Regular Board Meeting October 10, 2006
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UINTA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER ONE
MINUTES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
October 10, 2006
7:00 P.M.
The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees for Uinta County School District Number One, State of Wyoming, was held on the 10th day of October, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 537 Tenth Street, Evanston, Wyoming.
1. Open Meeting – Chairman Thomas noted a quorum present and called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Board Members present were Bob Faddis, Sherry Johnson, Kendra West, Lloyd Robison, Kim Bateman and Clayton Thomas.
Others present were administrative, certified and support staff members, community members. Approximate number in attendance was 30.
2. Adopt Agenda –Chairman Thomas requested removal of 6b. BOCES Presentation and action item 7a. Approve Amended BOCES Agreement to the next board meeting as Western Wyoming Community College has not had enough time with their attorney to review all the changes. Mr. Faddis requested the addition of discussion item 8c. School Security. Mrs. West moved to approve the agenda as amended; second by Mr. Faddis; motion carried.
3. Approve Minutes – Ms. Johnson moved to approve the September 12 and 26, 2006 minutes as written; second by Mr. Faddis; motion carried.
4. Approve Payment of Bills – Mrs. West moved to approve the payment of bills as presented; second by Mr. Faddis; motion carried.
5. Communications
a. Public Comments – N/A
b. Field Trip Requests:
☞ Mary Currie – requested permission for field trips for EHS students to the Grand Canyon (Geography Class) and San Diego, CA (Oceanography Class). Mrs. Bateman moved to approve the field trip requests as presented; second by Ms. Johnson; motion carried.
☞ Katie Beppler – requested permission for a field trip to Paris, France. She has approximately 10 students interested in going, all of which are seniors. She asked the board to allow school excused absences and the use of district credit cards for gasoline. She plans to make the travel arrangements, etc. herself this year instead of using a group agency. Mrs. West moved to approve the field trip request as presented; second by Mrs. Bateman; motion carried.
☞ Kathy Bella – requested permission for a field trip to New York City for the Art Appreciation Tour. She talked about things the Art Club students will be doing in preparation for the trip, which will include fundraising events. Mrs. West moved to approve the field trip as presented; second by Mr. Faddis; motion carried.
Mrs. West thanked all three teachers for the extra time they are giving for these trips and to students.
6. Presentation – Focus on Davis Middle School (Jim Harrell, principal)
Mr. Harrell gave a slide presentation about Davis Middle School.
§ Student population for 6-8 grade is currently at 355
§ 6-8 grade level profiles
o MAP and PAWS overall test scores, intervention and before/after school programs, at-risk and resource student percentages, etc.
§ Six week planning cycles
o PAWS, NWEA and Classroom Measures; all will allow schools to track student progress and make interventions sooner for those students who need extra support.
§ Explained how MAP, NWEA and PAWS will help track individual student and class progress.
§ 8th grade has shown an increase in test scores from 2003 to 2006.
§ List of things that staff members focus on the make DMS a great place for students to learn and grow.
Presentation: BOCES Agreement (Dennis Boal) – Item was removed from agenda.
7. Action Items
a. Approve Amended BOCES Agreement – Item was removed from the agenda.
b. Approve Requests for Early Diploma – James Bailey, Asst. Superintendent for Instruction, stated that 13 students have requested approval for early diplomas at the end of the first semester in January 2007. Mrs. West moved to approve the early diploma requests as presented; second by Mrs. Bateman; motion carried.
c. Approve Home Schooling Applications – James Bailey, Asst. Superintendent for Instruction, explained that by Wyoming State Statutes, home school applications must come before the board. There are 20 families with 37 students applying at this time. Dr. Bailey explained that there are no testing requirements or state guidelines for home schooling of students at this time. After some discussion, Ms. Johnson moved to approve the home school applications as presented, second by Mrs. West; the motion failed 4/2 for lack of a 5 vote majority.
8. Discussion Items
a. 2006 PAWS Report – James Bailey, Asst. Superintendent of Instruction, reviewed the spreadsheet outlining the PAWS testing results, PAWS/NWEA comparisons, preliminary impact data and potential district growth targets for SBPA. This data will allow us to track individual student progress over time. We have seen significant progress in writing, reading and math across the district. He is especially pleased with the increase in math scores, which puts us above the state average. He also noted that all schools in the district met AYP (Average Yearly Progress) for the first time since 2001. He talked about where we are as a district in reaching our goal of 90% by 2010. Our district proficiency levels are currently at 63% in reading, 66% in math and 49% in writing. The key area we need to work on is a writing curriculum and what it needs to look like. We are currently using “Step Up to Writing” program.
b. WSBA Fall Conference November 15-17 in Casper – James Bailey, Asst. Superintendent for Instruction reminded board members of the conference coming up on November 15th in Casper. If you plan to attend, please contact Cheri as soon as possible to allow time to make reservations.
c. School Security – James Bailey, Asst. Superintendent for Instruction, Ryan Thomas, Asst. Superintendent for Operations, and Dan Selleroli, Director of Facilities/Maintenance, talked about things the district is doing to improve school security. Dr. Bailey talked about the modified lock down in place, with the front doors at each school being the only access. Principals are more aware and staff are watching all individuals closely who are in their buildings. We are also working with staff to identify those students who could pose potential problems. John Currie is working on upgrades and modifications to our critical incident and safety plan. Mr. Selleroli explained the keyless entry badge system he is working to implement at all locations in the district. Funding for this system will come through the School Facilities Commission. There was a lengthy conversation regarding the badges and how they will be distributed. Bullying seems to be a big issue with a lot of these students. We need to establish a network where kids feel comfortable going to adults with information on possible targets or incidents. Mr. Thomas stated that we have two of the most highly trained individuals in the area with John Currie and George Dickerson. They are continually working with administrators and keep all district crisis plans updated. We need to re-educate our staff and students to bring the awareness level up. There was discussion on the question regarding the notification of parents as to the pick up location in the event of a crisis, along with the issues of sharing too much information in advance.
11. Board Round Table –
Chairman Thomas welcomed Farrah Spencer from Harris Law Firm who is sitting in for school attorney, Mark Harris, who had another engagement this evening.
Mrs. West commented she was excited to get the PAWS results and appreciates everyone’s hard work, as it will make a difference.
Ms. Johnson agreed with Mrs. West and asked principals to take the positive comments back to their staff.
11. Adjourn – There being no further business to come before the meeting, Mr. Faddis moved to adjourn; second by Mrs. West; motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:14 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cheri Dunford