ICCSD School Board Minutes

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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 REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT: Greg Pomrehn, City High and Mary Larew, West High.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ABSENT: None.

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

ICEA Update

Marla Swesey, ICEA President, stated that communications between the district and the teachers is going very well. Ms. Swesey stated Dr. Plugge recently met with ICEA representatives on the Board's new meeting format and new policies. Ms. Swesey stated the teachers are trying to keep their website updated. Some teachers in the district are concerned about the transition policies and how things will be handled during the transition period. Teachers are concerned about the substitute crisis and would like this placed on a future Board agenda.

Student Representatives' Update

Mary Larew, West High student representative, stated the West High football team won the state championship. The All-State Music festival went very well. Ms. Larew shared concerns about overcrowding at West High School and stated freshman core classes are very large. Ms. Larew stated she would like the issue of overcrowding and class sizes put on a future Board agenda.

Greg Pomrehn, City High student representative, stated the auditorium is almost ready for occupancy and that it looks great. The faculty show will be held a week from Sunday and Dr. Plugge will be performing in that show. Mr. Pomrehn stated at the All-State Music festival Dr. Grove, vocal music instructor at City High, was elected All-State chorus head.

Open Discussion

Director Wallace complimented Hills School for their pre-Thanksgiving dinner and thanked the Hy-Vee on Waterfront for sponsoring this event.

Director Shultz acknowledged Carolyn Eberly, long-time teacher at City High, who passed away recently. Director Shultz stated Ms. Eberly had given more than 30 years of service to the district.

Director Reece stated she appreciated hearing from ICEA but feels the district needs a broader picture and would suggest an opportunity to hear from principals, physical plant, associates, secretaries, etc. Director Reece also shared at the Iowa Association of School Board meeting which she recently attended, she had picked up an informational brochure from Marshalltown Community School District on how the Board operates. Director Reece suggested the district develop something similar.

District Business &endash; Consent Items

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

1. SECONDARY PROGRAM OF STUDIES (Complete report on file in district office.)
2. OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 1999-2000 OUT OF THE DISTRICT FOR JASON NORMAN AND ASHLEY WEILAND AND ADDENDUM OUT OF THE DISTRICT FOR MARQUE JOHNSON, LANCE HURD AND JARED WILSON
3. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE IN THE AMOUNT OF $520,215.96 GENERAL FUND, $2,333.15 MANAGEMENT FUND AND $237,101.39 SCHOOLHOUSE FUND
4. MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 9, 1999 BOARD MEETING
5. CERTIFICATED STAFF A(1), B(1), C(1) AND ADDENDUM A(1) (Attachment A)

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

Educational News

Director Reece shared the following educational news items:

• According to the NY Times the district should be receiving a publication entitles "Bible and Public Schools &endash; A First Amendment Guide". This is a publication produced by 20 national organizations on how we can teach the Bible as an historical document that has influenced history, law, art and culture. Presenting it in such a way that the district can communicate the existence of the Bible, the relevance of the Bible, the symbolism of the Bible without risking law suits.
• An article called "Just the Facts" from School Reform News (summer edition) on homeschooling. In the past 15 years homeschooling has become the fastest growing segment of the K-12 education industry with a growth rate between 15 and 20% a year resulting in about 1.5 million children being educated at home compared to 50 million children enrolled in either public or private schools.
• "TV Grants Biggest Share of Kid's Times" from U.S.A. Today November 18, 1999. The average kid in America spends 5 hours and 29 minutes seven days in a combination of watching television, listening to music and working on a computer. The other side of that coin is that 82% of all kids read for pleasure each day. About 45 minutes of non-homework time is spent reading for pleasure.
• In Polk County they are voting today on a 1 cent sales tax. The sales tax is a tax that is used for improvement or building of educational facilities. Four out of the seven largest districts in Iowa have approved the sales tax.
• "Reading and Math Test Scores Fall in Iowa for the Third Continual Year" stating all three grades that were tested in Iowa (4th, 8th and 11th) continue to decline. The biggest decline is in the elementary schools. Same article reported that the percentage of Iowans pursuing postsecondary education reached 72.5% which is the highest number to date.
• Des Moines Register article by David Broyer "Rewards for Schools That Get Results" that talks about how on the federal level thinking about changing standards in education is what is really happening. Mr. Broyer spoke of two proposals:
  1. The Democratic Leadership Council which would give states more leeway with the federal funds that are currently available
  2. A report, from the education committee of the states, is interested in training school boards in how to manage to get out of running schools and how to manage and monitor performance and standards.

Director Shultz shared with the Board information he had recently read in an article in the School Board Journal regarding the cost to construction elementary, junior highs and senior highs.

Parameters for Boundaries

Sandy Kaloupek, Wickham parent, shared concerns regarding the effects on children when they are required to move from school to school. Ms. Kaloupek expressed concerns about splitting families between two schools and shared concerns about daycare issues. Ms. Kaloupek stated in the boundary discussions she would like the committee to look at children and families and grandfather in those students that are presently attending Wickham School.

Renee Manders, Wickham parent, stated there should be a maximum radius on how far a student would be transferred out of their community. Ms. Manders stated it isn't reasonable to ask students from North Liberty to go into Iowa City for elementary education. Ms. Manders proposed that a possible solution would be to make Penn Elementary School a K-4 school keeping all of the North Liberty K-4 students at Penn and keeping Wickham a K-6 school with the 5thand 6th graders from North Liberty attending Wickham or a Coralville school.

Philip Lazansky spoke in opposition of moving the Spring Valley neighborhood out of the Wickham attendance center. Mr. Lazansky suggested the district look at the entire district globally.

Cindy Leveille, North Liberty resident, stated she is concerned about transporting kids on the interstate and wants the committee to consider this as they look at boundary lines.

Linda Wilson, Wickham parent, questioned if the boundary decision has to be made for the 2000-2001 school year.

Director Leff questioned what the Board was expecting from the committee, a decision regarding boundary lines or suggestions for the Board to consider.

President Goodlaxson stated the committee will come back with recommendations that fall within the parameters and the Board will make the final decision.

Director Johnson stated the Board needs to develop the parameters.

Director Jackson stated the committee should discuss the best options.

Director Wallace stated the committee should look at both the short-term and long-term issues related to boundaries.

President Goodlaxson stated that no short-term solutions should be brought forward that wouldn't fit into a long-term solution.

Director Shultz suggested the following parameters be given to the committee:

• Use our existing schools
• Maintain same bus policies

Director Wallace suggested:

• Consider maintenance of natural neighborhoods and natural boundaries.

Director Shultz suggested:

• Balance class size across the district
• Short-term solution fit into a long-term plan
• Limit students to one forced transfer in their elementary years
• Prioritize keeping families together over neighborhoods together
• Keep neighborhoods together
• Review transfer policy

In addition to the parameters it was suggested that:

• The district contact the four cities and county on growth and development
• The committee be free to examine alternative school structure (middle school, magnet school, year round school, etc.)

The report back to the Board should include low-income numbers for the proposed changes as well as ethnic diversity for the proposed changes.

Public Forum Format

The first Board Public Forum will be held December 7th at Wood Elementary School at 7:00 PM. The agenda for that meeting will include

• Discussion on the Ends Policies
• Options for class size
• Options for boundaries
• Future agenda items

Commercialization

MOTION BY SHULTZ, SECOND BY JOHNSON THAT THE BOARD FIND THAT THE PAUL REVERE PIZZA SIGN AT CITY HIGH SCHOOL VIOLATES BOARD POLICY 1003.4 "SOLICITING AND ADVERTISING DIRECTED TO STUDENTS."

Considerable discussion followed.

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

MOTION DEFEATED 1 TO 6.

Policy Readings &endash; Second Reading

Executive Limitations

MOTION BY WALLACE, SECOND BY SHULTZ TO APPROVE THE EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS POLICY (Attachment B).

There were some minor suggested changes and these have been incorporated into the attachment.

VOTE ON THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

Board Governance

MOTION BY WALLACE, SECOND BY SHULTZ TO APPROVE BOARD GOVERNANCE POLICY (Attachment C).

Director Leff suggested the Board still consider the IASB Code of Ethics as an attachment.

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

Board Superintendent Linkages

MOTION BY WALLACE, SECOND BY SHULTZ TO APPROVE BOARD SUPERINTENDENT LINKAGES POLICY (Attachment D).

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

Transition

MOTION BY WALLACE, SECOND BY SHULTZ TO APPROVE THE TRANSITION POLICY (Attachment E).

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

President Goodlaxson suggested that agenda items F. Prologue, G. Timeline, H. Superintendent's Evaluation and I. Transition Governance be delayed until a future meeting.

Agenda Setting

The agenda for the December 14th meeting will include the following:

• Substitute Crisis
• High School Enrollment/Class Size
• Ends Policies
• Meeting Format &endash; Public Information Handout
• Prologue
• Timeline
• Superintendent's Evaluation
• Transition Governance

Meeting adjourned 10:35 PM.

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