SMITHVILLE I.S.D.
BOARD BRIEFS

JANUARY 21, 2003

The Smithville I.S.D. Board of Trustees met in regular session on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 beginning at 6:00 P.M.  Items discussed or acted on by members included the following: 

A.  Board Recognitions

 1.       Recognition of Tiger Band Members who have been named to All-State – Danielle Priest and Michelle Owen, members of the Tiger Band, were present at the board meeting to receive recognition for their appointment to the All-State Band.

 2.       Employees of the Month for December - The Employees of the Month for December are Maria Luberti, FOCUS teacher at the elementary, and Jennifer Vinklarek, principal’s secretary, also at the elementary.  Ms. Vinklarek was present at the meeting to be recognized by the Board.  Ms. Luberti was unable to be present due to a prior commitment.

 3.       Outstanding Students for the Third Six Weeks - The Board recognized the outstanding students for the third six weeks from the junior high and high school campuses.  Selected from the junior high was Erin Kemper, eighth grade daughter of Dennis and Debbie Kemper.  Junior Dani Doak, daughter of Tony and Stacy Spears, and junior Scott Saunders, grandson of Robert and Diane Saunders, were chosen from the high school.

 B.   Public Communications

 4.      Communications from the Public – Karen Bell addressed the Board concerning issues with Brown Cafeteria.

 C.  Consent Agenda

Consent Agenda – Linda Rooks motioned to accept items 5 through 11 as listed on the Consent Agenda.  Mike Wittrock seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.   The Consent Agenda consisted of the following:

 5.    Minutes of the December 16, 2002 regular board meeting

6.       Disbursements for the month of December 2002

7.   Financial Statements for December 2002

8.   Investment Report

9.   Tax Collection Report

10. Education Service Center Inter-Regional Cooperative USDA Commodity Processing Interagency Agreement Resolution

11. Bond Payments

 D.  Information Items

 12.      Construction Status Report - Sam Best, Dale Murphree, and Steve Rogers, of Best Construction, were present at the meeting to update the Board regarding the progress of construction on the new high school

 13.      Superintendent’s Report - Mr. Sage briefed the Board on current happenings within the district, including the board election for Region XIII ESC Board of Directors.

 14. Nurse’s Report - Included in the board packet was a monthly report of cases seen through the nurse’s office at all campuses for the month of December.

 15. Smithville Community Network Update – Mr. Sage provided the Board with information regarding the District’s status with the lawsuit filed by Smithville Systems.

 16. Tentative February Agenda Items – The tentative agenda items for the February board meeting are:

            a.  Construction Status Report

            b.  Superintendent’s Report

            c.  Nurse’s Report

            d.  Call for Regular School Board Election

            e.  Report on Board member continuing education hours

            f.  Administrative contract reviews/extensions

            g.  Review and approval of staffing pattern for the 2003-2004 school year

            h.  Consider revision of Board policy GKD [Local] relating to Facility Use and    

                 Fees

            i.  Improvement Plan Status Report

 E.   Action Items

 17. Consider Parent Request for Non-Resident Transfer – The Board, as well as the Superintendent, has been approached by the parent of a special needs child who is requesting that her child be allowed to attend Smithville ISD as a transfer student, as their residence is outside the District.     After considerable discussion among the Board, there was no action taken on this agenda item.       

 18. Approval of State Compensatory Funds Agreed Upon Procedures Report – In compliance with TEA requirements regarding appropriate use of State Compensatory Funds, an audit was performed for the District by the firm of Gindler, Chappell and Morrison.  Mr. Earcle Chappell, representative of the firm, was at the meeting to present the Board with the report.  Mike Morgan made a motion to approve the State Compensatory Agreed Upon Procedures Report as presented.  Mike Wittrock seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.

19. Consider purchasing school buses for next school year - In order to provide adequate vehicles for transportation services for the 2003-2004 school year, the Superintendent is recommending the purchase of three new buses, two 77-passenger and one 35- passenger.  Linda Rooks motioned to approve the purchase of one 35-passenger bus and two 77-passenger buses to be used for student transportation services for next year.  Mike Morgan seconded, and the motion passed 5-0.  

 20.      Attendance Procedure Policy – School districts in Texas are now being required by state law to adopt a policy which outlines the procedures for documenting the withdrawal of students from the district.  As part of the packet, the Board received an Attendance Procedure Policy being recommended for adoption by the District.  Mike Wittrock motioned to approve the proposed procedures as presented.  With a second by Linda Rooks, the vote passed 5-0.

 21. Resolution on Tax Sales – Our delinquent tax attorney has provided us with a deed of property that had been struck off to the District.  They are requesting authorization to solicit bids from the public on the property, and sell it to the highest bidder.  Mike Morgan made a motion to authorize the sale of the property specified in the resolution.  Mike Wittrock seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.

       At 8:37 p.m. the Board entered executive session.  They returned at 9:37 p.m. with no official action taken.

 22a. Superintendent’s Evaluation – The results of the Superintendent’s evaluation were delivered to him in closed session.   Mike Wittrock motioned to approve the Superintendent’s formal evaluation results delivered to the Superintendent in closed session as required by law.  Mike Morgan seconded the motion, and it passed with a vote of 5-0. 

 22b. Superintendent’s Contract – The Superintendent is currently in the first year of a three-year contract that expires on June 30, 2005.  According to state law, the Board employs a superintendent by contract to serve the school district for a term not to exceed five years.  Linda Rooks moved to extend the Superintendent’s current contract for one year making the contract extend until June 30, 2006. Craig Williams seconded, and the motion carried unanimously with a 5-0 vote.