MINUTES - REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

 

August 17, 2005            6:30 P.M.       Educational Services Center

 

The Board of Education of the Bloomington Public Schools, School District 87, McLean County, Illinois, met in Regular Session.

 

Ms. Marianne Clancy, Board Secretary, established a quorum and the following Members were present: Mrs. Janet Smith, Mrs. Cheryl Jackson, Mr. Keith Davis, Mr. Uvaldo Herrera, and Mr. John Dirks, Board President.  Mrs. Millicent Roth and Mr. John Hanson were absent.

 

Present from the administrative staff were Dr. Robert Nielsen, Mr. Barry Reilly, Mrs. Sally Tucker and Mr. David Wood.

 

      Ms. Linda Aschenbrener, Public Relations Facilitator, was also in attendance.

 

Present from the news media was Ms. Phyllis Coulter, The Pantagraph, and Mr. Erik Stock, WJBC Radio Station.

 

Mrs. Roth joined the meeting at 6:32 p.m.

 

Mr. Dirks stated "In accordance with Section 17-1 of the School Code, the Board of Education will now hold a public hearing on 2005-2006 budget for the Area Vocational Center (AVC) and the Regional Vocational System (RVS).

 

The Area Vocational Center and Regional Vocational System prepared a budget in tentative form for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 which this Board reviewed at its June 22, 2005 meeting.

 

The tentative budgets have been on file for public inspection at the Educational Services Center for District 87 for over thirty days and public notice of the availability of the budget was published in The Pantagraph on June 24, 2005.  The tentative budget is on display in the rear of the room.

 

During the public hearing, Mr. Tom Frazier, Director of the AVC and RVS, will summarize the budget and the Board and members of the public will be given an opportunity to discuss the budget.

 

When all discussion has concluded, the public hearing will be adjourned.

 

At this time, Mr. Frazier will present a summary of the budget.”

 

      Mr. Frazier stated that we currently have 11 school district members in the RVS plus the AVC, which participate in offering 19 State Board approved regional career and tech ed programs.  The total anticipated revenues and expenditures for 05-06 at the RVS is $888,314. This is approximately a 5.9% decrease from last year.  Revenue funding sources consist of two State and two Federal grants plus some local matching contributions from member districts.  Expenditures primarily used are 28% applied to salaries for staff participating in the coordination and support of grant activities along with dollars being applied to the AVC for program improvement and staff development.

 

      Mr. Frazier stated that the AVC is one of 24 AVC’s in Illinois. There are 13 technical ed programs offered to an anticipated enrollment of 470 students, which is 80% of capacity.  The total anticipated revenues and expenditures for 05-06 is $1,008,255 which is a 2.3% increase over last school year, 2004-05.  The revenue funding sources for the AVC include a

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combination of the Career Tech Ed Improvement Grants, two Federal grants plus annual tuition.  Tuition is about 44% of our total revenue, the Federal Career Tech Ed improvement grant consists of 42% of our revenues, 14% comes from grants and other miscellaneous income.  Tuition this year is $975 per student which is the same as last year.  Mr. Frazier stated that 69% of total expenses is devoted to staff, administrative salaries and payroll deductions.

 

Mr. Dirks asked “Is there any discussion from the Board?”

 

Mr. Dirks asked how the projected enrollment for this year compares to last year.

 

Mr. Frazier said it’s almost identical.  He stated that September 15, 2005 is our billing date so we will know a firm number on that date. 

 

Mr. Dirks asked “Is there any discussion from the public?” 

 

There was no discussion from the public.

 

Mr. Dirks stated “The Public Hearing is now concluded."

 

     Mr. Dirks presented the Minutes for approval.  It was moved by Mr. Davis, seconded by Mrs. Jackson, that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Education held on July 13, 2005 be approved.   Upon a roll call vote all Members present voted “Aye”. Motion carried.

 

  Mr. Colin Manahan, Director of Facilities Management, introduced the following custodial and maintenance staff who were in attendance:

 

·        Mr. Jay Smithson- handles 75% of the day to day activities of the construction done over the summer

·        Mr. Troy Fulks – Responsible for all the air conditioning and heating that went on at Bloomington High School (BHS) along with renovations. 

·        BHS (night crew)- Mr. Jim Harvey, Mr. Jeff Langhoff, Night Leader, Mr. Tom Givens, Mr. Ted Monninger, Mr. Mark Whiteside;  Mr. Brad Johnson, Supervisor of BHS Custodial Staff, also handled much of the construction work.

·        Bloomington Junior High School – Mr. Mike Brooks, Custodian Supervisor

·        Bent School – Mrs. Teresa Smithson, Head Custodian, and Mrs. Lori Pickett

·        Sarah Raymond – Mr. Bob Kirk, Head Custodian

·        Educational Services Center – Mrs. Joan Travis

·        Irving – Mr. Shawn Milling, Head Custodian

 

      Mr. Dirks stated that the District truly appreciates all the hard work you do, especially with the additional work necessary this summer.             

 

      Mrs. Vickie Slagell, Stevenson School Principal, stated that everyone in this group that she has worked with have not only been respectful, but they’ve been diligent in what we have asked of them and she thinks this is a wonderful group of people.  She wanted to thank everyone on behalf of all the Principals.

 

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      Mr. Dirks asked the group to come forward and receive congratulations from the Board.

 

      Dr. Nielsen introduced Mrs. Connie Mueller, Director of Food Services, who received the American Dietetic Association School Practice Group Award of Excellence for Management Practice.  She will receive the award in St. Louis at the annual conference in October.

 

      Mr. Dirks congratulated Mrs. Mueller and asked her to come forward and receive congratulations from the Board.

 

Mrs. Jackson reported that she attended a negotiations meeting last Thursday where a “tentative agreement” was reached.  Details will come at a later date.

 

Mr. Herrera reported that he too attended the negotiations meeting last Thursday.

 

Mrs. Roth reported that there will be a meeting of the Sesquicentennial Committee in September.

 

Mr. Dirks stated that he, Mr. Herrera and Dr. Nielsen met with The Pantagraph Editorial Board recently and that it went very well.

 

Mr. Wood presented the Tentative 2005-06 District Budget.  The Board approved the Tentative Budget, established September 28, 2005 for Public Hearing on the Budget and approved publication of notice of Public Hearing in the Pantagraph on August 19, 2005.  Mr. Wood outlined the Districts recent financial history to provide an overall context for the 2005-06 Budget.  He then discussed in detail the revenue and expenditure trends and issues associated with each District fund.  

Mrs. Tucker reported to the Board of Education on the Grade 1 and 2 Terra Nova results from fall and spring testing in the 2004-2005 school year for the cohort of students who took both the fall and spring tests disaggregated by race and income.  Additionally, her report included the data on the achievement of all students for spring testing from 2003-2005 disaggregated by race and income. 

 

Mrs. Tucker reported the following conclusions from the data:

 

·         In comparable subgroups (all students, black students, white students, and students by income), at Grade 1, 18 of 18 possible scores across the content areas (reading, language arts, and math) were at or above the historical high.

·         In comparable subgroups at Grade 2, 12 of 18 possible scores across the content areas were at or above the historical high.

·         In the cohort comparison at both Grades 1 and 2 all subgroups showed an increase in achievement above what was expected for one year of instruction.

·         The achievement in our disaggregated subgroups of black and low income students improved at a greater rate than the overall population and our largest subgroup.  This indicates that we are closing the achievement gap between our minority and majority students. 

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It was moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded by Mrs. Roth, that the Consent Agenda (Personnel Report, Bills, Payroll, Treasurer’s Report, Financial Summary, Resolution: Stevenson House Abatement, Construction Agreement City of Bloomington/Community Development Division, and the Bloomington Board of Education, Waivers: Parent/Teacher Conferences and School Improvement Days and 2005 Health/Life Safety Decennial Survey) be approved. Upon a roll call vote, all Members present, voted “Aye”.  Motion carried. (See with Original Minutes, Attachment 8-17-05/1

 

      Dr. Nielsen stated that the All Staff Welcome Back Breakfast for the District will be tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at Bloomington High School.  He also reminded everyone that:

 

·         Monday is the first day of school

·         8/25/05 is the Elected Officials Reception at the Interstate Center

·         8/31/05 is the combined Board of Education Meeting with Unit 5

·         9/2/05 is the Sheridan Back to School Parade at 9:30 a.m. and everyone    participating should be at Sheridan at 9:00 a.m.

 

Dr. Nielsen stated that all the buildings are in good shape and since all buildings are air conditioned, we will not have any heat days.

 

     It was moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded by Mrs. Roth that the Board approve the Tuition Based Enrollment.  Upon a roll call vote, all Members present voted “Aye”.  Motion carried.  (See with Original Minutes, Attachment 8-17-05/2)

        

      It was moved by Mrs. Roth, seconded by Mrs. Jackson that the Board approve the AVC/RVS Budget for 2005-06.  Upon a roll call vote, all Members present voted “Aye”.  Motion carried.  (See with Original Minutes, Attachment 8-17-05/3)

 

It was moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded by Mrs. Smith that the Board Adopt the District 87 Tentative Budget and Set Date for Hearing.  Upon a roll call vote, all Members present voted “Aye”.  Motion carried.  (See with Original Minutes, Attachment 8-17-05/4)

 

It was moved by Mr. Davis, seconded by Mrs. Smith that the Board go into Closed Session for the purpose of considering collective negotiating

matters between the district and the Bloomington Education Association (BEA), or deliberations concerning salary scheduled for one or more classes of employees. Upon a roll call vote, all Members present voted “Aye”.  Motion carried.   

 

     There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Dirks adjourned the meeting.

 

 

APPPROVED:                                ATTEST:

 

                                   

                                   

___________________________               ___________________________

President                                 Secretary