COUPEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 204 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES of the MARCH 16, 2015 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING Call to Order. Board president Chris Chan called a special meeting of the Board of Directors to order at 9:03 AM. Present were Mr. Chan, Kathleen Anderson, Glenda Merwine, Venessa Matros, and Christie Sears, and superintendent Dr. Jim Shank. The meeting was held at the home of director Kathleen Anderson. Adoption of the Agenda. Kathleen Anderson moved to adopt the meeting agenda as presented. Glenda Merwine seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. MOTION #2015-041 There was no public comment. There were no consent agenda items to address. New Business Discussion Items: Budget Report. Business manager Denise Mehal said the budget was on track and had improved over her expectations despite reduced enrollment. She emphasized that the district would still need to plan for the future in light of declining enrollment. New Affordable Care Act reporting requirements were significant and substantial. All employees working a certain number of hours would be eligible for benefits, and there would be a financial impact for the district. Policy and procedure language was being drafted to ensure consistency throughout the district and across fiscal years. Ms Mehal and Dr. Shank had discussed purchasing a district vehicle to reduce mileage costs over time. The district currently encouraged but did not require use of a district vehicle for district-related travel. Dr. Shank noted that employees currently were encouraged to car pool or use a district van. The state auditor had completed her work, including a review of Title I funds, which represented one of the largest federally-funded programs. There were no exit items, no management comments, and no findings. Mr. Chan said that he would be able to participate in an exit conference. Ms Mehal provided a grant update as of January 31. Title I and LAP were of concern, in that the district might not fully expend the grant funds available. She noted that the district planned to contract with someone to help develop the Title I plan, and that she would request the state to allow a higher carryover into next year. All budget indicators showed the district was on track fiscally for this point of the school year. Enrollment: Dr. Shank distributed enrollment information as of March. He shared enrollment data that reflected a significant downward trend since January 2013. He noted the difference between students enrolling in kindergarten (46 students) and those leaving as seniors (71 students) and stated that the district would need to adjust to the impact of having smaller numbers of students at each grade move through the system. Although general education enrollment had declined, the number of students qualifying for special education services had remained steady or increased in recent years. He did not anticipate full state funding for kindergarten for the 2015-2016 school year, but expected that the state would gradually implement funding support for this.
School Board Meeting Minutes – March 16, 2015
Page 1
He had emphasized with NAS Whidbey Island commander Captain Nortier that Coupeville schools could take as many students as needed when new squadrons arrived over the next few years. The district was currently staffed with seven teachers, one administrator, and one secretary over state apportionment guidelines. Last year, the district had managed declining enrollment by a reduction in administration and in the district office. He understood the desire and intention not to impact the classroom, but noted that moving to 840 FTE would require a different approach. He stated the need to reduce 4.5 FTE (4.0 certificated and .5 classified) and hoped to do this through attrition. The state legislature was expected to discuss a cost of living adjustment for employees, but generally had left districts far behind in terms of employee compensation. It was not expected that the legislature would take timely action on the state budget. The district collective bargaining agreements with the Coupeville Education Association and the Coupeville Educational Support Association were ending, and Dr. Shank expected negotiations to begin in June. The district negotiating team would include Dr. Shank, Denise Mehal, Kathleen Anderson and David Ebersole. Capital Projects: Dr. Shank informed the Board that the levy information meetings to preview the schools had been poorly attended. He appreciated the editorial support in The Whidbey Examiner. He mentioned that the Board and administration needed to look at maintenance and operations levy funds in light of how much supported facility maintenance and how much supported operations. Strategic Vision: A review of initiatives for the 2014-2015 school year noted that progress was being made. 5x5 Schedule Update: Dr. Shank reviewed information concerning implementation of the 5x5 schedule at Coupeville Middle and High School. •
An in-district visit in April by staff experienced in developing and working with a 5x5 schedule was expected to support the new schedule at the middle and high school.
•
A list of the proposed course offerings for 2015-2016 was shared with the Board. He suggested that the Board not interpret policy 2120 to limit piloted courses to just one per year. The proposed courses (which has been suggested by teachers) and curriculum would be reviewed by the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment team and a proposal developed for the Board.
•
Dr. Shank reviewed information on blended learning that he had obtained at the AASA National Conference.
•
The district continued to think creatively about ways to support students interested in online learning.
•
Dr. Shank expected a recommendation from the school about course credits, graduation requirements, early graduation, athletic/WIAA requirements, Honor Roll, and other details related to implementation of the 5x5 schedule.
•
The district may seek a waiver through the State Board of Education of the state’s fall 2015 crosscrediting requirement.
Professional Development: Discussion about Board professional development included reference to the Washington State School Directors’ Association “WSSDA U” online learning program and an upcoming regional workshop. Mrs. Merwine and Mrs. Sears expressed interest in attending the regional workshop. Reference information was provided about election procedures, as the positions held by Mrs. Merwine and Mrs. Sears were open for election in 2015. Dr. Shank invited suggestions from the Board regarding the learning opportunities that might be of interest.
School Board Meeting Minutes – March 16, 2015
Page 2
Dr. Shank distributed notes from a recent Leadership Team meeting to show the range of agenda items and discussion on those items. He shared information about “embedded professional development” which referred to compensation for positive changes following professional development opportunities, rather than for simply attending or participating in a professional development presentation or activity. The Cojon School District saw positive results after implementing this practice. He suggested the Board consider a shift to “Pay for the change” and/or “Change for the pay.” He added that taking the time to participate in conferences and see what others were doing was extremely valuable in extending his vision of the possibilities for Coupeville. Spring surveys for staff were in the works to help identify professional development topics and opportunities for the following year. Cody Staker had provided monthly technology learning opportunities for staff in addition to one-to-one support and daily responses to individual challenges. The anticipated Google Summit had been canceled due to logistical challenges. Technology Plan: Dr. Shank distributed the current Technology Plan and proposals for 2015-2016. The district would reach 1:1 status by the end of 2015, and then be in a refresh model. This would provide opportunities for redesign of infrastructure and equipment. The next logical question was about “engagement” – the degree to which devices were used in classrooms throughout the day. He noted that advances in industrial technology were significantly beyond what was available in schools. He suggested the district needed a more advanced thought process for what students would face after graduation. The district couldn’t match industry standard, but still needed to re-vision course offerings. Dr. Shank confirmed that principal Larry Walsh had obtained CTE certification, so would be able to supervise students placed in the community for learning on-site. STEM – Transformation from CTE: There was an immediate need for this transformation to occur, preferably using what others have learned. Everyone needs to share the same vision and staff leaders were essential to successful implementation. It was recognized that we need to start where we are and move forward. Legislative Review: Dr. Shank noted that “nothing official” appears to cover all legislative activity so far. He reviewed potential actions that could be taken if McCleary were not addressed by the Legislature. Policy Review – Series 6000: Dr. Shank said that there was a desire to get the policy manual up to date by May 31st and suggested a timeframe to review the series over three separate Board meetings. The Board concurred with the scheduled review. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 2:26 PM. _______________________________________________ Chris Chan
__________________________________________ Christie Sears
_______________________________________________ Venessa Matros
__________________________________________ Glenda Merwine
_______________________________________________ Kathleen Anderson
__________________________________________ Dr. Jim Shank, Secretary
Minutes signed April 27, 2015
School Board Meeting Minutes – March 16, 2015
Page 3
