Submitted for Approval November 16, 2009 LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHOOL BOARD MEETING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009

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1 Submitted for Approval November 16, 2009 LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHOOL BOARD MEETING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009 A meeting of the Board of School Trustees of the Lake Central School Corporation was held in the Lake Central High School LGI Room, St. John, IN on Monday, November 2, The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. Board Members Present John DeVries, President George Baranowski, Vice President Howard Marshall, Secretary Don Bacso, Member Valentina Lozanoski, Member Administration Present Gerald Chabot, Superintendent Larry Veracco, Assistant Superintendent Tom Dykiel, Director of Business Services Al Gandolfi, Director of Secondary Education Mark Kellogg, Director of Primary Education BOARD MEETING MINUTES I. Call to Order Meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Dr. John DeVries. II. Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag Pledge of Allegiance led by Board President, Dr. John DeVries. III. Agenda: Approval, Deletions, Additions Dr. Chabot states there are additional personnel items as well as some information from Dr. Veracco regarding the School Safety Specialist Academy. Dr. Chabot would also like to bring attention to state competitions that some of our extra curricular teams were involved in. George Baranowski moves for acceptance of the Agenda as amended. Howard Marshall seconds the IV. Correspondence Howard Marshall states that there is no correspondence. V. Official School Board of Business Topics Consent Agenda George Baranowski moves for approval. Don Bacso seconds the motion. Motion carries 5-0. A. Approval of Minutes of 10/12/09 Workshop and 10/19/09 BOE Meeting B. Approval of Claims, Payroll and Extracurricular Expenditures C. Approval of Field Trips VI. Official School Board Business Topics Regular Agenda A. Superintendent Dr. Gerald Chabot 1. Approval of a Vendor for Comprehensive Facility Planning Using a Community Engagement Model Dr. Chabot states that there is no more fundamental responsibility that we have than to provide our students with adequate educational facilities. We are still in need of additional classrooms, still in need of a high school that more properly meets the needs of 21 st century

2 students, and still in need of a host of other facility needs With that in mind, we want to reapproach the discussion of facilities and facility planning. Dr. Chabot has a 10 minute DVD presentation to show before making a recommendation. Last year, with this debate, a plan was presented. Now, with a shift to a community engagement comes a shift of responsibility and accountability to the public and to the tritown area. If we do recommend a community engagement model versus the traditional model, than the call for community engagement is there and we certainly want that to happen through this additional process. However that will take time of a host of community members. Dr. Chabot offers a 10 minute DVD presentation. Dr. Chabot makes the recommendation of DeJONG as facility planner using a community engagement model. This would include the seven step process starting in November 2009 and ending in May Dr. Chabot believes we should commit to the fee and payment structure on page 10 of the DeJONG proposal including complete district wide building review, the GIS evaluation and product, and a facility master plan. The amount of DeJONG s fee would come from the capital projects fund, NOT the general fund. Howard Marshall supports this recommendation because he feels this firm can provide us with the broad base approach to our community a community which has a number of varied elements representing different points of view. This approach will reach out and try to draw to us all the different thoughts and opinions. Mr. Marshall believes this is essential. Lake Central is a very strong school corporation that has been recognized throughout the State and it has been reflected in our ISTEP scores. We are doing a good to great job in many areas but we can do better. Inaction or maintaining status quo is not going to do it, so we need to move forward with the decision. Hopefully this decision can be obtained by brining all of these different elements together. I think this firm can help us do that. Val Lozanoski also supports the recommendation. She wants to be sure the other school projects within the schools won t be affected by capital fund monies being used for this. Dr. Chabot responds that the fee for this company will not adversely affect the capital project routine things that are happening throughout LC over the next year. Don Bacso agrees with both Howard and Val s comments and also supports the recommendation. There has to be community involvement and this gives community the opportunity to speak. He likes that it is a Master Plan for all schools at each level. George Baranowski believes that we need a plan that will look to the future for the next years of the district as a whole. There are also issues with the middle and grade schools we have trailers sitting in front of the high school, trailers sitting at grade schools, facilities that are in dire need of renovation. We may need another grade school before all is said and done. Having a third party person of Dr. DeJong s caliber come in and do an evaluation hopefully the community will come out and embrace that and not be apathetic as we saw in the last election. We want this to get more people engaged, get more opinions out and we can truly get a good master plan of what the community wants. Dr. DeVries states the most disappointing thing last June was the pitiful turnout of voters. Hopefully this will involve the community where people do care. It is an expensive way to do this, to employ people to

3 come in and have a fresh look at our facilities from K through 12. I hope that the community does in fact come out and tell us what they want. With the referendum process we went through, we had two years of open meetings and yet people said we never had a chance to speak. Here they will have their chance so we would like to see them come out and hear what they have to say. George Baranowski makes a motion to accept the DeJONG proposal, however he would like to make sure our attorneys have an opportunity to look over the contract as well, giving tentative approval to go forward based upon what our attorneys say as far as the contact is concerned. Howard Marshall seconds the 2. Recognitions This weekend, our Band recently placed in the top 10 at Indianapolis. We will be formerly recognizing the band in the future. We also have our boys soccer team, cross country teams and the doubles tennis teams who will also be formerly recognized in the future. B. Director of Secondary Education Al Gandolfi 1. Approval of Professional Leave Requests for Secondary Education Val Lozanoski moves to approve. George Baranowski seconds the 2. Credit Recovery Program Algebra I Data Report students completed Algebra 1 Credit Recovery during the school year with classes meeting from February through May % of students were enrolled in Credit Recovery due to failing Alg 1 1 st semester. 98% passed the Alg 1 Credit Recovery class. 73% of the students passed Alg 1 2 nd semester. 35% of the students passed the Alg 1 End of Course Assessment in May % of the students who did not pass the ECA scored in the 500+ range. The ECA passing cut score was 579. Mr. Gandolfi plans to continue the program from February 2010 through May Dr. DeVries comments that he thinks this is an absolutely tremendous result and thinks this is a great accomplishment and believes this program should never be abandoned. Val Lozanoski asks for clarification on the program. Mr. Gandolfi explains that the program is not mandatory, however, students who do fail the Algebra I course will have the opportunity to participate in the Credit Recovery Program that begins in February C. Director of Primary Education Mark Kellogg 1. Approval of Professional Leave Requests for Primary Education George Baranowski moves for approval. Don Bacso seconds the D. Assistant Superintendent / Personnel / Student Services Dr. Veracco 1. Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy Recap We need to develop a threat assessment policy that we can have available to all of our administrators. Dr. Veracco would like to have that ready as soon as possible and certainly before the end of the year. We need better communication with the public regarding solutions within the district. For example, posting Alert Now messages on their individual school website, for perhaps a week after the Alert Now message was delivered so that people who did not get a full or proper message could refer back to the message for information at their own

4 discretion. Also, we need to improve staff development in area of school safety. This will take place during administrative meetings monthly. 2. Personnel Recommendations I. Certified Appointments and Leaves A. Appointments: 1. Joseph Bafia (St. John, IN), temporary Social Studies Teacher, Lake Central High School (effective October 26, 2009 through March 19, 2010; for Rachel Underwood s maternity leave). B. Leaves: 1. Sandra Will-Brum, Special Education Teacher, West Lake/Peifer Elementary School (Maternity Leave beginning November 30, 2009 through March 14, 2010). II. Classified Retirements, Resignations, Appointments, and Transfers A. Retirements: 1. Linda Hoover, Bus Driver, Lake Central Transportation Department (effective January 29, 2010; 31 years of service). B. Resignations: 1. Monica Marin, Lunchroom Supervisor, Grimmer Middle School (effective October 20, 2009). 2. Tom Goodwin, Class 1A Custodian, Lake Central High School (effective September 25, 2009). 3. Jessica Martin, 12 month Secretary, Lake Central High School (effective October 21, 2009). 4. Lori Brumm, 9 Month Secretary, Lake Central High School (effective October 21, 2009; to accept the 12 Month Secretary position at the High School). C. Appointments: 1. Djuka Djukic-Cucuz (Schererville, IN), Class 1A Custodian, Lake Central High School (effective October 19, 2009). 2. Robert Gilmore (Schererville, IN), Bus Driver, Lake Central Transportation Center (effective October 7, 2009). 3. Monica Marin (Schererville, IN), 5 th Grade Playground Aide, Grimmer Middle School (effective October 21, 2009). 4. Kelly Hansen (Crown Point, IN), Grade 1 Aide, Watson Elementary School (effective October 13, 2009). D. Transfers: 1. Lori Brumm, from a 9 Month Secretary to a 12 Month Secretary at Lake Central High School (effective October 22, 2009). III. Certified Extra Curricular Resignations and Appointments A. Resignations: 1. Cindy Walsh, Science Fair, Kahler Middle School (effective for the 2009/2010 school year). 2. Sarah Palasz, Auditorium Co-Coordinator, Lake Central High School (effective for the 2009/2010 school year). 3. Ralph Holden, Head Boy s Tennis Coach, Lake Central High School, (effective for the 2010/2011 school year). 4. Todd Iwema, Head Baseball Coach, Lake Central High School, (effective for the 2009/2010 school year). B. Appointments: 1. Ray Palasz, AV Coordinator, Lake Central High School (effective For the 2009/2010 school year).

5 IV. Classified Extra Curricular Appointments A. Appointments: 1. Tim Horan (Schererville, IN), Freshman Assistant Girl s Basketball Coach, Lake Central High School (effective for the 2009/2010 school year). 2. Chuck Chelich (Munster, IN), Assistant Diving Coach, Lake Central High School (effective for the 2009/2010 school year). V. West Lake Classified Resignations and Appointments A. Resignations: 1. Robyn Pokraka, Instructional Assistant, West Lake/Kahler Middle School (effective October 30, 2009). B. Appointments: 1. Kathrine King (Crown Point, IN), Instructional Assistant, West Lake/Kahler Middle School (effective October 27, 2009). George Baranowski moves for approval. Don Bacso seconds the 3. Approval of Master Contract with LCTA George Baranowski moves for approval. Howard Marshall seconds the E. Director of Business Services Dr. Dykiel 1. Donations Received from BP Fabric of America fund to Lake Central High School - $500 to be deposited into the baseball account. Received from Standard Bank - $300 from Standard Bank for their Student of the Month breakfast. Given by Lake Central High School National Honor Society - $415 to the Juvenile Diabetes. Money raised by selling paper shoes for Juvenile Diabetes. Howard Marshall moves to approve donations received and given. George Baranowski seconds the 2. Larson-Danielson Contingency Allowance Authorization No. 4 Howard Marshall moves for approval. George Baranowski seconds the VII. Board and Public Comments and Consideration of Future Agenda Items (Dr. DeVries) Val Lozanoski wants to remark on a recent newspaper article referring to budget cuts. She clarifies that the cuts would not be academic in nature. Patron asks for details regarding H1N1 vaccinations that will be offered by the Dept. of Health at Clark Middle School in the near future. Also asks if there are or will be any ongoing projects at LCHS. Patron wants to commend the Board for its decision to hire DeJONG and thinks they are top-notch. Thanks the Board for moving in this direction. Patron wants to thank Dr. Chabot and the Board for its decision to contract DeJONG for facility planning. VIII. Board Calendar of Future Activities (Dr. Chabot) IX. Adjournment George Baranowski moves to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 p.m. Howard Marshall seconds the Motion. Motion carries 5-0. Meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

6 Minutes of the November 2, 2009 School Board meeting were approved and adopted by the Board of School Trustees at the November 16, 2009 School Board meeting. Dr. John R. DeVries, President ATTEST: Howard W. Marshall, Secretary