Board Minutes
November 14, 2006
PENDER PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING MINUTES
Pender Public School – Heese Event Center
November 13, 2006 – 8:00 p.m.
The Pender Public School Board of Education met in regular session in the Heese Event Center on Monday, November 13, 2006. President Mark Lander called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. with the following members present: Franklin Fendrick, Robert McQuistan, Mark Lander, Connie Felber and Larry Simonsen. Absent: Terri Reppert. Also present were Superintendent/Elementary Principal Joe Sherwood and Recording Secretary Barb Preston. Visitors: Approximately 30 patrons of the district.
President Lander notified those present that as of July 1, 2006, Nebraska Statute 84-1412(8) requires that the public be informed about the location of posted information regarding the Open Meetings Act and drew their attention to the copy posted in the meeting room and accessible to all members of the public.
President Lander reviewed the agenda as presented, affirmed that every board member had received notice of the meeting and that the meeting had been published. The board amended the agenda to include distribution of copies of the form by President Lander to be used for the purpose of evaluating the superintendent under Agenda Item #11 – Personnel.
Board member Felber pointed out that Simonsen had voted Nay on the roll call vote for the motion to take the steps necessary to begin the process of reworking the Board Policy notebook. The motion should have been 5-1 and still was approved.
Motion to approve the minutes of the October 9, 2006 regular meeting amended to indicate Simonsen’s nay vote on the motion to authorize the Superintendent to take the steps necessary to begin the process of reworking the Board Policy notebook was made by Felber and seconded by Simonsen. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
A motion to approve payment of bills as follows: General Fund - $203,002.24; Hot Lunch Fund - $15,663.89; Payroll - $107,560.21; QCPUF - $65,512.50; and Bond Fund - $284,011.21 made by McQuistan, seconded by Fendrick. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
President Lander welcomed all visitors to the meeting and provided an opportunity for input on items not on the agenda. Norvin “Fuzz” Hansen distributed copies from Senator Don Preister that had been sent to all political subdivision governing bodies. The letter regarding amendments to the Open Meetings Act which Senator Preister authored. The amendments were passed during the 2006 session. Mr. Hansen shared that he felt the amendments could be interpreted to mean that members of the audience were allowed to share opinions or ask questions throughout the meeting. Superintendent Sherwood stated that he had contacted Senator Preister’s office and Mr. Preister indicated that his intent was for each political subdivision governing body to allow an opportunity for a public comment section during the meeting. Mr. Preister also stated that as long as it was a regular event it could even be quarterly or some other schedule as decided by the Board. Senator Preister also shared that the intent of his letter was not to require public comment throughout the board meeting. Mr. Sherwood informed those present that Mr. Preister would be sending a written response in the near future that would clarify his position and that he would share the response with Mr. Hansen
Carla Urbanec questioned the administration and the board regarding the safety plan and specifically the lock down procedure. Mr. Sherwood shared that during a staff meeting after the lockdown, a debriefing session was held and plans to correct some of the problem areas identified were already in place as a result of staff suggestion. Other patrons taking advantage of the opportunity to address the board were Kathi Siebrandt, J.J. Maise, Keith Lorensen, Bob Beckman and Sara Urbanec on topics including the lockdown, employee suspension and the appointment of a replacement board member.
Board member Terri Reppert arrived at the meeting at 7:55 p.m.
President Lander then provided an opportunity for patrons to address the board regarding items on the agenda. Kathi Siebrandt asked why appointing a replacement for Franklin Fendrick was on the agenda when at the last meeting board members had indicated they wanted to have the incoming board appoint the new member. Bob Beckman shared that he felt it was a good idea to have the current board appoint Mr. Fendrick’s replacement and encouraged one of the three incumbents to consider staying on the board. Mr. Beckman also pointed out that we elected these people and that he felt they were doing a good job and their experience would prove to be very beneficial in the upcoming months. Fuzz Hansen and Carla Urbanec supported Mr. Beckman’s statement regarding the experience of the current board, however, Mr. Hansen pointed out that we had more than three incumbents residing in our district that could provide experience. Carla Urbanec asked why an increase was necessary for the special education secretary and why an executive session was necessary to discuss that increase. Carla encouraged board members to consider postponing a decision until after the public hearing had occurred.
Motion made by Fendrick, seconded by Felber to approve the 2005-06 audits for Pender Public School and Cuming County District 82 as prepared by Michael Pommer, CPA. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
Superintendent Sherwood asked the board to consider approving the technology plan for Pender Public School for the 2006-07 school year. The plan was submitted and subsequently approved by the Nebraska Department of Education. This plan must be approved by NDE and then the Board of Education as one of the steps required in the E-rate application.
Motion made by Simonsen, seconded by McQuistan to approve Pender Public School’s technology plan that had received prior approval by the Nebraska Department of Education. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
Mr. Sherwood explained that several parcels of land were being considered for moving into trust by the Federal government. This information was obtained from the County Board of Supervisors President Terri Lamplot. Mr. Sherwood went on to explain that what that means to us is that these parcels will be removed from our total valuation and had the potential to result in a reduction of approximately $8,091 for next year in tax receipts for our district and the same or more in upcoming fiscal years.
Mr. Sherwood asked board members to consider writing a letter of support, allowing him to attend the County Supervisors meeting when they discuss this issue and possibly contributing a proportionate amount for legal counsel to move this issue beyond “just a formality”. Mrs. Lamplot said the County Board of Supervisors has protested these applications in the past, however, the parcels have moved into trust anyway. Mr. Sherwood recommended that the board indicate their willingness to support the County Supervisors with a letter, authorize his attendance at their meeting on Tuesday and consider contributing financially for legal counsel if necessary. Board member consensus was that they were in favor of the letter of support and Mr. Sherwood’s attendance at the Supervisors meeting; however, they indicated they would need more information before committing to financial contributions for legal counsel.
Motion made by Felber, seconded by McQuistan to authorize the Superintendent on behalf of the school district to write a letter of support for the County Board of Supervisors and to attend the Supervisors meeting to gather more information and show support. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
President Mark Lander informed board members that he had an official letter of resignation from Franklin Fendrick that indicated the resignation would be effective January 8, 2007. Superintendent Sherwood explained to the board that the process he was recommending included receiving nominations from members of the present board citing reasons that this person would adequately fill the vacancy and possible consideration of action to formally make the replacement. All of this process would be conducted in open session.
Board member Simonsen shared that he felt discussion should first be held on whether the present board or the incoming board should make this appointment. He said that the new board would be working with this person and felt the incoming board should make the recommendation. Mr. Simonsen also suggested that it could be opened to the public to allow application for the seat. Terri Reppert added that she felt board policy was in place and that it should be followed. Superintendent Sherwood pointed out that the policy was being followed and that the Administrative Regulation Mrs. Reppert was referring to was a suggested practice, however, it was not policy. Franklin Fendrick suggested that the present board could propose a list of names and the new board could be given the opportunity to review nominees and make the appointment. Robert McQuistan suggested that even if the replacement board member was not seated before the January 8th resignation date, the board will still have a quorum and be able to conduct business.
Motion was made by Simonsen, seconded by Reppert to allow the incoming board to appoint a replacement board member resulting from Franklin Fendrick’s resignation. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being: Ayes – Simonsen, Reppert, McQuistan, Fendrick, Felber; Nays – Lander; motion carried 5-1.
Board member Franklin Fendrick left the meeting at 9:07 p.m.
Secondary Principal Jason Dolliver presented his administrative report using a Power Point presentation indicating that 12 students were participating in wrestling, 16 in girls basketball, 20 in boys basketball, 8 in the cast and 3 on the crew of the One-Act play. Mr. Dolliver reported that he had attended a couple of workshops to receive training in the APL method designed for administrators and Walk-through Observation training as well. In the area of school improvement, Mr. Dolliver reported that students had been provided education on underage drinking through an assembly provided by the Todd Becker Foundation and that the Community Character Development Coalition would continue to provide assemblies on such topics as bullying and abstinence. In an effort to develop a good working relationship with students and staff, Mr. Dolliver stated that a group had met with representatives of the Thurston County Sheriff’s office. As a result of that meeting, the Sheriff and/or his deputies will be providing walk-throughs and other presence in our building to build relationships. Mr. Dolliver also reported that Rusty Bartlett, Shauna Kinning, Deb Welsh, Lanette VonSeggern and he had attended a workshop entitled “Rethinking the High School”. The workshop provided an overview of restructuring our high school to adjust to new technology and to empower students. The committee will continue to meet to implement a strategy and develop a plan for our district. Recent field trips provided students an opportunity to take a trip to the planetarium with Gary Walker and for the junior high students to travel to DeSoto Bend with Sid Ready. Parent-Teacher conferences held on October 27, 2006, at a rate of 58.2% participation. The Statewide writing assessment is complete and has been turned in on time. Mr. Dolliver complimented the secretarial staff on a great job in assisting him to meet this deadline. Lastly, Mr. Dolliver reported that as of next week he will have completed all of his first semester formal teacher evaluations.
Superintendent/Elementary Principal Joe Sherwood provided a Power Point presentation highlighting a special education law conference he attended as it related to NCLB and IDEA. Mr. Sherwood shared slides of charts and graphs depicting our students’ progress in several areas including ACT scores and how we compared. Pender rated very well in the ACT as compared to EHC schools. The State of the Schools Report Card information was shared with the board and Pender improved or maintained their ranking in all areas. All of this information indicates that overall our programs are improving and as a result our students’ achievement is improving as well. Mr. Sherwood provided highlights of a Balanced Leadership workshop he recently attended and the relationship between leadership and student achievement. Mr. Sherwood plans to share this information with Mr. Dolliver and to use it during upcoming staff inservices. Results from a recent bullying survey conducted with students in grades 2-6 by Guidance Counselor Robin Phillips were shared. The bullying issues are being addressed by providing student assemblies, using a character-based guidance program, increasing the number of recess supervisors and the occasional presence of local law enforcement. Mr. Sherwood reported that a collaborative effort between Bancroft-Rosalie, Lyons-Decatur and Pender-Thurston administrators, students and local businesses resulted in receiving a $15,000 BECA grant. Mr. Sherwood invited board members and everyone present to attend a meeting on November 20th at 5:00 p.m. in the Legion Hall where this grant and its use will be discussed. The Heese Event Center was used for the EHC choral clinic and concert recently and was very successful. Mr. Sherwood complimented Tanya Oligmueller for orchestrating the clinic and resulting concert. The Veteran’s Day program was also held in the Event Center on Friday, November 10th, and was well attended by area patrons. Mr. Sherwood informed board members that Corky Malmberg did an excellent job in planning the program and also thanked Rusty Bartlett and Cord Hansen for their contribution to the program. Very soon new signs will be installed near the stage area advertising Pender Implement and Charter West. Superintendent Sherwood explained to board members that LB1208 will change the current format used for distance learning and will result in required equipment upgrades. The legislative bill has provided that up to $20,000 of the total cost will be reimbursable to our district. Mr. Sherwood explained that he would continue to report activity on this upgrade as it becomes available and will be asking for board approval to move forward with the equipment upgrade.
To conclude, Mr. Sherwood tied all of the information presented in his report to the district Vision Statement. The Vision Statement includes goals as follows: 1) Maximum achievement for every child; 2) Family and community partnerships to foster population growth; and 3) Safe, healthy, efficacy enhancing and guidance rich learning environment.
Superintendent Sherwood congratulated newly elected members Matt Peters, Dan Wichman and J.J. Maise and asked them to consider attending a new member training session entitled “Learning the Ropes” in Norfolk on December 13th. New members were asked to contact Mr. Sherwood to make arrangements to attend.
Superintendent Sherwood asked the board to formally approve a work agreement with Shirley Frey to serve as the preschool paraprofessional. Rule 11 requirements are more stringent for a preschool para than they are for regular or special education paras and Mrs. Frey’s CDA endorsement met all those requirements.
Motion was made by Felber, seconded by Simonsen to approve a work agreement with Shirley Frey to serve as a district paraprofessional. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
President Lander informed board members that a public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 28, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. in the Heese Event Center as requested through the right of due process by the suspended employee. In addition, Mr. Lander distributed copies of the evaluation form to be used for the board to formally evaluate Superintendent Sherwood. Mr. Lander asked board members to complete the form and return it to him by December 1st. He will compile the data and will meet with Mr. Sherwood prior to the December board meeting where the board will discuss the evaluation results in executive session.
Board President Lander asked for comments from visitors on agenda items as discussed. Carla Urbanec asked for more information about the BECA grant, Kathi Siebrandt discussed the Rule 11 requirements, and Lisa Maise asked questions about the assessments and the overall grading process. Mr. Sherwood told Mrs. Maise he would be happy to look at the grading policy with her at another time. Carla Urbanec and Kathi Siebrandt asked if Mr. Sherwood had a one or two year contract and asked if there was a renewal notification deadline. Board member Simonsen responded that Mr. Sherwood has a 1-year contract with a rollover provision and that a notification of intent deadline was sometime in January.
Motion was made by McQuistan, seconded by Reppert to go into executive session to discuss an increase in compensation for the special education secretary at 9:27 p.m. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
Motion was made by Reppert, seconded by McQuistan to reconvene in open session at 9:50 p.m. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
Motion was made by Simonsen, seconded by Felber to increase the special education secretary’s hourly compensation to $10.25 per hour. President Lander stated the motion and the result of roll call vote being all ayes, motion carried.
President Lander stated that the next regular meeting would be held on Monday, December 11, 2006, at 7:00 p.m.
Moved by Simonsen, seconded by McQuistan to adjourn. President Lander stated the motion and the result of the vote being all ayes the meeting was adjourned at 9:52 p.m. by acclamation.
Larry Simonsen, Secretary Barb Preston, Recording Secretary
