GRAND CANYON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT #4

REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2005

6:30 P.M., SCHOOL LIBRARY

MINUTES 

Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Chuck Wahler, President, at 6:33 p.m. 

Attendance

Chuck Wahler, President; Tammie Harris, Clerk; Emmons Berry, Member; Bess Foster, Member; and Clarinda Vail, Member; Dr. Sheila Breen, Superintendent; Bob Kelso, Principal; Lee Metheny, Business Manager; Andrew Aldaz, Maintenance Director and Jeri Syrkel, Secretary. 

Approval of Agenda

Mr. Wahler moved for the approval of the agenda as posted.  Mr. Berry seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Minutes

Mr. Wahler moved for approval of the minutes including the minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 13^th, the Revised minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 8^th, and the Revised minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 8^th.  Mr. Berry seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Call to the Community

No one responded to Mr. Wahler’s Call to the Community. 

Reports 

Superintendent’s Report

Substitute Teachers (Teacher Absences).  Dr. Breen mentioned that there has been an increase to payroll for substitute teachers needed.  Many teachers have been absent, especially due to illness.  Jeri is preparing a table showing number of teacher absences and the reasons for the absences to determine whether there are trends that require attention. The cost to date has been $30,081.17.  Mr. Wahler asked Lee Metheny for a comparison to the same expense last year.  Mr. Berry asked about teachers being out for personal days and sick leave and if there was a pay out for unused leave days.  Dr. Breen said that the pay out is only $15 a day and recommended that the Board begin reviewing this policy at the June Board meeting.  Tammie Harris stated that students are concerned about having to be at school when so many teachers are out.

Arts for Our Park.  Dr. Breen reported that 3 scholarships in the amounts of $1,000, $500, and $500 would be awarded from funds available in this program.  She reminded us of the Honors Program in the Shrine of the Ages at 6:30 p.m. on May 11^th. 

Principal’s Report

Attendance.  Mr. Kelso reported that attendance in middle school is better this past month.

Calendar.  Mr. Kelso mentioned that the Community Dinner is scheduled for Monday, May 16^th, and is being moved from our Multi-Purpose Room to the Community Recreation Center.  Diane Williams and her students are preparing for the annual School Play to be held on Wednesday, May 18^th in the MPR and would need the MPR for final dress rehearsal on the 16^th so Annie Phillips moved the dinner to the ramada at the Recreation Center.

Yearbooks.  Mr. Kelso said that yearbook distribution was planned for May 18^th after the play.  Because of petitions by Senior students, the yearbook will be distributed in Mrs. Wood’s room at 3:30 on May 12^th.

Camp Colton.  Mr. Kelso mentioned that the Camp Colton trip for 6^th Grade had been postponed until May 23^rd through May 27^th.  However, he is still unsure if students will be making the trip due to snows late in the season at Camp Colton.

Summer School.  Bob Kelso said that 5 teachers would be teaching summer school which will be held June 6^th through June 30^th.  There will be a second summer school August 1^st through August 11^th to help those students who did not pass their grade-level AIMS this Spring. As in previous years, there will be an end-of-summer school ice cream social with the students.

IB PYP Consultant Report.  Mr. Kelso reported that he had revised his PY report, conceding that some elementary teachers  may have been polarized at the time of the consultant’s visit.  The first progress report was sent and the consultant has not issued a report to date. Mr. Kelso indicated that the PYP teachers are close to having one Planner per teacher completed.  Mr. Kelso also provided a PYP Action Plan to IBO and the Board.

Penalties for Absences.  Mr. Kelso mentioned that a few students had 8 days of unexcused absences, which is excessive.  He reviewed the consequence, indicating that after 6 days of unexcused absences, a note goes home to the student’s parents.  After 3 parent notes and 1 more unexcused absence, he will be having conferences with the parents.  He said that the teachers would like Board involvement, especially with high school students and middle school students.  Bess Foster said that she had noticed some of the individual attendance reports were incorrect. Mr. Kelso indicated that Peggy Russell will be working more with attendance next year with the goal being to improve attendance and provide more accurate attendance reports. Mr. Kelso also reported that we do have problems with our student record system (SIRS), at times and he anticipates significant improvement in this area with Ms. Russell’s  help.

Spring Concerts.  Clarinda Vail asked about Spring Concerts.  Bob Kelso reported that the Elementary Concert had been cancelled. The High School and Middle School Concerts have been combined and the concert will be held on Tuesday, May 17^th at the Shrine of the Ages.

IB Training and Expenses.  Bess Foster said that she appreciates the response to IB expenses and in bringing IB trainers here.  Mr. Kelso said that he and Mrs. Crumbo plan to have PYP and MYP training sessions together next year on Fridays.  Mr. Kelso and Dr. Breen said that they are looking for a response  from IB regarding appropriate trainers from the consultants. Dr. Breen said that we have very positive support from IB in New York with flexibility on MYP.  Becky Crumbo said that she and a few others will have to go out for training, but not as many times as this year. 

Business Manager’s Report

Lee Metheny provided a copy of the Budget Balance Report.  He said that the auditors would be here for at least 2 days this week, and that their concentration would be in the area of Fixed Assets.  Ms. Harris questions the projected balance, since it indicated a possible over-expenditure situation. Mr. Metheny explained that the total possible expenditures, based on open purchase orders, are included, even if we will not be spending that amount of money. Ms. Foster asked about an item coded as  “unknown” on page 3.    Dr. Breen explained that some items at the end of the year may be coded that way and then Mr. Metheny would do a journal entry to charge the amount to the appropriate line item. Some of these items are tied to grants and the change will not be made until June.  Mr. Wahler called for further questions.  There were none. 

Maintenance Director’s Report

Transportation.  Andrew Aldaz said that April was a busy month for transportation.  Trips included the middle school camping trip, the Student Council trip to Six Flags/Magic Mountain, the 5^th Grade trip to Challenger Space Center in Peoria, and the 3 Earth Day trips to Ten X, Desert View, and Glen Canyon.

Housing.  The Building Maintenance Class is finishing up with housing improvements.

Athletics.  Mr. Aldaz mentioned that we had to cancel the rest of the softball season due to low numbers of participants.  The Track Team will be involved in the State Track Meet.

School Building Repairs.  We have a water leak and building odors, perhaps mold in the Lower Elementary building.  The roof leaks where the two elementary buildings are put together. Mr. Aldaz is working with a roofer from Prescott and the Trust will repair the water damage to the walls once the roof is repaired.  New air conditioning is being installed in 2 high school rooms and the elementary computer lab, Room 206.  This is a summer project.  Mr. Wahler called for questions.  There were none. 

Correspondence

Dr. Breen mentioned that there was an e-mail from one person to the Board.  Dr. Breen had responded, and the person was satisfied with the response. 

Mr. Wahler mentioned that Chris Thomas from Arizona School Boards Association had sent e-mails regarding the upcoming Leadership Workshop in Flagstaff on July 21 through July 23, and the ASBA Law Conference in Phoenix on September 8 through 10.  Mr. Wahler encouraged all Board Members to attend.  Dr. Breen said that Chris Thomas will be the trainer at  the June Board Retreat.  Members were pleased. 

Claim Vouchers

Lee Metheny reviewed the vouchers.  Payroll Vouchers were No. 215 in the amount of $93,244.40 and No. 225 in the amount of $100,951.56.  Accounts Payable Vouchers were No. 6030 in the amount of $28,483.28; No. 6031 in the amount of $50,363.71; No. 6032 in the amount of $15,811.65; and No. 6033 in the amount of $578.80.  Mr. Metheny explained why No. 6033 was such a small amount.  Mr. Wahler moved that we approve the vouchers.  Ms. Harris seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Old Business

Hands-Across-the-Border.  Peggy Russell reported as Jillian Worssam could not attend.  Peggy said that the trip was very positive for the people from Navajoa.  They were happy about the barbeque and about seeing the snow.  The HATB group had worked hard at planning the agenda and given our visitors exposure to every part of our community.  Our visitors loved the warm and friendly welcome here.  They enjoyed shopping in Flagstaff, bowling in Tusayan, the swimming party at Quality Inn, and the Flag Ceremony in the MPR the last morning.  Peggy believed that the high school students were very respectful.  The Navajoa students were able to attend classes with their sponsoring students the last day and experienced a normal high school atmosphere.  Miguel and Jordan did a wonderful job preparing the wall for the “hands” of people from both schools.  Next year, there will be a selection process for those students who wish to travel to Mexico, but not for participation in the program here. The program will benefit by what was learned this year.  Ms. Foster asked whether everyone in the program enjoyed the exchange and Peggy responded with an emphatic “Yes!” 

IB Librarian Training in Salt Lake City.  Nancy Green, Librarian, said that it was very nice to have attended this meeting. Most librarians were from the United States and Canada.  Ms. Green prepared a written report for the Board. She indicated that programs such as HATB are encouraged in IB programs.  They were encouraged to visit other libraries.  Important concerns are, of course, books, databases, and people resources.  IB requires that each school library be fully staffed so that the library can always be open.  Ms. Green has participated in EBSCO training, as have about 10 teachers, and there will be another training at the beginning of next school year. She said that teachers should drive the book purchases that librarians order.  Ms. Foster complimented Ms. Green on giving away older books and updating the library inventory.  Ms. Vail asked about the library budget, which increased from $3,000 to $20,000 this year.  Library trips are encouraged by IB and Ms. Green indicated that there were three this year:  First Grade was taken to Grand Canyon Community Library.  Fourth Grade was taken to the Flagstaff Public Library.  Ms. Green encouraged the Board to read a statement from IB about the need for adequate library personnel.  She closed by asking, “Where would you be if libraries had not been a part of your life?” 

Rate Increase for School Housing.  The Housing Committee, which includes Mr. Wahler, Dr. Breen, Mr. Aldaz, Ms. Crumbo and Ms. Ogg has recommended a 10% increase for next year to implement the Maintenance and Repair Schedule that was presented to the Board earlier this school year. The increases will be about $25 per month for most people and are deducted from gross income pursuant to IRS provisions. The last rate increase was in 1998. After discussing when to implement the increase, the Board determined that July 1 would be the best time.  Mr. Wahler moved approval of the rent increase to start July 1^st.  Ms. Foster seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  Dr. Breen indicated that teachers would be notified of the increase before the week was over, probably the next day.

Staff/Teacher Contracts and Positions.  Dr. Breen reported that 51 contracts or work agreements had been offered.  Twenty are still outstanding and must be returned by Monday, May 16^th.  Ms. Foster expressed concern over the change in Special Education staffing. Dr. Breen explained that 7 students will be graduating from High School and she believes that the numbers were manageable because most of the students will be served with SPED support being provided in the regular classes.  She indicated that the school is advertising for 2 one-on-one aides and a classroom aide.  Dr. Breen also mentioned that the inclusion model was somewhat new to Bill Jacobs, and that she has arranged for a special education teacher/coordinator from Phoenix to help Mr. Jacobs shift from a pull-out model to an inclusion model of service delivery. She believes that the current load is manageable for one teacher and that she and Mr. Kelso will monitor to ensure that the students receive the services on their IEPs.  Ms. Streit, Parent, expressed concern over the change.  Dr. Breen responded by assuring her that services would be monitored and that she believes one teacher is sufficient as long as that teacher does the job well. She and Mr. Kelso will ensure that the SPED teacher does what is needed for the students. Ms. Foster asked how long it might take to determine whether a change in service delivery needs to occur. While it depends on the students in the program and the effectiveness of the teacher, Dr. Breen indicated that there should be a determination by Christmas and any adjustments made at that time.  Mr. Kelso stated that the worst case scenario might involve freeing  up time for another teacher to work with these students outside of the classroom and this could be arranged, although it may not be necessary.

Update on ELGA.  Dr. Breen said that she had met with Carl Taylor and Kelly Burkhart from the County Parks and Recreation, and again with Rick Stahn.  The Board of Supervisors will be meeting in June.  Mr. Taylor has committed to working with the school to have the development of the fields for new school property would be part of the Master Plan for Coconino County Parks & Recreation. Mr. Taylor indicated that it may be easier if the County owned the land, but both Mr. Wahler and Dr. Breen stated that a Joint Use Agreement could address this issue. Dr. Breen set a goal of re-submitting the Application by the end of June.  Ms. Vail said that Pete Shearer has a very good Power Point presentation about the land grant.  Dr. Breen will schedule a meeting with the ELGA Committee members to plan for the presentation. 

Approval of Budget Revision.  Dr. Breen said that we need to do a budget revision to reflect the change to the budget resolution approved last month.  Mr. Wahler said that we need to postpone this until June (Items F and G on the Agenda).   

New Business

Approval of Extra-Duty Contracts.  Dr. Breen read the names and contracts for approval:

Judy Alston, Reading Coordinator; Jane Halverson, Math Coordinator; Bill Jacobs, Special Education Coordinator; Kathy Keske, Vocational Coordinator; Becky Crumbo, Testing Coordinator and Additional Days in Summer; Steve Sisson, Title I Coordinator; Cyndi Moreno, Title VII and JOM Coordinator; Andrew Aldaz, Girls’ Basketball and HS Baseball Coach; Dan Lopez, Boys’ Basketball and Girls’ Softball Coach; and Leah McGinnis, Track Coach.  Mr. Wahler moved that we approve the extra-duty contracts.  Mr. Berry seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Approval of Certified Contracts.  Nancy Green’s contract had been corrected and presented to the members for signatures only.  Laura Perez was recommended as the new Spanish Teacher by Dr. Breen.  Laura is IB trained and is fluent in 3 languages.  Mr. Wahler moved for approval of Laura Perez as our new Spanish Teacher.  Ms. Vail seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Acceptance of Resignations. Shelly Talker resigned her teaching position to accept another position in Page. Mr. Wahler moved to accept Mrs. Talker’s resignation with regrets.  Mr. Berry seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Discussion of Four-Day School Week.  Dr. Breen led a discussion about the pros and cons of our four-day school week.  The length of the school day is long, especially for the younger children and doesn’t discourage absences since parents and staff regularly schedule appointments during the school week. Sometimes this is necessary because doctors and dentists aren’t available on Friday, but she believes there should be a discussion on these issues. Ms. Foster expressed concern with the length of school day and minute of effective instruction being provided to students, especially those in elementary school. Ms. Vail said that the four-day week was established in 1986 to reduce absences and allow for athletic travel and medical appointments on Fridays.  However, she also acknowledged that many doctors are no longer available on Fridays.  Absentee rates have gone back up. Mr. Wahler brought up the idea of year-round school.  After further discussion, it was determined that the Board could discuss how to present this issue to the community as part of its Board Retreat on June 8^th.  

Items for Consideration at Next Meeting of June 14th

-          Sick Leave and Vacation Policies

-          Contracts and Vacancies

-          ELGA Meeting w/Board of Supervisors 

Adjournment

Mr. Wahler called for further discussion.  There was none.  He moved that we adjourn at 8:13 p.m.  Ms. Vail seconded the motion.  The motion carried. 

Respectfully submitted,

 Jeri Syrkel, Secretary

Chuck Wahler, President                               Tammie Harris, Clerk

Emmons Berry, Member                                 Bess Foster, Member

Clarinda Vail, Member