BELLINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Bellingham, Washington
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE
BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 9, 2000
The Bellingham School Board of Directors met in regular session at 7:30 p.m., March 9, 2000, in the Board Room of the Administration Building. Prior to the regular meeting, the Board met in Executive Session at 7:00 p.m. Purpose of the Executive Session – negotiations.
Present: Directors Ken Gass, Don Leu, Elaine Lynch, and Ann Whitmyer, President David Blair, Superintendent Dale Kinsley, and recorder Shirley Knapp.
At 7:05 p.m. Lynch moved to begin Executive Session; Whitmyer seconded. At 7:40 p.m. Whitmyer called for the move to regular session; Gass seconded.
At 7:45 p.m. President David Blair called the meeting to order.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:
Gass moved and Lynch seconded approval of the consent agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously.
Minutes
Action on the minutes of February 24, 2000 School Board meeting.
Investments
Action on investments in accordance with Resolution 13-88.
GENERAL FUND:
$372,000.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 23, 2000
$166,000.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
CAPITAL PROJECTS
$ 1,100.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$ 3,700.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$12,000.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$ 3,000.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
DEBT SERVICE
$19,500.00 LGIP, investment, February 23, 2000
ASB FUND
$ 1,000.00 LGIP, investment, February 23, 2000
$14,900.00 LGIP, investment, February 23, 2000
$ 4,600.00 LGIP, investment, February 23, 2000
$ 200.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$ 400.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$ 2,200.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$ 7,900.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
$32,100.00 LGIP, withdrawal, February 29, 2000
Expenses and Payroll
Action on expenditures and payroll as approved by the Auditing Committee.
GENERAL FUND
ACCTS PAY: 2/08/00 $233,878.81
2/15/00 67,852.16
2/23/00 468,848.30
2/29/00 15,440.99
Total General Fund $786,020.26
CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND
ACCTS PAY: 2/15/00 $1,035,287.79
2/29/00 20,593.88
Total Cap. Proj. Fund $1,055,881.67
ASB FUND
ACCTS PAY: 2/15/00 $45,804.17
2/18/00 33,750.00
12/28/99 42,839.04
Total ASB Fund $122,393.21
SHS $69,797.51
SQHS $49,421.18
FMS $418.26
SMS $2,159.68
WMS $150.12
PAYROLL $4,454,793.89
Out-of-State Travel:
Personal Services Contracts:
REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
School Board Reports
Leu attended a statewide meeting of the WSSDA Diversity/Multicultural committee. He also attended the Board visit to Whatcom Middle School and a private/parochial school fair that was held over the weekend at Fairhaven Middle School.
Gass reported on the Board visit to Whatcom Middle School on March 3, highlighting the foreign language course offerings and the Second Step staff development training for teachers.
Whitmyer gave an update of the levy/bond campaign efforts. She also reported on the Whatcom Middle School visit, focusing on the school’s scheduling efforts. Whitmyer attended the Superintendent Parent Advisory meeting this morning.
Lynch reported on the school climate improvement efforts that were reported at the Whatcom Middle School visit. She attended the first District Budget Advisory Committee, and she has been coordinating levy/bond activities. Lynch gave a legislative update on the budget and HB 2415, the Charter School Bill. The main budget contention is property tax reduction. The Charter School Bill may be resurfacing and could be passed by the House if they go into special session.
Blair also attended the Whatcom Middle School visit and has been meeting with local service groups to encourage folks to vote in the upcoming levy/bond election on March 14.
Superintendent’s Announcements/Reports
Dr. Kinsley attended Western Washington University’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. At the event a group of distinguished graduates, which included Board member Dr. Donald Leu, were honored.
Kinsley acknowledged the leadership of Gaye Lynn MacDonald, Food Service Manager, who was recently elected vice-president of the American Food Services Association. The national organization has approximately 60,000 members.
Bellingham School District is now a partner in the University of Washington seismographic network. Data collected at Silver Beach will be posted on the K-20 Network. This partnership was a result of work by Mike Gallagher, Sehome teacher.
Parkview Elementary has presented a grant proposal to the Community Foundation. If approved, 5th graders and staff will participate in a poetry/creative-writing workshop focused on leadership and non-violence.
Dr. Kinsley reported on the AASA National Conference that he attended, March 2-6, in San Francisco. While he was there, he also met with the Board of CLC, a national body of superintendents who promote and support service learning in K-12 public schools.
Kinsley congratulated the levy committee for their great job during this campaign.
Audience
REPORTS:
Update of Career and Technical Education Program and Projects
Katherine Crandall, Director of Vocational Education; Linda Cowan, Director of the Whatcom County School-to-Work Tech Prep Consortium; Debbie Granger, Squalicum Career Center specialist, and Janet Diener, Squalicum home and family life teacher presented information on county, district, building, and classroom technical education programs and projects. Many of the programs have been developed in partnership with Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, and Western Washington University. Bellingham is a member of the Whatcom County School to Work/Tech Prep Consortium, which has been instrumental in articulating high school classes with community and technical college programs. Selected Family and Consumer Science courses at Sehome and Squalicum have been aligned with community college coursework allowing students to earn college credit for Early Childhood Education. There is a “post certificate of mastery” program that enables juniors and seniors in-depth study of health occupations.
New Course Proposals for 2000-2001
Deputy Superintendent Susan Zoller presented the new courses that have been approved for high schools to begin in the 2000-2001 school year. Most were career and technical education courses. The eight new courses are Parenting; Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America; Culinary Arts; Introduction to Child Care; Observation, Assessment and Record Keeping; Advanced Programming with C++; Web Page Design; and Drama 3- Honors. The school department, site council, school administration, District program offices, and the District curriculum office have reviewed the courses.
ACTION ITEMS:
Interlocal Agreement for Whatcom County Schools Health Trust
Leu moved and Gass seconded the motion to approve the interlocal agreement for the Whatcom County Schools Health Trust. The Board noted some typographical errors in the contract for correction. The motion carried unanimously. This agreement will allow county school districts to join together in order to obtain the best health benefit coverage possible for school employees.
21st Century Grant Application Approved
Leu moved and Lynch seconded approval of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant application. The motion carried unanimously. Bellingham School District has joined a consortium of Whatcom County school districts to propose a grant for after school and summer school programs. If approved, the project will establish Community Learning Centers in four elementary schools and two middle schools over the three-year period of the grant.
Bid Awards
Whitmyer moved and Gass seconded the motion to approve the following bid awards:
The motion carried unanimously.
Personnel Recommendations Approved
Lynch moved and Whitmyer seconded the motion for approval of the personnel recommendations as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Superintendent Kinsley noted the appointment of Bill Stuckrath as assistant principal at Shuksan. Kinsley also recognized the retirement of Cathy “Tass” Galley, who has been a school nurse with the District for 25 years, and the resignation of Gary Porter, teacher at Whatcom Middle School for 23 years.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 p.m.