June 11, 2015 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Description:  Interactive Health has named Center Cass School District 66 as one of the 2014 “Healthiest Companies in America”.  We are proud to know that our staff has developed healthy habits that support them in their service to our students!   Please see the accompanying letter for additional details.  

Description:  In an effort to provide continuous monitoring of the 2014-19 Strategic Plan, the Superintendent will provide a monthly update to the Board on one the goals from the Strategic Plan.  This month's update will include the Community Partnership goal. 

Description:  The monthly FY16 budget update is provided for the Board's information.  The July update will include actual expenditures and revenues for FY15 since the fiscal year ends on June 30.

Description:  Mr. Windsor will provide the Board of Education with an update on the new Digits Mathematical curriculum.

Description:  Due to the timing of the last day of school on June 9 and the June 11 Board meeting, the annual Straight A Student and Volunteer Board Recognition will be moved to a later Board meeting.  This is necessary since students earn grades through the end of the school year.

Once the date is determined by the Board, invitations will be sent to appropriate students and parents.

Description:  This month's notes are attached.

Description:  The Superintendent will update the Board on all FOIA requests received since the previous Board of Education meeting.

The most recent FOIA requests are as follows:

Charlene Roche (Data Acquisition Specialist, SmartProcure Co. 954-866-5209, croche@smartprocure.us, 700 W. Hillsboro Blvd. Suite 4-100, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441) demanded a commercial FOIA request to the Center Cass School District No. 66 for an electronic record of purchase orders dated 2015-02-11 to current.  The information requested is:

1. Purchase order number or equivalent 
2. Purchase order date 
3. Line item details 
4. Line item quantity 
5. Line item price
6. Vendor ID number, name, address, contact person and email address

This demand was made on May 22, 2015, required approximately 0.25 hours of resources, and was completed on May 27, 2015.

Description:  Attached are the Financial Reports for your review.

Description:  Resignations
Jesse Williams - Bus Driver
Harold Starkey - Bus Driver
Jennifer Metherd - Paraprofessional - Prairieview School

Retirement
None

Transfers  
Gina Hendron from 3rd grade to School Library Information Specialist at Ide

New Hires  
Beth Pesavento - Psychologist  - Elizabeth Ide School
Amy Brockman - Music Teacher - Elizabeth Ide and Prairieview Schools

FMLA
Jennifer Finn - leave beginning 8/24/15, expected return 11/18/15 - long-term substitute - Jennifer Metherd Sub
Erin Olsen - leave to begin 9/21/15, expected to return August, 2016 - Heather Lopez Sub
Melissa Mandru -  leave to begin ?, expected to return ? - long-term substitute TBD
Kristy Mixon - leave to begin 8/24/15, expected return after 60-teacher attendance days - long-term substitute TBD
Mia Cruz - leave to begin 8/24/15, expected return after 60-teacher attendance days - long-term substitute TBD

Re-Employment
None

Positions Open: 
3rd Grade Teacher
Paraprofessional - IMC at Ide
Lunchroom Aide - Ide
Help Desk Technician - pending Board approval
Bus Drivers
Substitute Teachers

Description:  As per Policy 2:220, after 18-months have passed since being made, the audio recording of a closed meeting is destroyed with Board approval.  

November 12, 2013

Description:  The following donation requests were made to the PTO by the Elizabeth Ide staff.

First Grade - $494 - Instructional math materials
P.E. - $1700 - 2-outdoor soccer goals

The PTO graciously approved their request.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board accept the Ide PTO donations as presented.

Description:  Based on Board discussion last month, the Superintendent recommends an increase of $ 0.10 for school meal prices for the 2015-2016 school year.  It will be necessary to revisit next year for Board input on an annual increase of $ .05 or every other year increase of $ .10. 

The proposed new rates for the 2015-2016 school year are:
Students - $2.60
Adults - $3.00

Recommendation: The Superintendent recommends an increase of $ 0.10 for school meal prices for the 2015-2016 school year, resulting rates of $2.60 for a student meal and $3.00 for an adult meal.

Description:  At this time each year, the Board of Education authorizes the Transfer of Interest from the Operations and Maintenance, Transportation, and Working Cash funds to the Education fund.

Recommendation:  The administration recommends that the Board of Education authorize the transfer of accumulated interest from the Operations and Maintenance, Transportation, and Working Cash funds to the Education fund.

Description:  Each year we use Horton Insurance group to compare rates on each of our property and liability insurance plans.  These plans include insurance coverage for the property/boiler, miscellaneous property, general liability, school board legal liability, automobile (trucks, vans, and buses), workers' compensation, umbrella coverage, and crime. This year's renewal for our liability insurance of $125,506 is $3,671 lower than last year's premium.  This is the second year in a row that our premium has gone down.  Complete details are provide in the attached document.  Note:  p. 12 of the document was removed from public viewing because it listed the names and driver's license numbers of all bus drivers.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends the Board of Education approve payment of the 2015-16 property and liability insurance premiums in the amount of $125,506.

Description:  The annual agreement with the City of Darien for the purchase of rock salt is attached for the Board's approval.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the annual agreement with the City of Darien for the purchase of rock salt be approved as presented.

Description:  Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that Consent Agenda Items A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I be approved as presented.

Description:  This is an opportunity for Committee Chairs and individual Board members to update the entire Board on any pertinent committee activities. 

Description:  This month the Board is receiving an update on the progress towards the Community Partnerships goal included in the 2014-19 Strategic Plan.  

Description:  Over the past few months the District has reviewed this year's pilot of Learning Never Stops in grades 1, 4, and 7.  As a result of staff and parent feedback, we have completely revised board policy 6:235 and the accompanying exhibit.  These documents are presented to the Board for a first reading.  

Description:  Registration and housing forms for the 2015  Joint Annual Conference will be available online beginning Monday, June 15th. 

The Registration fee for Board Members and Administrators is $420.  Hotel rooms will be assigned daily on a first-received, first-assigned basis with a $200 non-refundable deposit per hotel room.  A final attendance decision will need to be made at the July 13th BOE meeting.

Description:  Center Cass School District 66 serves as the administrative agent for our special education cooperative. One of our important functions is to approve the annual SASED Budget.  I would suggest the following timeline:

June 11th     Approve SASED tentative budget
June 12th     Place SASED tentative budget on public display
June 17th     Legal notice posted with media
August 11th  Approve/Adopt SASED final budget

The tentative budget has already been approved by the SASED Board of Control.

Recommendation:  The administration recommends that the Board of Education approve the tentative SASED Budget for FY16 and direct the Superintendent to place the budget on public display.

Description:  The following policies are being recommended for Second Reading and Adoption (see attachment):
     2:20
     4:60
     5:260
     5:30

Description:  The District currently has over $82,000 in the Capital Project Funds.  These are restricted use funds, only to be used to alter, repair, improve and equip District buildings.  The details for three applicable capital projects are attached.  Given the current need for these projects, the Superintendent is recommending that a portion of these funds be transferred to the Operations & Maintenance fund for the appropriately designated uses.  The goal is to have the funds transferred after July 1, 2015 and to have the work completed this summer.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve the Resolution as presented, authorizing the transfer and subsequent use of Capital Project funds to the Operations & Maintenance fund.

Description:  Over the past school year the District has worked with members of CCESP and CCEA to create job descriptions for our Teacher Aides/Paraprofessionals.  The final job descriptions are being presented for the Board's approval.  Once the job descriptions are approved, the next step in the process is to finalize the evaluation instrument for these positions.  The evaluation instrument has been completed, but will be reviewed again in September after the paraprofessionals return to work.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board approve the Teacher Aide/Paraprofessional Job Description for the 2015-16 school year as presented.

Description:  As the District moves forward with the 1:1 mobile computing device program next year, we are requesting approval from the Board of Education for a Help Desk Support Technician.  A job description for this position has also been created for the Board's approval.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board approve the addition of a Help Desk Support Technician and accompanying job description for the 2015-16 school year.

Description:  The Board and district have been working towards a structure for establishing annual pay rates that is linked to CPI.  This was accomplished with members of CCESP last summer when a contract was approved with a 3% increase for the 2015-16 school year and then a CPI driven increase and a performance-based bonus structure (replacing the old attendance bonus) for 2016-17.  We have other groups of employees who are not covered by the CCESP or CCEA collective bargaining agreements.  Aligning the annual increases for rate of pay for non CCEA/CCESP employees with the current CCESP model would meet the Board's goal of aligning pay increases to CPI, while also providing consistency across all employee groups, with the exception of CCEA members.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve an increase of 3% in pay rates for all non CCEA/CCESP employees for the 2015-16 school year and then move to a CPI driven structure beginning with the 2016-17 school year.

Description:  As we move to 1:1 devices for all students during the 2015-16 school year, the District is recommending that all students be assessed an insurance fee of $31 to protect from accidental damage.  This insurance was optional during the pilot year.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve a student insurance fee of $31 for the 2015-16 school year for the use of a mobile computing device.

Description:  The District is recommending the purchase of the Lucy Calkins Writing Program as an ELA resource for grades K-5.  Details are provided in the attachment.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve the purchase of the Lucy Calkins Writing Program as an ELA resource for grades K-5.

Description:  The District is recommending the purchase of Bridges as a math resource for grades 2-5.  Details are provided in the attachment.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve the purchase of the Bridges Math resource for grades 2-5.

Description:  The SASED Board of Control approved amending sections of our Articles of Joint Agreement to comply with recent interpretations of federal regulations regarding the disposal of IDEA funds in the event of a district withdrawal or the dissolution of a cooperative.  Informational memos from SASED April and May Board materials are provided.  The essence of the issue is that IDEA monies retained at a cooperative must remain district funds for the provision of FAPE for the district students with disabilities.  Therefore in the Articles of Agreement, a cooperative’s procedures for member district withdrawal cannot include a “forfeiture clause” that requires a district to leave unexpended IDEA funds with the cooperative.  A review of SASED’s Articles of Agreement, it was confirmed that they did contain such forfeiture language. While the rewriting of the affected sections was a standard process that was led by SASED's legal firm, the complication has been that it is also the state’s expectation that a cooperative prove its articles are, or will be revised before ISBE will approve its FY16 IDEA grant. SASED typically targets the end of May or beginning of June, for its grant submission so that funds can begin to be expended by July 1st.  The recent SASED Board action was therefore necessary to show intent to the ISBE, but now we need our member districts to ratify the amended agreement during the month of June.  The Articles of Agreement and the recommended Resolution for the Board of Education are attached.

Recommendation:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve the SASED resolution as presented.

Description:  Over the past few months the District has reviewed this year's pilot of Learning Never Stops in grades 1, 4, and 7.  As a result of staff and parent feedback, we have completely revised board policy 6:235 and the accompanying exhibit.  These documents are presented to the Board for a first reading on June 11.

Additionally, the key concepts related to appropriate use of mobile computing devices and the necessary monitoring of such devices, will be presented to each parent and student prior to students receiving a device in the 2015-16 school year.

Description:  The Gifted Task Force has worked over the past year to ensure the appropriate educational supports for our students who are gifted exist within the standard school day.  We believe this has been accomplished, with the exception of a final approval of the job description of a Gifted Coordinator.  

With respect to the former Project Challenge program, the District continues to support the concept of an after-school enrichment program.  Activities such as Project Challenge have always been a part of the "Teacher Extra Duty Assignments" portion of the CCEA collective bargaining agreement. For an enrichment program similar to what used to be Project Challenge to continue, a teacher(s) would need to submit a proposal to the Steering Committee for consideration.  

Description:  The Board may enter into executive session for the purpose of the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body 5ILCS120/2(c)(1) and collective negotiating matters 5ILCS120/2(c)(2).