2008-05-08
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING--MAY 8, 2008
President John Knodel called the meeting to order at 8:03 p.m. in the St. Francis High School library on the above date with all members present except Bruce Feikert and Mary Beth Miller. Mrs. Miller arrived later in the evening. Also present were Robin Petersen and Ruth Milliken (Kids Voting Kansas presentation) and Greg Vahrenberg (bond election presentation).
Superintendent Schiltz requested that Agenda item 6d, discussion
of Kids Voting Kansas program, be moved to follow the Consent
Calendar. Bonnie Zweygardt moved to approve the agenda with this
change in the order of items; the motion was seconded by Kelly
Gienger and carried.
The Board reviewed and discussed the items on the consent calendar.
A motion was then made by Bonnie Zweygardt, seconded by Sherry
Weeks, and carried to approve the consent calendar, including the
following items: 1) The minutes of the regular meeting on April 11,
2008. 2) The list of bills being paid on checks numbering 8076-8168
on BankWest and numbering 5173-5224 on First National Bank for a
total of $260,866.52. 3) The Cash Summary Report (including three
transfers: $3,559.76 from the Supplemental General Fund to the
Vocational Education Fund; $6,610.29 from the General Fund to the
At-Risk Fund; and $26,992 from the General Fund to the Special
Education Fund), and the Grade School and High School Activity Fund
Reports––all as of April 30, 2008.
Under Audiences, Robin Petersen was present to express her
appreciation to Mr. Schiltz and School Board Members for allowing
her to teach this year’s drafting students.
Robin Petersen then continued with her presentation to the Board
about a program called Kids Voting Kansas. The St. Francis Schools
participated in this program during the 2004 election-year.
Following Robin’s presentation, Sherry Weeks moved to pass a
resolution endorsing district participation in this program for the
2008-2009 school year. The motion was seconded by Kelly Gienger and
carried.
The Scholarship Committee (Scott Carmichael, Rob Schiltz, Sherry
Weeks and Bonnie Zweygardt) reported that they had met and made the
recommended selections for one 2008 Alice Gillispie Academic
Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 (non-renewable) and for eight
2008 Walter and Lucille Stephenson Memorial Scholarships (seven in
the amount of $500 each and one in the amount of $600––all
non-renewable). Kelly Gienger moved, Bonnie Zweygardt seconded, and
it carried to approve the list of nine recommended scholarship
recipients; the names of the recipients will be kept confidential
until they are announced at High School Commencement on May 18,
2008.
Under old business, the Board and administration again turned to the proposed new gymnasium project. Greg Vahrenberg, Managing Director of Piper Jaffray (underwriters and financial advisors of bond issues for school districts in Kansas), was present to discuss the procedures involved in taking the new gym project to the point of a bond election. Following discussion, it was Board consensus to table this item until the next regular Board meeting in June.
Review and discussion was also held concerning several other
current and planned school projects.
A letter of resignation had been received from Ted Busse, resigning
from his head high school girls’ basketball coaching position.
Sherry Weeks moved, Mary Beth Miller seconded, and it carried to
accept this resignation.
The administration recommended that the Board approve a contract
for Dennis Friedrichs to be the industrial technology teacher,
grades 7-12, and high school physics teacher, beginning with the
2008-2009 school year. Mr. Friedrichs will be retiring from the
Goodland school district at the completion of his 2007-08 contract.
Following discussion, Kelly Gienger moved to approve this contract;
the motion was seconded by Pete Raile and carried.
The Board was informed that 2008-2009 contracts from 28 licensed
personnel had been signed and returned for the Board’s signature.
Bonnie Zweygardt moved, Sherry Weeks seconded, and it carried to
approve these contracts for signature.
The Board next considered non-licensed staffing for 2008-2009. A list of non-licensed personnel and their current positions was reviewed and discussed. Following discussion, Kelly Gienger moved to offer contracts for 2008-2009 to all non-licensed personnel who have not resigned; the motion was seconded by Bonnie Zweygardt and carried.
Administrators’ contracts were next considered. Following brief discussion, Mary Beth Miller made a motion to offer two-year contracts (2008-2009, and 2009-2010 school terms) to the two administrators. The motion was seconded by Bonnie Zweygardt and carried.
The school’s Title I program was briefly reviewed. Mary Beth Miller then moved to approve the administration’s recommendation that the Title I program be continued in grades K-6 for the 2008-2009 school year with the employment of one certified teacher. The motion was seconded by Bonnie Zweygardt and carried.
Plans for summer programs in 2008 were briefly reviewed: Shirley
Swihart and Tammy Grice will teach in the grade school summer
school program; in addition, the summer weightlifting program will
be supervised by Tim Lambert, Ted Busse, and Scott Carmichael.
Contracts for all of these positions will be prepared for the
Board’s approval at the June Board meeting.
Superintendent Rob Schiltz, who serves as the Testing Coördinator
for the Kansas Assessments in St. Francis, reported on the
preliminary results for this year’s assessments. Overall, the St.
Francis students tested have done very well on the Kansas
Assessments, and Mr. Schiltz commended these students and their
teachers for their impressive performances.
A Thank-You from Yearbook Adviser Brenda Day and her students, who qualified for State Journalism Contest, had been received expressing appreciation for support in attending the State Contest in Lawrence.
Also, Thank-You letters from the 5th graders who attended the Estes Park field trip were passed around for Board members to read.
Administrators and Board members presented a few other
miscellaneous items for information and discussion, but no action
was taken.
No review of the School-Improvement Process and no review of Board
Policy were scheduled for this meeting.
The Board also acknowledged a note of appreciation from the Solid Rock Baptist Church women, as well as a plate of homemade cookies that had been provided for snacks during the meeting.
At 11:02 p.m., Pete Raile moved that the meeting adjourn; the motion was seconded by Kelly Gienger and carried.
