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, February 21, 2006, 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.   

     

     

      

    ADOPTION OF AGENDA

    President Yates called for any recommended changes to the agenda. Superintendent Carol Whitehead reported that there would be a revised personnel report. With that, Sue Cooper moved to adopt the revised agenda. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

    		  ADOPTION OF AGENDA
    APPROVAL OF MINUTES

    Kristie Dutton moved for approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of February 7, 2006. Karen Madsen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

    		  APPROVAL OF MINUTES
    SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS

    Dr. Whitehead opened her comments by providing final results of the February 7, 2006 election. The maintenance and operations levy passed with a 68.42 percent ‘yes’ vote, or 12,247 votes. This equated to half of a percent more than four years ago. The bond issue passed with a 63.99 percent ‘yes’ vote, or 11,426 votes, which was approximately a full percent more than four years ago. Dr. Whitehead said this is great work and she thanked all who helped share information with the community.

    		  SUPT’S COMMENTS
    Dr. Whitehead said February 11 was Educator Enrichment Day. Sponsored by The Boeing Company for the second year in a row, the event was held at Voyager Middle School in the Mukilteo School District. Fourteen Everett Public Schools’ teachers were among those who attended.   
    The week of March 13-17 has been designated as Classified School Employee Week. Dr. Whitehead read the Governor’s proclamation and commended classified employees for their hard work (E:103/06).

     

    Executive Director for Curriculum Alignment and Development Terry Edwards was quoted in a recent article in The Seattle Times about developing a rigorous curriculum.

    		  
    Brownstone Publishers noticed the article and wanted to quote him in their newsletter that goes to superintendents all over the United States. In the Times article, Terry talked about the support being offered struggling math students by providing additional support classes, increasing the strength of the middle school math program, hiring more math teachers and offering more training for current math teachers. In order to increase the rigor of the high school program, it is important to increase the rigor at several points within the curriculum, not just at the top. The District is examining rigor across the entire spectrum of classes offered by the schools. In addition, the District has worked to increase student expectations by eliminating traditionally low-level classes in mathematics (pre-algebra and general math) and by increasing the graduation requirements for all students. Accelerated learning support classes are being built into the schedule so they are taken at the same time as the regular classes, thus providing support and skill instruction (to ensure student success) and also extra time.   
    PUBLIC COMMENT

    None.

    		   PUBLIC COMMENT
    RECOGNITION OF RETIREES

    None.

    		   RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
    ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

    The attached proposed revised Policy 3222—Distribution of Materials, was provided to the Board of Directors for first reading with adoption to be requested at a future Board meeting (E:104/06). The revisions pertain to the distribution of materials that are written and/or produced by students. Director of Communications Gay Campbell commented briefly.

    		  PROPOSED REVISED POLICY 3222—DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS (relating to distribution of materials written and/or produced by students)  
    The Administration presented information regarding plans for building a new bus facility which will open in the fall of 2007. The project will provide a new central bus facility located at a 5 ¼ acre site owned by the District. The site is located on 80th Street Southwest, near the Boeing plant in Everett, and will have excellent access to all areas of the District via existing road systems. The site should be able to accommodate the existing bus fleet plus an expansion capability for future growth of approximately 25 percent.   PRESENTATION—NEW BUS FACILITY
    Associate Superintendent for Finance and Operations Bob Collard and Director of Facilities and Planning Mike Gunn commented. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Mike provided an overview of the project, a timeline for construction and photographs of the site (E:105/06). The property was purchased in 2003 for $2.4 million. At 2.4 acres, the current bus site on Everett Avenue is too small for the current bus fleet and it is not centrally located. In contrast, the size of the new facility is 5 ¼ acres, thus offering ample space for the operations. The City of Everett was willing to make a change to its comprehensive plan so the District could put buses on the site. The cost of construction to demolish some of the buildings, work on others and re-do the site is $4.5 million. The site package will constitute approximately one-third of that total. It is anticipated the new facility will open in mid-summer of 2007, a date which corresponds with the renewal of the District’s five-year transportation contract with Durham School Services. Therefore, in conjunction with re-bidding of the five-year contract, language will be included saying the contractor will be housed in the new bus facility. Any transportation vendor could operate the transportation program out of this facility. Mike then shared a schematic of the routes the buses can take in and out of the facility. He noted that the District has a long-range goal of trying to secure both north- and south-end satellite bus parking areas, one of the reasons being to reduce dependence on use of school sites for satellites.

     

    Next, Mike talked about renovating the large building at the new site. Because the large building is more than enough for the District’s needs, only half of it will be used for bus maintenance and operations even with a built-in 25 percent expansion factor. The remaining half will be reserved for other future uses. The whole site will be paved and will include on-site parking for employees. There are some wetlands on two pieces along the perimeters of the property.

     

    Tenant leases of parts of the facility will expire by October, 2006 and construction will begin a month later. During the preliminary work on this project, Mike talked to other groups throughout the United States who contract for their bus service. The ones who could afford it purchased their own site. Among the advantages of owning one’s site are that the vendor does not need to search for a property once they receive the contract, and ongoing general fund transportation costs are lowered because the vendor does not factor the cost of the building into their rates.

     

     

    Mike introduced Director of Construction Hal Beumel and project architect Dale Klappenbach.

     

    Bob said certain technology changes and alternative fuel capabilities will be built into the infrastructure of the site.

     

    Board member Cooper asked whether the unused space could be leased, to which Mike said yes, but a decision may be made to use it as a District storage facility. Indeed, there are many opportunities to find different ways to use the space. Mrs. Cooper then asked whether the 25 percent expansion factor included the total fleet and Mike said yes.

     

    President Yates asked whether discussions were held with Mukilteo School District about running their buses out of the District’s new facility, to which Mike said yes and that discussions were also held with Community Transit, among others. None of these options were workable.

     

    Board member Madsen asked about the disadvantages of parking buses at the schools, to which Mike replied that noise is a factor. In addition, the District prefers to park buses in industrial areas where there are other large vehicles parked overnight.

    		   

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    PRESENTATION—NEW BUS FACILITY

    (cont’d.)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The Administration presented information regarding the District recruitment plan and staff retention. Executive Director of Human Resources Molly Ringo provided a PowerPoint presentation (E:106/06). Regarding recruitment, she discussed enrollment and staffing projections, the new online application, new special education recruitment tools and Everett Public Schools Foundation support. She presented enrollment trend data, factors impacting recruitment and hiring, graduation requirements and staffing impacts, retirement eligibility for staff, projected staffing needs, the 2005-2006 recruitment schedule, timeline for implementation of the online application, recruiting strategies and initiatives for 2006. Molly reported that a new banner stand was just received that will help identify the District booth at recruiting fairs. In terms of special education, Molly shared copies of a new flyer that will be used for recruitment purposes (attached). Molly thanked District staff Gayla Jenner, Jennifer Farmer, Ken Toyn and Steve Katz for their work in reviewing software applications relative to the online application system.

     

    To a question from Board member Madsen about paying for applicants to travel to the District, Molly said it would be an excellent recruiting tool in part because once candidates come to the District and see the area, they are usually “sold.” Molly went on to talk about the fact that there are not enough minority candidates. Indeed, some states provide signing bonuses, but whether it pays off in the long run is uncertain.

     

    In response to a question about technology, Molly said the curriculum and information systems departments are doing excellent work to infuse technology into the classroom on a day-to-day basis so students view technology as a tool in their learning and their work vs. a specialized class they attend. In general, an elementary or a middle school teacher needs to be able to teach technology in their classrooms.

     

    Director of Human Resources Randi Seaberg presented information about steps taken to retain staff once they are hired. She provided District retention data and presented results of a 2004-2005 new-hire survey. She also talked about addressing issues of staff retention and ways to keep new teachers. She discussed retention of special education staff, including challenges and celebrations.

     

     

    At the conclusion of tonight’s report, Board member Cooper complimented Molly and Randi for their thorough presentations. The information is exciting. When asked if a piece of the principal evaluations will include a check on whether the principal is conducting recommended retention activities, the reply was that Area Executive Directors Jim McNally and Lynn Evans regularly ask questions to ensure the principals are attentive to the new-hires. In fact, said Lynn, because the principals are so vested in the recruitment process, they are almost always equally conscientious with the new-hires. Dr. Whitehead added that discussions are held with the principals about the welcoming strategies in use at their sites for both classified and certificated new-hires. New teacher in-services are provided along with follow-up opportunities. There are also extensive contacts with District interns. Karst Brandsma, Associate Superintendent for Instruction, indicated that District administration communicates with new-hires at the beginning of the school year. In addition, the Human Resources Department conducts a mid-year new teacher celebration. These are among the methods for helping new-hires feel welcome and comfortable.

    		  PRESENTATION—RECRUITMENT PLAN/STAFF RETENTION

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    PRESENTATION—RECRUITMENT PLAN/STAFF RETENTION

    (cont’d.)

    Financial reports as of January 31, 2006, were provided for the Board of Directors’ review (E:107/06). The reports include year-to-date information on revenues and expenditures, General Fund projections, a cash report and an investment summary.

    Associate Superintendent for Finance and Operations Bob Collard reported that the fund balance remains relatively unchanged from the December report. He noted that some revenues were received from the State, State grant applications and from special services applications. The projection for the end of the year remains the same. In the other funds, there is nothing substantial in terms of outstanding characteristics.

    		 FINANCIAL REPORTS
    ACTION ITEMS

    Karen Madsen moved for approval of the revised Consent Agenda items. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion.

    1)  Personnel Report (revised) (E:108/06);

    2)  Voucher Lists (E:109/06);

    3)   Proposed Tuition Increase for All-Day Kindergarten (E:110/06);

    4)   Revision to Positions on Professional & Technical Salary Schedule (E:111/06); &

    5)   Award of Contract—Online Employee Application Hardware & Software (E:112/06).

     

    The motion carried unanimously.

    		   

    CONSENT AGENDA

    The Administration recommended the Board of Directors declare Cascade Door and Hardware as the sole source for the Corbin Russwin patented F3 key system. The District has standardized on the patented F3 Corbin Russwin Keyway system for safety, security and operational efficiency and has previously included this specific keyway in construction documents for bidding. Several District schools are presently keyed with this system. For the safety of students and staff, the Administration wishes to purchase and install the F3 Keyway system for all District sites. The manufacturer has independently verified that Cascade Door and Hardware is the only company authorized to sell this keyway in our area.

     

    Bob Collard opened the presentation by noting that the re-keying project was included in the 2002 bond issue and is being done to increase building security and decrease operating costs. He commended Supervisor of Purchasing Jennifer Farmer for the superb work she did in developing a process for evaluating the makers of keys. Jennifer reported that a districtwide key system purchase is being proposed (E:113/06). She noted that Gary Jefferis, Mike Gunn and Hal Beumel helped research and collect some of the information. The system being recommended is Corbin Russwin which is supplied solely by Cascade Door and Hardware out of Mukilteo. When the source of a product is clearly and legitimately limited to one source of supply, the Board may waive competitive bid requirements. Indeed, if bids were to be solicited, this company is the only one who would bid. Jennifer reviewed the criteria for the new standard for a keying system, outlined the reasons for selecting Corbin Russwin and provided a timeline for installations. The patent on the F3 system is good for the next several years at which time it is anticipated it will not become widely available.

     

    President Yates asked by what means a sole source supplier is monitored, to which Jennifer said in-house experts such as Director of Maintenance Gary Jefferis “keeps his finger on the pulse” of this kind of system. Gary noted that the hardware and closers on the door will continue to be bid. The sole source supplier pertains only to the cylinders in the doorknobs and the key blanks—the District will cut the keyways. In response to a question from Board member Dutton about price guarantees, Gary replied that there are none, but the District will be very watchful and there may be some special applications (e.g., test materials storage rooms) where the District will choose to use a different manufacturer. Since the District is a major consumer, District staff members are well aware of the market.

     

    With no further discussion, Karen Madsen moved to declare Cascade Door and Hardware as the sole source for the Corbin Russwin patented F3 key system. Sue Cooper seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

    		  DECLARATION OF SOLE SOURCE: CORBIN RUSSWIN PATENTED F3 KEY SYSTEM

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    DECLARATION OF SOLE SOURCE: CORBIN RUSSWIN PATENTED F3 KEY SYSTEM

    (cont’d.)

    The Administration recommended the Board of Directors approve Resolution 845 authorizing the superintendent to petition the City Council of the City of Everett for annexation of the Silver Lake Elementary School site to the City of Everett (Res. 08/06) . The City of Everett has recently annexed property adjacent to Silver Lake Elementary School to the City of Everett. State law allows public school districts to submit a petition to a City Council for annexation of school property when that property is contiguous to the current city limits, as long as the school property constitutes the whole of such property in the annexation petition.

     

    Bob Collard spoke briefly. Mike Gunn commented about the contiguous aspect of the property and said access to fire and police protection will provide better response times. It is also anticipated there will be an improved ease of working with the city building departments in terms of requests being handled more expeditiously.

     

    With no further discussion, Sue Cooper moved to adopt the aforementioned Resolution 845. Karen Madsen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

    		  RESOLUTION 845: ANNEXATION OF SILVER LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPERTY TO THE CITY OF EVERETT
    The Administration recommended the Board of Directors approve Resolution 846 authorizing the superintendent to petition the City Council of the City of Everett for annexation of the James Monroe Elementary School site to the City of Everett (Res.09/06). The City of Everett has recently annexed property adjacent to James Monroe Elementary School to the City of Everett. State law allows public school districts to submit a petition to a City Council for annexation of school property when that property is contiguous to the current city limits, as long as the school property constitutes the whole of such property in the annexation petition.

     

    Mr. Collard noted that the previous discussion relative to Resolution 845 also pertained to the discussion about Resolution 846. Sue Cooper moved for adoption of Resolution 846. Karen Madsen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

    		  RESOLUTION 846: ANNEXATION OF JAMES MONROE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPERTY TO THE CITY OF EVERETT
    The Administration recommended adoption of Resolution 847 to establish a licensing and hosting agreement with the Peninsula School District for the use and modification of Everett School District-developed courseware to be used in Peninsula School District’s Cyber Classroom Program (Res. 10/06). In addition, the agreement  RES. 847: ELEC-TRONIC COURSE-WARE LICENSE & HOSTING AGMNT w/ PENINSULA S.D.
    would permit the District to host Peninsula’s offering of the courseware and allow Peninsula to modify the courseware to incorporate Peninsula’s name and logo. The agreement has been reviewed by legal counsel.

     

    Bob Collard spoke briefly, saying this agreement offers the District a unique opportunity to recover some of its development costs. The actual fee is to be worked out, but is separate from the license itself. Other districts are also interested, but have not gotten this far. Terry Edwards commented that Sally Lancaster and others at the online high school have done a great job of developing this courseware. Although the District cannot make a profit, it can recover its overhead costs. As more money comes in and more districts work with Everett, the costs to Everett Public Schools’ students can lower. The course continues to be developed and refined.

     

    Bob reported that he spoke with legal counsel about potential tax issues and was told that the District would need to structure its pricing so as not to be an enterprise activity, yet be able to recover its development costs and current operating costs. When asked whether there would be any obligation to continue, Bob said the agreement has a very short termination piece of perhaps 30 days. When asked whether a district could modify or improve on Everett’ ;s courseware, Terry said no, because it resides with Everett. When asked whether it is possible that Everett would charge someone else’s students less than ours, Terry said no. Could Everett’s students’ access be limited?—Terry said no.

     

    With no further discussion, Kristie Dutton moved to adopt the aforementioned Resolution 847. Karen Madsen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

    		  RES. 847: ELECTRONIC COURSEWARE LICENSE & HOSTING AGREEMENT WITH PENINSULA SCHOOL DISTRICT
    It was recommended that the 2005-2006 School Board Meetings Schedule be amended to delete the March 7 Board meeting (E:114/06). The meeting is being cancelled for lack of a quorum. Dr. Whitehead reminded the Board that the middle school art show will be held as planned on March 7 at 6 p.m. With no further discussion, Sue Cooper moved to adopt the aforementioned amended 2005-2006 school board meetings schedule. Karen Madsen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.  AMENDMENT TO 2005-2006 SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS SCHEDULE
    BOARD COMMENTS

    Board member Madsen complimented the volunteers who worked so hard on the levy/bond. President Yates echoed Ms. Madsen’s comments. Board member Madsen commented about the advantages she has seen for her two children in having access to advanced placement (AP) classes. She thanked the Administration for recognizing the need for AP classes and addressing it.

    		  BOARD COMMENTS
    BOARD ACTION AND/OR BOARD DISCUSSION

    With no further comments, President Yates recessed the regular meeting into executive session at 6:20 p.m. for the superintendent’s mid-year evaluation. Prior to going into executive session, it was announced that the estimated duration of the executive session would be of 60 minutes.

     

    At 7:20 p.m., it was announced that the executive session would extend for approximately 35 more minutes. No one was in the foyer.

     

    At 7:55 p.m., President Yates re-convened the regular meeting and adjourned immediately.

    		  EXECUTIVE SESSION—SUPT’S MID-YEAR EVALUATION
    _____________________________ ________________________________

    Carol Whitehead, Secretary   Roy Yates, President

    		  

     

     

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