South Redford School District Board of Education p. 10 of 10
Minutes of the Regular Meeting, February 27, 2012
South Redford School District
Board of Education
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
February 27, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
BOARD OF EDUCATION MISSION STATEMENT
The Board of Education will create and monitor implementation of policies, through
the delegation of authority to the superintendent, to maximize every student’s
academic achievement and personal growth to create responsible citizens
for effective participation in a global society.
1. – 3. The regular meeting of the South Redford Board of Education was held on Monday, February 27, 2012, at Jane Addams Elementary School. The meeting was called to order by the President at 6:33 p.m. Following the Pledge of Allegiance led by Boy Scout Pack 435, the President asked the Secretary to call the roll.
THE BOARD
Present:
Bruce Mazurowski, President Tom Dowdy, Trustee (arrived 6:45 p.m.)
Laurie Hicks, Vice President Patricia Thomas, Trustee
Stephen Baker, Secretary
Absent:
Cheryl Flesher, Treasurer
Elizabeth Kangas, Trustee
THE ADMINISTRATION
Present:
Brian Galdes, Superintendent
Dr. Kristina Harmon, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction
Mario Gallegos, Director of Human Resources/School Improvement
Cathy Lloyd-Langley, Director of Finance
4. The President asked if there were any corrections or changes to the agenda of the regular meeting of February 27, 2012. The President asked that item #11 be stricken from the agenda. By Board consensus, item #11 was replaced with a resolution regarding the pedestrian bridge over Interstate 96. The agenda was approved as follows:
February 27, 2012
6:30 p.m.
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
1. Call Meeting to Order.
2. Pledge of Allegiance.
3. Roll Call.
4. Approval of Agenda.
5. Recognition of People and Programs.
6. Board/Superintendent Communications.
7. Plus/Delta Plan for Improvement.
8. Addams Elementary School Presentation.
9. Consider Amendment to the General Appropriations Resolution for the
2011-12 School Year.
10. Consider Resolution to Stop Borrowing Against the State.
11. Unfinished Business. Consider Resolution to Encourage Replacement of Pedestrian Bridge over Interstate 96.
12. Consent Agenda.
a) Consider Approval of Minutes.
b) Consider Approval of Warrants.
13. Comments from the Audience.
14. Plus/Delta.
15. Adjourn.
5. Recognition of People and Programs.
Superintendent Brian Galdes reported the following updates from building principals:
Vandenberg
Vandenberg ROCKs out Reading!!! Please join Vandenberg Elementary School on March 5, 2011, from 6-7:00 p.m. for fun hands-on reading activities and much more.
Addams
An exciting lunchtime club, LEGO robotics, will be offered at Addams Elementary School. The club goal is to have fun and learn about robotics and computer programming. The equipment is worth over $1000.00 and was acquired through a SRFEE grant written by Aliza Nagelhout who will also organize, teach and facilitate the club.
Jefferson
Principal Deb Greenwood would like to recognize the Jefferson Staff for their tireless efforts and deep devotion to our students and their success. Each Board member is being given a Reading Month Calendar if they would like to take part or come in and read.
Fisher
Tonight Fisher Elementary School hosts its Family FUN Night for Math. Math concepts, games, and activities for kids and families will be on hand to boost everyone’s learning using the Singapore methods.
Pierce
Thank you to Rick Gonzalez, Eddie Latour, Bill Triolet and Lori Zolynsky who have been instrumental in the success of the Renaissance Learning program and to all Pierce teachers who are responsible for daily Accelerated Reading time. Students have read over 2,000 more books to date this year compared to last year. In Accelerated Math, the students have been assigned learning progressions that spiral the formally mastered objectives into their daily work every six weeks to ensure mastery learning.
6. Board/Superintendent Communications.
· Mr. Galdes shared information regarding Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to repair bridges on I-96. The Board agreed to prepare a resolution and vote on it at this meeting to encourage MDOT to extend the pedestrian bridge from sidewalk to sidewalk for the safety of our students and families. Mr. Galdes will present the resolution to MDOT at a public meeting on March 1.
· Mr. Mazurowski recognized Kara Clayton who was honored as Media and Visual Arts Teacher of the Year.
· Ms. Hicks reported that the Wayne County Association of School Boards will be having a presentation on laws relating to bullying, cyber bullying and sexting on March 15, 2012, at WRESA that will be free of charge to school board members and school administrators. A presentation is also scheduled for May 17 on educational reform laws including laws regarding teacher evaluation and tenure.
7. Plus/Delta Plan for Improvement. BE 6815
The following is a Plus/Delta Chart from the regular Board of Education meeting held on February 13, 2012. Plans for improvement follow each Delta.
+ ∆
· Enjoyed hearing from SREA, SROPA and SRFEE. (Thomas)· Feedback on HVAC system repairs – strides in improvements to save $$. (Mazurowski)
· Nice to see Board Secretary using the electronic version of the board meeting packet. (Flesher)
· Hearing that Mr. Gallegos and secretaries are using Baldrige processes. (Kangas)
· Superintendent’s updates and new district newsletter. (Hicks)
· Shorter meeting length. (Baker) / · Note taking difficult with iPad. (Baker)
The Superintendent and his secretary will work with the Board Secretary to effectively manage board meeting note taking.
· Board Secretary needs a keyboard at the meeting for easier note taking. (Flesher)
The Board Secretary will be set up with a keyboard.
8. Addams Elementary School Presentation.
The Addams presentation by Principal Christine Hofer, along with members of her staff Blair Clark, Jennifer Baughman, Lynda O’Donnell, Gayle Pendergrass, Kim Badham, Julie Frenzel and Jennifer Patrick included the following topics: Addams in the A.M. Production, Peer to Peer Aggression Pilot Program, School Improvement Team/School Data, Combined Learning Groups, and iPads in the Classroom. Amy Nagy also gave a short presentation from the PTO.
Board recessed at 7:56 p.m. and returned at 8:23 p.m. Thank you to the Addams PTO for providing refreshments.
9. Consider Amendment to the General Appropriations Resolution for the 2011-12 School Year. BE 6816
The 2011-12 General Appropriations Resolution was approved by the Board of Education on June 20, 2011. As required by the Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act,
P.A. 621, an amendment to the Appropriations Resolution is in order when changes in the amounts appropriated by the Board are anticipated.
The 2011-12 original budget approved on June 20, 2011, has been updated to reflect the currently anticipated revenue and expense for the 2011-12 school year. The 2011-2012 Proposed Amendment calls for an increase in revenue of $744,219: Local Revenues increase $21,004; State Revenues increase $276,382. Federal Revenues increase $228,525. County and Other revenues increase $218,308.
The 2011-2012 Proposed Amendment calls for an increase in expense of $533,590.
State and Federal Grant spending budgets have increased $239,000 due to increased grant spending planned in those areas. At Risk spending is budgeted to increase $68,000 due to the purchase of an Early Literacy Intervention tool for grades K, 1, and 2 to be used to provide targeted assistance to children identified as At Risk for reading deficits. Professional Development and conferences budgets are increasing $38,000 due to increased planned expenditures by Title One and Title Two. Also, a position vacant last year for a Fisher Reading Resource Teacher/Consultant was filled with Title One and Title Two funds for a $45,500 increase in budget. Parent involvement with Title One increases $12,500, as does Instruction Related Technology purchases by $60,000.
In Maintenance and Operations, a major HVAC repair/upgrade program was approved by the Board this fall for $168,620.
In Transportation there is an increase of $246,000 in purchased services due to finalization of the contract with Durham, which occurred on July 14, 2011. This is offset by the revenue of $292,000 for sale of buses listed elsewhere in the budget.
Unemployment costs increased $102,000.
The Cafeteria Fund budget and the Athletics program expenditures are also being amended at this time and are included in this resolution. There are no significant changes to report.
RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS RESOLUTION FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR
Member, Mr. Stephen Baker, moved adoption of the following resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the General Appropriation for South Redford School District for the fiscal year 2011-12 General Fund is amended as follows:
REVENUE:Local / 4,114,149
State / 24,185,503
Federal / 1,504,673
County & Other / 581,308
Total Revenue / $30,385,633
UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AVAILABLE TO APPROPRIATE, July 1, 2011
1,629,209
TOTAL AVAILABLE TO APPROPRIATE / $32,014,842
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that $ 31,405,633 of the total available to appropriate in the GENERAL FUND is hereby appropriated in the amounts and for the purposes set forth below:
EXPENDITURES:Instruction / 18,627,140
Support Services / 12,247,227
Community Services / 247,903
Other Transactions and Transfers / 283,363
Total Expenditures / $31,405,633
The amendment for the General Fund will require a withdrawal from Fund Equity in the amount of $1,020,000. This resolution shall take effect March 1, 2012.
PROJECTED FUND BALANCE in the General Fund at June 30, 2012: $ 4,196,536
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the total revenues and unappropriated fund balance estimated to be available for appropriation in the FOOD SERVICE FUND for 2011-12 is as follows:
REVENUE:Local / 402,100
State / 76,000
Federal / 855,509
Incoming Transfers and Other Transactions / 0
Total Revenue / $1,333,609
FUND BALANCE AVAILABLE
TO APPROPRIATE, July 1, 2011 / 70,249
TOTAL AVAILABLE TO APPROPRIATE / $1,403,858
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that $1,173,765 of the total available to appropriate in the FOOD SERVICE FUND is hereby appropriated in the amounts and for the purposes set forth below:
EXPENDITURES:Management Company / 1,078,500
District Direct Expense / 238,767
Total Expenditures / $1,317,267
PROJECTED FUND BALANCE in the Food Service Fund at June 30, 2012: $ 86,591
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the district recognizes that the Athletic fund is now reported in state financial reports as part of the General Fund at inception of GASB 54; however for local reporting we will still present the revenues and expenses for Board of Education purposes in the manner to which they are accustomed. Revenues and Expenditures for the Athletic program for 2011-2012 are as follows:
REVENUE:Local / 102,000
General Fund Support / 283,013
Total Revenue / $385,013
EXPENDITURES:
Athletics / $385,013
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that expenditures of $385,013 for the Athletic program are hereby approved by the Board of Education for 2011-2012; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that no Board of Education member or employee of the School District shall expend any funds or obligate the expenditure of any funds except pursuant to appropriations made by the Board of Education and in keeping with the budgetary policy of the Board. Changes in the amount appropriated by the Board shall require approval of the Board, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Superintendent is hereby charged with general supervision of the execution of the budgets adopted by the Board and shall hold the department heads responsible for performance of their responsibilities within the amounts appropriated by the Board of Education and in keeping with the budgetary policy of the Board. This appropriation resolution is to take effect on March 1, 2012.
Supported by Ms. Laurie Hicks. Vote: Ayes (4) –Mazurowski, Hicks, Baker, and Thomas; Nay (1) - Dowdy; Abstain (0). Resolution adopted.
10. Consider Resolution to Stop Borrowing Against the State. BE 6817
Recent legislation passed by the Michigan legislature and signed by the governor, such as the diversion of School Aid fund money to post-secondary schools and the removal of the cap on the number of charter schools as well as cyber schools, has raised concerns over state support for public K-12 education and educators.
One area of concern that has received no attention by the current legislature or executive branch is the timeline for state school aid payments to local districts. Because school districts do not receive their first installment of School Aid funding until October, districts are forced to borrow money to meet obligations for the first four months of the fiscal year. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school fiscal year, local school districts were forced to borrow a total of over $690,000,000 to meet their obligations, at a cost in interest of over $15,000,000, or nearly ten dollars per pupil attending public schools in Michigan. The unfunded mandate to districts to borrow against the State School Aid fund imposes an additional financial hardship on districts that are already struggling to stay afloat financially.
A resolution is attached requesting that the state reimburse to districts the expense of borrowing funds against the state and to utilize the surplus in the state School Aid fund at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 fiscal year to provide local districts with funding at the beginning of the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
RESOLUTION TO STOP BORROWING AGAINST THE STATE SCHOOL AID FUND
Member, Ms. Laurie Hicks, moved adoption of the following resolution.
WHEREAS certain legislation passed by the Michigan legislature and signed by the governor has raised concerns over state support for public K-12 education and educators; to wit, the diversion of School Aid fund money to post-secondary schools and the removal of the cap on the number of charter schools as well as cyber schools, as examples; and
WHEREAS one area of reform that has received no attention from the current legislature or executive branch regards the timeline for state school aid payments to local districts that forces said districts to borrow money to meet their obligations for the first four months of their fiscal year, which begins July 1; and
WHEREAS this unfunded mandate for school districts to borrow against school aid funds was created in the 1997-1998 state fiscal year as a means for the state government to maintain its overall cash flow, to the effect that the state government forces money to be taken from its school children's educational funds rather than the state's general fund intended to cover the cost of doing state business; and
WHEREAS local school districts were forced to borrow a total of over $690,000,000 at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school fiscal year to meet their obligations, at a cost in interest of over $15,000,000, or nearly ten dollars per pupil attending public schools in Michigan; and