ICCSD School Board Minutes

---

Regular Board meetings are held at the Central Administration Office

509 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City, on second and fourth Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Matt Goodlaxson, Don Jackson, Nick Johnson, Al Leff, Lauren Reece, Dale Shultz and Peter Wallace.

MEMBERS ABSENT: None.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT: Mary Larew, West High.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ABSENT: Greg Pomrehn, City High.

President Goodlaxson called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM and welcomed those present.

Public Hearing: City High School Running Track Improvements

Director Wallace stated now is the time and place for the public hearing on the proposed plans and specifications for the City High School Running Track Improvements Project. The Board of Directors set the date for this public hearing on January 25, 2000. Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on February 10, 2000. The District will receive bids on this project at 2:00 PM March 23, 2000 at the District Office at 509 S. Dubuque Street. Notice to Contractors has been published as required by law in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on February 10 and 17, 2000.

Director Wallace asked if there were any questions on the proposed plans and specifications from the Board or audience. Hearing none, Public Hearing was closed.

Public Hearing: City High School Masonry Restoration and 2000 Roof Improvement Projects

Director Wallace stated now is the time and place for the public hearing on the proposed plans and specifications for the City High School Masonry Restoration and 2000 Roof Improvement Projects. The Board of Directors set the date for this public hearing on January 25, 2000. Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on February 10, 2000. The District will receive bids on this project at 2:00 PM March 23, 2000 at the District Office at 509 S. Dubuque Street. Notice to Contractors has been published as required by law in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on February 10 and 17, 2000.

Director Wallace asked if there were any questions on the proposed plans and specifications from the Board or audience. Hearing none, Public Hearing was closed.

ICEA Update

Marla Swesey, president of ICEA, stated that teachers have been busy holding conferences and appreciated having Monday, Presidents' Day, off. Ms. Swesey stated March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' birthday and it is being celebrated as a "Read Along Day". Ms. Swesey also commented on the excellent job staff and students did in the science presentation during the public forum last Tuesday.

Student Representative Update

Mary Larew, West High representative, stated last week West High hosted a Parade of Bands. Dr. Plugge was the guest conductor. Ms. Larew stated March 8th and 9th the foreign language trips will begin and the second trimester is coming to a close.

Director Johnson stated that Greg Pomrehn was recently in the musical "Oklahoma" and did an excellent job in his role.

Open Discussion

Director Shultz noted that City and West recently had chess champions at their building and congratulated these students on their accomplishment.

Consent Items

MOTION BY LEFF, SECOND BY JOHNSON TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING CONSENT ITEMS:

1. AWARD BID FOR CITY HIGH SCHOOL PIPING REPLACEMENT PHASE 2 AND SCIENCE ROOM REMODELING PHASE I PROJECT TO SELZER-WERDERITSCH FOR $487,600
2. SET THE DATE OF MARCH 21, 2000 FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE WEST HIGH SCHOOL KITCHEN HVAC UPGRADE PROJECT
3. SET THE DATE OF MARCH 23, 2000 AT 3:00 PM FOR THE BID OPENING FOR THE WEST HIGH SCHOOL KITCHEN HVAC UPGRADE PROJECT
4. SET MARCH 28, 2000 AT 7:30 PM AS THE DATE AND TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 2000-2001 BUDGET
5. OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 1999-2000 INTO THE IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR FISHER GEROT AND FOR 2000-2001 OUT OF OUR DISTRICT FOR HEIDI BROWN
6. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE IN THE AMOUNT OF $573,629.17 GENERAL FUND, $1,849 MANAGEMENT FUND AND $33,385.89 SCHOOLHOUSE FUND
7. MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 1, 2000 PUBLIC FORUM AND FEBRUARY 8, 2000 BOARD MEETING
8. CERTIFICATED STAFF A(1-11), B(1-8), C(1) AND ADDENDUM A(1) (Attachment A).

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

Board Meeting

Educational News

Director Reece shared the following educational news:

• Press Citizen February 12, 2000 "State Seeks Creative Ways to Increase Teachers' Salaries". Spurred by some pilot money from the state Waukee and Ames School District are developing some new ideas about how to reward teachers without pitting teachers one against the other. Among methods considered are rewarding teachers who collaborate to improve student achievement. This method stands in contrast to traditional notion of merit pay where teachers compete against one another for available money.
• Seattle Times "Brightest Teachers Leaving the Soonest". A new analysis of federal data shows that one in five teachers leave the profession within three years of entering the classroom. Those teachers that do leave are likely to have entered college with higher test scores than those that stay with teaching. These early defectors cite dissatisfaction with working conditions, student misbehavior and low salaries for their interest in looking for another profession.
• New York Times February 18, 2000 "Kindergarten Study Finds Four Sectors Starting Far Behind the Pack". A large federal study that was started in 1998 of 22,000 kindergartners nationwide shows that the vast majority of kids entering school are entering healthy, well and wise. However, the group that is lacking behind are those coming from the following four categories: kids who are living in poverty, kids from single parent homes, kids from non-English speaking families and kids whose mother haven't graduated from high school. The educational level of the mother is a very strong variable in children's ability to do well in school. Other groups have previously been tested at fourth grade for these factors, but never before had they been tested at the kindergarten level. This speaks to the point that some children are coming to school at a disadvantage and resources need to be focused on these kids before they get to school.
• "School Plan Alarms Researchers" Press Citizen A program called the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration is a federal program that hands out grant money to schools attempting to reform themselves with the help of well researched programs. The ones that were cited as being highly successful were:
  • "Success For All"
  • "High Schools That Work"
  • "Accelerated Schools"
• The Los Angeles School Board voted 5-2 in favor of abandoning the construction on the Belmont Learning Complex (what was to be the most expensive high school in the country). After spending $170 million out of a proposed $200 million, it was discovered the school sits on a toxic site that could prove extremely harmful in the future.
• American School Board Journal March 2000 issue article "Remaking Governance" speaks directly to the application of the Carver policies to school districts in a very concise way.

Boundary Line Recommendation

Dr. Plugge shared with the Board the recommended boundary line change. Dr. Plugge stated it is the administrative recommendation that the students from Golfview Mobile Home Park and the expansion of Golfview Mobile Home Park be moved from Wickham Elementary School to Penn Elementary School and recommended that the area called Quail Creek which is a developing area west of Hwy. 965 be assigned to Penn Elementary School. Dr. Plugge stated the recommendation meets the parameters the Board had established and will offer short-term relief to Wickham Elementary School.

Dr. Plugge stated the district will need to work on a long-term solution but this short-term solution will work into the long-term plan.

MOTION BY WALLACE, SECOND BY LEFF TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THE BOUNDARY LINE FOR THE STUDENTS IN GOLFVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK AND THE GOLFVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK EXPANSION AND THE STUDENTS FROM QUAIL CREEK (A NEWLY DEVELOPED AREA WEST OF HWY 965) FROM WICKHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO PENN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EFFECTIVE IN THE FALL OF 2000.

The Board held a discussion regarding the limited options available as well as issues related to transporting students who would be grandfathered into Wickham School from Golfview.

Denise Robe, resident of Golfview Mobile Home Park, shared concerns regarding the recreation trail from Golfview to Penn Elementary School. Ms. Robe stated the trail is not safe or maintained.

Mark Robe, resident of Golfview Mobile Home Park, stated in visiting with the City Manager in North Liberty if the children are required to walk from Golfview to Penn the City will work on maintaining the trail. Mr. Robe questioned the distance that would be required of students from Golfview if they were to walk to Penn Elementary School.

Brenda Van Dee, resident of area west of Hwy. 965, stated her baby-sitter lives in Golfview and shared concerns about the safety of the trail from Golfview to Penn Elementary School. Ms. Van Dee stated the district needs to think about building a new school in North Liberty.

Dee Carter, resident of Golfview Mobile Home Park, stated her children had not been moved before so therefore would be assigned to Penn Elementary School and requested the Board provide bussing from Golfview Mobile Home Park to Penn Elementary School.

Karen Urell, resident of Golfview Mobile Home Park, shared with the Board a description of how the busses could pick up students from Golfview going to both Wickham and Penn Elementary Schools. Ms. Urell emphasized the students going to Penn Elementary from Golfview should be bussed.

Scott Carpenter, resident of Spring Valley subdivision, shared his concerns regarding the absence of a long range plan. Mr. Carpenter also stated it was his opinion that Dr. Rushton's projections were a conservative estimate and that they do not take into consideration growth. Mr. Carpenter also expressed concerns about how the original committee was assembled and felt the district needs to set aside funds to pay for a population study.

Following considerable Board discussion a friendly amendment was offered to the motion that the children who had previously been transferred from Penn to Wickham and their siblings that reside in the Golfview Mobile Home Park be bussed to Wickham for the next three years.

The Board also discussed how kids would get to Penn School from Golfview. It was the consensus of the Board that this is an administrative decision. However, the Board requested the superintendent to share the administrative decision with the Board at the April 11, 2000 meeting.

VOTE ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THE BOUNDARY LINE FOR THE STUDENTS IN GOLFVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK AND THE GOLFVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK EXPANSION AND THE STUDENTS FROM QUAIL CREEK (A NEWLY DEVELOPED AREA WEST OF HWY 965) FROM WICKHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO PENN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EFFECTIVE IN THE FALL OF 2000. IN ADDITION, THE CHILDREN THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM PENN TO WICKHAM AND THEIR SIBLINGS THAT RESIDE IN THE GOLFVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK BE BUSSED TO WICKHAM FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

AYES: Goodlaxson, Shultz, Reece, Leff, Wallace, Jackson. NAYS: Johnson.

MOTION CARRIED 6 TO 1.

Activating New Policies

The Board reviewed a letter from Kirsten Frey, district legal counsel, regarding the effective dates of the new Board Policies.

MOTION BY JOHSON, SECOND BY REECE TO FOLLOW THE ADVISE OF DISTRICT LEGAL COUNSEL THAT THE NEW POLICIES: BOARD SUPERINTENDENT LINKAGE POLICY, BOARD GOVERNANCE POLICY, EXECUTIVE LIMITATION POLICY, AND THE TRANSITION POLICIES BECOME EFFECTIVE MARCH 7, 2000.

VOTE ON THE MOTION. AYES: Wallace, Goodlaxson, Reece, Shultz, Jackson, Johnson. NAYS: Leff.

MOTION CARRIED 6 TO 1.

Ends Policies

Dr. Plugge stated he has contacted H.D. Hoover and he will be coming to the next Board meeting to discuss with the Board the two sample policies. Dr. Plugge stated he will send to H. D. Hoover the sample policies and a copy of an article in the latest School Board Journal regarding Carver policies.

March 7 Open Forum Agenda

• Recognize Effective Date of Policies
• Open Discussion
• Ends Policies
  1. Safety
  2. Curriculum Review
  3. Academic Achievement
  4. Boundaries
  5. Stakeholder Relations
  6. Facilities
  7. Measurable Goals in All Academic, Curricular and Co-Curricular Areas
  8. Equity
  9. Workforce Preparedness

Agenda Setting for March 21, 2000 Board Meeting

• H. D. Hoover Presentation
• Ends Policies
  1. Safety
  2. Curriculum Review
  3. Academic Achievement
  4. Boundaries
  5. Stakeholder Relations
  6. Facilities
  7. Measurable Goals in All Academic, Curricular and Co-Curricular Areas
  8. Equity
  9. Workforce Preparedness
• Agenda Setting

Director Leff suggested a discussion be held on what actions are Board actions and what actions are administrative actions.

Meeting adjourned 9:35 PM.