April 5, 2011

A Special Meeting of the Elementary and High School Board of Trustees was held on April 5, 2011 in the Choteau High School Library. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Mark Henderson.

Members Present: Mark Henderson, Brodie Gollehon, Kirk Moore, Ron Daley, Mark Salmond, and Jerry Stott (arrived late at 7:35 p.m.).

Members Absent: Jonathan Stoltz.

Visitors: Choteau Acantha Editor Melody Martinsen; Teton County Sheriff Keith VanSetten; Attorney Justin Lee; and District Patrons Shanun and Jamie Rammell.

HEARING TO APPEAL ADMINSTRATIVE ACTION Chairman Mark Henderson announced that the first item on the agenda involves individual privacy. Chairman Henderson asked Shanun and Jamie Rammell if they wished to waive their right to privacy and hold the hearing regarding an appeal of administrative action taken in an open meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Rammell did not wish to waive their right of privacy so Chairman Henderson declared that the meeting would be closed to consider this appeal of an administrative action, as the demand for individual privacy clearly outweighs the merits of public disclosure.

Mr. and Mrs. Rammell, the Board, Supt. St. John, and Clerk Davis went into executive session at 7:35 p.m., with Trustee Kirk Moore being excused because of a conflict of interest. Supt. St. John requested that Clerk Davis take notes of the hearing in closed session, collect any exhibits provided during the hearing, and attach this information to the minutes of this meeting in a sealed envelope in the event this information is needed for reference in legal proceedings. After hearing the appeal of an administrative action, Chairman Henderson opened the meeting again for regular business at 8:15 p.m.

Chairman Mark Henderson informed the Board that after hearing from both sides on the appeal of an administrative action, the Board now must decide to approve, dismiss, or amend the administrative action taken. A motion was made by Mark Salmond and seconded by Brodie Gollehon to support the administrative action taken regarding the incident under appeal. Discussion was called for and Newly Appointed Trustee Jerry Stott questioned how he as a Board member was to weigh the conflicting statements between an adult and a student. Supt. St. John said this was a very question and should be completely settled in the mind of each Trustee before Board action is taken.

Chairman Mark Henderson declared that the meeting would be closed once again to discuss this matter further in executive session as the demand for individual privacy clearly outweighs the merits of public disclosure. After further discussion, Chairman Henderson opened the meeting again for regular business at 8:32 p.m.

Chairman Henderson reminded the Board that a motion was made by Mark Salmond and seconded by Brodie Gollehon to support the administrative action taken regarding the incident under appeal and called for a vote on this motion. The motion carried unanimously (1 absent).

HEARING TO CONSIDER STUDENT DISCIPLINE ACTION Chairman Mark Henderson announced that the next item on the agenda also involves individual privacy. Chairman Mark Henderson declared that the meeting would be closed to consider a student discipline matter, as the demand for individual privacy clearly outweighs the merits of public disclosure. The Board went into executive session to conduct a student discipline hearing with the administration, the student’s grandparents, the student’s legal representatives, a Teton County social worker, the Teton County Sheriff, and a probation officer at 8:40 p.m. After conducting the student discipline hearing, Chairman Henderson opened the meeting again for regular business at 9:05 p.m.

A motion was made by Mark Salmond, seconded by Kirk Moore and unanimously carried (1 absent) to follow the social services order for disciplinary action pertaining to this student, which includes placing the student outside of the District for the remainder of the 2010-2011 school year. The administration will not consider re-enrollment of the student until the fall of 2011 and re-enrollment will only be considered if the following stipulations have been met:

A) A sign off will be required by an anger management counselor, the Helena Public Schools being the district of placement, and the social services that the student has fulfilled all areas of the said disciplinary action; and

B) A signed behavioral contract will be required of the student for the remainder of the student’s attendance at the Choteau Public Schools.

CONSIDER VOTED LEVY REQUEST Supt. St. John reminded the Board that he has been advocating not having a voted levy request, but upon further reflection feels the Board may want to reconsider this position in light of the current status of school funding in the legislature. Supt. St. John and Clerk Davis noted that the educational community was quite optimistic that there would be additional educational funding with the democratic governor and a republican senator proposing comparable increases (our best case scenario), but since both of these proposals have been killed most schools are reverting to OPI’s March 1st preliminary budget data sheets (our worse case scenario). This information was generated without any increase, but actually a 2% cut because of the ARRA funding, in the basic and per pupil entitlements.

Supt. St. John reminded the Board that the election resolution calls for the trustee election as well as a voted levy election if necessary to be held on May 3rd and authorizes Clerk Davis to cancel all or any part of this election if an election is not necessary. At this point in time there is not a contested trustee race as only the incumbents have filed for the open seats, but April 7th is the deadline to file an intent to be a write-in candidate. If such an intent was indeed filed, there would be a contested race and the trustee election would need to be held; but if such an intent is not filed, there is no need for a trustee election and it can be cancelled and the incumbent elected by acclamation. Supt. St. John and Clerk Davis informed the Board that if there is indeed a contested race because of a write-in candidate, they believe an elementary voted levy in an amount that would keep the current budget authority should be placed on the ballot just in case the District is faced with the worse case scenario. If there is not a contested trustee race and school funding is still unknown this levy could still be placed on the ballot and an election held on the usual school election date in May, but Supt. St. John would recommend canceling the May 3rd election in this situation. This course of action will give the District time to learn more about what the legislature has in store for educational funding and as it is a legislative year, the Board does not have to conduct a voted levy election on the regular election date but can postpone it for a later date. For example the Board could pass a resolution to conduct a voted levy election at the May 13th Regular Board Meeting and the first date such an election could be held would be June 22nd, 40 days after passage of the resolution.

The Board and administration discussed these various scenarios and impacts on the District. Clerk Davis distributed a voted levy proposal worksheet, outlining the proposed elementary voted levy amount, a copy of which is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

A motion was made by Kirk Moore, seconded by Brodie Gollehon and unanimously carried to authorize District Clerk/Business Manager Gloria Davis to place a voted levy of $55,130.95 and being approximately 10.29 mills on the elementary ballot, contingent upon there being a contested trustee race and there being a need to hold the annual trustee election on May 3, 2011. The Board further directed Clerk Davis to cancel all parts of the May 3rd election if there is not a contested race.

There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

ATTEST: _____________________ CLERK _________________________ CHAIRMAN