MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF MARTINSVILLE

 

            The Board of School Trustees of the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville met in regular session on Thursday, April 19, 2007, in the Administration Office.  Members present were Kenny Costin, Stephen Hardin, Charles Sampson, Mary Lou Thomas, and Randy Wells.  Also in attendance were Dr. Ron Furniss, Superintendent; Randy Taylor, Assistant Superintendent of Business; Dr. Jerry Sanders, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction; Adam Jaskiewicz; Tim Garver; Angel McCartney; and Scott McCartney.

 

            The meeting was called to order by President Wells at 7:30 p.m.  He asked the audience to join the members of the Board of School Trustees in the Pledge of Allegiance.     

 

50001:07          PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 

 

50002:07          APPROVAL OF REGULAR BOARD MINUTES  

 

There were no additions or corrections to the minutes of the March 15, 2007 meeting, so they were approved as mailed.

 

 

50003.07          VISITOR REQUEST TO COMMENT ON BOARD ITEMS

 

None at this meeting.

 

 

50004.07          COMMUNICATIONS

 

1.         Consideration of a Request to Approve Overnight and/or Out-of-State Field Trips

 

A.               Retroactive:  German exchange students and the German Club of Martinsville High School to Chicago, IL on Saturday, April 14th.  The group will leave MHS at 7:00 a.m. and return at approximately 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning.  Students will be chaperoned by parents, two German teachers accompanying the German exchange students, and club sponsor Ms. Debbie Burden.   

 

B.               The Academic Decathlon Team of Martinsville High School to Honolulu, Hawaii from Friday, April 20th to Monday, April 30th to compete in the United States Academic Decathlon National Championship.  Students will be chaperoned by Wayne and Jenny Babbitt.

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves the requests for overnight and out-of-state field trips for Martinsville High School’s German exchange students and German Club and Martinsville High School’s Academic Decathlon Team as recommended.

 

                                    Moved, Hardin                           Seconded, Thomas

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

 

50005.07          TREASURER’S REPORT         

 

1.         Consideration of Payroll Claims

 

A.               Claims for the payroll periods ending March 16, 2007 in the amount of $689,186.89; March 16, 2007 void amount of -$473.11; March 16, 2007 reissue of $242.88; March 30, 2007 in the amount of $743,826.89; and April 13, 2007 in the amount of $633,950.89.

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves the payroll claims as submitted.

 

                                    Moved,  Thomas             Seconded, Hardin

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

B.         Claims for contract drivers were submitted for pay period ending March 16, 2007 in the amount of $45,428.00; March 30, 2007 in the amount of $22,714.00; and April 13, 2007 in the amount of $45,977.10. 

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of School Trustees approves the contract driver claims as submitted.

 

                                    Moved,  Sampson                      Seconded, Thomas

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

2.         Consideration of Budgetary Claims

 

A.        There were 600 budgetary claims submitted for approval.

                                    Contracted Services                              $406,790.85      29.62%

                                    Insurance

                                      -Health, Dental, Life, Disability              $318,240.60      23.18%

                                      -Liability, Vehicles, Workmen's Comp   $117,325.27      8.54%

                                    Pension Bonds – VEBA contributions      $35,781.40        2.61%

                                    Bond Payment/Lease Rental                   $0                    0%

                                    Utilities                                                  $148,899.72      10.84%

                                    Fund Transfers                                      $109,083.00      7.94%                                                                           All Other (supplies/equipment, etc.)         $237,040.94            17.26%

                                    Total                                                    $1,373,161.78

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of School Trustees approves the budgetary claims as submitted.

 

                                    Moved, Hardin                           Seconded, Thomas       

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

50006.07          AUDIENCE

 

None at this meeting.

 

 

50007.07          SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

 

A.         Policy Action

 

B.         Personnel Action

 

1.               Request to accept certified staff resignations and/or retirements

 

a.            Resignation:  Mary Louise Maas, as a science teacher at Martinsville High School.

b.            Resignation:  Melanie Sheets, as a language arts teacher at Martinsville High School.

c.            Resignation:  Dave McDougal, as a science teacher at Martinsville High School.

d.            Resignation:  Erin Wolff, as a math teacher at Martinsville High School.

e.            Resignation:  Marci Casselo, as a speech and language pathologist at Smith and Poston Road    Elementary Schools.

f.             Retirement:  Mike McClanahan, after teaching Science at Martinsville High School for 33 years.

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves the resignations of Mary Louise Maas, Melanie Sheets, Dave McDougal, Erin Wolff, and Marci Casselo and the retirement of Mike McClanahan as recommended.

 

                                    Moved, Sampson                       Seconded, Costin

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

                       

 

2.         Request to employ certified staff

 

a.                Edward Allanson as an art teacher at West Middle School.  Mr. Allanson is a Dean’s List graduate of Indiana University with a degree in visual arts education and this will be his first teaching position.  He is recommended by West Middle School principal, Mrs. Suzie Lipps.

 

b.                Kip Staggs as Assistant Principal at East Middle School.  Mr. Staggs has been teaching at Martinsville High School for 12 years, with 15 years teaching experience overall.  He is recommended by East Middle School principal, Mr. Eric Bowlen.

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves the employment of Edward Allanson and Kip Staggs as recommended.

 

                                    Moved, Hardin                           Seconded, Thomas

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

C.         Reports

           

1.                Curriculum Moment

 

Dr. Sanders gave grant updates on the following four grants:  Countdown to Kindergarten, Early Literacy Intervention, Serve and Learn and Teaching American History.

 

Countdown to Kindergarten

  • Source of Funding: Kendrick Foundation, McKinney-Vento, and four Morgan County School Corporations.
  • The Board of Directors began the planning process in a meeting on March 22nd.
  • Posted the position for the Countdown to Kindergarten Director on March 26th.
  • The next Planning Meeting will be on May 16th.
  • Estimated Timeline: 
    • Present until August, 2007:  Continue the planning process
    • August, 2007:  Begin the implementation of Countdown to Kindergarten.

 

Early Literacy Intervention Grants

  • Central Elementary School
    • Voyager, DIBELS, Intervention Aide
    • Implementation of the Program:
      • Students are divided into small groups based on DIBELS data.
      • The small group orally reads a daily story together.
      • Students retell the story.
      • In pairs, partners read the story for one minute and mark where they stopped.
      • The teacher or aide works with the students on vocabulary and word sounds.
      • At risk K-2 students are receiving the following instruction or intervention in Reading:
        • 30 minutes of regular classroom  Reading instruction
        • 30 minutes of Title I Reading Intervention
        • 30 minutes of Voyager Reading Intervention

§        Teacher Progress Monitor their students to check for improvement.

 

  • Smith Elementary School
    • Phonics for Intervention, DIBELS, Intervention Aide
    • Implementation of the Program:
      • Teachers, aides, and the principal participate in a collaborative meeting once a month to divide K-2 students into small groups based on DIBELS data.
      • Students meet in their groups in the last 30 minutes of each day.
      • Based on the specific need of the students in a group, the teacher or aide will work through a “Benchmark” Packet with the students.

§        Teacher Progress Monitor their students to check for improvement.

 

 

 

 

Serve and Learn Grant

  • Smith Elementary School
    • Project Title: Literacy in the Community
    • Teacher: Lesley White
    • Project Description:  The kindergarten students will make class books. Students will be recorded via audiotape as they read the books.  Packets that will include the books, the CDs and a CD player will be delivered to businesses, the offices of participating physicians, and at the Wellsprings Homeless Shelter.   

 

  • East Middle School
    • Project Title: Victory Park
    • Teachers:  Rochelle Racy and Marla Scherle
    • Project Description:  East Middle School students will work with the community to re-establish Victory Park, a memorial to World War II Veterans.  Students will utilize Language Arts and Science skills throughout the project.

 

Teaching American History Grant

  • An average of 47 teachers have attended each of the three seminars conducted to date.  One more is scheduled for April 27th.
    • Subjects have included First Contact with American Indians, Slavery, and Colonial Life.  The last one will be on the American Revolution.
  • An average of 15 teachers will be participating in each of the summer seminars
  • Five teachers and I visited the Polis Center on the campus of IUPUI to begin the development of a website that will be an extensive resource for our teachers for many years.
  • Six teachers will be going to Boston in July to visit historical Colonial Sites.  The teachers will receive behind the scene tours where they will be able to take pictures, video, and talk to historians.  The teachers will also be able to bring back many valuable resources.

 

 

2.                Attendance Report

 

Dr. Furniss presented the Elementary Third Nine-Weeks Attendance Report (Jan. 16, 2007 – March 23, 2007).  All elementary schools had a combined attendance rate of 94.71%.

 

 

3.                Financial Savings for the M.S.D. due to Energy Savings Contract

 

Tim Garver, of Siemens Corporation, stated that in 1997 the MSD of Martinsville and Siemens Corporation entered into an Energy Savings Contract for thirteen buildings.  The thirteen buildings involved were Brooklyn, Centerton, Central, East, Green, Martinsville High School, North, Paragon, Poston, Transportation, West, Smith, and South.  Over the past ten years the average yearly energy savings has been $113,600.     

 

4.                M.S.D. Tributes

 

a.                Congratulations to Jordan Krulik of Martinsville High School who was named an “All American” wrestler by the American Wrestling Coaches Association.

 

b.                Congratulations to Martinsville High School’s ‘Artesian Drumline’ for earning second place in their state competition, ISMA.

 

c.                Congratulations to Molly Burpo, Whitney Newman, Kristen Utley, and Courtney Abshire for being chosen as delegates to this summer’s Hoosier Girls State and to Amanda Schoolcraft, Rebecca Johnstone, Erin Wright, and Megan Potoroff for being named alternates.

 

d.                Congratulations to the Food Service Department for being chosen as 1 of 25 school corporations in the United States named “Trend Setters in Food Service” by the School Nutrition Association. 

 

50008.07          OTHER BUSINESS

 

1.                Request to approve a 40’-50’ utility easement along the extreme northern boundary of Brooklyn Elementary School from the road to the creek for the installation of a 36” drainage pipe.  The pipe will be installed this summer and the land will be restored to its previous condition prior to the start of the school year in August.

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves easement at Brooklyn Elementary School as recommended.

 

                                    Moved, Hardin                           Seconded, Thomas

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

2.                Request to approve Resolution 270 adjusting the Capital Projects Fund Plan by transferring $50,000 in appropriations from the corporation rental line item to the technology equipment line item.

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves Resolution 270 as submitted.

 

                                    Moved,  Hardin                          Seconded, Costin

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

3.                Request to approve Resolution 271 reducing appropriations in designated funds by cutting appropriations in the last six months of the calendar year budget of 2006 or the twelve months of the 2007 calendar year budget.

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves Resolution 271 as submitted.

 

                                    Moved,  Thomas             Seconded, Sampson

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

4.              Request to approve the adoption of textbook reading series of Houghton Mifflin for elementary students and Prentice Hall for middle school students.                              

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves the textbook adoption as submitted.

 

                                    Moved,  Hardin                          Seconded, Thomas

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

 

5.              Request to approve a two-year pilot program at Martinsville High School requiring the completion of assigned homework for the purpose of improving student learning.                           

 

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees approves the pilot program for the completion of homework at Martinsville High School as submitted.

 

                                    Moved,  Hardin                          Seconded, Sampson

                                    Ayes - 5                                    Nays – 0

                

 

50009.07          BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA

 

None at this meeting.

 

 

500010.07         ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business to be considered, the Board of School Trustees does hereby adjourn the April 19, 2007 meeting at 8:20 p.m.  

 

The next regular meeting of the Board of School Trustees of the M.S.D. of Martinsville will be held Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.