Board Minutes

Colfax-Mingo Community School District
Regular Board of Directors Meeting
High School Media Center
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I. CALL TO ORDER: President Lietz called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Roll call: Jeanine Baldwin, Mike Routh, Mardell Tomlonovic, Eric Harmison, BJ Russell, Don Goodman. Administrators present: Superintendent Ackerman, Curriculum Director Ross, Principal Maher, Principal Summy and Principal Jones.
II. RECOGNITION OF GUESTS:
A.     Recognition of Guests: none
B.     Curricular Presentation – none
C.     Comments from the public on non-agenda items – none
D.     Approve the agenda – Superintendent Ackerman requested a discussion item be added regarding an overnight fieldtrip request. Harmison moved, Tomlonovic seconded to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 7-0.
III.       CONSENT AGENDA: Russell moved, Baldwin seconded to approve the 2/1 and 2/9 minutes, January/February payables, January financials, and fund transfers as presented. Motion carried 7-0. Correction noted on void of $3,252.92 payment and reissue of $2,960.55 payment to Clean Harbors for removal of chemicals used in classroom. Bill inquiries included high water bill at elementary due to no auto faucets, toilets have large flushing capacity, higher usage due to student age and count, and kitchen operations, and a new fee to participate in ISCAP. Financial inquiries included current negative student activity balances, anticipated negative balances for upcoming spring activities, and plans to correct negative balances for year-end closing.

IV. ACTION ITEMS:
A.      Policy Changes-First Reading- none
B.      Policy Changes-none
C.      Resignations- Tomlonovic moved, Russell seconded to approve the following resignations immediately:
a.       Charlie Hainer as head middle school baseball coach
b.      Matt Barkalow as head school girls’ basketball coach
Motion carried 7-0.
D.      Personnel employment - none
E.       Routh moved, Russell seconded to approve the recommendation that the Properties Committee proceed with bids to install a new handicap walkway into the east entrance of the middle school building. Motion carried 7-0. Discussion with Properties Committee Chair Routh included the need for the ramps to be ADA-compliant, and to run the walkway from the front door along the south side of the building around to east entrance. Board member Harmison agreed to help draw up specifications for the walkway for bid-letting.
F.       Russell moved, Goodman seconded to approve the recommendation that the district participate in the Jasper County Conservation Environmental Awareness Program for the 2010-11 school year for a fee of $766. Motion failed 3-4. Nays- Tomlonovic, Russell, Baldwin, Harmison. Discussion followed from administration regarding the value of this program, and from board members regarding budgetary concerns.
G.      Goodman moved, Russell seconded to approve the recommendation to appoint the Superintendent as the Equity/Affirmative Action Coordinator as part of procedural requirements for Title IX in regards to discriminatory practices in the educational programs and activities. Motion carried 7-0.
V.                 DISCUSSION:
A.     Superintendent Ackerman presented information for board discussion and direction regarding Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference changes for next year:
-         The board supports the request that Woodward Academy join the conference even though they have no female athletic teams
-         The board supports the request to raise the adult ticket fee for sub-varsity games from two dollars to three dollars. There is no fee for students.
Two other items of discussion were the possibility that Bondurant-Farrar may be leaving the conference and the latest football district realignment assignments for next fall.
B.     President Lietz provided the Superintendent’s evaluation instrument for the board members to complete. They are to submit these to President Lietz by March 15.
C.     The board discussed exchanging some upcoming no-school days to school days to capture back days missed due to weather this winter. If school is held on March 15, and April 1, both currently scheduled as non-students days, the last day of school for students would be May 28. Staff and administration are supportive of this scenario, but it would not be necessary if additional inclement weather days are accumulated in the coming weeks. Superintendent Ackerman will continue to assess this possible schedule change.
D.     The board reviewed a request from Speech instructor Larry Pace for a possible overnight stay in Cedar Rapids for students to attend state speech competition. More details will be provided as the March 12 date draws nearer. The board will take action on this request at a future meeting.
VI.              REPORTS:
A.     Principal Summy – Kindergarten round-up was held last week and the anticipated kindergarten class size is estimated to be in the mid-forties. The building has completed its second DIBELS assessment of the year, and the IDM team is compiling the results and comparing them to the fall test. They will share these results with staff and parents in coming weeks. The IDM team is also working in conjunction with the AEA on fluency/comprehension assessments in preparation for next year’s classroom programs. Principal Summy is finalizing site visit requirements.
B.     Principal Maher – She complimented the students, chaperones and staff for their efforts toward a successful and enjoyable middle school dance last week.   Last Thursday, board members Goodman (and wife Kathleen), Tomlonovic, Baldwin, and Superintendent Ackerman joined her for the presentation of a $10,000 award from Prairie Meadows for technology improvements at the middle school. She and the staff have been compiling assessment results using various differentiation tools. She presented a seventh and an eighth grade assessments report as an example of the data the staff uses. She attended a meeting with Superintendent Ackerman and At-Risk Coordinator Williams at the state regarding the PLAS report, to which Superintendent Ackerman will speak later.
C.     Principal Jones- A long-term substitute has been hired for the recently-vacated high school Biology position. This substitute has taught here previously, and this has been a critical advantage for the entire program. Students were retested to determine knowledge level, resulting in more receiving a passing grade that had been previously reported. Congratulations to Dalton Mindham for advancing to the state wrestling competition. He will be wrestling on Thursday, and students will be allowed to attend if permission slips are signed and returned. If Dalton advances to Friday’s competition, the same process will be used. This will be an excused absence. The high school boys’ also advanced in district competitions with a victory over the weekend, and will play Thursday night game at PCM.
D.     Curriculum Director Ross – Her schedule has been filled with preparation for the upcoming Department of Education site visit February 23-25. She will be reporting on the results of this at upcoming board meetings.
E.      Business Manager Hodgson – She continues to prepare data for the FY11 budget, to include budget reductions, negotiation settlements, revenue analysis, and health insurance programs. This month, she will be letting bids for an audit firm for FY10 year.
F.      Superintendent Ackerman – Copies of the 900 and 1000 board policies were given to board members to put in their policy book. The Executive Committee will meet to open insurance bids. Those are due on February 19. There will be a board workshop on Monday, February 22. He reviewed information from the PLAS meeting with the state. The most logical model for the district to adopt at this time is the Transformation model to develop and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness. Currently the state has filed a waiver with the federal government regarding the school intervention models, but no conclusion has been reached at this point.   The Executive Committee will meet with CMEA and AFSCME union representatives to begin FY11 negotiation procedures on Tuesday, March 2. Superintendent Ackerman recognized Zoe Thorton for her leadership with the elementary ISPIN committee regarding improvements to the district website, and her efforts to obtain twenty slightly-used computers from DMACC for the district. The board expressed appreciation for her contributions.    He requested the Executive Committee meet briefly after the board meeting to discuss upcoming negotiations.
VII.      Tomlonovic moved to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. Time 8:32 pm.
APPROVAL                                        _______________________________
                                                            Jeff Lietz, Board of Directors President
ATTEST                                              ________________________________
                                                            Debra A. Hodgson, Board of Directors Secretary

Colfax-Mingo Community School District
Special Board of Directors Meeting

I. CALL TO ORDER: President Lietz called the meeting to order at 12:15 pm. Roll call: Mardell Tomlonovic, BJ Russell, Eric Harmison, Don Goodman. Absent: Jeanine Baldwin, Mike Routh. Administrators present: Superintendent Ackerman.

II. AGENDA: Tomlonovic moved, Russell seconded to approve agenda as presented. Motion carried 5-0.

III. Review of Results of Bond Sales: Financial Advisor Matthew Gillaspie of Piper Jaffray reviewed the bids received for the sale of $5,325,000 of general obligation bonds for the purpose of refinancing. These bonds represent two sets of bonds, one set originally sold for construction and renovation at the elementary building, and the other set sold for construction and renovation at the high school. Both sets of bonds became callable this winter, giving the district the opportunity to consolidate them into one debt schedule and let bids to capture a lower interest rate. Bidding closed at 10 am that day, and four bids were received. Mr. Gillaspie recommended the Board award the bid to UMB Bank of Kansas City, MO, who submitted the lowest interest package at 3.425%, considerably lower than the interest on the old sets of bonds. At this rate, the savings in property taxes levied will be $267,815 over the remaining fourteen years of the bonds, or approximately $15,000 to $23,000 per year. Mr. Gillaspie informed the Board that several documents requiring board action will be forthcoming for the March 1 board meeting.

Goodman moved, Harmison seconded to approve the recommendation to adopt the resolution directing the sale of $5,325,000 general obligation school refunding bonds to UMB Bank of Kansas City, MO. Roll call: Ayes-Goodman, Russell, Tomlonovic, Harmison, Lietz. Nays-none. Motion carried 5-0.