for the District's share of lease costs for Valley Crossing Community School. The projected revenue for 2013-2014 is $26,006,034 and the expenditures are projected at $25,730,561. The projected fund balance for June 30, 2014 is $5,720,270. Trust Fund budget: The Trust Fund is used to record activity related to gifts made to the district for the benefit of someone other than the district. The district must use the funds recorded in this fund for the purpose designated by the donor. All funds currently included are designated for post-secondary education scholarships which have been or will be awarded to students enrolled in the district. The projected revenue for 2013-2014 is $37,600 and the expenditures are projected at $37,600. The projected fund balance for June 30, 2014 is $64,731. These budgets will be brought back to the board for approval at their meeting on January 24, 2013.

Aaron Bushberger, Director of Finance, presented preliminary information as it relates to the 2013-2014 General Fund Budget. The revenue for the FY 2012-2013 budget is $167,997,398. 79.8% of that is from state aids, 15.9% from taxes, 2.6% in federal funding and 1.7% is other. Over the past decade, funding has not kept up with the pace of inflation. The state has faced two bienniums with projected deficits. They have utilized "shifts" to balance their budget and only provided a 1% increase in general education revenue. Minnesota school districts are still owed $1.1 billion from the state. Expenditures for the FY 2012-2013 budget are $174,142,215. Nearly 82% of that is for salaries and benefits. 10.4% is from purchased services, supplies are 4.2%, capital is 3.4%, and the rest is other. Eight contracts are up for negotiation July 1, 2013. Utilities, tuition, insurance and fuel have experienced significant increases. Current staffing ratios for the school district are:

•28.5 to 1 for grades K-5

•30.5 to 1 for grades 6-8

•31.5 to 1 for grades 9-12

This was the first discussion related to the 2013-2014 General Fund Budget. Information from the "service level process" will be presented to the Board in February. A continued discussion about the General Fund Budget will be incorporated into the service level conversation and any future referendum conversations.

Keith Jacobus presented a summary of his report "One Hundred Days - One Hundred Visits". November marked the end of Superintendent Keith Jacobus's first 100 days serving in the South Washington County Schools. Part of his entry plan when he began in July was to complete 100 visits in his first 100 days with students, staff and community members. At the end of his first 100 days, Superintendent Jacobus had completed 128 formal meetings along with numerous informal visits to each school in the district and throughout the community. Superintendent Jacobus asked four questions when he met with people from around the district: What is working well?; What is working but could be improved?; What, if anything, should be abandoned?; What three suggestions do you have for the new superintendent? He said that overall he is pleased with the structures and processes the district has in place to address some of the areas of concerns brought up in his 100 Day visits, and that he is confident that the district is moving in a positive direction to help students realize their dreams.

The meeting adjourned at 9:19pm.

This information is only a summary. The full text is available for public inspection at the administrative offices of the school district or at www.sowashco.k12.mn.us .

3/20/2013

Tags: public notices, meetings