BELLINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Bellingham, Washington

 

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING

OF THE

BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

August 7, 2003

 

      The Bellingham School Board of Directors met in regular session at 7:30 p.m.,

August 7, 2003, in the Board Room of the Administration Building. Prior to the regular meeting, there was an Executive Session at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the Executive Session was negotiations.

 

      Present: Directors Jeff Haggen, Elaine Lynch, Steve Schoenfeld, Ann Whitmyer, President Ken Gass, Superintendent Dale Kinsley, and recorder Nancy Merry.

 

      At 7:03 p.m. Ann Whitmyer moved to begin Executive Session; Steve Schoenfeld seconded. At 7:37 p.m., Schoenfeld moved to regular session; Jeff Haggen seconded.

 

      At 7:40 p.m. President Ken Gass called the regular session to order.

 

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:

      Elaine Lynch moved and Ann Whitmyer seconded approval of the consent agenda. The motion carried unanimously.

 

      Minutes

      Action on the minutes of the July 24, 2003 School Board meeting.

 

      Expenses and Payroll

      Action on expenditures and payroll as approved by the Auditing Committee.

 

        GENERAL FUND

                7/08/2003        $384,331.48

                7/15/2003        210,187.32

                7/23/2003        535,845.96

                7/31/2003        222,705.79

                Total        $1,353,070.55

 

        CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND

                7/31/2003        $150,540.50

                Total               $150,540.50

 

        ASB FUND

                7/15/2003        $11,378.75

                7/31/2003        61,498.82

                Total        $72,877.57


        ASB Distribution by School:            BHS        $5,910.43

                SHS        3,972.00

                SqHS        61,498.82

                FMS        0

                KMS        1,496.32

                SMS        0

                WMS        0

 

        PRIVATE PURPOSE TRUST FUND

                7/08/2003        $446.67

                Total        $446.67

 

        PAYROLL        $5,010,150.36

 

      Personal Services Contract

a)      Jonathan Fleck to provide support for the DigiPen Summer Camp.

 

      Out-of-State Travel

a)      Katherine Crandall to attend the National Tech Prep Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, October 9 – 11, 2003.

 

      Contracts

a)      Interlocal Agreement between the Bellingham School District and the City of Bellingham for educational programs.

 

REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:

      School Board Reports

      Each of the Board Members reported on attending the Board Retreat on July 31 and August 2, 2003. Dr. Gass thanked Dr. Kinsley and Nancy Merry for their assistance in planning the retreat.

      Elaine Lynch, Ann Whitmyer, and Ken Gass also reported they had filed the appropriate documents to run for an additional term on the School Board.

 

      Superintendent’s Announcements/Report

      Dale Kinsley thanked the Board Members for the extra time they spent during the last week on Board activities.

      Kinsley shared with the Board that the Administrative Advance would take place August 12 through 15. The Advance is funded by The Stupski Foundation.

      Kinsley also distributed to the Board a signed copy of the Memorandum of Understanding with The Stupski Foundation, which is effective from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004. This represents the last year of support from the Foundation.

      Dr. Kinsley announced that Jennifer Styer, a Sehome High School Design Engineering teacher, received a National Science Foundation grant for $1,000 to support female enrollment in design engineering (drafting) classes. The mini-grant is through the Northwest Girls Collaborative Project, administered by the Diversity in Technology Group at the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology.

      The District Transportation Department received recognition from Dr. Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction, for exceptional results from the Washington State Patrol annual inspection of District school buses. This represents the second year that the results for the District have been outstanding.

      Several upcoming dates were shared with Board Members:

§         August 25            New Teacher Orientation at Squalicum High School

§         August 29            Learning Improvement Day for all staff

§         September 2      Back to School Breakfast, Bellingham High School,

            7:00 – 9:00 a.m.

 

      ACTION ITEMS:

      Resolution 5–03 Approved

      Jeff Haggen moved and Ann Whitmyer seconded approval of Resolution 5 – 03 to adopt the budget for the 2003 – 2004 school year. The motion carried unanimously.

 

      Fines and Fees Approved

      Steve Schoenfeld moved and Jeff Haggen seconded approval of recommended fines and fees for the 2003 – 2004 school year. The motion carried unanimously.

 

      Student Activities Pay Schedule Approved

      Elaine Lynch moved and Jeff Haggen seconded approval of recommended Student Activities Pay Schedule for the 2003 – 2004 school year. The motion carried unanimously. The schedule reflects revisions to adjust the pay scale to comply with the current minimum wage rate, to eliminate unnecessary positions, and to consolidate similar activities into a common category where possible.

 

      Policy/Procedure 3220Student Publications, Drama Productions, and Other Media Materials

      The Board heard a first reading of revised Policy/Procedure 3220 – Student Publications, Drama Productions, and Other Media Materials. Revisions have been made to specifically include drama productions and other media materials. Several revisions were recommended by individual Board members.

 

      Policy/Procedure 3413Student Immunization and Life-Threatening Health Conditions

      The Board heard a first reading of revised Policy/Procedure 3413 – Student Immunization and Life-Threatening Health Conditions. Revisions have been made to comply with state requirements. Board members suggested several revisions.

 

      Policy/Procedure 3415Accommodating Students with Diabetes

      The Board heard a first reading of a new Policy/Procedure 3415 – Accommodating Students with Diabetes. This policy and procedure complies with state requirements regarding the treatment of students with diabetes.

 

      Policy/Procedure 4314Notification of Threats of Violence or Harm

      The Board heard a first reading of a new Policy/Procedure 4314 – Notification of Threats of Violence or Harm. This policy and procedure is required by state law, formalizes our current practice, and gives clearer guidance in notifying students, parents, and staff of threats against individuals or buildings. Board members made several suggestions for language changes.

 

      School Bus Purchase Approved

      Jeff Haggen moved and Steve Schoenfeld seconded the motion to purchase two 75 passenger buses from Schetky Bus sales of Portland, Oregon. The motion carried unanimously.

 

      Bid Award

      Ann Whitmyer moved and Steve Schoenfeld seconded the motion to award the bid for data warehousing software to Tetra Data. Due to an increasing need for data on student progress at the classroom, school, and District level, administrative program staff and technical staff have reviewed software that would help manage and manipulate such data. Assistant Superintendent Jim Stevens and Brian Rick, Assessment/Evaluation Specialist, reviewed the proposals received. The motion carried unanimously.

      Lynch moved and Whitmyer seconded the motion to award the bid for non-carbonated beverages to Walton’s Beverage and Sound Beverage. The motion carried unanimously.

 

      Personnel recommendations

      Haggen moved and Schoenfeld seconded the motion for approval of the personnel recommendations as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

 

      Adjournment

      The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.