PRESCOTT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1
146 South Granite Street
Prescott, Arizona 86303
November
7, 2000
Minutes
of the Study Session of the Governing Board, Tuesday, November 7,
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 (arrived at 6:02 p.m.)
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
Steve Campbell
Tim Carter
Mary Anne Kapp
Louise Koniarski
Tom Bird
Bill Munroe
Mark McClain
Gayle Ramirez
Marylin Bunger
Ruth Willson
Worth Mallory
May Mallory
Jim Williams
Ron Percival
Arn Lavington
CALL
TO ORDER
President
Delp called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. President Delp welcomed
the members of the audience and the media.
Mr. Denny Colgan 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.
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.
Mr.
Denny Colgan recommended review of the E.B.T. information.
Dr. Roger Short noted that it would be a presentation at the
next Board meeting.
PRESENTATIONS
None.
SUPERINTENDENT’S
REPORT
Dr.
Short reviewed the November calendar with the Board highlighting the
Parent/Teacher Conferences half-days, Donuts for Dads, Bus
Evacuations, and performances of “Guys and Dolls” at the Ruth
Street Theater.
He
noted that work is progressing on the mold issue at the high school,
which will cost approximately $475,000.
The district has been working with Students First and the
Arizona School Facilities Board to assist with the cost.
Mr. Tim Carter noted that that he was pleased with the
cooperation from staff and students regarding the relocation of
classes and that parents have been very understanding.
Dr.
Short reported that work is being done on revising the administrative
evaluation document. This
project is currently in the committee stage with the principals
meeting to revise the methodology for evaluating principals and
assistant principals. He
noted that he would share the new document with the Board when it is
in a more final form.
Dr.
Short reported that the 40th Day Count is almost completed
and will be presented to the Board at the next meeting.
He felt the district would be at or above the 40th
day count from last year.
Miss
Kimberly Steward reported that the high school sports teams have been
doing great with Volleyball winning Regionals and placing 4th
in the State. Girls Cross Country won Regionals with Jennifer Cline being
named the Regional and State Champion.
Dr. Short noted that the Boys Cross Country team did very well
as did the Golf Team.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF AN INTERSCHOLASTIC SWIM TEAM FOR PRESCOTT HIGH SCHOOL
Mr. Tim Carter reported that he
and Mr. Wayne Howell, the Athletic Director, have been working with
many parents and the YMCA over the last 18 months to develop this
proposal. Mr. Lou
Silverstein from KYCA has donated $10,000 to fund the program for the
first two years. If the
proposal is approved, a search will begin for a coach, the 4A
Conference will be petitioned for a schedule, and competition would
begin next year. He noted
that both the Student Advisory Committee and the PHS Site Council
supported this proposal. Mr.
Gordon Maddux stated that the YMCA is very much in favor of this
program.
Mr. Carter answered questions
from the Board noting that the $10,000 would pay for coaching
salaries, entry fees, uniforms, and travel.
Students participating in the program would pay the
participation fee of $98, which will help to fund the program in
future years. Depending
upon the number of competitors, he anticipates that there will be a
varsity and junior varsity team.
CONSIDER
APPROVING REVISIONS TO THE SEXUALITY EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Mrs.
Mary Anne Kapp stated that some changes were being proposed for the
Sex Education curriculum through meetings with the Health Advisory
Committee. It is being
recommended that the 7th Grade curriculum replace the human
growth factor video currently being used with an updated video that
covers the same material and concepts.
She noted that the video is available for preview at the Dexter
Family Resource Center. It
is also being recommended that the 11th grade curriculum
have a second homework option that would focus on baby products.
She
noted that the committee has also been discussing guidelines for the
district regarding questions asked by students that are either not at
grade level, are not age appropriate, or are not covered in the
approved curriculum. It
is being recommended that when such instances occur, the instructor
will not answer the question, and will refer the question back to the
home.
Mr.
Colgan congratulated Mrs. Kapp on being responsive to concerns from
parents and that the concerns are being addressed.
Mrs. Kapp responded that is why we have curriculum previews and
meetings with parents.
President
Delp asked about the makeup of the advisory committee.
Mrs. Kapp responded that the advisory committee has been in
place for 12-13 years with a cross-section of community members since
the inception of the program. The
committee is comprised of parents, clergy, medical personnel, school
personnel, and police department and county health department members.
She noted that all meetings are open to the public with agendas
and that people are encouraged to ask questions.
Mrs.
Womack asked what the current homework assignment required.
Mrs. Marylin Bunger stated that instead of having an emphasis
on baby products, this homework assignment has the students go to
stores and discover the cost of different pharmaceutical products,
condoms, spermicides, tampons, etc. and that the students would have
the choice of which assignment they’d like to complete.
She noted that the purpose of the assignment is for students to
look at such things as guarantees, warnings, and costs and then to
assess whether or not they could handle being a parent at this age
based on responsibility, maturity level, expense, and how comfortable
or uncomfortable the student felt while looking at the products.
President
Delp asked Mrs. Bunger about current pregnancy rates.
Mrs. Bunger responded that pregnancy rates have really gone
down in the last ten years. She noted that 12 years ago there were
between 25-30 pregnancies each year and that now there are between
15-20. She also noted
that Prescott has a teen birth rate of 3% while the state teen birth
rate is 10%. President
Delp asked if she thought there was a correlation with the program and
the decrease in teen birth rate.
Mrs. Bunger responded absolutely.
Mrs.
Womack asked what the “opt out” assignment was for students.
Mrs. Bunger responded that it was up to the teacher from whose
class the student was pulled from, but usually the student would
choose what topic they’d like to research.
Mrs. Womack asked how many students had opted out last year.
Mrs. Bunger responded from 5-10 students each year out of 400
students.
Mrs.
Womack said that it was her understanding from a parent that the opt
out assignment was a lot more difficult, that it was self-guided, with
a lot more seat time and writing involved, and was not quite an
equitable trade-off. Mrs. Bunger responded that the “opt out” assignments can
be completed in five class periods and that she felt the seat time was
equivalent, just different.
CONSIDER
THE APPROVAL OF THE EXPANSION OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN P.U.S.D. AND
THE PRESCOTT POLICE DEPARTMENT D.A.R.E. PROGRAM
Mrs.
Mary Anne Kapp noted that we have a Substance and Violence Prevention
curriculum within our district. The
purpose of the curriculum is to assist our students in gaining skills
and behaviors that can be practiced in daily living, towards becoming
effective citizens in the future.
This program begins at the kindergarten level by meeting our
police officers and knowing that police officers are there to assist
them in problem-solving skills, and that the program goes up through
the 12th Grade. We
are asking to expand our partnership with the Prescott Police
Department. They are
offering additional staff time in the 8th grade curriculum
with Officer Mark McClain and Officer Gayle Ramirez.
This has been a topic of the Curriculum Advisory Committee
which is looking at the Arizona State Standards and which standards we
are meeting and how we can continue to offer a comprehensive program,
which is state of the art in keeping with the challenges that our
students face everyday.
President
Delp asked if there would be any cost to the district and how much
classroom time this takes. Mrs.
Kapp responded that this expansion to the curriculum would be at no
cost to the district and would be done through 10 lessons or contacts.
The proposal is to increase the curriculum from 8 to 10 lessons
with the officers serving as facilitators.
Miss
Kimberly Steward stated that she felt the D.A.R.E. program was very
effective in the 6th grade year, but that students tended
to forget a lot of information that was taught and suggested an 8th
grade booster program.
Mrs.
Kapp introduced Officer Mark McClain and Officer Gayle Ramirez and
publicly commended them for all the time they have put into the
program.
President
Delp asked how long the violence prevention has been a part of the
program. Mrs. Kapp responded that it was designed and implemented into
the program three years ago along with the mutual respect program at
the middle schools and high schools that addresses harassment issues.
President
Delp asked if this program required parent permission.
Officer Gayle Ramirez responded that it is an “opt out”
program.
Mr.
Colgan asked if there were any coordination efforts going between the
programs established at Granite Mountain and what we’re doing here
with these efforts. Mrs.
Bunger replied, not exactly. Mr.
Colgan suggested that cooperation efforts should be considered.
Mrs.
Womack asked if there was a possibility that we are duplicating the
information to the same students.
Mrs. Kapp stated that she felt Mr. Mike Harlan should come to
the next Board meeting and address that question.
She stated that it was her understanding that the Youth Safe
Program’s intent is to gather the information regarding the number
of incidents that are happening and that our school resource officers
analyze that data and decide what they can do in terms of
intervention.
Mrs.
Womack asked if there was any data or research regarding the results
of this program. Mrs.
Kapp responded that at the high school level we have the TOPAZ survey
which is a self-report survey in which students report the types of
activities they are engaged in as well as risk and protective factors.
Annually we have a group that looks at those results.
Presently the University of Arizona helps to analyze that data
to look for trends.
Mrs.
Womack asked if the TOPAZ survey was subjective and not hard data,
which would be the number of incidents reported at the school level,
and whether it has been analyzed.
Mrs. Kapp responded that the CHAPS survey analyzes the number
of infractions that occur at the school level.
CONSIDER
APPROVING A DELEGATE AND ALTERNATE DELEGATE TO THE ARIZONA SCHOOL
BOARD ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN DECEMBER
Dr.
Short reported that we have until December to approve a delegate and
alternate delegate for the ASBA Membership meeting and that he hoped
to do that next week. Mr. Maddux noted that normally the Board President is the
delegate with an alternate named.
President Delp stated that she would not be attending that
meeting. Dr. Fleming
suggested that delegates be named after the election results are
completed.
CONSIDER
APPROVING THE SEALED REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR MISCELLANEOUS SCHOOL AND
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Mr.
Arn Lavington reported that he was requesting the approval of two
sealed requests for proposals. He
noted that he is following procurement rules in following this
procedure. The first RFP
deals with school and office supplies from a local vendor.
The auditors have asked us to predict in the future what the
district will be buying, which is difficult to do without an RFP.
The purpose of the RFP vs. a bid is because when predicting
supplies, you don’t really know the specifications.
He noted that he made a list of the 200 most commonly purchased
items from last year. The
proposed RFP quotes each of those items.
It also quotes a mark-up for items not listed in the RFP, but
that are available from the vendor.
Seitz is the only local vendor that submitted an RFP with a
12.5% mark-up above cost, which he felt was a very fair offer, and
recommended approval of the RFP.
CONSIDER
APPROVING THE SEALED REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR COMPUTER PARTS AND
ACCESSORIES
Mr.
Arn Lavington noted that the second RFP deals with computer parts and
accessories. This RFP requested price quotes for 60 standard items the
district purchase from local vendors.
Computime provided an RFP that quotes prices for those items
and provided a mark-up for items not listed in the RFP of 20%.
Because PUSD has a large inventory of computers it is important
to have a local vendor to supply these parts and accessories.
CONSIDER
APPROVING A LEASE AGREEMENT FOR SECOND FLOOR OFFICE SPACE AT THE
DISTRICT OFFICE PROPERTY
Dr.
Short reported that the district has received a proposal from a local
resident to lease second floor office space at the District Office.
He noted that this office space has been vacant for the past
two years and that if the lease agreement is approved, the tenant
would like to move in to the office space in mid-November.
The monthly lease would be $500 with a pro-rated utility bill
of $135.
Dr. Short stated that our attorney is still reviewing the
proposed lease agreement that is similar to the agreement we have with
NAU at Dexter.
CONSIDER
APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED
ADJOURNMENT
Mr.
Gordon Maddux moved that the Governing Board adjourn.
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.
The
meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m.
_________________________________
Governing
Board Member