Board Meeting September 4, 2007

Regular Meeting September 4, 2007
5:00 PM Midtown Center Meeting Room

Minutes

At 5:00 PM, Chair Edie Brooks called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Trustees Vern Newby, Christie Wood and Diane Zipperer were also present. Trustee Sid Fredrickson was absent.

Approval of Minutes:
Motion by Mr. Newby, second by Mrs. Zipperer to approve the minutes of *June 20, 2007, passed 4-0. *This was a special meeting/student hearing that began 6/20/07 and concluded 8/20/07.
Motion by Mr. Newby, second by Mrs. Wood to approve the minutes of August 20, 2007, passed 4-0.

Approval of the Agenda and Addendum: Motion by Mrs. Zipperer, second by Mr. Newby to approve the agenda and addendum, passed 4-0.

Identification of Citizens Wishing to Address the Board:
Roger Snyder 319 Park Dr. Coeur d’Alene stated that he is a strong supporter of District 271. Public forums were held the last time a superintendent was appointed and the process was well-received by the community. He was disheartened that the public heard the news of the appointment of Hazel Bauman to superintendent after the fact; the decision was made behind closed doors, and he feels this is a step in the wrong direction at a time when the community expects more involvement. He asked why a good process was abandoned and asked the Board to reconsider their decision and restore the process. Chair Brooks stated this topic would be discussed at length later in the meeting.

Coeur d’Alene Education Association Report – New CEA President Paula Marano offered her thanks for the opportunity to communicate at Board meetings. It was an exciting first day of school. CEA participated in the back to school breakfast and information was provided about membership. CEA hosted a welcome for new teachers with lunch donated by Numerica Credit Union. Members recently participated in leadership classes made available through IEA. The Leadership Team met several times over the summer and wish to build a strong relationship with district administration and the Board.

High School Student Body Reports
Deanne Clifford, Vice-Principal at Lake City High School introduced student council advisory Nicole Thiel. She introduced ASB Treasurer Mitchell Kennedy who reported that 1,555 students arrived at LCHS today. Freshman Connection will be held Sept. 12 and homecoming activities will take place the first week of October.
Hayden Anderl, ASB President representing CHS reported about meeting with advisor Amy Alderman as they reviewed election by-laws. A summer retreat was held with representations from all 4 classes. Homecoming is next Friday with activities all week; the dance will be semi-formal. They are fundraising for the state conference to be held in Boise and plan to help set up for the upcoming EXCEL Big Event as a community service project.
Tyler and Max, students from Bridge Academy extended an invitation to attend the open house scheduled for October 11 at 5:00 PM. One hundred forty students are currently enrolled; teachers are busy writing EXCEL grants and students are preparing for the ISAT tests.
Approval of Consent Agenda Items:
A. Personnel
B. Approve Accounts Payable Check List Dated 08/30/07
Motion by Mrs. Wood, second by Mrs. Zipperer to approve the consent agenda, passed 4-0.

Superintendent Transition Plan – Superintendent Harry Amend reviewed events that began 18 months ago (Spring 2006) when he informed the Board of his plans to retire in June 2008 though they weren’t firm at the time. Conversations began in executive session in January 2007 when he informed the Board of definite plans to retire. The Board spent several hours in executive session discussing the future in terms of the best interest of the school district. They came up with a transition plan that makes sense for this district, naming Assistant Superintendent Hazel Bauman to succeed him as Superintendent. The Board has worked with her over 20 years; the past 6 as Assistant Superintendent. Mr. Amend believes that Ms. Bauman is the perfect choice as she is a proven academic leader. At the back to school breakfast held last week, Ms. Bauman received a standing ovation from the very large audience. Mr. Amend submitted his retirement letter and highly recommends that Hazel Bauman be named the next Superintendent of our outstanding school district.

Mrs. Brooks stated that Ms. Bauman was the second choice behind Mr. Amend when he was hired in 2002 and has been able to work closely with him for the past 5 years. She has taken on many leadership roles and has been doing a fabulous job in her current position. The entire Board feels she will do a great job and they would have used the process of a search (looking outside of the district), however in this instance, we have an exemplary individual to fill the position. An outside search was not necessary and not in district’s best interest. Mrs. Wood thanked Harry for his steadiness. Mrs. Brooks went on to say that the superintendent is the one direct employee of the Board. Ms. Bauman underwent a critique by the committee 5 years ago; the Board has had working knowledge of her and this recommendation has full support of the Board. Mr. Newby noted that a Superintendent search 20 years ago shows that the process doesn’t always provide the best candidate. Ms. Bauman is qualified to run the district and when other districts have attempted to hire her, we have been successful in retaining her. She is wise to the district and has grown tremendously in the past 5 years. Why open the position when we have a quality candidate internally. Mr. Newby mentioned that as he delivered apples today, he only heard positive feedback from staff members regarding this decision. Mrs. Zipperer added that she agrees with Christie about Harry’s upcoming year. Mr. Newby recommends a 2-year contract for new superintendent

Motion by Mrs. Wood that the Board draw up a contract with Hazel Bauman to take over as Superintendent of the Coeur d’Alene School District effective July 1, 2008, second by Mrs. Zipperer, passed 4-0.

Board Meeting/Lighthouse Training/Schedule Change – Ms. Bauman has been in contact with Wanda Quinn, Idaho School Boards Assn. Liaison. A survey must first be conducted and the data analyzed. After this takes place, a meeting will be held to determine a training schedule. This may not take place until November, therefore, we should continue with two meetings for September and October. A motion to change the Board meeting schedule is forthcoming and will likely take effect in November. No action will be taken tonight.

Literature Selection Process – Curriculum Director Jim Facciano reported that after reviewing notes from the August 20th Board meeting, he created a list of questions, and it became apparent that there is some confusion surrounding the selection of novels. A Staff meeting with secondary language arts teachers is scheduled for next week.

Mrs. Wood asked the purpose of discussing the process with teachers. Mr. Facciano replied they are gathering input, looking for clarification and developing guidelines for instructors. A Novel Review Committee will include the complainant and one additional person to create a more balanced committee. A dissenting member report will also be included. Many of the questions will be answered by teachers at meeting held next week. Mrs. Brooks suggested waiting to take action until all this information is presented. Mr. Newby requested getting book lists from Gonzaga. He also suggested looking at the current policy regarding the issue of listing addresses of citizens (specifically minors) as they address the Board.
Rick Seward 1315 N Hill Drive, Coeur d’Alene stated that the book selection process should reflect local, not national standards. The Committee should be made up of a full spectrum to include local standards of the community. He is encouraged by what he has heard tonight.
Debbie Morris 2039 Sundown Drive, Coeur d’Alene thanked Jim Facciano for work done so far. She shared information from the National Institute of Mental Health which summarized information about teenage brains, and notes that all children develop at different paces. There are differences between an adult and a young adult. The Supreme Court ruled that certain words may not be used with a captive audience.
Ron Vieselmeyer, 3776 Sky Harbor, Coeur d’Alene quickly reviewed the books and he believes that students will be curious about any books containing references to sexuality. The district should think twice before allowing books of this nature in classrooms or libraries. Books that are so questionable should not be available to students. If students, teachers and the press cannot use this language, why is it acceptable in books?
Gary Finney, 6451 East Kingswood Lane, Coeur d’Alene quoted Board Policy 539 “Expected Behavior in School" regarding use of proper language at all times; violations will result in suspension. Students have offered testimony before the board that they have been offended by the use of inappropriate language. He presented some additional questions to be answered.
Kelly Bills, 2173 Tumbleweed Circle, Hayden discussed some issues about summer reading, being prepared for the first day of school and the fact that she had no way to get the optional books for her student to read. She would like to see better communication next year. Teachers still show movies and she requested a list of the titles. Will dual enrolled students be exempt from senior projects, and can they start in their junior year or earlier in their senior year. She also requested a pass/fail rather than a letter grade.

Mrs. Wood thanked parents for their input and hopes they stay involved through the process so common ground can be found.

Call for Committee Reports
*Graduation Requirements – Hazel Bauman reported that parents will have opportunities for public input via middle school open houses. They are the students who will be affected by the change. An open meeting has also been scheduled at Midtown, Sept. 26 in the evening. Action may be taken in October.
*High School Scheduling – Harry Amend reported on the progress of the committee which consists of 10 leaders. They have been meeting since February. The goal is to find the best possible solution to meet needs and realize financial savings. They will continue working as a committee, but don’t anticipate any major changes through next year. Included will be the needs of professional technical and IB.
*Elementary Language Arts – Mrs. Zipperer briefly reported about the reading pilot program. Details of this program were shared at the recent Board Retreat.

Superintendent’s Report – Mr. Amend was pleased to host State Superintendent Tom Luna who visited Sorensen today. He met with teachers and toured the school. District Office staff are working on enrollment numbers, and we are pleased to announce that the number of students being bussed are about half of last years numbers. A special Board meeting may be called for Friday to authorize an emergency levy.

Board Comments and Information
The ISBA Conference will be held November 15-17 in Coeur d’Alene. Mrs. Brooks suggested offering a tour of the Sorensen Magnet School to participants at this conference. Other ideas were a lake cruise and a tour of the Human Rights Center.

Mrs. Wood asked about kindergarten schedules and concerns about changes? Mr. Amend noted that enrollment decisions based on all day kindergarten has added to the number of challenges. Other students are in traditional ½ day programs; this is not unique however, the demographics create an ongoing challenge. Ms. Bauman added that we have been forced to move students based on enrollment. Students enrolled in the spring generally receive the option of morning or afternoon sessions. Students identified for all day kindergarten bumped some students who were already enrolled in morning session. The process is improving as time goes on. Mr. Newby said he looks forward to meeting with the Long Range Planning Committee as they look at solutions to growth.

Motion by Mr. Newby, second by Mrs. Wood for Executive Session: Idaho Code 67-2345, Subsection (b) to consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent or public school student: Roll Call Vote: Brooks, Wood, Zipperer, Newby, each “yes”.

No action was taken. The meeting returned to open session and adjourned at 7:14 p.m.

Edie Brooks, Chair
Board of Trustees

Lynn M. Towne, Clerk
Board of Trustees

Summary Statement of Executive Session
At 6:40 PM, in accordance with Idaho Code 67-2345, Subsection (b) to consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent or public school student; (c) to conduct deliberations concerning labor negotiations or to acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency;

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