EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EVERETT, WASHINGTON
Regular Meeting | ||
| The Board of Directors of Everett Public Schools, Snohomish County, Washington, held a regular Board meeting on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington. Those in attendance were Sue Cooper, Kristie Dutton, Karen Madsen and Roy Yates. Ed Petersen arrived immediately following approval of the minutes. |
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ADOPTION OF AGENDA President Madsen called for any recommended changes to the agenda. There were none. With that, Roy Yates moved for adoption of the agenda. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | ADOPTION OF AGENDA | |
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APPROVAL OF MINUTES Sue Cooper moved for approval of the minutes of the January 9, 2007, Board meeting. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
{Board member Petersen arrived.} | APPROVAL OF MINUTES | |
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SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS Dr. Whitehead reported that three teachers from Penny Creek Elementary School are among eight teachers in Snohomish County to earn the Pilchuck Audubon Society’s annual elementary teacher Classroom Conservation Award. Each teacher received $250 to purchase materials or activities for other classroom projects. Congratulations go to Wanda Hill, Kristina Kee and Janice Northrop.
In other good news, the District’s graduation rate rose during 2005-2006. Although the data is always a year behind, it is nevertheless exciting to see that this District goal is showing positive results. Dr. Whitehead shared a sampling of the information which is also accessible on the OSPI website: Jackson High School —went from 78 percent the previous year to 80 percent in 05-06. LEP (Limited English Proficiency) graduation rate went from 48 percent to 77 percent. Everett High School—went from 69 to 82 percent. Asian—went from 57 to 100 percent. Black—went from 66 to 86 percent. Hispanic—went from 50 to 98 percent. LEP—went from 34 to 78 percent. Special Education—went from 46 to 73 percent. Low Income—went from 22 to 81 percent. Cascade High School —went from 64 to 67 percent. Asian—went from 74 to 89 percent. Hispanic—went from 44 to 69 percent. LEP—went from 46 to 60 percent. Low Income—went from 11 to 55 percent. Overall , the District graduation rate rose from 61 percent to 67 percent.
Dr. Whitehead reported that the middle school boundary review process is continuing. The committee’s final meeting was held recently during which they presented her with their unanimous recommendation. Committee members also reported to Dr. Whitehead about the superb assistance they received from Director of Facilities Mike Gunn, Supervisor of Transportation Terrie DeBolt, and the principals, to name a few. Staff members are examining the data one more time, after which Dr. Whitehead will bring a recommendation to the Board. The Board will hold a public hearing on March 5 and make a decision about the boundaries shortly thereafter.
At the forefront of recent District activities has been the weather. So far this school year, there was no school on six days and there have been two late starts. Five of the days were due to snow and one was because of a severe windstorm which downed power lines, cut electricity and blocked roads. The District may qualify for one emergency makeup day for students because of the December 15 windstorm. It was for that storm that the Governor declared a state of emergency. However, the law must first be changed and that has not yet happened. If the law is changed, then the District will apply for a waiver for the one day. Since several weeks of winter weather remain, it is always possible that additional makeup days may be necessary.
For the remaining five makeup days, the Administration has worked with each employee group, all of whom are impacted differently. Among the points the District kept in mind: avoid interrupting spring break; avoid changing the date of the high school graduation ceremonies; and avoid extending the school year any later in June than necessary. The resulting calendar was presented to the Board later in tonight’s Board meeting. The Board will be asked to approve the student makeup schedule, the EEA work schedule and the waiver. Other bargaining units do not have a specific calendar contained within their agreements.
Student days would be scheduled as follows:
Assuming the state grants a waiver for the emergency day that the District was closed and another student day does not need to be scheduled because of inclement weather, the last student day of school would be Friday, June 22, rather than Thursday, June 21. If the state does not grant the waiver, another student and staff work day will need to be scheduled by moving into the week of June 25.
EEA members, along with most administrators and some classified staff, will be working the following days, but students will not be in school on these Saturdays: February 3, March 10, June 9 and perhaps June 23 (if the state allows the emergency waiver day for students).
In terms of site usage, District sites are scheduled for outside, community activities almost every evening and Saturday and Sunday throughout the entire year. When staff are working on Saturdays, it may be necessary to reschedule some, but not all, of the outside facility use. Some, but not all, of the scheduled student activities and athletics that are normally held on Saturdays will need to change. Each situation will be assessed individually.
Dr. Whitehead stressed that the decision to close school is not made lightly. Of the many different staff groups in the District, each works different schedules and different numbers of days; i.e., custodians, maintenance staff, paraprofessionals, office support personnel, nurses. Each of these groups, along with the students, their families, the teachers and outside contractors (such as Durham Transportation) are impacted when schools are closed and makeup days necessary. As such, the Administration was determined not to jump to a quick decision about makeup days.
Dr. Whitehead expressed her personal and public thanks to those who have worked to develop these recommended changes. To name a few: the presidents of all of the employee groups; school and central administrators; the communications department; and Dr. Molly Ringo and those in the Human Resources department. Kudos also go to those in the Business Office.
Dr. Whitehead noted that three municipalities encompass Everett Public Schools: the City of Everett, the City of Mill Creek and unincorporated Snohomish County. Each group treats snow days and roadways differently. Therefore, the District is exploring with these municipalities ways to help make the roads more passable during winter weather, thus minimizing the chance that schools will need to close. For example, it may be possible to install sanding and/or plowing equipment on buses during bad weather. Having the District rent snow removal equipment on some days may be an option.
The Students of Color Career Conference happened to fall on a late-start day (January 19) when roads in the District continued to be hazardous. Everett Public Schools was one of the sponsors of the event and some District students were scheduled to attend. On the day before the conference, the District was closed. Contact was made with the conference organizers to tell them it was possible that Everett schools would be closed on Friday as well. If the District was able to open, but “ran late,” which is what happened, it would not be possible to bus District students to the event because the buses would be in use getting students to and from school. Nevertheless, some District students were able to attend by getting rides with their parents or by other means. Dr. Whitehead complimented the president of Everett Community College because he modified the rule that students needed to be present to win the scholarship that was being given away. In fact, a student from Jackson High School was the winner of the $1,000 scholarship. |
SUPT’S COMMENTS
SUPT’S COMMENTS (cont’d.)
SUPT’S COMMENTS (cont’d.)
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PUBLIC COMMENT None.
RECOGNITION OF RETIREES None. |
PUBLIC COMMENT
RECOGNITION OF RETIREES | |
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ITEMS FOR INFORMATION The Administration presented information regarding the plans for a new auxiliary gymnasium at North Middle School. The project will include renovations to the existing girls’ locker room and storage areas to facilitate construction. Funding comes from the 2006 bond issue. Director of Construction Hal Beumel showed drawings of the design and described the layout. On hand were North Middle School principal Kelly Shepherd, Athletic Director Robert Polk, and Colin Jones and Scott Haas of Northwest Architects.
Board member Dutton asked whether provisions are being made for uninvited guests. Hal said some enhancements have been incorporated and security measures have been improved.
In response to a question from Board member Yates about how the presence of the auxiliary gymnasium will enhance the school program, principal Kelly Shepherd said the larger space will make it possible to hold concurrent volleyball and basketball practices. In addition, the enhanced space will provide improved ability to implement the health and fitness curriculum.
Board member Petersen asked how many parking spaces are being lost. Hal said perhaps ten spaces are being lost and they are not heavily used. |
PRESENTATION— DESIGN FOR NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL AUXILIARY GYMNASIUM ADDITION | |
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The Administration presented information about the District’s Career &
Technical Education (CTE) program. Director of CTE Carl Fender followed a
PowerPoint for the evening’s presentation (E:79/07). Carl gave an
overview of the program, discussed CTE curriculum components, outlined student
program opportunities, shared comments from the work industry, talked about
professional development opportunities and presented next steps for CTE.
At the conclusion of Carl’s presentation, Board member Cooper complimented him on his excellent presentation and said it is encouraging to see how integrated this program is with academic instruction. She then asked how long it takes from the time input is received from the community and advisory groups to see the input reflected in CTE. In response, he said it takes about six months, probably longer. The process involves submitting a course approval to OSPI providing justification of how the program will fit within the needs of the District and the County while also being able to endure now and into the future. Next, it is necessary to find individuals to teach the class, a location at which to teach it and a determination must be made about how many sections to offer. Consideration must also be given to how hiring will impact existing FTEs.
In response to a question from Board member Dutton about whether each school offers classes within each of the main categories, Carl said each of the pathway groups are represented at each of the high schools. Ms. Dutton asked whether students can be bussed to a class, to which Carl said the District would do everything possible for the student to have access to the class.
Board member Petersen asked for clarification concerning the purpose of the Sno-Isle Skills Center. Carl said Sno-Isle helps offer full-blown programs for something like culinary arts or diesel mechanics. Dr. Whitehead concurred and said the concept of Sno-Isle is that it is used for programs that school districts cannot offer individually. Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma noted that Everett Public Schools has a higher-than-average participation rate—almost 1,000 FTE—in the Skills Center. Everett also has the strongest participation rate among all of the schools represented at the Skills Center.
Mr. Petersen echoed Board member Cooper’s compliments about the rigor and integration of CTE. He then asked for clarification about the GOAL program. Executive Director for Curriculum Alignment and Implementation Terry Edwards said GOAL is a small program (approximately 10 or 12 students) in partnership with special education for students who were involved in special education. The District has a legal obligation to educate these students until their 21 st birthday. They work in the community and learn a skill they may be able to use after graduation. Although the program is only at Everett High School, students who qualify can be bussed to the school. That is true for many special needs students where there may be just one program.
In reply to a question from Board member Yates about whether Everett’s students are well prepared and whether the community colleges are ready to receive the students, Carl said the community colleges indicate that the Tech Prep students are coming to them prepared. Nevertheless, there is work to be done at both the high school and community college levels. |
PRESENTATION—CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
PRESENTATION—CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (cont’d.) | |
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ACTION ITEMS Kristie Dutton moved for approval of the Consent Agenda. Roy Yates seconded the motion. 1) Personnel Report (E;80/07); 2) Voucher Lists (E:81/07); 3) Resolution 869: Certification of Racial Balance for Silver Lake Elementary School Modernization (Res. 07/07); and 4) Resolution 870: Certification of Racial Balance for Garfield Elementary School Modernization (Res. 08/07). The motion carried unanimously.
{Board member Yates left the Board meeting to keep another appointment.} |
CONSENT AGENDA | |
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The Administration recommended the Board of Directors approve the Value
Engineering Study for the Garfield Elementary School Modernization Project
(E:82/07). Districts are responsible for ensuring that a value engineering
study is completed during the design process for eligible state match projects,
in accordance with WAC 392-343-080. Value engineering is an organized
approach to optimize both cost and performance in a facility or to identify
items that add cost without contributing to the required function of the
facility. In evaluating the quality, use, life, appearance and required
features of a facility, the value engineering team attempts to achieve value
without reducing quality below required levels while maximizing function, cost
and value in design.
Using a PowerPoint presentation, Hal Beumel showed drawings of the Garfield site and then reviewed the recommended savings as put forth by the company who conducted the value analysis, Olympic Associates. They proposed approximately $1.6 million in savings (cost avoidance). The District proposed to accept $743,000 of the proposed savings.
Sue Cooper moved to approve the aforementioned value engineering study for the Garfield Elementary School Modernization Project. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | APPROVAL OF VALUE ENGINEERING STUDY FOR GARFIELD E.S. MODERNIZATION PROJECT | |
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The Administration recommended the Board of Directors approve the Value
Engineering Study for the Silver Lake Elementary School Modernization Project
(E:83/07). Districts are responsible for ensuring that a value engineering
study is completed during the design process for eligible state match projects,
in accordance with WAC 392-343-080. Value engineering is an organized
approach to optimize both cost and performance in a facility or to identify
items that add cost without contributing to the required function of the
facility. In evaluating the quality, use, life, appearance and required
features of a facility, the value engineering team attempts to achieve value
without reducing quality below required levels while maximizing function, cost
and value in design. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Hal Beumel showed
drawings of the Silver Lake site and then reviewed the recommended savings as
put forth by the company who conducted the value analysis, Olympic Associates.
They proposed approximately $706,000 in savings (cost avoidance). The
District proposed to accept $463,000 of the proposed savings.
To a question from Board member Petersen concerning the “green” aspects of the work, Hal said there was not a lot of focus during the value engineering process, but the District will be applying for grants for sustainable design on both the Garfield and Silver Lake projects. The state sustainable design is Leads-based. Director of Facilities and Planning Mike Gunn said in 2008, all state match projects must comply with the Leads silver standard or the Washington State Schools Protocol standard.
When asked when the projects will be bid, Hal said early May is the goal.
Ed Petersen moved to approve the aforementioned value engineering study for the Silver Lake Elementary School Modernization Project. Sue Cooper seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. |
APPROVAL OF VALUE ENGINEERING STUDY FOR S.LAKE E.S. MODERNIZATION PROJECT
APPROVAL OF VALUE ENGINEERING STUDY FOR S.LAKE E.S. MODERNIZATION PROJECT (cont’d.) | |
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The Administration recommended the Board of Directors adopt a student makeup
schedule, a revised work schedule for the Everett Education Association (EEA)
and authorize the District to apply to the state for a waiver of one of the six
days missed so far this year (E:84/07).
Sue Cooper moved to adopt the aforementioned student makeup schedule, a revised work schedule for the EEA and authorize the District to apply for a waiver of one of the six days missed so far this year. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | REVISION TO EEA’S WORK SCHEDULE | |
| BOARD COMMENTS
Board member Dutton suggested that letters of congratulations be sent to the schools concerning their graduation rates.
Board member Cooper asked her colleagues and the administrators to hold on their calendars March 22, 7 a.m., Everett Events Center for the Everett Public Schools Foundation benefit breakfast. She also asked the group to think of others to invite.
Board member Petersen said he attended his first culminating exhibition (CE). It was at Cascade High School. He was very impressed with the students’ talent, their devotion to learning and how hard they have worked to get where they are.
Board member Cooper reported that she attended the CE presentations at Jackson High School. They, too, were wonderful. The student work was evident, as was their pride. |
BOARD COMMENTS
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President Madsen adjourned the regular meeting at 6:25 p.m. | ||
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____________________________ ________________________________
Carol Whitehead, Secretary Karen Madsen, President |