PRESCOTT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1
146 South Granite Street
Prescott, Arizona 86303
September 5, 2000
Minutes of
the Study Session of the Governing Board, Tuesday, September 5, 2000,
beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the District Office Board Room.
Governing Board members present:
President
Vaughn Delp
Dr.
Joan Fleming
Mrs.
Dana Womack
Mr.
Dennis Colgan
Mr.
Gordon Maddux
Absent:
None
Also Present:
Dr.
Roger Short, Superintendent
Kevin
Kapp, Assistant Superintendent
Kimberly
Steward, Student Representative
Andrea
Mayer, Assistant to the Governing Board
Others Present:
Dee Navarro
Speranta Klees
Harry Plumlee
Worth Mallory
May Mallory
Marianne Brooks
Mike Harlan
Lorraine Jarvi
Justin Green
Steve Campbell
Jim Williams
Mary Aker
Ann Sult
Jeannene Henry
Nick Falco
Blake Miller
Marylin Bunger
Mary Hansen
Annette Schiller
Pam Percival
Tim Carter
Barbara Harber
Floyd James
Ed Yeager
Mary Anne Kapp
Jim Wahlstrom
Linda Ryan
Renee Raskin
Bill Munson
CALL
TO ORDER
President
Delp called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. noting that this was to be
a study session only. President
Delp welcomed the members of the audience and the media.
Miss Kimberly Steward led the members of the audience in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL
OF AGENDA
President
Delp asked Dr. Short if the agenda was in order. Dr. Short replied that
it was in order as presented.
Dr.
Joan Fleming moved that the Governing Board accept the agenda as
presented. Mr. Denny Colgan
seconded the motion.
Dr.
Joan Fleming voted aye, Mrs. Dana Womack voted aye, Mr. Dennis Colgan
voted aye, Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye, and President Delp voted aye. The motion carried 5-0.
PRESENTATIONS
Mr.
Mike Harlan, Principal of Granite Mountain Middle School, introduced
Mrs. Marianne Brooks. He
noted that Mrs. Brooks has been a teacher at Granite Mountain Middle
School for the last 8 years. He
stated that Mrs. Brooks had already received the honor of being the
Yavapai County Educator of the Year at the Middle School Level and was
recently selected as a finalist for this year’s Presidential Awards
for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
He noted that Mrs. Brooks was very deserving of these honors.
Dr.
Roger Short introduced Ms. Speranta Klees, the Coordinator for the
International Baccalaureate Program for Barry Goldwater High School in
the Deer Valley School District. Ms.
Klees gave a brief history of the IB Program, noting that it was founded
in the 1960’s for children of diplomats, military personnel, and the
business community. She read the mission statement and discussed why the Deer
Valley School District was interested in the program.
The student profile consists of students who have an above
average ability, are highly motivated and well rounded. The program offers college credit upon exam.
She compared the IB Program to the Advanced Placement Program,
discussed the benefits to students, teachers, and the district.
She
noted that every teacher must undergo IB training, which is very
extensive. Once training is
completed teachers have worldwide colleagues and the program encourages
a lot of inter-departmental curriculum planning.
She discussed the four-year program concept and outlined the
steps necessary for a school to become an IB school.
There are currently only six IB schools in the state of Arizona.
She stated that because of the higher standards, it was a very
expensive program due to the required upgrading of labs, teacher
training, and the purchase of more extensive curriculum selections with
a worldwide emphasis.
Ms.
Klees stated that the benefits of the program for her school have been
great. IB students stay
with the program better than AP students because it is a diploma
program; the program has been able to attract students from other
districts and foreign countries, as well as attract back some of the
students lost to charter schools. She
stated that her high school has enrollment of about 2,400 students of
which 120 are IB students. The
IB program has brought in 19 new students this year.
Ms. Klees answered questions from the Board and President Delp
thanked her for her presentation.
SUPERINTENDENT’S
REPORT
CONSIDER
THE EARLY ENTRANCE INTO KINDERGARTEN REQUESTS BE DENIED OR GRANTED
Ms. Linda
Ryan informed the Board that all students approved by the Board the last
time are now in the kindergarten classroom.
She noted that at this time we are only recommending three out of
the five students be granted early entrance into kindergarten, based on
the screening results. She
noted that of the three students recommended, two have September
birthdays and one has an October birthday; two are at Washington
Traditional School and one is at Abia Judd Elementary School; and all
three students are female. All
students and parents are aware that they are on a 45-day temporary
enrollment.
Mr. Jim
Wahlstrom gave a general overview of the contract requested for
approval. Our district has
been doing business with MOHAVE for quite a few years.
ASPIN is fairly new and became apart of MOHAVE about five years
ago. He noted that because
Food Service is a self-contained program, he has to watch expenses
closely. This year costs
went up 4-5% overall, with a 40-50% increase for paper and plastic
products. ASPIN services
were analyzed and he found that he could save approximately $4,100 over
the course of a year. ASPIN
would be used for select items that would total between
$140,000-$160,000 in products. Terms of the agreement are from year to year.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE RESIGNATION OF MRS. DEE NAVARRO FROM THE FINANCIAL
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WITH THE OPTION TO NOMINATE AND APPROVE A
REPLACEMENT
Dr. Roger
Short noted that the letter of resignation from Dee Navarro was included
in the Board Briefing. President
Delp noted that Dr. Fleming would nominate a replacement at the voting
session and thanked Mrs. Navarro for her hard work and chairing the FOC
for the last three years.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE REVENUE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2000-2001
Ms. Renee
Raskin informed the Board that the main function of the revenue budget
is to set the tax rate. She
gave a brief overview of how the tax rate setting process works,
reviewed the revenue budget form, and answered questions from Board
members.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE GREAT BODY SHOP, TEACHING MATERIAL FOR THE
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CURRICULUM AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL
Ms. Linda
Ryan informed the Board that these materials have already been on
preview, and that the preview period had been extended through the next
Board meeting date. She
noted that there are no health classes offered at the middle school
level and that this material will provide some of the standards that are
missing in the curriculum. The
6th grade P.E. teachers who would pick and choose what units they’d
like to use would use this material.
She stated that this teaching material is very affordable and
will cost the district approximately $2,452, which was budgeted for out
of capital monies.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE STRATEGIC LONG RANGE PLAN FOR TECHNOLOGY FOR
PRESCOTT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Mrs. Mary
Anne Kapp informed the Board that the District Technology Committee that
is chaired by Mr. Bill Munson had developed the long-term technology
plan. This plan will serve
as a “backbone” for the district and will be reviewed on an annual
basis. The plan addresses
such things as connectivity, wiring, staff training, etc.
Mr. Bill Munson explained the difference between slow and fast
Ethernet to the Board and how inconsistencies in technology from school
to school would be addressed. He stated that the next step of the
committee would be to develop curriculum that addresses computer skills.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE FUND GRANT
This item
was addressed during the discussion of the long-term technology plan.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BASED PARENTING PROGRAM INITIATIVE
Mrs. Mary
Anne Kapp informed the Board that Mrs. Ann Sult, the Family Services
Coordinator for the district, had taken the lead on this grant.
This grant will provide opportunities for parents to be involved
with their children and will enhance parenting skills.
This program will be offered in both English and Spanish.
She noted
that the district had over 1,600 parents from the tri-city area
participate in this program last year. Those parents were asked what opportunities they would like
for the future as input for this grant.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS FOR IMPROVING STUDENT
READING ACHIEVEMENT
Mrs. Mary
Anne Kapp informed the Board that the opportunity for this grant came
from the Arizona Department of Education, which would provide funding
for training for improved student reading achievement training.
This
program would be for students that participate in remedial programs to
provide different strategies for instruction and for smaller group
instruction. This grant
will also provide for sustained staff development with on going coaching
throughout the program and will blend very nicely with existing
programs.
Mrs. Dana
Womack asked when, during normal school hours, students would be
involved with this program. Mrs.
Lorraine Jarvi addressed the Board and stated that at the elementary
level it would be a pullout program that special education teachers
would implement. This is
still being worked out for the middle school level since their schedules
are more rigid. There are
still lots of different possibilities, which could include before and
after school, or during summer school.
She noted that she would be keeping data on pre-testing and
post-testing to see how well the program works.
CONSIDER
CONDUCTING THE FIRST READING OF THE POLICY SERVICES ADVISORY,
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 3, FOR JUNE 2000, AND VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4, FOR JULY
2000, WITH A SECOND READING AND REQUEST FOR ADOPTION AT THE SEPTEMBER
12, 2000 BOARD MEETING
CONSIDER
APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED
There was
no discussion regarding this item.
ADJOURNMENT
Mrs.
Dana Womack moved that the Governing Board adjourn.
Dr. Joan Fleming seconded the motion.
Dr.
Joan Fleming voted aye, Mrs. Dana Womack voted aye, Mr. Dennis Colgan
voted aye, Mr. Gordon
Maddux
voted aye, and President Delp voted aye. The motion carried 5-0.
The
meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.