BELLINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Bellingham, Washington
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE
BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
April 6, 2000
The Bellingham School Board of Directors met in regular session at 7:30 p.m., April 6, 2000, in the Board Room of the Administration Building.
Present: President David Blair; Directors Ken Gass, Don Leu, Elaine Lynch, and Ann Whitmyer; Superintendent Dale Kinsley, and recorder Janet Oiness-Kennedy.
At 7:35 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 March 23, 2000 School Board meeting.
Investments
Action on investments in accordance with Resolution 13-88.
GENERAL FUND
$250,000.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 23, 2000
$213,500.00 LGIP, investment, March 31, 2000
CAPITAL PROJECTS
$62,800.00 LGIP, investment, March 31, 2000
$ 1,600.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 31, 2000
$ 9,100.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 31, 2000
$ 9,100.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 31, 2000
DEBT SERVICE
$63,500.00 LGIP, investment, March 23, 2000
$69,000.00 LGIP, investment, March 31, 2000
ASB FUND
$ 600.00 LGIP, investment, March 31, 2000
$ 200.00 LGIP, investment, March 31, 2000
$ 7,100.00 LGIP, investment, March 31, 2000
$ 1,200.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 31, 2000
$ 9,200.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 31, 2000
$ 6,600.00 LGIP, withdrawal, March 31, 2000
Expenditures and Payroll
Action on expenditures and payroll as approved by the Auditing Committee.
GENERAL FUND
ACCTS PAY: 3/08/00 $234,025.18
3/15/00 41,648.91
3/23/00 366,944.85
3/31/00 43,062.46
Total General Fund $685,681.40
CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND
ACCTS PAY: 3/15/00 $2,056,449.75
3/31/00 19,846.68
Total Cap. Proj. Fund $2,076,296.43
ASB FUND
ACCTS PAY: 3/15/00 $81,472.49
3/31/90 61,879.84
Total ASB Fund $143,352.33
SHS $52,461.57
SQHS $38,900.60
FMS $15,123.61
KMS $12,883.49
SMS $10,608.06
WMS $13,375.00
EXPENDABLE TRUST FUND
ACCTS PAY: 3/08/00 $97.02
3/31/00 289.14
Total Exp. Trust Fund $386.16
PAYROLL $4,473,707.28
Personal Services Contract:
Out-of-State Travel:
Contracts:
Resolution #4-00 – Delegating Authority to WIAA for interschool activities.
REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:
School Board Reports
Leu reported he had attended a meeting of the WSSDA Multicultural Advocacy Committee and had shared the Vancouver School District proposals for the Certificate of Mastery and state graduation requirements.
Gass commended Sehome High School on their production of West Side Story and the Squalicum High School on their production of Bye Bye Birdie. He also attended an awards assembly at Kulshan Middle School and was pleased at how well the event was attended by parents.
Whitmyer reported being a guest reader in a kindergarten classroom and commended Roosevelt Elementary for having a positive school climate. Whitmyer also reported attending the Superintendent's Parent Advisory Committee and heard a presentation on the high school science curriculum and teacher hiring in the state.
Lynch is a member of the District Budget Advisory Committee and reported that work is coming along nicely. Elaine also reported talking with a representative pertaining to logging in the Lake Whatcom Watershed. She was told that the District should not count on the money for school construction.
Lynch reported on the status of state budget negotiations.
Superintendent’s Announcements/Reports
Dr. Kinsley announced that on April 21 State Superintendent Terry Bergeson will visit the Whatcom County School-to-Work Consortium. The meeting will take place in the Nooksack School District. The Bellingham School District will host Terry Bergeson in a Celebrate Your Achievements on May 15 in recognition of the work that people have been doing this year.
Kinsley announced that Kulshan principal, Sherrie Brown and Lurinda Ford, social worker in the Student Services Department, will each receive an Award for Excellence from Western Washington University at a luncheon on May 20.
Kinsley announced a grant award to Birchwood teacher, Carolyn Hinshaw, for innovative use of computer technology, and a grant award to Parkview for a new salmon recovery technology program.
Dr. Kinsley reported meeting with the State Superintendents' Advisory Group. The meeting focused on the state budget, state reform issues, a K-12 2000 initiative and charter school initiative for the fall ballot, and reform issues.
Audience
Janet Long, Fairhaven and Happy Valley parent, presented petitions supporting the continuation of home economics in the middle schools. Mrs. Long was concerned that home economics was no longer being offered in the middle schools. David Blair explained that middle schools develop their own elective options and that there are many others being offered such as foreign language and technology.
REPORTS:
Middle School Extended Day Program
The Middle School Extended Day Program report was delayed to the next Board meeting because the middle school principals were not in attendance to present their plans.
ACTION ITEMS:
K-5 District Reading Improvement Plan
Curriculum Director, Wendy Barrett reported that the Elementary Literacy Task Force has developed two documents that provide direction for reading instruction with an emphasis on interventions for students who do not meet the standard in reading. Pam Pottle gave an overview of the Core Understandings and Common Practices for Literacy Instruction, which provides standards for teaching and learning and sets expectations for common practices across the District. Stephanie Sadler gave an overview of the District Elementary Reading Plan, which outlines specific actions in the areas of assessment, curriculum and instruction, professional development and parent involvement. Whitmyer moved and Gass seconded approval of the K-5 District Reading Improvement Plan. The motion carried unanimously.
Building Reading Improvement Plans
Principals from each of the elementary schools and Alderwood teacher, Rebecca Lacey, outlined their programs and explained the strategies developed by their buildings to assist students who are not at standard in reading. Each plan must have the following components: grade level expectations, curriculum and instruction, parental involvement, and resources for parents of students not at standard. Leu moved and Gass seconded the motion to approve the reading improvement plans for Alderwood, Birchwood, Columbia, Geneva, Happy Valley and Parkview. The motion carried unanimously.
Gates Foundation District Grant Proposal
Lynch moved and Gass seconded approval to submit a grant to the Gates Foundation. The motion carried unanimously. The grant would enable the district to continue efforts to help all students achieve state and district standards, to enhance teaching and learning, and to enhance student access to technology. The amount of the grant is approximately $4,000,000 over five years. The District would be required to provide a match of 30% or approximately $1,200,000 over five years. The final proposal will need to be submitted by April 24.
Bid Award
Whitmyer moved and Gass seconded approval to award a split bid for audio visual equipment for Bellingham High School between Intellisys Group, Troxell Communications and Abolins. The motion carried unanimously.
Personnel Recommendations Approved
Lynch moved and Whitmyer seconded the motion to approve the personnel recommendations as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Dr. Kinsley announced the retirements of Fairhaven Middle School core teacher, Karolyn Schwartz and Parkview library media specialist, Judith Wiseman. Dr. Kinsley announced the appointment of Jim Kistner as principal of Sehome High School. Mr. Kistner has been principal of Meridian High School for the past 10 years.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.