PRESCOTT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1

146 South Granite Street

Prescott, Arizona 86303

 

November 14, 2000

 

Minutes of the Regular Session of the Governing Board, Tuesday, November 14, 2000, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the District Office Boardroom.

 

          Governing Board members present:

 

President Vaughn Delp

Mr. Gordon Maddux

Mr. Dennis Colgan

Dr. Joan Fleming

 

          Absent:      

Mrs. Dana Womack

 

          Also Present:

Dr. Roger Short, Superintendent

Mr. Kevin Kapp, Assistant Superintendent

Ms. Kimberly Steward, Student Representative (excused at 6:28 p.m.)

Mrs. Andi Mayer, Assistant to the Governing Board

 

          Others Present:

                                      Dee Navarro                   Tim Carter

                                      Worth Mallory                Karen Campbell  

                                      Steve Campbell              Ruth Willson

                                      Jim Williams                  Scott Shira

                                      Marylin Bunger             David Palmer, Jr.

                                                                                               

CALL TO ORDER

President Delp called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.  President Delp welcomed the members of the audience, the media, and the newly elected Board members Mr. Gordon Maddux led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

President Delp asked Dr. Short if the agenda was in order as presented.  Dr. Short stated that the Phoenix Suns presentation would be scheduled later in the school year after the recipient had received her plaque from the Phoenix Suns. 

 

       Mr. Gordon Maddux moved that the Governing Board approve the agenda as amended. Dr. Joan Fleming seconded the motion. 

 

 

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

PRESENTATIONS

Mr. Tim Carter introduced Mr. Scott Shira, the Chairman of the Prescott High School Site Council.  Mr. Shira stated that the site council was organized as per state statute, operating under the by-laws as provided to the Board and Robert’s Rules.  He noted that all meetings are posted and follow the open meeting laws.  The council follows state statutes and Board policies and addresses individual items as they are presented to the council.  He noted that the council always tries to get as much input as possible before making decisions.

 

The PHS Site Council reviews the student handbook on an annual basis.  They also offer budgetary feedback when asked by the Board. The council reviews course offerings according to graduation requirements, reviews club charters and approves off-campus activities.

 

President Delp asked what three top items the council had handled this year.  Mr. Shira responded that a new club was formed and the council reviewed and communicated with the public regarding the Uni-Town program.

 

Mr. Colgan asked how input from students was channeled to the council.  Mr. Shira responded that the council has a representative from the student body and the PTA, and that information is channeled through Mr. Carter from the Student Advisory Committee.  He noted that he also talks to his son who attends the high school.

 

Miss Kimberly Steward noted that last year the Student Council took their proposal for an off-campus site for the prom straight to the Site Council for their approval.

 

Dr. Short noted that the different site council presentations were a part of the Board’s goals from the five year plan.

 

Dr. Short gave a brief report regarding the E.B.T. Board.  He distributed

a Contribution and Expense Report and reviewed that with the Board.  He noted that since July the EBT has been operating with a deficit regarding the amount of contributions being received and the amount of claims being paid.

 

Mr. Kapp noted that the district has a self-funded insurance program, which has advantages and disadvantages.  Being self-funded gives the district control over the insurance plan and the cost of the plan.  Last spring the EBT Board was able to keep a cost increase down to about 5% as opposed to other increases from within Arizona which ranged from 10-30% for employees.  One of the disadvantages is that we have to run the program very tight financially and it becomes necessary for the district to make adjustments from time to time to keep the program in good shape.  He noted that the $87,393 deficit represents claims running in excess of contributions being received.  This may not be the case at the end of the year.  He noted that last year the program showed a positive amount of $48,000, which is one of the reasons the EBT Board decided to keep the cost of an increase down to 5% this year.  The program does have a reserve of approximately $300,000.

 

Mr. Colgan, the school board representative on the EBT Board, noted that because the program is running in the negative, it was necessary to use some of the reserve funds.  Claim activities need to stabilize over the next few months or the district will have to look at putting some more money into the program so it doesn’t have to continue using reserve funds.  He noted that the EBT Board is meeting monthly to monitor the contributions and expenses. 

 

Dr. Short distributed a report on the 40th day count.  He noted that all middle schools and K-5 schools had increased enrollment with the exception of Miller Valley, which because of its class reduction program in K-3 showed a decrease.  Because this program qualifies Miller Valley for federal funds, once maximum enrollment was reached students in grades K-3 were directed to other elementary schools for enrollment.  The high school showed the largest decrease in enrollment.  It was felt this decrease was due in part to competition from local charter schools.  Dr. Short stated that the district would look at these figures again in January at the 100th day count that will impact the budget process.

 

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Dr. Short reported that the district has been seeking assistance from the Arizona School Facilities Board for the vocational building at the high school.  Recently a formal letter was received from the ASFB that stated the high school would be receiving $475,000 to cover the expense of the mold issue.  The high school hopes to get those students back into the vocational building by February or March. 

 

He noted that an inspector from the ASFB would be visiting the district again tomorrow to look at other non-emergency facilities throughout the district.

 

Dr. Short reported that with the passage of Proposition 301, all districts would need to develop performance pay models.  The district has a team that will be attending a statewide conference on November 30th to study different models.  Dr. Joan Fleming and Mr. Denny Colgan both stated that they would be interested in attending that conference.

 

Mr. Kevin Kapp stated that he would be attending a three-day personnel conference this week that has performance pay as one of the topics.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF AN INTERSCHOLASTIC SWIM TEAM FOR PRESCOTT HIGH SCHOOL

 

Mr. Denny Colgan moved that the Governing Board approve the request for an Interscholastic Swim Team for Prescott High School within the 4A Conference with competition to begin in the fall of 2001.  Dr. Joan Fleming seconded the motion.

 

President Delp asked how the program would be funded after the first year.  Mr. Tim Carter responded that the $10,000 donation would cover the first two years.  In the meantime, participants will pay the $98 fee as all athletes do, which will help to fund the program in the future.

 

Mr. Gordon Maddux asked about the survey results.  Mr. Carter responded that Miss Heather Thomas did the survey that showed a high interest.  It is anticipated that up to 22 students could participate in the program and that there will be a co-ed Varsity and Junior Varsity team.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF REVISIONS TO THE SEXUALITY EDUCATION CURRICULUM

 

Dr. Joan Fleming moved that the Governing Board approve the revisions to the Sexuality Education Curriculum as presented.  Mr. Gordon Maddux seconded the motion.

 

Mrs. Karen Campbell, a parent, addressed the Board stating that she thought the program was a good one and that she was not here to damage the program, but that there were many parents who were concerned after an incident that happened last spring.  She noted that there is a lot of parents who are planning not to have their students participate in the program this year because there was just not enough change in the guidelines to insure parents that a similar incident would not reoccur.  She stated that she had lost trust for a number of reasons, one being that she had written a letter of concern that was never acknowledged.  She also stated that the opt out assignment was not acceptable and that she would like to see something better than the current opt out assignment.  Both programs are asking for increases in the amount of time that students are out of regular classes and she felt that students were missing enough regular class time.

Mrs. Marylin Bunger noted that the number of sessions for this program that are outside of the regular classes are spread out between 5th and 12th grade.  She noted that she felt alternative assignments could be developed for those students who opt out of the program.  She noted that the opt out assignment is a state requirement for health curriculum in order for a student to receive a grade and that the regular classroom teacher is responsible for those assignments.  It’s very typical that students do a report or presentation regarding some health related topic.  She stated that the proposed guideline was never in writing before and that she and the other teacher were both concerned with not going over the line or addressing topics that are not appropriate.  She suggested that the guidelines be printed on the back of the parent permission form.

 

Mr. Colgan stated that he was a huge fan of the program because it works – the numbers tell the tale.  He noted that we owe it to our parents to be conservative with the program and that he appreciated the responsiveness of the committee to parent concerns.  He noted that he also liked the idea of printing the guidelines on the parent permission slip.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming stated that she thought the Board has to trust that our teachers are professionals and that they would behave as such.

 

President Delp noted that this program is a statewide award-winning program with over 14 years of development behind it.  Mistakes can be made and when they occur, we try to resolve them.

 

Mr. Colgan stated that he would encourage parents with concerns to contact Marylin Bunger and the committee.  Mrs. Bunger stated that she would invite those parents to join the committee because the more parents on the committee, the more it reflects the community.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE EXPANSION OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PRESCOTT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE PRESCOTT POLICE DEPARTMENT D.A.R.E. PROGRAM

 

Mr. Gordon Maddux moved that the Governing Board approve the expansion of the collaborative partnership between Prescott Unified School District No. 1 and the Prescott Police Department D.A.R.E. Program in the Substance Abuse/Violence Prevention 8th grade curriculum.

 

Dr. Short noted that as a point of information regarding Youth Safe, he had obtained a letter from Sue Lord, the GMMS YouthSAFE Coordinator, which he distributed to Board members for clarification.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF A DELEGATE AND ALTERNATE DELEGATE TO THE ARIZONA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP MEETING ON DECEMBER 14, 2000

 

       Dr. Joan Fleming moved that the Governing Board nominate Mr. Gordon Maddux as the Past President of the Board since the current President would not be able to attend the meeting.

 

       Mr. Colgan suggested that Dr. Fleming include the alternate delegate in her motion.

 

The first motion died for lack of a second.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming moved that the Governing Board nominate Mr. Gordon Maddux as the delegate and Mr. Denny Colgan as the alternate delegate to the Arizona School Board Association membership meeting on December 14, 2000.  President Vaughn Delp seconded the motion.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE SEALED REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #070100B FOR MISCELLANEOUS SCHOOL AND OFFICE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FROM A LOCAL VENDOR

 

Dr. Joan Fleming moved that the Governing Board approve the

Sealed Request for Proposal #070100B for miscellaneous school and office supplies and equipment from a local vendor.  Mr. Denny Colgan seconded the motion.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE SEALED REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #070100A FOR COMPUTER PARTS AND ACCESSORIES FROM A LOCAL VENDOR

 

Mr. Denny Colgan moved that the Governing Board approve the Sealed Request for Proposal #070100A for computer parts and accessories from a local vendor. Mr. Gordon Maddux seconded the motion.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF A LEASE AGREEMENT FOR SECOND FLOOR OFFICE SPACE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE PROPERTY

          Mr. Gordon Maddux moved that the Governing Board approve the

lease agreement for second floor office space at the District Office, 146 South Granite Street.  Mr. Denny Colgan seconded the motion.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming asked if this was a standard lease agreement.  Dr. Short responded that it had been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney with a few minor changes.

 

Mr. Colgan asked if an agreement had been made regarding the signage.  Dr. Short responded that he would discuss that with the tenant and make sure it’s appropriate.  Mr. David Palmer stated that he planned to have a sign on the door that goes up the stairs and that he didn’t need a very big sign. He noted that he was still interested in the possible purchase of the district office property.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED

 

Mr. Denny Colgan moved that the Governing Board approve the consent agenda as presented.  Dr. Joan Fleming seconded the motion.

 

Dr. Joan Fleming voted aye; Mr. Denny Colgan voted aye; Mr. Gordon Maddux voted aye; and President Delp voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

Consider approving the following Certified and Classified personnel actions. 

 

CERTIFIED EMPLOYMENTS:  None.  CERTIFIED RESIGNATIONS:  Cheryl Moran – Ruth Street Theater Manager only and Robin Winters.  CLASSIFIED EMPLOYMENTS:  Nan Clark, *Arlene Crumley, Maria Espinoza, *Marcee Gilson, Tammy Lightner, Rita McHenry, and Rachel Williams.  *Funded by 21st Century grant monies. CLASSIFIED RESIGNATIONS:  Bruce Becker, Sharon Jackson, Lorraine Lee, Luanne Roberts, and Pat Tranter. NEW SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS:  Janet Adams, Peter Buscaino, Mary Lou Church, Joe Clark, Marlee Davis, Joshua Easter, Nancy Goebel, Carol Hinton, Karen Hughes, Joe Livesay, Megan Miller, Christina Muller, Susan Snow, and Jeffrey Stone.  VOLUNTEERS:  Steven Brimhall, Linda Green, and Susan Hendrick-Kelly.

 

The acceptance of donations as presented.

 

Three hundred dollars from the Yavapai County Fair Association, to the Prescott High School Parking Fund.

 

A Panasonic video camera valued at $1,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson, to Granite Mountain Middle School.

 

One hundred hubcaps valued at $100, from Don and Bud’s Hubcap Lane, to the Prescott High School Fine Arts Program.

 

An Epson printer valued at $200, from Mr. Bob Witkowski, to Taylor Hicks Elementary School.

 

Six hundred dollars from the Prescott Summer Pops Symphony, to the music program at Granite Mountain Middle School.

 

An 850 Hewlett Packard printer valued at $200, from Mr. and Mrs. Eric Johansson, to Abia Judd Elementary School.

 

Eighteen hundred dollars from Kiwanis Club of Prescott, for pay to play scholarships at Prescott High School.

 

A Hewlett Packard computer and Deskjet 660C printer valued at $100, from Mr. Rick Doherty, to the Prescott High School Special Education Department.

 

One hundred dollars from Mr. and Mrs. Eric Johansson, for the reading program at Abia Judd Elementary School.

 

Ninety dollars from the Taylor Hicks PTA, to the library at Taylor Hicks Elementary School.

 

Fifty dollars from Arizona Heating & Cooling, Inc., for the Accelerated Math program at Prescott Mile High Middle School.

 

Three hundred and fifty dollars from the Prescott Frontier Rotary Foundation, for the Accelerated Math program at Prescott Mile High Middle School.

 

A fifty-dollar gift certificate to Hastings, donated to Mark Ott from Ann Sult/Family Support Services.  Mr. Ott requested that this gift certificate be donated to the Prescott High School Renaissance Program.

 

Eighty Coca Cola T-shirts valued at $360, from Coca Cola, to the Prescott High School Renaissance Program.

 

One hundred dollars from Eley and Barbara Denson, to the computer fund at Taylor Hicks Elementary School.

 

Fifty dollars from Granite Mountain Questers, in memory of Mary Emma Cobb, to the library at Taylor Hicks Elementary School.

 

Gift certificates valued at $150, from Castle Golf, to the Prescott High School Renaissance Program.

 

Gift certificates valued at $154, from Sizzler, to the Prescott High School Renaissance Program.

 

Two hundred and fifty dollars from Southwestern Artists Association, for the Cultural Arts Contest at Lincoln Elementary School.

 

Paint and labor valued at $500, from Mr. John Johnson, to renovate the old playground equipment at Lincoln Elementary School.

 

Fifteen hundred dollars from Mr. and Mrs. Gene Loomis, for new playground equipment at Lincoln Elementary School.

 

Four hundred dollars from the 1999-2000 Taylor Hicks Student Council to the library at Taylor Hicks Elementary School.

 

A Gateway computer, keyboard, monitor and assorted items valued at $200, from Ms. Linda Augustus, to the Prescott High School Technology Department.

 

Five hundred dollars from Prescott Frontier Rotary Foundation, to the Prescott High School Athletic Department.

 

A Packard Bell computer valued at $200, from Mr. Bill Hart.

The following have made a donation to the Prescott High School Wrestling Program, in memory of Rudy Espitia:

 

Dale and Jeri Youngren $50.00

Alan and Mary Wilkerson $25.00

Joseph and Elsie Cannizzaro $25.00

Veronica Wilson $50.00

Doug and Ali Schroeder/PHS Spirit Line $75.00

 

The following have made a donation to the Prescott High School Hall of Fame Fund:

 

Lawrence and Carol Dreyer $65.00

Herman and Dana Rohr $15.00

American Graphic & Profit Printer $300.00

Randall and Tracy Rusing  $200.00 

Russell and Rosemary Rusing $100.00

 

Consider ratifying the vouchers as presented.

                  

                   Voucher #                                           Amount

Payroll Voucher #11                                            $713,825.48

Payroll Voucher #12                                            $718,701.87

Payroll Voucher #13                                            $741,448.89

Expenditure Voucher #5022                                  $60,985.34

Expenditure Voucher #5023                                $100,925.15

Expenditure Voucher #5024                                    $3,425.85

Expenditure Voucher #5025                                $184,475.18

Expenditure Voucher #5026                                  $15,309.16

Expenditure Voucher #5027                                  $39,427.49

Expenditure Voucher #5028                                  $59,815.65

Expenditure Voucher #5029                                  $30,710.11

Expenditure Voucher #5030                                $135,111.17

Expenditure Voucher #5031                                  $26,291.32

Expenditure Voucher #5032                                  $38,570.63

 

Consider the approval of the Auxiliary Operations and Student Activities Fund Statement of Receipts and Disbursements for the month of September 2000.

 

Consider the review and approval of previous minutes from the Study and Voting Session of October 3, 2000, and October 10, 2000.

 

ADJOURNMENT

       Dr. Joan Fleming moved that the Governing Board adjourn. Mr. Denny Colgan seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.

 

The meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m.