December 10, 2009

The December regular meeting of the Elementary and High School District No. 1 Board of Trustees was held on December 10, 2009 in the Choteau Elementary Music Classroom. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Chairman Kirk Moore.

Members Present: Kirk Moore, Brodie Gollehon, Mark Salmond, Perri Lindgren, Jonathan Stoltz, Sharon Rice, and Mark Henderson.

Members Absent: None.

Supt. St. John, Elementary Principal Gameon, High School Principal Achenbach, and Clerk Davis were present throughout the meeting.

A motion was made by Perri Lindgren, seconded by Mark Henderson and unanimously carried to approve the elementary minutes of the November 10, 2009 regular meeting and December 8, 2009 work session as written.

A motion was made by Brodie Gollehon, seconded by Mark Salmond and unanimously carried to approve the high school minutes of the November 10, 2009 regular meeting and December 8, 2009 work session as written.

Visitors: Choteau Acantha Editor Melody Martinsen; Altacare Therapist Aaron Skaggs; District Patrons Cliff Heuscher, Sally Heuscher, and Katie Vandolah; and Teachers Jennifer Birnel and Gary Betcher.

High School Biology Teacher Gary Betcher was present to formally thank the Board for allowing him to attend the National Science Conference in Denver, Colorado in November as a result of being named Montana’s Biology Teacher of the Year last spring. Mr. Betcher informed the Board that attending such a national conference was an amazing experience and he left the conference with a number of good contacts and resources.

A motion was made by Perri Lindgren, seconded by Mark Henderson and unanimously carried to approve the elementary claims clearing warrants #15353-#15440 and payroll clearing warrants #19791-#19917 for payment. A vendor list for claims is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

A motion was made by Jonathan Stoltz, seconded by Brodie Gollehon and unanimously carried to approve the high school claims clearing warrants #15353-#15440 and payroll clearing warrants #19791-#19917 for payment. A vendor list for claims is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

Correspondence:

A) The Board received a copy of a communication from the Office of Public Instruction approving their petition to request permission to adopt a budget amendment due to an unanticipated enrollment increase. Approval of this petition enables the District to proceed with the budget amendment process with includes posting the proclamation of intent to adopt a budget amendment prior to taking public input and holding a budget hearing before the Board formally considers adopting the proposed budget amendment. A copy of this communication is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

B) Supt. St. John shared a Thank You with the Board from the Choteau Seventh Day Adventist Church thanking the District for the use of the auditorium this fall to present a series of presentations for the community and surrounding area on such topics as healthy living and parenting practices.

C) Supt. St. John shared an e-mail from the Montana High School Association commending the efforts, sportsmanship and kindness of the Choteau High School football players, coaches and administration. This commendation came after one of the officials at the first round play-off game between Choteau and Glasgow wrote MHSA to inform them of the Choteau captains presenting a signed football in a beautiful case to the Glasgow captains during the pre-game coin toss in a moving display of human concern and compassion upon learning that a Glasgow player had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

PRINCIPALS’ REPORTS High School Principal Nate Achenbach reported to the Board on the following matters:

A) High School Principal Achenbach informed the Board that the approximately $23,000 in Quality Schools Deferred Maintenance ARRA Stimulus funds have been used to purchase new tables, chairs, and whiteboards in the majority of the high school classrooms and to install new countertops and a roll down window in the high school office.

B) High School Principal Achenbach informed the Board that Dr. Patrick Haggarty had done a survey to determine the top 30 schools for the four year period of 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 based on the percentage of students scoring at the advanced and proficient levels on the CRT tests during this period and discovered only 8 schools finished in the top 30 for these four consecutive years, with Choteau High School being one of the top 8 schools. High School Principal Achenbach further noted that Dr. Haggarty’s survey also indicated that Choteau High School ranked 2nd in the top 10 based on the average CRT test score for 2008.

C) High School Principal Achenbach informed the Board that a local health committee comprised of himself, Dr. Tim Sinton, Dr. Carolynn Moore, Teton County Health Nurse Lora Wier, Health Teacher Randy Gramm, and Youth Enhancement Services Representative Leslie Kesler have met three times to date to address such issues as how best to provide students instruction on sexuality and sex education. High School Principal Achenbach informed the Board that research shows that the school setting is at the bottom, whereas parents and the family are at the top, for providing students with the education that they listen to regarding these issues; so the committee is looking into ways to change the curriculum and also provide parents with opportunities to learn the necessary skills to provide their children and the students with meaningful education on these topics.

D) High School Principal Achenbach informed the Board that for the past several years the students have had a talent show or a quiz bowl in the afternoon before the Christmas break, but this year the Student Council and FCCLA are providing the travel expenses for Richard Guerry, the Director of the Institute for Responsible Internet and Cell Phone Usage, to present an assembly from 1-2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 18th. High School Principal Achenbach noted that providing another assembly on this topic has been student driven as members of FCCLA heard Mr. Guerry at a recent meeting in Sunburst and found him to be a dynamic speaker that kids identify with and actually hear and learn the message of responsible Internet and cell phone usage.

E) High School Principal Achenbach informed the Board that he has verbal commitments from Citizen’s State Bank, Three Rivers Communications, and Sun River Electric to be corporate sponsors and provide the funding necessary over a period of years to purchase new high end wireless scoreboards at an approximate cost of $26,000 for the high school gymnasium. High School Principal further informed the Board that since the new high school scoreboards are a definite go, he has begun looking for the funding to purchase new low end or basic wireless scoreboards at an approximate cost of $15,000 for the elementary gymnasium. High School Principal Achenbach stated that he believes he is well on his way for this project also being a go, by securing smaller donations and more sponsors from local businesses.

Elementary Principal Chuck Gameon reported to the Board on the following matters:

A) Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that there was 91% attendance the evenings of K-6 Parent-Teacher Conferences last week, with 98% attendance achieved with parental contact the rest of the week and the remaining 2% will also be contacted.

B) Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that the K-6 Christmas program will be held on Thursday, December 17th at 1:30 and 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium and the Elementary Open House will be held at 5:30 p.m.

C) Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that the K-6 elementary students raised $6,000 – the most ever - through their cookie dough sale fundraiser and these funds will go towards the purchase of new playground equipment. Elementary Principal Gameon noted that PIKE will again hold a Winter Carnival in January as another fundraiser for new playground equipment.

D) Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that the elementary school is conducting a food drive right now to provide food to the local food bank to replenish their stock after the holidays. Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that Elementary Counselor Shelly Johnson also spearheaded a project to gather donations of toys and other needed items for the Great Falls Rescue Mission and there has been a great response from the students, with several boxes already filled with a variety of donations for this cause.

E) Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that the cabinets in the elementary classrooms are original dating back to the 1950’s and they really need to be updated and improved. Elementary Principal Gameon informed the Board that he has a rough estimate from Modern Cabinet Company of $7,085 per classroom to replace and remodel the cabinets, shelving, and counter areas not including the sink and faucets. Elementary Principal Gameon noted that it would be cost prohibitive to do all the classrooms at one time but would like to begin the project and do a few at a time over a period of years.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT A copy of the Superintendent’s Report provided to the Board by Supt. St. John is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

A) Supt. St. John reviewed his report with the Board at this time.

B) Supt. St. John introduced Aaron Skaggs, the licensed therapist with Altacare, to the Board and provided the Board with a copy of the brochure developed by Altacare that outlines their services. A copy of this brochure is attached to the minutes of this meeting. Mr. Skaggs addressed the Board stating that he and his wife like being in Choteau and respect the involvement of the administration and staff in the lives of the District’s students outside of the classroom. Mr. Skaggs informed the Board that the program is serving 7 students at this time, with 2 more to be served in the near future and noted that parents of several other students are also utilizing other areas of their program.

C) Supt. St. John provided the Board with handouts regarding a Safe Routes program that the City and the Elementary School are jointly looking into implementing.

D) Supt. St. John provided the Board with an outline of how the additional competitive Quality School Stimulus Planning Grants will be awarded, noting that the District will be pursuing some of this additional ARRA Stimulus funding to revamp the kitchen area for safety reasons, replace the elementary boiler in the west wing and possibly purchase a security camera system, but the proposed air quality project was determined not to be feasible and has been dropped.

E) Supt. St. John provided the Board with a recent press release outlining that the Montana Quality Education Coalition has selected a new Executive Director and the Coalition is looking forward to engaging a diverse group of Montana citizens interested in sustaining quality schools. Supt. St. John informed the Board that he will continue to monitor the new direction that MQEC is heading, which is implementing policy changes rather than filing lawsuits, to determine if the administration and District should once again become actively involved with the Coalition.

F) Supt. St. John provided the Board with another press release that indicated a director has been hired for the Montana Virtual Academy and online distance-learning opportunities and high school classes will be delivered at the start of the 2010-2011 school year.

POLICY

Third Reading and Adoption of New Policy #3235 The Board held the third reading of new policy #3235 on video surveillance with the additional language changes as provided by the MTSBA policy and legal advisors last month. Supt. St. John noted that these language changes were recommended to cover the possibility of a live feed security system, noting that such as system would only be purchased if the District received a grant to do so. Supt. St. John informed the Board that currently the administration is just considering security cameras for the multipurpose building because of the open community access to that facility and the route busses as a deterrent to misbehavior. The Board discussed the ramifications of this policy as written and questioned if the administration would consult with the Board before installing such security cameras anywhere, with the administration assuring the Board that they most definitely would.

A motion was made by Mark Henderson and seconded by Jonathan Stoltz to adopt new policy #3235 on video surveillance as read. Discussion of the motion on the floor was called for with Trustee Sharon Rice repeatedly requesting language in the policy that would restrict who can view a live stream from a security camera system. Such a language change was debated with both Chairman Kirk Moore and Trustee Mark Henderson stating that the administrative staff is professional and would act as such and not misuse any video surveillance recordings. After further discussion regarding this matter, Chairman Kirk Moore called for a vote of the motion on the floor. Trustees voting for the motion to adopt new policy #3235 on video surveillance as read were: Mark Henderson, Jonathan Stoltz, Kirk Moore, Perri Lindgren, Mark Salmond, and Brodie Gollehon. Trustees voting against this motion were: Sharon Rice. The motion carried with a 6 to 1 vote. A copy of new policy #3235 as adopted is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

Third Reading and Adoption of Revised Policy #3310 The Board held the third reading of a revision to the gun free schools portion of the student discipline policy #3310, that would permit and authorize the Superintendent to modify the disciplinary action on a case by case basis for any student who uses, possesses, controls, or transfers a firearm as allowed by 20-5-202, MCA. The Board discussed this proposed revision at length during the second reading at the November Board Meeting, with this discussion leading to the addition of language that requires the administration to notify the Board of any such incident and the disciplinary action taken.

A motion was made by Perri Lindgren and seconded by Mark Henderson to adopt the revision to the gun free schools portion of the student discipline policy #3310 as read. Trustees voting for this motion were: Perri Lindgren, Mark Henderson, Jonathan Stoltz, Kirk Moore, Mark Salmond, and Brodie Gollehon. Trustees voting against this motion were: Sharon Rice. The motion carried with a 6 to 1 vote. A copy of revised policy #3110 as adopted is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION The Board took this opportunity to review the Superintendent’s Evaluation that they compiled at the December 8, 2009 work session with Supt. St. John. Chairman Kirk Moore informed Supt. St. John that the Board feels that his job performance has improved, that he has stepped and is doing a good job but want to see continued improvement in all areas of his job performance.

PERSONNEL

Approve Employment of Elementary Assistant Wrestling Coach Supt. St. John reminded the Board that Bob Scott had resigned as the Elementary Assistant Wrestling Coach and been assigned as the High School Wrestling Coach to replace Robert McKay, who resigned that position. Supt. St. John informed the Board that this opening had been advertised, the administration had interviewed Andy Passmore for the open coaching position and would recommend he be employed.

A motion was made by Mark Henderson, seconded by Perri Lindgren and unanimously carried to accept the administrations’ recommendation and employ Andy Passmore as the Elementary Assistant Wrestling Coach for the 2009-10 school year.

Approve Employment of High School 2nd Assistant Track Coach Supt. St. John reminded the Board that language was added to the Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows the employment of a 2nd Assistant Track Coach at a stipend of $1,000 if there are over 30 track participants. Supt. St. John informed the Board that there is every indication that there will be over 30 track participants so the administration advertised this position and past Track Coach Randy Gramm has expressed an interest in such a position.

A motion was made by Jonathan Stoltz, seconded by Mark Henderson and unanimously carried to accept the administrations’ recommendation and assign Randy Gramm as the High School 2nd Assistant Track Coach for the 2009-10 school year contingent upon the criteria cited in the Collective Bargaining Agreement being met.

RESOLUTION TO STOP PAYMENT AND ISSUE DUPLICATE WARRANT A motion was made by Mark Salmond, seconded by Jonathan Stoltz and unanimously carried to pass a resolution to stop payment on payroll clearing warrant #19802 issued 11/20/09 to Sally R. Lee in the amount of $2,547.79 for the November payroll as it has been lost and issue a duplicate warrant for said amount. Clerk Davis noted that an indemnity bond has been completed.

ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF AND APPROVE DEPOSIT OF CHECKS A motion was made by Mark Salmond, seconded by Mark Henderson and unanimously carried to acknowledge receipt of and approve depositing the following checks in the appropriate funds.

1) Montana DPHHS warrant #01739289 in the amount of $303.89, warrant #01740707 in the amount of $778.67, and warrant #01742311 in the amount of $645.74 for a total of $1,728.30 for Altacare Medicaid services, to be deposited in the Elementary Miscellaneous Federal Fund.

2) Schwan’s Food Service check #229259 in the amount of $42.41 and check #231217 in the amount of $2.94 for a total of $45.35 for rebates, to be deposited in the Elementary Lunch Fund.

3) Allegiance Benefit Plan Management check #131225 in the amount of $11.57 for the Flex Plan forfeiture, to be deposited in the Elementary Trust Fund.

4) Dupuyer School District #2 check #7803 in the amount of $20.89 to replace a lost

library book, to be deposited in the Elementary Miscellaneous Federal Fund.

Clerk Davis informed the Board that the Montana DPHHS warrants for the Altacare Medicaid services would be coming in regularly and she in turn must write a District warrant to pay Altacare for these services within several days of receiving a billing, so requested that the Board authorize her to directly deposit all future Montana DPHHS Altacare Medicaid services payment into the Elementary Miscellaneous Federal Fund at this time.

A motion was made by Perri Lindgren, seconded by Brodie Gollehon and unanimously carried to authorize Clerk Davis to automatically deposit all DPHHS Medicaid services checks directly into the Elementary Miscellaneous Federal Fund so that the District can pay Altacare for these services on a timely basis.

CLERK/BUSINESS MANAGER’S REPORT Clerk Davis reported to the Board on the following matters:

A) Clerk Davis informed the Board that the Teton County Treasurer, on behalf of the Teton Investment Committee, had invested $500,000 for 365 days from 11/19/09 in a certificate of deposit with 1st National Bank of Fairfield at 1.95%.

B) Clerk Davis informed the Board that the high school girls basketball program has 22 participants that will be playing a full 3 game schedule; and since no one applied or was hired as an additional 3rd team or “C” coach, an additional stipend of $600 will be paid to Assistant Coach Megan Grossman as directed by Head Coach John Shepherd in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT Supt. St. John took this opportunity to wrap up the meeting by encouraging the entire Board to take advantage of this opportunity to observe every classroom, noting that the staff and students are expecting them, and to eat lunch with the students in the cafeteria.

SCHEDULE NEXT REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING The next Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Choteau High School Library.

There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 10:35 a.m.

ATTEST: _______________________ CLERK _________________________ CHAIRMAN