Kennewick School Board Meeting March 9, 2011 5:30 PM Adjournment at 9:30 PM
Meeting was called to order at 5:40 PM
All board members present.
Business:
• The board commended KSD classified employees who will be recognized during Classified Employees Week March 14 to 18, 2011. KSD employs 800 to 900 classified staff in food services, maintenance and operations and as paraprofessionals, bus drivers and secretaries.
• Superintendent Dave Bond reported that he, Wendy London and Kathy White had attended a legislative conference focused on education funding where they requested that state budget cuts not harm public schools.
• Vic Roberts reported that KSD is implementing a transition to SunGard business system to manage all district financial and payroll accounts. The new system improves over the former one by combining all information into one system.
• Roberts presented a budget update. See details below.
• Discussion about the KSD Strategic Plan continued. Two additional goals were considered and the form and format for soliciting public opinions and comments were approved. Parents and staff who want to comment on the goals may need to contact the district. See details below.
• Ron Williamson presented the second travel request for Kennewick High School Close-Up Civics students to visit Washington, D.C. November 12 to 19, 2011. Board members London and White spoke in favor of the request, Fielding agreed to support it noting he will not consider another exception to the new travel policy and Adams and Kintzley voted no. The request passed on a three/two vote.
• London spoke to the issue of student clubs. I was not present for this business item but refer readers to the Tri-City Herald article by Jacques Von Lunen published March 10, 2011.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/03/10/1401656/kennewick-schools-grant-more-access.html
Budget Update
KSD will lose $1.4 million this school year resulting from a bill signed into state law in February. This was mostly for K-4 enhancement and follows $4.7 million lost in 09/10. It is projected that from the 09/10 school year through the 11/12 school year KSD will lose up to $8.9 million.
Roberts explained that KSD has sustained these losses without substantial impacts on district programs. This is a consequence of increasing district enrollments each year, local levy funds, levy equalization funds and federal stimulus money.
Between the 04/05 school year and 10/11 school year KSD student population has increased by 1842 students while teaching staff has increased by 21. The staff/student ratio has dropped from 67.53 per 1000 to 60.88 per 1000. This accounts for the increase in overload pay to teachers which will be over $1.3 million this school year.
There will be no increase in the state allocation for employee health insurance coverage which is currently $768. per month.
Utilities and insurance will increase in 11/12 and a deficit of $3.3 million in a $145 million budget is projected for 11/12. This will be covered by the KSD fund balance. For the 12/13 school year KSD can use the fund balance and hold the line on staff additions and/or reduce staffing and program costs.
The board voted unanimously to approve placing 12 additional portable classrooms for the 11/12 school year at a cost of $1 million.
Adams and the board commended Roberts for managing district finances to produce the fund balance which is helping KSD through the declining state economy.
KSD Strategic Plan
Bond noted that the district focus on reading and math has produced the unintended consequence of low science standardized test scores in some elementary, middle and high schools. He proposed a science North Star goal to address this need.
The Board determined that expectations for Science and other content areas would be covered in the descriptor of the catch up goal:
Seventy-five percent of students who are behind will be caught up to state standards within three years.
The board passed unanimously a new North Star goal for student sports and extra-curricular activity participation:
The Kennewick School District will provide broad opportunities to its students in rich co-curricular programs and competitive extra-curricular programs.
The board voted unanimously to approve the form and format for obtaining citizen input on the North Star goals. A questionnaire with three questions and one open ended question will be presented to district parents at building site council meetings. Site councils will be directed to invite 15 to 20 parents to building meetings to review the goals and make comments which the board will review and consider before final adoption of the goals.
These meetings will likely take place in March. Parents who want to participate may need to contact their child’s school for an invitation.
Note: Board meetings would be easier to follow if the new amplification system was being used. I ask Mr. Bond to arrange for use of the system at future meetings.
Strategic Planning Process
January
Broad goals and objectives are discussed at winter School Board retreat. (examples – 90% Reading Goal, Student Health plans, etc.) Board reviews the major North Star goals. In mid January, Board authorizes District to complete the data, and begin tweaking the text. Updating occurs at the last January meeting.
February
Before the 1st meeting, District prepares a draft of the White paper and a preliminary draft of a 2011-2012 strategic Plan incorporating them into intermediary and work plan objectives. Board members provide written comments – provide direction to Administration about changes to incorporate.
Before 2nd meeting, District updates the draft of White Paper and 2011-2012 Strategic Plan also circulated among School Board members. Vote taken in the final February meeting — documents readied to begin circulation among parents, community members, administrators and teachers during March.
March
District circulates the documents among stakeholders, asking for written comments.
District Administrators, Principals, and Teacher Leaders continue to design strategies and indicators to meet the School Board’s goals and objectives, and develop and revise the Strategic Plan based on those.
April
Administrative plan and indicators are circulated among School Board Members for comment and input. District Administrators, Principals, and Teacher Leaders review Board Members comments and input.
May
Early May: Annual Strategic Planning meeting is held with members of KEA, Administrators, Community Members, and District Administration to provide feedback to School Board.
End of May: Strategic Plan is adopted by the School Board.
June
July
August
Strategic Plan is presented to District Administrators at annual Leadership Retreat
Nice job of reporting, Tom. I am particularly interested in the meetings on North Star Goals and the questions on the questionnaire. The questions are critical to the process, of course, and how they are phrased can influence the outcome. I hope we can be informed as the process moves forward.