BELLINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Bellingham, Washington

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING

OF THE

BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

November 8, 2001

The Bellingham School Board of Directors met in regular session at 7:00 p.m., November 8, 2001, in the Board Room of the Administration Building. Prior to the regular Board meeting there was an Executive Session at 7:00 p.m.  Purpose of Executive Session – negotiations.

Present:  Directors David Blair, Ken Gass, and Elaine Lynch, President Ann Whitmyer, Superintendent Dale Kinsley, and recorder Shirley Knapp. Excused:  Director Don Leu

At 7:07 p.m. Lynch moved to begin Executive Session; Blair seconded. At 7:30 p.m. Lynch moved to regular session; Gass seconded.

At 7:35 p.m. President Ann Whitmyer called the meeting to order.

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:

Blair moved and Lynch seconded approval of the consent agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Minutes

Action on the minutes of the October 25, 2001 School Board meeting.

Investments

Action on investments in accordance with Resolution 13-88.

                   GENERAL FUND

                                          $330,000.00                        LGIP, investment, October 23, 2001

                                          $910,000.00                        LGIP, investment, October 31, 2001

                  CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND

                                          $75,200.00                          LGIP, withdrawal, October 31, 2001

                  DEBT SERVICE FUND

                                          $410,500.00                        LGIP, investment, October 23, 2001

                                          $607,500.00                        LGIP, investment, October 31, 2001

                  ASB FUND

                                           $9,000.00                           LGIP, withdrawal, October 31, 2001

Expenses and Payroll

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

                      GENERAL FUND

                           ACCTS PAY:                          10/08/01                  $413,089.90

                                                                             10/18/01                        6,412.71

                                                                             10/23/01                    367,768.23

                                                                             10/31/01                    103,072.44

                                                Total General Fund                            $910,343.28

                    CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND

                          ACCTS PAY:                           10/18/01                   $716,126.09

                                                                             10/31/01                       75,096.89

                                                Total Cap. Proj. Fund                         $791,222.98

                    ASB FUND

                         ACCTS PAY:                            10/18/01                     $47,286.24

                                                                             10/31/01                        57,894.01

                                                Total ASB Fund                                   $105,180.25

                                                                             BHS                             $31,686.49

                                                                             SHS                                34,382.05

                                                                             SQHS                             34,196.89

                                                                             FMS                                    259.33

                                                                             KMS                                 4,120.33

                                                                             SMS                                     454.94

                                                                            WMS                                      80.00

                    EXPENDABLE TRUST FUND

                        ACCTS PAY:                           10/18/01                                $  89.00

                                                                           10/31/01                                  193.24

                                               Total Exp. Trust Fund                                    $282.24

                   PAYROLL                                                                           $4,889,565.83

Personal Services Contracts

• Cynthia Minkler to serve as a choir accompanist on as-need basis at Sehome during the 2001-02 school year.
• Terri Pauli and Robin Pavesi to provide facilitation/instruction for the before/after school Spanish program at Larrabee beginning November 13, 2001, and continuing through the remainder of the 2001-02 school year.
• Lynn Zimmerman to provide art instruction for students at the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Facility beginning December 3, 2001, and continuing through June 30, 2002.
• Fran Jepperson to provide professional development support for a teacher at Roosevelt between November 13, 2001, and June 14, 2002.

Contract

Interdistrict Agreement with Burlington-Edison School District to allow John Glenn to provide vision services to a Burlington student.

Resolution

Approval of Resolution 9-01 – Reduction of the Revolving Fund.

Surplus books

Additional 38 boxes of surplus books to add to those approved at August 8 meeting.

REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:

School Board Reports

Gass reported on the Kulshan Middle School’s 8th grade peer mediation and Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) programs.

Lynch reported on the Boys and Girls Breakfast at the new facility.  Lynch also attended the Board visit to Lowell Elementary last Friday, and the Veteran’s Day assemblies at Bellingham High and Geneva Elementary. She reminded the Board of the WSSDA conference next week.

Whitmyer reported on the Boys and Girls Club Breakfast and the visit to Lowell Elementary School.

Superintendent’s Announcements/Reports

Dr. Kinsley introduced Steve Schoenfeld, newly elected Board member, who was in the audience.  Kinsley read a proclamation from Mayor Asmundson that recognized November 11-17 as “American Education Week.”  He also shared an Award of Achievement in Reading plaque that was given to the District from the State of Washington for meeting the WASL 2001 reading goals. Superintendent Kinsley will be representing public schools on the Greater Whatcom County Comprehensive Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Audience

Steve Schoenfeld addressed the Board stating he was looking forward to his service on the Board of Directors.

REPORTS:

Whatcom County Community Network

Kelly Bashaw, Bellingham School District Board representative to the Whatcom Community Network, gave an update on the work that group is doing on behalf of children and families. The Network is funded by the State Legislature as a result of the Youth Violence Reduction Act passed in 1994. The task of the Community Network was to create a ten-year plan to reduce seven “problem behaviors” domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, violent acts, by juveniles, teen pregnancy and male parentage, teen substance abuse, and teen suicide attempts. There are five community mobilization projects in Whatcom County. They are Ferndale, Roosevelt Neighborhood, Acme/South Ford, Happy Valley Neighborhood, and Kendall/Paradise. Bashaw highlighted recent activities of the Roosevelt Neighborhood that focused on neighborhood safety.

Family Information Centers and the Readiness to Learn Consortium

Director of Student Services Kenn Robinson and Social Worker Lurinda Ford reported on the District’s family information centers and the Readiness to Learn Consortium. The District has three family information centers, which are located at Alderwood, Birchwood, and Roosevelt elementary schools. In addition, limited services are offered Roosevelt, Sunnyland, and Parkview. The family information centers are part of the District’s Readiness to Learn Program. The goal of that program is to remove non-academic barriers to student success. The primary reasons for referral are basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, heat, electricity), limited English proficiency, family problems, and academic problems.  The centers are funded by a state grant, which was received by the Whatcom County Readiness to Learn Consortium. The consortium is made up of all Whatcom County school districts.  Ford introduced Patty Hoff, Family Information Center Coordinator, Elizabeth Hopley, Family Information Center Assistant, and Roxana Parise, Family Information Center Assistant.

ACTION ITEMS:

Resolution 10-01

Blair moved and Lynch seconded approval of Resolution 10-01 – Three Year Reading and Math Improvement Goal for Grades 4,7, and 10. The motion carried unanimously. District Administrative Procedures 2004P, School Accountability for Student Learning was also revised to extend the reading accountability to grade 10 and add math accountability for grades 4, 7, and 10. Executive Director Ann Marie Hanel gave a brief overview of the reading and math improvement goals. State legislation directs all districts in the state to use data from the 2001 WASL as a baseline for setting goals of increasing the percentage of students meeting the standard in reading and math by 25% over the next three years. The District strategic plan has set a reading goal that 90% of students will meet the standard in reading by 2005. 

BEA Contract Approved

Gass moved and Lynch seconded the motion to approve a contract with the BEA for 2001-2003. The motion carried with three in favor and one opposed. Prior to voting, each Board member read a personal statement regarding the contract negotiations.

Additional Student Service Staff

Blair moved and Gass seconded the motion for approval of two additional FTE Student Services certificated staff for 2002-03. The motion carried unanimously. A committee will be formed to look at the total services that are provided at elementary and middle schools. In the spring, they will make recommendation for the two additional FTE, which will be added in the fall of 2002.

New Rate Approved for Substitutes

Blair moved and Lynch seconded the motion to approve a new pay rate for certificated substitutes. The motion carried unanimously. The non-represented substitute pay will increase from $86.50 to $92.50 per day. The represented substitute rate of pay will increase from $101.00 to $104.74 per day. After 20 consecutive days in the same assignment, pay will be determined on a per diem basis.

Personnel Recommendations

Gass moved and Blair 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.