PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES April 14, 2010 The Prince Edward County School Board held its regular monthly meeting on April 14, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Board of Education Building. Members present: Mr. Russell L. Dove, Mrs. Susan S. Lawman, Mrs. Linda L. Leatherwood, Ms. Harriett Fentress, Dr. Ellery Sedgwick, Dr. Osa S. Dowdy, Mr. Thomas Tillerson and Dr. Lawrence C. Varner. Also present: Mr. Stanley O. Jones, Acting Superintendent; Mrs. Angela L. Foster, Clerk; Mrs. Freda P. Reid, Director of Human Resources; Mrs. Cindy Wahrman, Director of Finance; Ms. Laura W. Williamson, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Richard Goode, Director of Support Services; Ellen Wood, Director of Exceptional Programs; Ms. Janice Page, Coordinator of Career and Technical/Adult and Continuing Education; Dr. Odessa Pride, High School Principal; Mrs. Lucy Carson, Middle School Principal; Mr. Rodney Kane, Elementary School Interim Principal and Dr. Maurice Smith, Middle School Assistant Principal. Visiting: Dr. K. David Smith, Appointed Superintendent Mr. Rob Chapman, Farmville Herald. CALL TO ORDER: Mr. Dove, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 1:34 p.m. and led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. AWARDS, RECOGNITIONS, COMMENDATIONS, ETC.: A. Mr. Jones, with the assistance of Ms. Williamson, recognized the Prince Edward County Middle School Band. Band students of the middle school are being recognized for awards from the Virginia Band/Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA). The VBODA is part of the Virginia Music Educators Association. Prince Edward Middle School is part of District 3 that includes Chesterfield County, Goochland, Colonial Heights, Appomattox and others. The Advanced Band received a Superior (highest rating) at State VBODA. This is their second year to receive Superior ratings. The Intermediate Band received an Excellent (second highest) at State VBODA. This is the first year that this group has competed.
VBODA District 3 Honor Band Elias Jones 4 th Chair Flute Brenna Halvorsen 6 th Chair Flute Ellie Swanson 8 th Chair Flute Rebecca DeCamp 7 th Chair Clairnet Matthew Hart 3 rd Chair Alto Sax Sarah Kinzer 1 st Chair Trumpet Charles Southall 7 th Chair Trumbone QUAD County Middle School Band Elias Jones 7 th Flute Izaak DeCamp 6 th Clarinet Matthew Hart 1 st Alto Sax Sarah Kinzer 3 rd tpt Brittany Aitken 7 th tpt Ashlee Todt Kyle Burns QUADd County Intermediate Band Ellie Swanson Lydia Orr Claire Utzinger David Gills Alana Calhoun Ian Burns Diamond Boxley-Welton Cheyenne Aitken Russell Chassey Isabelle Edwards William Nicholas Joel Thomas Craig Burns Charles Southall Darryl Stokes Christian Kinzer Chelesea Harrison Triston Smith Jordan Conwell B. Mr. Jones, with the assistance of Ms. Williamson, recognized students that participated in the Virginia School Board Association 2010 Southern Regional Forum Art Contest on March 23, 2010. Elementary School - Madison Giles, 4 th Grader Middle School - Caroline Rice, 6 th Grader High School - Davonte Jones, 10 th Grader C. Mr. Jones, with the assistance of Ms. Williamson, recognized Assistant Principal, Maurice Smith for the completion of his Doctoral Degree (Ed.D.) from George Washington University in Educational Administration (K-12) and Policy.
D. Mr. Jones, with the assistance of Ms. Williams, recognized Russell Lee. Russell is currently enrolled in JROTC under the direction of Col. Edward Gray. Flight Commander Lee has been accepted into the Air Force Academy and will be attending in June 2010. E. Mr. Dove recognized Mr. Jones and thanked him for his leadership and ability to motivate people. This is the last official meeting with Mr. Jones. ADDITIONS TO AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA: On a motion made by Dr. Sedgwick, seconded by Dr. Varner, the agenda was approved as presented. CONSENT AGENDA: On a motion made by Mrs. Lawman, seconded by Dr. Dowdy and carried, the consent agenda was approved which included the following items: A. Approval of Minutes 1. Regular School Board Meeting March 10, 2010 2. Budget Work Session March 16, 2010 3. 2010 VSBA Southern Regional Forum March 23, 2010 4. Budget Work Session March 24, 2010 B. Financial Reports 1. Receipts 2. Expenditures 3. Payroll 4. Bills (including addenda) 5. Food Service financial report 6. Attendance 7. Field Trip ACTION ITEMS: A.) The Superintendent recommended that the Board approve the following summer work days/hours: June 14, 2010 through July 30, 2010, employees will work Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On a motion made by Dr. Sedgwick, seconded by Dr. Dowdy and carried, the Board approved the summer work days/hours of June 14, 2010 through July 30, 2010.
B.) The Superintendent recommended that the Board approve the VSBA February 2010 Policy Revisions. The revisions are based on changes in law and regulations. They are the following: FE FEA FECBA FECBB FEG FG GA GC GCCA GCBE GCD GCDB GDD GDI Playground Equipment Educational Facilities Energy Efficient Construction Accommodations for the Disabled Construction Planning Retirement of Facilities Personnel Policies Goals Professional Staff Posting of Professional Staff Vacancies Family and Medical Leave Professional Staff Hiring Filling Administrative Vacancies Support Staff Hiring Support Staff Assignments and Transfers On a motion made by Mrs. Lawman, seconded by Dr. Dowdy and carried, the Board approved the VSBA February 2010 Policy Revisions with exception of Policy GBN to return at the May meeting. C.) The Superintendent recommended that the Board approve Policy IKEB-R: Acceleration Regulation - the revised grading scale. The revised grading scale provides a consistent measure of student progress in grades 2 12, incorporates minuses in the analysis of student work and will more adequately communicate student progress to parents and students. Grades 2-12 A+ 97-100 A 93-96 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- - F Below 63 On a motion made by Mr. Tillerson, seconded by Dr. Sedgwick, by a vote of 2-5-0 the vote failed. Ms. Fentress, Mrs. Leatherwood, Mrs. Lawman, Dr. Dowdy and Dr. Varner opposed. Dr. Sedgwick abstained from voting.
The Board held a discussion on the impact changing the grading scale would have on the division. It was requested to format the details of the phasein, inform staff through staff development, obtain parental input and provide a data report mid-year comparing letter grade distributions before and after the new scale. Policy IKEB-R is scheduled to return at the May meeting. D.) The Superintendent recommended that the Board approve the 2010-2011 budget in the amount of $26,698,807. It is the responsibility of the School Board to approve a budget for the next fiscal year. The budget is developed upon the revenues expected from the state, federal and local sources. At its March 24, 2010 budget workshop, the board approved the recommended reduction in the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 operating budget. On a motion made by Ms. Fentress, seconded by Dr. Dowdy and carried, the Board approved the 2010-2011 budget in the amount of $26,698,807 to present to the Board of Supervisors. Each board member signed the proposed budget notebook for the 2010-2011 school year. E.) The Superintendent recommended that the Board approve the Middle and High School Program of Studies. The Program of Studies was reviewed by members of the board. Due to minor corrections, the Middle and High School Program of Studies will return at the May meeting. F.) The Superintendent recommended that the Board approve the contract for physical therapy. Students with disabilities are entitled to related services if needed to benefit from the educational experience. On a motion made by Dr. Varner, seconded by Dr. Dowdy and carried, the Board approved the contract for physical therapy. NON-ACTION ITEMS: A.) Mrs. Wood updated the Board on Closed-Captioning. A survey has been completed by all teachers to determine the capabilities and use of closedcaptioning within Prince Edward County Public School. Usage of closedcaptioning will break through any barriers to communication and equalize communication across the curriculum and school community. We will provide training to all teachers of the use and benefits of closedcaptioning, input the regulation for use under II-R: Instructional Materials, report
any non-operative televisions or any that do not have closed-captioning to the technology depart and direct all schools when ordering DVD s or other related materials, to purchase the closed-captioned version. B.) The principal of each school presented changes to their individual school s Code of Conduct. A committee of teachers and administrators worked on the schools Code of Conduct and the changes were highlighted in the 2010-2011 Code of Conduct for review by the Board. After discussion on the changes presented, the Code of Conducts will return at the May meeting with corrections and approval. C.) Mr. Goode, Mr. Vaughan and Mrs. Wahrman presented the Comprehensive Mechanical Maintenance Bid. Bids were placed in the Farmville Herald and Richmond Times Dispatch for the comprehensive boiler and burner maintenance and building control systems preventative maintenance. The bids were due on March 18, 2010. Mr. Jones and members of the staff will clarify details presented and the Comprehensive Mechanical Maintenance Bid will return at the May meeting. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: A.) The Board received a monthly report of school use of property. Mr. Goode answered questions concerning individual dates on the calendar. B.) Mrs. Wahrman advised the Board that the school division was approved by the Department of Education to begin the 2010-2011 school year prior to Labor Day. The school year is scheduled to begin on August 16, 2010. C.) Mrs. Wahrman updated the Board on gasoline purchasing. The school division has been purchasing gasoline for its vehicles from the Town of Farmville since the 1999-2000 school year. The rates per gallon have been in accordance with the current market. However, a 15% administrative fee is being paid for each purchase. The administrative fees paid in 2008-2009 were $7,582.83 and to date for the 2009-2010 school year we have paid $4,514.41. The division averages 2,000 gallons of gasoline monthly. The one time cost for a 2,000 gallon double wall tank and pump would be $5,500. The school division would be required to bid the gasoline purchase for the 2010-2011 school year. Members of the Board voiced that this is a positive improvement and advised to move forward working out all details.
D.) Mr. Goode updated the Board on the elementary and middle school security systems. Security and surveillance of the elementary school has been installed and are fully operational. The middle school is scheduled to be completed by April 16th. E.) Mr. Jones recommended that the School Board donate the surplus/obsolete computers to students who qualify under certain socioeconomic characteristics. Policy DN states obsolete educational technology hardware and software that is being replaced pursuant to VA Code Section 22.1-199.1(B)(4) may be donated to other school divisions, to students, as provided in Board of Education guidelines, and to preschool programs in the Commonwealth. The staff will develop guidelines and criteria for determining student eligibility and need; a reporting system for the compilation of information concerning the number and socioeconomic characteristics of recipient students; and notification of parents of availability of such donations of obsolete educational hardware and software. Mr. Jones advised the Board that he would set up the regulation and move forward. F.) Ms. Williamson updated the Board on the Charter School Application and Guidelines. After discussion of the guidelines and application process, Mrs. Williamson will contact the individual and advise that the application submitted was incomplete. The information shared with the Board will be provided along with a deadline to submit an application in order to move forward. The researched data on Charter School Application and Guidelines will be posted on the website. G.) Mr. Goode updated the Board on servicing county vehicles. Combining the services performed on school vehicles with the county s vehicles could potentially save the county money, plus be an additional source of revenue for the school division. Further research will be conducted and a report provided to the board at a later date. H.) Mr. Jones and Ms. Williamson updated the Board on Persistently Lowest Achieving Schools. Prince Edward County High School has been placed
by Virginia on the USED list of lowest achieving schools. These schools are potentially eligible for the Fiscal year (FY) 2009 School Improvement Grants under 1003 (g). Additional information concerning eligibility, application process and selection criteria will be discussed with the Virginia Department of Education at state meetings in April. A persistently lowest-achieving school is defined as a school undergoing improvement or corrective action which is among the lowest five percent of Title 1 schools in improvement, or based upon low academic achievement in reading/language arts and mathematics. Or a secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive Title 1 funds, and is among the lowest-achieving five percent of schools based on academic achievement of all students in reading/language arts and mathematics standardized testing and if the school has not reduced its failure rate by 10 to 15 percent each year. A Title 1 school is one in which 35 percent or more of the student population receive free or reduced lunch. Prince Edward High School is eligible to be a Title 1 school, with over 50 percent of its students receiving free or reduced lunch. However, it is not designated Title 1 because it does receive the federal funding. Therefore, Prince Edward High School fits into the second definition of a persistently lowestachieving school. Of the 128 schools that qualify for the Title 1 in Virginia, Prince Edward High School is in the lowest five percent. Schools with persistently lowest- achieving designations must choose one of four U.S. Department of Education models of intervention. Prince Edward has chosen the fourth model Transformation which includes comprehensive instructional programs and extended learning time. The school must increase learning time by establishing schedules and strategies, as well as, providing mechanisms for family and community involvement. Increased learning time means using a longer school day, week or year schedule to significantly increase the total number of school hours. Like model three, in the transformation model the principal must be replaced if during the past two years scores did not improve by 10 to 15 percent. Mr. Jones advised the Board that Prince Edward is not a failing or lowachieving school. It has been designated as one of the lowest 5 percent of 128 schools that qualify for Title 1 funds, but do not take the money. This grant makes it possible for Prince Edward to receive between 350 to 550 thousand dollars in grant funding. These funds will be used to improve the academic standing of the underserved student population at Prince Edward County High School. The School Board will receive updates as they are received.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: LouAnn Dumminger Mrs. Dumminger advised the board that she was consistently hearing rumors of how poorly our schools were doing. She addressed the grading scale and the new schedule at the high school. Mrs. Dumminger advised the Board to notify the community of this change for there are many parents that aware of a change in student scheduling. Frank Early Mr. Early spoke on the community rumors of our schools closing. He stated it would be wise to inform the community regardless of good or bad. Mr. Early also stated he was glad to see the division is trying to work out fuel purchase with the county. CLOSED SESSION: On a motion made by Mr. Dove, seconded by Dr. Varner and carried, the Board went into closed session at 5:06 p.m. for the purpose of discussing the following specific matter: A.) B.) To discuss the appointments, resignations, FMLA s (Family Medical Leave Act), Request, Non-Renewals and administration reorganization as authorized by Section 2.2-3711(A)(1) of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. Discipline The consideration of the recommendation for the disciplining of student 04-14.10.01 enrolled in the school division, as authorized by Section 2.2-3711(A)(2) of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. CERTIFICATE OF CLOSED SESSION: On a motion made by Mr. Dove, seconded by Mrs. Lawman and carried, the Board returned to regular session at 6:08p.m. and in doing so adopted the following certification of Closed Meeting: WHEREAS, the Prince Edward County School Board has convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of The Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and WHEREAS, Section 2.2-3711 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the School Board that such meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia Law: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Prince Edward County School Board hereby certifies, that to the best of each member s knowledge, (i) only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting to which this certification applies; and (ii) only such public business which this certification
applies, and (iii) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed or considered. VOTE - AYE: 8 NAY: 0 Clerk of the School Board ACTION ITEMS FOLLOWING CLOSED SESSION: A.) The Board discussed personnel. On a motion made by Dr. Varner seconded by Mr. Tillerson and carried, the Board approved the listed personnel recommendation and renewals for the 2010-2011 school year by a vote of 7-0-1, Dr. Dowdy opposed: PERSONNEL: APPOINTMENTS Kelly Shafer PECMS Teacher Jaimie Stein PECMS Teacher Rosa Osborne Food Service Dept. Asst. Manager RETIREMENTS Niels Kiewiet De Jonge PECHS Teacher Gerald Roach PECHS Teacher Erenest Miller PECHS Asst. Principal Allie Yarbrough PECHS Asst. Principal Linda Whitehead PECHS Teacher Earth Science David Williams PECHS JROTC Instructor Karel Bailey PECES Visual Impairment Corrie Davis PECMS Teacher of English Myrtle Wilson Food Service Dept. Asst. Manager NON-RENEWAL Anita Jordan job performance PECHS Mathematics William Hyson enrollment PECHS Sp. Ed. Alpha Program Katherine Cole licensure PECHS English Thais Holman licensure PECHS Special Education Linda Quarles licensure PECMS Special Education Cindy Hancock-Carden - licensure PECES Special Education
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE Catherine Bartee PECHS Instructional Aide Tonya Welch Transportation Bus Driver Charlie Barksdale Transportation Bus Driver Phillip Walker Maintenance Maintenance Worker ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION FOR 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR Odessa Pride Principal, PECHS reassign to Coordinator of Career Technical Education Rodney Kane Interim Principal, PECES reassign to Athletic Director/Student Activities, PECHS Gwendolyn McQuaige-Hicks Administrative Assistant, PECES reassign to Administrative Assistant, PECHS Daniel Soderholm Athletic Director/Student Activities, PECHS reassign to Assistant Principal, PECHS Janice Page Coordinator of Career & Technical Education, reassign to Principal, PECES 2010-2011 RECOMMENDATIONS The Board received recommendation of renewal for the following departments: School Board Administrators, Social Worker, Piedmont Regional Jail, Piedmont Regional Juvenile Detention Center, Elementary School Administrators and Staff, Middle School Administrators and Staff, Prince Edward County High School Administrators and Staff, *Employment is contingent upon the receipt of a satisfactory Child Abuse Report **Employment is contingent upon the receipt of a satisfactory Child Abuse Report and Criminal Background check B.) The Superintendent recommended the Board maintain the decision of the Student Affairs Committee regarding student 04-14.10-01 for the remainder of the semester. On a motion made by Dr. Varner, seconded by Mr. Tillerson and carried the Board voted to maintain the decision of the set forth by the Student Affairs Committee for the remainder of the semester by a vote of 7-0-1, Dr. Sedgwick abstained.
RESPONSE TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The Board will respond in writing. MATTERS OF CONCERN: Mr. Jones Mr. Jones advised the board that the county advised they will no longer be making a donation to the Youth Recreation Center. The YMCA may make application to use facilities. Currently, the only building available is the elementary school due to our summer programs. Mrs. Leatherwood Commented on the D.A.R.E Assembly. Dr. Sedgwick 1. Commented on Teacher Appreciation Week, requested the board be notified of celebration plans. 2. Requested a list of openings. 3. Commented on official good-bye to Mr. Jones. SCHOOL BOARD MATTERS OF INTEREST: Next meeting May 5, 2010 Other dates to remember: April 20, 2010 - Board of Supervisors Public Hearing 7:00 April 22, 2010 - Addressing Hunger (FACES) PECMS 2:15-3:10 April 23, 2010 - Early Dismissal for Student/Teacher Workday April 27, 2010 - Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session 5:00 April 30, 2010 - Report Cards ADJOURNMENT: Mr. Dove moved, with no objection to adjourn at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Russell L. Dove, Chair Mrs. Angela L. Foster, Clerk