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, November 14, 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 Kristie Dutton, Ed Petersen and Sue Cooper. Absent: Karen Madsen and Roy Yates. In the absence of President Yates, Vice President Dutton led the meeting.
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| ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Vice President Dutton called for any recommended changes to the agenda. It was noted that because Board member Cooper was absent from the October 24, 2006, Board meeting, she will not be able to participate in the vote for the approval of these minutes. Therefore, with the absence of Board members Yates and Madsen at tonight’s meeting, there is not a quorum on hand to take action on this agenda item and so the minutes will be held over for approval to the next Board meeting. With that, Ed Petersen moved to adopt the revised agenda. Sue Cooper seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | ADOPTION OF AGENDA | |
| APPROVAL OF MINUTES
As noted above, adoption of the minutes from the October 24, 2006, Board meeting will be held over to the next Board meeting. | APPROVAL OF MINUTES | |
| SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS
Dr. Whitehead reported that Governor Gregoire was in the District yesterday. She visited two classrooms at Eisenhower Middle School to see the “Bridge to Algebra” program in action. The Governor had the opportunity to ask the students a number of questions. She also had the opportunity to talk about the Washington Learns report which was released yesterday The District’s Transportation Supervisor Terrie DeBolt and its Homeless Facilitator Debbie Anstett, recently presented at the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. The conference was held in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the title of Terrie’s and Debbie’s presentation was, “Going the Extra Mile: A Powerful Plan for Transporting Homeless Students.” From all accounts, their message was well-received. The group, Leadership Snohomish County, has selected Everett Public Schools’ Tutor Recruitment for the AVID Program as one of its areas of focus. Leadership Snohomish County picks young aspiring leaders in the community to learn more about government. The District’s Partnership Coordinator Lauren Hadley is helping organize the project. The WSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association) conference begins tomorrow. Kathy Mahan, representing the Superintendent’s office, will be among the presenters at this year’s conference. The topic of her presentation will be, “Executive Assistants/Office Professionals: The Vital Link to Board and Superintendent Success.” Kathy will offer her perspective from that of a large school district. Her counterpart from Grandview School District (Yakima) will speak about her work with the Board and superintendent in a small school district. Director of Athletics Robert Polk provided an update about the fall sports season for District high schools. Six athletes (two at each high school) were honored with the District’s Scholar Athlete Award. In order to qualify, they must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and be involved in community programs as well as being members of sports teams. Those honored from Cascade High School were Tyson Rickman (cross country) and Liz Gross (girls’ soccer). At Everett High School, Mackenna Brinster (girls’ soccer) and Cameron McKinnon (football) received the awards. Jackson High School’s Lacey Valera (cross country) and Hunter Spencer (football) were its honorees. Each individual is highly recommended by their coaches and the administration. Academic awards were recently presented to the EHS girls’ soccer team as the academic state champions for 3A with a team GPA of 3.73. They also won the District championships in girls’ soccer and went to state playoffs. EHS moved to the 3A classification in the state this year and boys’ cross country, girls’ soccer, and girls’ volleyball each won the District championship for 3A and each went to state. Bailey Larson, who is a soccer player at EHS, participated in the QWEST challenge which involves participation in a community project. Those projects which stand out receive a $5,000 scholarship and Bailey was among those to receive a scholarship. Jackson High School won league division championships. Cascade High School’s girl’s volleyball and soccer teams each made it to the district playoffs. In closing, Robert said his office was audited by the WIAA regarding coaches’ standards. Specifically, Heatherwood Middle School and Everett High School were audited and passed with flying colors. Credit goes to Robert’s assistant, Danielle Marks, for the excellent condition of the records. The most recent edition of Everett Schools reports on the groundbreaking ceremony for elementary #17. In addition, the District website displays aerial photos of the new school which are updated regularly. Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma reported on the second annual “What About Tomorrow?” college and career fair which was held throughout the day on October 25. Approximately 2,000 students, parents and community members attended. Some attendees were from other school districts, but most were from Everett. Approximately 150 vendors participated and presented very competitive and sophisticated booths. Included among the vendors were colleges, vocational schools, the military and businesses. Karst showed clips from two videos—one was prepared by three DECA students at Jackson High School; the second video highlights the various vendors, students and parents who attended. Karst thanked those who worked so tirelessly organizing the fair—Becky Ballbach, Carl Fender, the CTE department, the high schools and their career specialists as well as numerous volunteers. | SUPT’S COMMENTS
SUPT’S COMMENTS (cont’d.) | |
| PUBLIC COMMENT
After outlining the guidelines for providing public comment, Vice President Dutton recognized Richard Mast. He is the parent of a son who is a special education student at Everett High School. In his opinion, some pieces of the special education program are effective, some are not. He asked whether a bond could be submitted to the voters to provide funds to hire more staff since it is possible to vote for money to construct buildings. RECOGNITION OF RETIREES None. | PUBLIC COMMENT
RECOGNITION OF RETIREES | |
| ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
Dr. Jerry Jenkins, superintendent of Northwest Educational Service District (ESD) 189, presented information about performance audits. Also present was Kathleen Gutierrez, Board member for the ESD. Dr. Jenkins distributed a copy of the evening’s PowerPoint presentation (E:48/07). ESD 189 is among the first “wave” to have a performance |
PRESENTATION-PERFORMANCE AUDITS | |
| audit. Dr. Jenkins provided an overview of I-900, talked about the focus of the audit (economy and efficiency), the types of performance audits, costs of the audit, phases of
a performance audit (similar to those of a state fiscal audit), factors that determine the audit focus, possible performance audit criteria, and post-audit activities. Education and transportation are at the center of the current performance audits because an Elway poll indicated that those are the areas of greatest interest. During his presentation, Dr. Jenkins noted that three percent of the ESDs’ funds come from the state; the other 97 percent comes from co-operatives. It is his opinion that the audit has a pre-disposition to identify waste. A sampling of school district superintendents are being interviewed as part of the performance audits. In fact, Dr. Whitehead was interviewed by telephone today for approximately 45 minutes. It was clear there is an agenda. Every question was phrased in a negative manner. Dr. Jenkins is advising school districts who are interviewed to be very concise in their provision of data, perhaps using a regional or state template so it is ensured similar information is being collected. Board member Cooper supported the idea of a template and asked about the next steps after the audit, to which Dr. Jenkins said it could result in consolidation of ESDs or making ESDs regional offices of OSPI (which would require legislative action). Consolidation of school districts would be a possibility in rural and small areas and would also require legislative action. Most of the intent of the results of the audit is that recommendations to increase internal efficiencies would come to the Board and the Board would charge the administration to develop reactions to the recommendations. The Board would then determine whether to adopt the administrative reactions to the recommendations. The Board thanked Dr. Jenkins for presenting the information. |
PRESENTATION-PERFORMANCE AUDITS (cont’d.) | |
| The Administration presented information about the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Support Team Plan. Karst Brandsma introduced the presentation and was followed by Jim McNally, Executive Director for Area One, who opened by providing copies of tonight’s PowerPoint presentation as well as copies of the Hawthorne Elementary School’s School Improvement Plan (SIP) (E:49/07). He introduced fellow presenters Betty Cobbs (principal of Hawthorne), Kristine Gooding (literacy facilitator at Hawthorne and member of the AYP Support Team), and Lisa Johnson (member of the Parent Involvement Team). Hawthorne Elementary School is in Step Two of AYP for mathematics. When it was confirmed that the school was in Step Two, the first intervention that needed to occur was to offer school choice to Hawthorne parents. Forty-four parents chose to move their children to one of the two designated schools, Whittier and Lowell Elementary Schools. Next, the AYP Support Team was formed, as was the Parent Involvement Team. Jim reviewed the five steps of AYP. Betty Cobbs reviewed the data and background, including annual math targets, math data trends and performance levels trends. She said there is a focus at the school to increase the number of students in the areas of Level 3 & 4. Jim talked about AYP processes and timelines. Betty then discussed Year 1 of the SIP, but prefaced her remarks by commenting about how proud she is of her staff and the work that is being done at Hawthorne. Although it has been stressful for the school to be placed in the “needs improvement” category, the staff is intent on making AYP for its students. Kris Gooding reviewed Year 2 of the SIP, followed by Lisa Johnson who discussed the parent involvement strategies. Lisa also indicated that Hawthorne is a vibrant and diverse place with wonderful staff, teachers and children. She said that English is a challenge for a number of children and a bridge needs to be created for parents for whom English is not their primary language. In closing, Jim outlined the peer review process and talked about next steps for the SIP.
Board member Petersen said he is impressed with the dedication and commitment of the Hawthorne staff. He referenced his strong belief in valuing diversity, then asked about the impact that choice has had on that school. Jim replied that the staff builds strong relationships with families and it was demoralizing to see students move to other schools. Betty concurred, saying it was heartwrenching to lose students, but it was the families’ choice. In her opinion, the requirement for the District to provide transportation was a big draw. Nevertheless, Hawthorne’s enrollment is 469 and continues to grow. The school continues to stay focused on doing its best work with the students who are there. In fact, some parents have indicated an interest in returning to Hawthorne. Betty re-emphasized the school’s determination to make AYP. Vice President Dutton referred to the transient nature of the school’s population and asked whether there is a system in place for identifying the achievement level of incoming students. Betty replied that the school activates its usual assessment process, then gets the children into school right away and starts working with them. Board member Cooper asked where the funds will be found in order to carry out the strategies of the SIP. Jim said that by nature of the law, a good portion must be used from Title I funds. Any gaps will be addressed by seeking District support. Board member Petersen congratulated Lisa for sharing her perspective as a parent. He then asked about using Hawthorne graduates as tutors. Jim said some conversations have occurred at that level. Betty introduced Hawthorne staff member David Davis who teaches third grade. David said Hawthorne is a wonderful school and he will not give up. Vice President Dutton thanked everyone for their dedication, time and commitment. She is confident their plan will bear fruit. | PRESENTATION—ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) SUPPORT TEAM PLAN
PRESENTATION—ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) SUPPORT TEAM PLAN (cont’d.) | |
| Year-end financial reports for the 2005-2006 fiscal year were provided for the Board of Directors’ review (E:50/07). Director of Finance Jeff Moore provided a brief overview. Vice President Dutton complimented Jeff and staff for their good work
| YEAR-END FINANCIAL REPORTS 2005-2006 | |
| Financial reports were provided for the Board of Directors’ review (E:51/07). The reports include year-to-date information on revenues and expenditures, General Fund projections, a cash report and an investment summary. Jeff Moore provided a brief overview.
| FINANCIAL REPORTS AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2006
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| ACTION ITEMS
Sue Cooper moved for approval of the Consent Agenda items. Ed Petersen seconded the motion. 1) Personnel Report (E:52/07); 2) Voucher Lists (E:53/07); 3) Revision to 2006-2007 Classified Non-Represented Non-Exempt Salary Schedule (E:54/07); and 4) Approval of Mitigation Agreement Between Everett School District and Sherri & Jose Lino (SEPA #06-060) (E:55/07). The motion carried unanimously. |
CONSENT AGENDA | |
| The Administration recommended adoption of Resolution 868—Flex Plan Administrative Services Agreement (Res. 06/07). Executive Director for Human Resources Molly Ringo commented briefly. When Board member Petersen asked about the level of participation in the program, Molly said it is increasing and is probably at 200. Individuals must re-enroll annually. Periodic notices are published. Mr. Petersen encouraged that all possible steps be taken to educate staff about the benefits of the program.
With no further comments, Ed Petersen moved for adoption of Resolution 868 regarding Flex Plan Administrative Services Agreement. Sue Cooper seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | RESOLUTION 868 —FLEX PLAN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT
RES. 868 —FLEX PLAN ADMINISTRA-TIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (cont’d.) | |
| The Administration recommended the Board of Directors award a contract for District-to-parent/staff messaging services to the NTI Group, Inc. (E:56/07). On September 12, 2006, five responsive proposals were received in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a District-to-Parent/Staff Messaging System. This RFP was conducted as an Everett Public Schools – Tacoma Public Schools joint effort, with Everett acting as the lead agency in the RFP process. Staff from both districts worked collaboratively to thoroughly review the proposals, conduct demonstrations and perform reference checks. The purpose of the evaluation was to review compatibility with current technology, product features, responsiveness of customer services and cost to determine which proposal would provide the best value to the District.
Procurement Supervisor Jennifer Farmer provided an overview of the RFP. She said the District sought a system that was easy to use, well supported, offered good training and was flexible in languages. The District was also looking for a company that had successfully worked with other K-12 organizations. At a certain point in the process, Tacoma School District joined in the search. Demonstrations of the products were conducted, followed by labor-intensive reference checks. It was the unanimous decision of the District evaluation team to recommend award of the bid to NTI Group, Inc, Director of Information Systems Ken Toyn shared some of the critical components of the District’s requirements: looking for a hosted system (ASP); wanted a secure and updated automated process to transfer data (NTI transferred data timely and efficiently); seeking dedicated system capacity and high speed of delivery (NTI has a high capacity level in emergency situations); wanted high speed delivery of information and high reliability and system redundancy; and seeking a system that did not limit itself to a single service provider in terms of telecommunications systems. NTI satisfied all issues quite well. They came through with what they said and did. Their user interface was superior. He noted that NTI was a major participant in the Katrina disaster recovery effort and was asked to be on a task force to describe their processes. Karst said the reference checks were very telling. The NTI system is user friendly. In comparison, the system of second choice, Parlant Technology, Inc., was awkward, “clunky,” has a maze of screens and is hard to use. A user would need to be trained every time they use it. It has more of a computerized edge to it. Vice President Dutton said her experience with NTI as a parent has been very positive. She did recommend, however, that parents be cautioned to have a dedicated (hardwired) telephone line at home so the system can always reach them. Battery-powered telephones will not work. When asked whether the District will own the components, Jennifer said the District is purchasing a service, not the components. At the rootcore of how it is funded, this is a software product that is housed and serviced offsite. It will be a capital-funded contract, and from the bid law perspective of furniture/supplies/equipment, it did not meet the same requirement that it be lowest responsive bid. When asked about the cost, Jennifer said the price shown is the five-year estimated cost, but she believes the District will have conversations with NTI about the final cost. Tacoma has not made a final decision yet. With no further comments, Ed Petersen moved to award a contract for District-to-parent/staff messaging services to the NTI Group, Inc. Sue Cooper seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | AWARD OF CONTRACT—DISTRICT-TO-PARENT/STAFF MESSAGING SYSTEM
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| The Administration recommended that the Board of Directors adopt the elementary schools boundary adjustments as presented to the Board on September 26, 2006. It was at that time that the Superintendent recommended adjustments to the attendance boundaries of the District’s six southernmost elementary schools, to be implemented with the commencement of the 2007-2008 school year. The boundary adjustments are projected to affect 933 students in the 2010-2011 school year. A special Board meeting was held on October 17, 2006 for the purpose of hearing public comments regarding the proposed boundary adjustments.
Dr. Whitehead reviewed the makeup of the Boundary Review Committee, talked about the committee meetings and the three public hearings that were held. A facilitator worked with the committee and it went very smoothly. The District posted information on the District website throughout the process and letters were sent to all families affected by the proposed boundary changes. On October 17, the Board held a special Board meeting to take community input. The superintendent’s recommendation to the Board tonight was the same as that of the Boundary Review Committee. With Board approval of the boundaries, the District will proceed to notify the community in December. The new boundaries will go into effect in Fall, 2007 concurrent with the opening of elementary school #17. Among the reasons for changing the boundaries is the significant housing growth in the south end. Over 2,700 housing units are underway in the south end, either in plat approval, permitting or under construction. These units will be built and occupied over the next five years and will generate approximately 765 K-5 students. The new elementary school #17 and all other elementary schools in the south end will be full over the next five years. Over the next five years, it is projected that enrollment in the south end to be approximately 3,822 students, with a capacity of 3,746. The Boundary Review Committee set parameters and guiding principles: include all six south end elementary schools (Silver Lake, Penny Creek, Mill Creek, Silver Firs, Cedar Wood, Woodside); use permanent building capacities, not portables; use K-5 enrollment and capacity projections for five years out; special program locations are already established; avoid increasing student transportation costs; implement changes with the 2007-2008 school year; the committee will make a recommendation to the superintendent; keep neighborhoods intact as much as possible; and, if possible, align elementary school boundaries with middle school/high school boundaries. Tonight’s recommendation is the best possible solution. At the October 17 hearing, the few who spoke to the Board represented Area 3A. Dr. Whitehead indicated that the committee reviewed that area carefully and, for two reasons, did not make a change: 1) if students are moved to Mill Creek, then other students would have to be moved; and 2) 35th Avenue is a very dangerous thoroughfare even with a traffic light, crosswalk and parents walking their children across the street. The safety of students is the District’s primary consideration and there is space available in other schools. Dr. Whitehead noted that part of the recommendation is to change the District’s variance process for the next two years on a space-available basis and the families would need to provide their own transportation. It is her belief that there should be space available. Director of Facilities and Planning Mike Gunn distributed a handout of maps showing the existing south end boundaries, proposed boundary changes, and the final boundary recommendation (E:57/07). Mike reviewed the information provided at the September meeting. He showed the maps, the proposed revision to the variance process, capacities of schools and rationales for the recommended changes. Dr. Whitehead noted that the Board was not being asked to approve the changed variance process. Board member Petersen asked about the current enrollment at Mill Creek, to which Mike Gunn and Lynn Evans (Executive Director for Area Two) said it is full. It is likely that the families from Area 3A will try to remain at Cedar Wood (via a variance). Their second choice would probably be the new elementary school #17 and their third choice would be Mill Creek Elementary School. It has been the District’s experience that most parents opt to go to the school where they are assigned. The principal at Penny Creek is already making plans for open houses. Board member Petersen asked whether the committee decided by vote? Was there a minority opinion? Mike replied that they decided early on to go by consensus. Their ultimate decision resulted in a unanimous vote. This is the smoothest boundary process he has seen. Mr. Petersen said he is impressed with the process and the work of the committee, including the fact that they scheduled an additional public hearing. He admires their work, the quality of the process and the resultant decision. Board member Cooper agreed and said the preparation and information that the committee had helped those involved feel they have been heard. The result is good and the process has been so much better than processes in the past. Vice President Dutton commended those in the past who had the foresight to purchase the property on which elementary #17 is being built. With no further comments, Sue Cooper moved to adopt the elementary schools boundary adjustments as presented to the Board on September 26, 2006. Ed Petersen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. | ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS (cont’d.) | |
| BOARD COMMENTS
Board member Cooper reminded the group of this evening’s “Dine out for Kids” event, a portion of the proceeds from which will go to the Everett Public Schools Foundation. This is the first such event and it is hoped it will be a great success. | BOARD COMMENTS
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| Vice President Dutton adjourned the regular meeting at 6:50 p.m.
_____________________________ ________________________________ Carol Whitehead, Secretary Kristie Dutton, Vice President |