SMITHVILLE I.S.D.
BOARD BRIEFS
The Smithville I.S.D. Board of Trustees met in regular session on Monday, March 25, 2003 beginning at 6:00 P.M. Items discussed or acted on by members included the following:
1. Recognition of Band, DECA State and International Qualifiers, State Power Lifting Qualifiers – The Board recognized the talented students of the District for their accomplishments in achieving state level in athletics, DECA and band.
2. Employees of the Month for February - The Employees of the Month for February are Robin Ramsay, head girl’s coach at the high school, and Marilyn Wood, truant officer at the high school. Both employees were present at the meeting to be recognized.
3. Recognition of outstanding students for the fourth six-weeks – The outstanding student for the fourth six weeks from the junior high is Kasey Kellar, daughter of Kim Hemphill and Lonnie Kellar. The students chosen as outstanding students from the high school are Megan Rogers and Justin Betancourt. Megan is a senior, and is the daughter of Mark and Janice Rogers. Justin is a junior, and the son of Susan Betancourt. All of these students were present at the meeting to accept the Board’s recognition.
B. Public Communications
4. Communications from the Public – The Board heard from Dwight Stockton regarding budget shortfall concerns and possible cuts in the District to increase the budget, and also from Karen Bell regarding her ongoing concerns with procedures in the Food Service Department.
C. Consent Agenda
Consent Agenda – Peggy Walicek motioned to accept items 5 through 9 as listed on the Consent Agenda. Mike Morgan seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. The Consent Agenda consisted of the following:
5. Minutes of the February 17, 2003 regular board meeting
6. Disbursements for the month of February 2003
7. Financial Statements for February 2003
8. Investment Report
9. Tax Collection Report
D. Information Items
10. Construction Status Report - Sam Best and Dale Murphree, of Best Construction, were present at the meeting to update the Board regarding the progress of construction on the new high school. The Board also heard from Bill Robishire, of Pfluger Associates, regarding the renovation of the existing Junior High and the annex.
11. Superintendent’s Report - Mr. Sage, along with Food Service Director Annette Kuehler, briefed the Board on current happenings within the district, including the current no charge policy and procedures in the Food Service Department.
12. Nurse’s Report for all campuses - Included in the board packet was a monthly report of cases seen through the nurse’s office at all campuses for the month of February.
13. Grade 3 Reading TAKS results from March Administration – Deborah Mayer, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, reported on the positive results from the first administration of the TAKS reading test for third grade students.
14. Tentative April Agenda Items – The tentative agenda items for the April board meeting are:
a. Student Transfer Requests
b. Board Self Evaluation
c. Employment of Certified Personnel
d. Resignations of Certified Personnel
e. Superintendent’s Report
f. Construction Status Report
g. Nurse’s Report
h. Employee of the Month for March
i. Second Reading of Board Policy Update 69
E. Action Items
15. Adoption of textbook committee selections - Board policies EFAA [Legal] and EFAA [Local] address the selection and adoption of textbooks for the district. The district is required to submit a report of textbook adoption by the Board to TEA no later than April 1, 2003.
The following individuals were appointed by the Board to the District textbook selection committee:
Deborah A. Mayer – Committee Chairman
Vertical
Team for Social Studies
Lexie Hamm, Brown Primary, First Grade, Social Studies
Peggy
Zion, Brown Primary, Second Grade, Social Studies
Cynthia
Hoyt, Brown Primary, Third Grade, Social Studes
Adella
Smith, Smithville Elementary, Fourth Grade, Social Studies
Laura
Schaatt, Smithville Elementary, Fifth Grade Social Studies
Brenda
McEntire, Smithville Elementary, Sixth Grade Social Studies
Ken
Moree, Smithville Jr. High, Seventh Grade Social Studies
Tony
Condit, Smithville Jr. High, Eighth Grade Social Studies
Leona
Jones, Smithville H. S., Social Studies Department Chairman
Mike
Stone, Smithville H. S., World History
Jeremy
Shaw, Smithville H. S., Economics
Darius
Bharucha, Smithville H. S., US History
David
Edwards, District Representative, All Levels
The textbook committee recommendation is
to adopt all titles on the state
approved list. From that list, the following textbooks have
been selected:
Social Studies, Grades 1-3 & 5 Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
Social Studies, Grade 4 Pearson
Education, Inc., Publishing as
Scott Foresman
Social Studies, Grade 6 Holt, Rinehart and Winston, a Division of
Harcourt, Inc.
Social Studies, Grades 7-8 Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing
as
Prentice Hall
World Geography Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing
as
Prentice Hall
World History Pearson
Education, Inc., Publishing
as
Prentice Hall
US History Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing
as Prentice Hall
Economics Pearson
Education, Inc., Publishing
as
Prentice Hall
Psychology Glenco/McGraw
Hill, a division of
the
McGraw-Hill Co., Inc.
Sociology Glenco/McGraw
Hill, a division of
the
McGraw-Hill Co., Inc.
AP US History McDougal
Littell, Inc. The American
Pageant
AP European History McDougal Littell Inc. Western Civilization-
The
Continuing Experiment
AP World History Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as
Prentice
Hall
AP Psychology The
Wadsworth Group/Thomson Learning
AP Economics Pearson
Education, Inc. Publishing as
Prentice
Hall
AP Government Pearson
Education, Inc. Publishing as
Prentice
Hall
PreK Leapfrog
SchoolHouse, a division of
Leapfrog
Enterprises, Inc.
Craig Williams motioned to approve
the recommendation from the textbook committee as presented. Peggy Walicek seconded, and the motion
carried 6-0.
16. Approve 2003-2004 school calendar - Local
school districts may establish any school calendar they choose that meets a few
minimum requirements established by the Texas Education Agency. After input from the District and campus site
based committees, as well as administrative, central office and campus staff,
the Superintendent recommended a calendar for the upcoming school year. Mike Morgan made a motion to approve Draft 1
of the proposed 2003-2004 school calendar as presented. Peggy Walicek seconded, and the vote passed
6-0.
17. Set Board Meeting Date for special meeting to canvass board election results - The election for board trustees is Saturday, May 3, 2003. Election law requires us to canvass the results between three and six days after the election. Mike Wittrock moved to call for a special board meeting on Tuesday, May 6th, 2003 at 7:45 a.m. to canvass election votes. Linda Rooks seconded, and the motion carried 6-0.
18. Consider
Soliciting Bids for a District Utility Truck – The Superintendent
expressed to the Board his desire to purchase a vehicle that would serve many
uses for the District, ranging from band instrument hauling to One-Act Play
contest prop travel to moving furniture, boxes and materials from one location
to another throughout the District. He
provided the Board with a description and estimation of cost of the truck he is
recommending. He also informed the Board
of the possibility of purchasing the band trailer currently owned by the Band
Boosters for general District use. Mike
Wittrock motioned to approve the request to bid and secure a truck as
described. In addition, to seek purchase
of the existing band trailer from the Band Boosters is they agree to sell it to
the school district. With a second from
Mike Morgan, the motion carried 6-0.
The Board
took a short recess at 8:20 p.m. and returned at 8:30 p.m.
19. Consider First Reading of Update 69 – The most recent TASB Board
Policy Update, Update 69, was given to the Board as a supplemental packet. This update deals with “No Child Left
Behind”, the new TAKS test and how it relates to promotion to the new grade level,
and other, primarily legal, policy changes.
This is a very large update, and in order to allow the Board more time
to become familiar with its content, the Superintendent recommended that a
first reading be approved, with the second reading and its proposed adoption to
be conducted at the April board meeting.
Howard Burns motioned to approve the review of the first reading of
Update 69. Mike Wittrock seconded, and
the motion passed 6-0.
The Board dismissed to executive session at 8:35 p.m. and returned at 9:20 with no official action taken.
20a. 1,2 Consider Contract Renewal/Non-Renewal of Certified Staff – The administrators of the district have submitted their recommendations for contract renewal/non-renewal of existing certified staff members to the Superintendent. In order to stay in compliance with Board Policy DBE [Legal], the motion to approve or not approve the recommendation has been separated into two categories. One category for certified staff not closely related to a board member by affinity or consanguinity, and the other category for those that are closely related by either affinity or consanguinity. Linda Rooks motioned to approve the recommendations for staff members not affected by Board Policy DBE [Legal]. Peggy Walicek seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. Peggy Walicek then motioned to approve the contract recommendations for staff who are affected by DBE [Legal]. Mike Wittrock seconded, and the motion carried 5-0, with Howard Burns abstaining.
20b. Resignations of Certified Personnel, Including Director of Curriculum and Instruction – The Superintendent advised the Board of the following resignations:
Douglas Fonville – Spanish teacher at the high school
Jennifer Lange – geometry teacher at the high school
Tony Condit – history teacher at the junior high
Elisabeth Tomaszewski – teacher at the Elementary
Ann Watson – teacher at Woodside Trails
Deborah Mayer – Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Jason Segel – teacher/coach at the high school
21. Adjournment – The Board adjourned its meeting at 9:24 p.m.