Official Minutes of a Regular Meeting October 12, 2016
OFFICIAL MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
BOX ELDER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Work Session
A work session was held at 5:30 p.m. where principals Kristi Capener, Corey Thompson, Jamie Kent, Corynn Arehart reported on their respective schools.
Tentative minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Board of Education, Box Elder County School District, held Wednesday evening October 12, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at the Box Elder School District Office.
Those in attendance at the meeting included Board President Lynn Capener, Vice President Wade Hyde, Members Nancy Kennedy, Connie Archibald, Bryan Smith, Karen Cronin, and Nini Anderson and student board member Sydnee Richards. Also present were Superintendent Ronald Tolman, Assistant Superintendents, Darin Nielsen and Terry Jackson, Business Administrator Rod Cook, officers of the Box Elder Education Association, district employees, representatives of the press and interested citizens.
President Capener welcomed those in attendance and conducted the business of the meeting. After the prayer, which was offered by Dr. Ron Tolman, Sydnee Richards led the audience in the pledge of allegiance.
Recognitions
Connie Archibald recognized the following people:
Discovery School for being honored as a National Blue Ribbon School, Principal Jeff Morris and several of his teachers were there to be recognized.
Darin Nielson for his service in training on community councils and for receiving the Northern Utah Curriculum Council’s 2016 Leadership Award.
Klay Hinck and Dawn Devoe with Walmart Distribution for the grant presentation last board meeting.
Jared Harrison with Walmart Distribution for donation to Lakeview Elementary.
Jeremy Young from North Park Elementary for his presentation to the Board.
Clay Chournos from McKinley Elementary for his presentation to the Board.
Gary Allen from Box Elder High School for his presentation to the Board.
Scott Hunsaker from Fielding Elementary for his encouragement of reading in his school.
Daren David Short for a $50,000 donation to the Box Elder High School Automotive shop.
Approval of Agenda
Bryan Smith made the motion to approve the agenda Wade Hyde seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Public Comment
Board Member Nancy Kennedy requested the opportunity to comment on Constitutional Amendment B and ask for support from people because it would substantially increase trust land funds for schools in a safe responsible manner.
Action Items
Exemption from Compulsory Attendance (Home School)
Superintendent Ron Tolman presented the list of students who the district has received exemption requests from parents.
Connie Archibald made the motion to exempt the students as listed. Nancy Kennedy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Mission, Vision, and Values/Commitments
Superintendent Tolman presented a recommendation of Mission, Vision, and Values to the Board with the following introduction.
One of the characteristics of most effective organizations is a clearly identified mission accompanied by a shared vision for the future along with clearly identified values and commitments of the organization. It is also vital that organizations regularly review the mission, vision, and values/commitments to make sure that those elements reflect the current situation. In the recent Key Performance Indicator survey administered by USBA/USSA and reported to the Board on July 6 the second survey statement was, “Board members can clearly articulate the vision, mission, and goals of the district.” thus reinforcing how important the articulation and adherence to those elements is to effective organizations. Now is an opportune time to do a status check on these elements. It appears that BESD has not formally reviewed their mission, vision, and values/commitments for at least the last 15 years. See the attached documents.
Wade Hyde made the motion that the attached revised District Mission, Vision, and Values/Commitments be adopted by the Board Bryan Smith seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Board Priority Goals September 2016
Superintendent Ron Tolman presented the list of Board Priority Goals from September 2016. (See attachment)
Connie Archibald made the motion to approve the goals as written. Nini Anderson seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Utah Consolidated Grant Approval
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Darin Nielsen presented the Utah Consolidated Grant for approval of the Board.
Bryan Smith made the motion to approve the Utah Consolidated Grant for the 2016-17 school year. Connie Archibald seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
School Improvement Plans 2016-2017
Director of Testing, Keri Greener, presented the school improvement plans to the Board for approval.
Nini Anderson made the motion to approve the plans as presented. Nancy Kennedy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Information/Discussion Items
Sage Accountability
Testing Director, Keri Greener reported on Sage Accountability pointing out areas of growth and some of the outliers.
AP/ACT
Testing Director, Keri Greener reported on AP/ACT results. 305 students participated in the Advanced Placement program in 2016. 30 students received AP Scholar recognition, 6 AP Scholar with Honor, 11 AP Scholar with Distinction, and 2 received AP National Scholar recognition. Box Elder School District had 822 students participate in the ACT exam in 2016. The district composite score was 19.3. 18% of BESD students met all four college benchmarks which is a 4% increase over 2015.
October 1 Enrollment Report
Terry Jackson reported on the final October 1 Enrollment Report.
Total Enrollment was 11572 students. This represents nearly a 2% enrollment growth over last year. (See attached report)
Policies
The following policies were recommended with no changes:
5037 Attendance Enforcement
5285 Detention of Students After School Hours
Connie Archibald made the motion to accept the above policies. Wade Hyde seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Policies Recommended for First Reading:
1250 Professional Learning Communities (new policy)
Nancy Kennedy made the motion to approve policy 1250 on first reading with recommended changes. Connie Archibald seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
2215 Transportation – Living & Transportation Allowances
2217 Transportation – Field Trips
2218 Transportation – District Owned Vehicles
4085 Students Released to Attend Applied Technology Colleges
4087 Work-Based Learning
5227 Student Head Injuries
5291 Drug & Alcohol Testing of Students Participating in Extracurricular Activities
Connie Archibald made the motion to approve the above policies with changes as recommended. Nancy Kennedy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Policies Recommended for Second Reading with changes in discrimination clause:
1160 Superintendent Termination
5000 Equal Education Opportunity
5040 Transfer and Assignment of Students
5350 Student Complaints – Resolution
Nancy Kennedy made the motion to approve the above policies on second reading. Wade Hyde seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Policies Recommended for Second Reading:
2200 Vandalism, Destruction or Loss of School Property
2211 Transportation – Bus Routes and Stops
2214 Transportation – ‘In Lieu of’ Allowance
4075 Earning Credit
4103 Grading Policy Grades 8-12
5045 Student and Staff Memorials
5050 Immunization Requirements
5063 Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
5065 Administration of Medication
5071 Communicable Disease Guidelines for Exclusion of Children from School
5210 Protection of Student Against Exploitation
5240 Appeals of Student Government Organizations
5294 Student Discipline – Searches
5300 Student Discipline – Corporal Punishment
5306 Children’s Internet Protection Act
5340 Student Leaving with Adult During School Hours
5370 Student Handbooks
Connie Archibald made the motion to approve all of the above policies as presented. Bryan Smith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Board Goals Review and School Visits
No review was necessary because of the above action item which approved a revision. The calendar review was discussed. The Superintendent wondered if circulating the calendar was still of value to the Board. The Board agreed they would still like the calendars passed out for review.
Monthly Financial Report
Business Administrator, Rod Cook, presented the monthly financial report for the Board’s review.
Consent Calendar
Karen Cronin moved to accept the consent items except the minutes to be held until the next Board meeting and student handbook for Discovery. The motion was seconded by Bryan Smith and passed on a unanimous vote. The Consent Calendar included the following items:
Approval of the minutes of the working and regular meeting of September 14, 2016 which will be held for revision.
Approval of claims numbered 00018807-00019198, 00109126, 00893016, 00990216, 00991916, 00992016, 00993016, and the school activity checks for the month of September.
Personnel Items
New HiresSite / Employee / Position / Replacing / Reason
BEMS / Bonnie Robinson / Temporary for this year
ACHI / Pam Adams / Teacher Aide
Century / Linda Braegger / Special Ed Aide / Trista Boysted
BEMS / Daniel Kaminsky / Custodian / Cory Ballard
Park Valley / Tiffany Eddington / Teacher Aide / Going on Contract
Transportation / Sanna Nelson / Bus Driver / Going on Contract
Century / Tiffany Reed / Special Ed Para / Going on Contract
BEHS / Diana Sanchez / Special Ed Para / Going on Contract
Grouse Creek / Rosemary Tingey / Cook/Aide / Going on Contract
Leaving the District
Site / Employee / Position / Reason
BEMS / Gerald Tracy / Teacher / Resigned
Adjournment
With the announcement that the next meeting will be held on Wednesday November 9, 2016, 6:30 p.m. at Foothill Elementary, President Capener adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m.
APPROVED: November 9, 2016
ATTESTED:
School Business Administrator President, Board of Education
Box Elder School District
MISSION:
Learning is everything!
Our work is teaching and learning. Our priority is to ensure students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be positive and productive citizens.
VISION:
Our vision for Box Elder School district includes the following:
· All students acquire the knowledge and skills to successfully pursue additional training, education, and employment.
· Teachers and those who perform supporting roles are valued and honored.
· Strong partnerships between the home and schools are fostered and developed to share responsibility for student success.
· Schools are safe in all ways, focused on learning for all.
· Schools and district offices are respectful and kind places, where collaboration is fostered.
· The principles of freedom and liberty including individual rights and responsibilities are valued, modeled, and taught.
VALUES/COMMITMENTS:
We honor common values and make the following COMMITMENTS:
WE WILL FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. Learning data is used to make instructional decisions and to monitor progress and improve outcomes.
WE WILL BE GROWTH ORIENTED. It is our belief that ability and intelligence are not fixed but can be changed and developed in each of us! A growth mindset is modeled and taught.
WE WILL BE HARD WORKERS AND TEAM PLAYERS. We will do our part devoting time and effort for the success of all those in the District.
WE WILL BE PROBLEM SOLVERS. We will focus on solutions and look at problems as opportunities for learning and improvement.
WE WILL BE HONEST. We will tell the truth and be fair and honest in all of our dealings.
WE WILL BE RESPECTFUL. We will treat everyone with dignity, respect, and courtesy at all times.
WE WILL BE POSITIVE. We will choose to be enthusiastic and emphasize the positive. We will be supportive and avoid negative criticism.
WE WILL BE CONSISTENT in living our values at all times thus having integrity.
Board Priority Goals September 2016
In the last two years it has been fairly obvious that the Box Elder Board’s priority is student performance as most of their work and discussion has been focused on the importance of preparing students for advanced education and the job world. They have mentioned ACT and Sage performance often. With that in mind and hoping not to be too presumptuous the following is suggested as a starting place for discussion of the Board Goals.
The singular priority goal for Box Elder School Districts is improving student performance. As performance indicators the following specific goals are identified.
1. All Students Will Meet High Curricular Standards in Mathematics
A. 90% (this is a very high standard as the current state average in 2016 is 48%) of all 3rd graders will be proficient or above on end of level summative statewide assessments, and those levels of proficiency will be maintained at all higher grade levels. Yearly progress of at least 1% above the state average will be shown toward that goal each year from this point forward.
B. 50% of all high school students will meet the ACT college readiness benchmark score of 22 or above on the mathematics portion of the ACT. Yearly progress of at least .5 % on the ACT scale on the mathematics portion will be shown toward that goal each year from this point forward until the goal is met.
2. All Students Will Meet High Curricular Standards in Literacy
A. 90% (this is a very high standard as the current state average in 2016 is 53%) of all 3rd-10th graders will be proficient or above on end of level summative statewide assessments, and those levels of proficiency will be maintained at all higher grade levels. Yearly progress of at least 1% will be shown toward that goal each year from this point forward.
B. 70% of all high school students will meet the ACT college readiness benchmark score of 18 on the Language portion of the ACT. Yearly progress of at least .5% on the ACT scale on the language portion of the ACT will be shown toward that goal each year from this point forward until the goal is met.
3. All Students Will Meet High Curricular Standards in Core Subjects
A. 70% of all high school students will meet the ACT college readiness benchmark score of 18 on the composite portion of the ACT. Yearly progress of at least .5% on the ACT scale on the language portion of the ACT will be shown toward that goal each year from this point forward until the goal is met.
4. The Board will develop and adopt a comprehensive Board of Education Handbook
A. As strategies to support the goal of increased student performance the Board selects the following strategies.
· Full implementation and monitoring of PLC process in the District
· Doing all that we can to recruit and retain the most highly qualified staff possible
· Regular data review on student achievement at Board meetings
On the ensuing pages the Board identifies the following strategies and action steps for each goal.
Goal 1 All Students Will Meet High Curricular Standards in Mathematics
Action Steps
A. Recruit and retain high quality employees, particularly those who work directly with students on a daily basis.