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| Madison Metropolitan School District Madison, Wisconsin Art Rainwater, Superintendent | ||
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| BOARD OF EDUCATION Minutes for Special Meeting - Open Session March 27, 2006 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Carol Carstensen at 6:33 p.m. in McDaniels Auditorium
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Bill Keys, Lawrie Kobza, Juan José López, Ruth Robarts, Shwaw Vang, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Mary Gulbrandsen, Pam Nash, Doug Pearson, Roger Price, Ken Syke, June Wilson, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
1. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Shwaw Vang and seconded by Juan José López to approve the minutes of the Special meetings dated January 4 and January 23, 2006 as distributed. Motion unanimously carried.
2. Public Appearances
Dawn Crim, member of the Long Range Planning Committee last year and parent of a kindergartner at Leopold, spoke about the many activities at Leopold (e.g., Black History program) and the families and volunteers who turn out. It is a very involved and connected community. She noted the six lunch schedules and stated that they need the addition as a short-term plan and the new school as a long-term plan. The children have ten-minute recesses that include everything from getting ready and through the line and eating. Her child brings lunch home because there is not enough time to eat it. (A copy of the Leopold lunch schedule was provided and is attached to the original of these minutes.)
Deborah Gilbert wanted to remind the Board that the cafeteria addition does not do for the long term but what will make the school work today. They have a lot of growth coming. Realigning the boundaries is not a good long-term plan. They need to build those two schools.
Marisue Horton supported a referendum for the addition for Leopold and for a future school for Leopold as well. She encouraged the Board to discuss the Memorial Area as well. In the future, she would like the Board to address how building capacity is calculated and how common areas are used. She also supported creating a fine arts task force. She asked why DRS was not considered for the pavement work at Midvale Elementary. (It was explained that DRS did not provide a bid bond so the bid was not considered.)
There were no written registrations.
3. Announcements
The Board members noted the status of the health of former school board member Jim Fullin and his wife and the contributions that Mr. Fullin made to the school district and the community.
4. Financial Transactions
(Packets included contract compliance information. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
a. It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Johnny Winston, Jr. that the bid of $41,798 from Pablocki Paving for pavement replacement at MidvaleElementary Schoolbe approved with funding from the 2006-07 General Operating Budget (referendum).
Discussion: There were questions about the contingency fund for utilities, how much is left in the operating budget for maintenance, and whether the district has previously worked with the vendor.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
b. It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that the bid of $924,400 from Braun Electric for an electrical upgrade at MidvaleElementary Schoolbe approved with funding from the 2006-07 General Operating Budget (referendum).
Discussion: Higher because of normal inflation.
FOLLOW UP: Provide information about the balances with the referendum and operating budget.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
c. It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that the bid of $215,918 from Town & Country for an electrical service upgrade at WestHigh Schoolbe approved with funding from the 2006-07 General Operating budget.
Mr. López stated that he would be setting up a Human Resources Committee meeting to discuss contracting.
d. It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that the bid of $46,932 from Good Armstrong for asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) re-inspections districtwide be approved with funding from the 2006-07 General Operating Budget. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 6-0 with Johnny Winston, Jr. absent.
e. It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that the proposal of 5.5% of construction costs from Strand & Associates for mechanical engineering design services at ShorewoodElementary Schoolbe approved from the 2006-07 General Operating Budget (referendum). Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
Recessed at 7:07 p.m.
Reconvened at 7:17 p.m.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Bill Keys to suspend the rules. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 6-0 with Shwaw Vang absent. It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Bill Keys to allow Items 9 and 10 to be taken up out of order. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 6-0 with Shwaw Vang absent.
9. Consolidation of La Follette/East High Schools' Boys' Hockey Teams
(Packets included a memorandum and application from the Athletic Director at La Follette relative to the cooperative hockey team (3/6/06). Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Bill Keys to consolidate the La Follette and East High Schools' Boys' Hockey Teams.
Discussion: Neither group is in a position to have a truly competitive team. Both communities support this move. Advocation has to be given to the WIAA before April 1. Creates a varsity and junior varsity team. Same as cooperative swim team with Sun Prairie.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
10. The formation of a co-op (cooperative) girls' gymnastics team between La Follette and EastHigh Schools
(Packets included a memorandum and application from the Athletic Director at East High School. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Bill Keys to form a cooperative girls' gymnastics team between La Follette and EastHigh Schools.
Discussion: Same advantages - creates competitive balance and competition for future participation.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
5. Proposed amendments to Board Policy 4047 and a report on such Policy 4047 relative to the impact it has had on the expungement of students' expulsion records
(Packets included a background memorandum from Legal Counsel (3/22/06); a report responding to the questions raised at the October 31, 2005 special board meeting, including recommendations (1/26/06); and proposed revisions to Policy and Procedure 4047. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
It was moved by Shwaw Vang and seconded by Bill Keys to approve the proposed revisions to Policy and Procedure 4047 - Expungement.
Discussion: Revisions include a provision that the record can be expunged if the court reverses an order. Positive comments were received from guidance counselors and principals about students not having to think about and apply for record expungement. Copies of the policy that sets forth the criteria are sent to the students when they are recommended for expulsion. Students are notified again at the time when they are eligible to apply for expungement. Concern with criteria of prior suspensions - want to be more forward-looking and not more insensitive. Want to look at it more in depth for culturally relevant issues and communication to our students. No time constraints. Board officers can re-schedule.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Bill Keys to table the motion. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
6. Options for placing students who live in the Packer Townhouses in the same elementary school
(Packets included a report regarding assigning all students form the Packers Townhouses to one elementary school, including recommendations (3/23/06). Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
Discussion: Number of students to be reassigned. Crossing Northport Drive to get to Lindbergh. Creating a feasible ESL program center. Enrollment, low-income rates, and in numbers of students with disabilities in each of the buildings. Providing transportation could be a wash; they currently walk to Mendota. Bus ride would be two blocks but the best way to get across the busy street. If this passes, the board would still need to vote on several options that were not in the task force recommendations. Not sure what was voted on previously. Whether voting to make no change for the Packers students would address the other task force questions.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Shwaw Vang to not change the current boundaries and current assignments for students going from the Packers Townhouses.
Discussion: Responding to people in the community. Could set up a public hearing out there. Affects many other children who are not in the Townhouses and creates an additional ELL program.
Mr. Winston moved to table the issue until further information could be obtained about the budgetary impacts. Motion was withdrawn.
Discussion continued: Task Force did want to eliminate the separation of those students but their recommendation may not be the best one. Impacts children and will cost money. Too big of an impact - agree with the administration's recommendation.
Ms. Robarts amended her motion, seconded by Lawrie Kobza, to state that the Board supports maintaining the current boundary assignments for elementary students in the Northeast area of the city.
Discussion: Task Force's reason for changing the boundaries for students in the Northeast quadrant. None of the three options had a great deal of support from the majority of the task force members. Schools are Lake View, Gompers, Mendota, and Lindbergh.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion, as amended, carried unanimously.
7. Options for Balancing the Student Enrollment between Sherman and O'Keeffe Middle Schools
(Packets included adjusting the East Area middle school feeder patterns, including administrative recommendations (3/23/06). Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
Discussion: All options were analyzed. Met with the principals last week. Need more students at O'Keeffe for a more comprehensive program. Moving from Hawthorne takes low income number out of whack. Administration's recommendation for the 2006-07 school year would be optional for everyone then the next year they would be assigned starting with the sixth graders. The following year all sixth graders would attend O'Keeffe and seventh and eighth graders would continue on, unless they want to. Results in the same numbers at both schools.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Juan José López to approve the administration's recommendation Option E - Combine Option B and C and assign the portion of the Hawthorne Elementary School attendance area that is bound on the south by Commercial Avenue and bound on the southeast by the rail corridor and bound on the northeast by Stoughton Road and bound on the north by the current Hawthorne Elementary School boundary line and bound on the west by Starkweather Creek and bound on the southwest by Aberg Avenue as a feeder area to O'Keeffe from Sherman.
Discussion: Programming at Sherman should not be impacted greatly. Only thing that will happen eventually is there will no longer be an assistant principal in 2007-08.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Johnny Winston, Jr. to approve the administration's recommendation that the area subject to change be considered an optional enrollment area for the 2006/07 school year thereby giving families the option of choosing to attend either Sherman or O'Keeffe during that year and that thereafter the area subject to change be assigned as a feeder attendance area to O'Keeffe Middle School without optional enrollment outside of the current Board of Education transfer policy.
Lawrie Kobza amended the motion, accepted as friendly by mover and seconder, to change the language as follows: "...thereafter the area subject to change be assigned as a feeder attendance area starting with the incoming sixth graders to O'Keeffe Middle School...." Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion, as amended, carried unanimously.
8. Options to address the overcrowded student population in the West/Memorial Attendance Areas
(Packets included the Leopold cafeteria addition schedule (3/23/06); cost comparisons of options to deal with Leopold overcrowding (3/21/06); Options CP1a, CP2, CP3a, CP4, CP4 (new) (Lawrie Kobza) 1/18/06, 2/9/06 Coliseum to Lapham-Marquette (Lawrie Kobza), and 2/9/06 Coliseum to Franklin-Randall, Bay View to Lapham-Marquette, North Midvale to Shorewood (Lawrie Kobza). Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
Discussion: Options for seven-room addition at $5 million or smaller cafeteria plus interior remodeling at $2.8 million in conjunction with building a future school in the Leopold area in Fitchburg. Board President limited the discussion to only the construction issues and not the funding. Timeline for decision making. The administration is proceeding with some of the design work for the Leopold cafeteria addition right now. Option 1 takes the funding out of the operating budget then recoups it through a referendum. Option 2 waits until a referendum is held. The major issue is the cafeteria. Have to be ready to go to bid on April 25; can wait one or two weeks. Making a decision sooner for the parents.
Ms. Kobza suggested amending the motion from "authorize construction" to "authorize Board support for that addition." It would mean supporting Option B, the smaller addition, but not committing on the referendum or the operating budget so it would not approve construction yet. Also with the understanding that the district is going to need another school in Fitchburg in the future.
Discussion: Making the funding decision as quickly as possible. The plan does have to go through the City's process before the district can go out to bid. The Superintendent noted that the administration would like to proceed regardless of where the funding is coming from.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Juan José López that the Board authorize the Administration to continue to do the preliminary planning for construction of a cafeteria and two-room renovation at LeopoldElementary School.
Discussion: Making the financing decisions. Leopold needs answers. No choice but to make boundary changes or build. Trying to get to a unanimous vote. Administration can now prepare to go to bid. April 10 will be the financing discussion. Not holding up design over funding issue.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 6-1 with Shwaw Vang voting no.
Recessed at 8:58 p.m.
Reconvened at 9:09 p.m.
Discussion: Building a school on the far west side - will the Board follow the recommendation of the Task Force - on the Linden Park site.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Bill Keys to approve the recommendation to build a new elementary school on the LindenParksite.
Discussion: Linden Park does not solve the Leopold situation; still working on finding land in the Fitchburg area. Addressing the same question on the East Side. Looking forward to receiving the five-year plan. School is dependent on a referendum; will not begin planning until referendum passes. Building would open in 2008. Getting feedback from the community before making the financial decisions. Board will discuss the referendum issues on April 10 as well. Board will discuss building a new school in the Fitchburg area when the land is purchased.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
FOLLOW UP: Send a copy of the decision to purchase the Linden Park site. Chronology is on the web site.
11. Other Business
There was no other business.
12. Adjournment
It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Ruth Robarts to adjourn the meeting at 9:23 p.m. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
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Previous: 2006-03-22 || Special Meeting - Open Session || Next: 2006-04-10a