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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 April 10, 2006 |
La Follette High School Room C17 702 Pflaum Road Madison, WI |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Carol Carstensen at 5:09 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Bill Keys, Lawrie Kobza, Juan José López (arrived 5:10 p.m.), Ruth Robarts, Shwaw Vang (arrived 5:10 p.m.), Johnny Winston, Jr.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
PRESENT: Connor Gants
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Lucy Chaffin, Mary Gulbrandsen, Pam Nash, Doug Pearson, Roger Price, Art Rainwater, Ken Syke, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT: Board Members-elect Lucy Mathiak and Arlene Silveira
1. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Bill Keys and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to approve the minutes from the Special meeting dated January 17, 2006 as distributed. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried by those present.
Juan José López and Shwaw Vang arrived at this time.
2. Public Appearances
Beth Zurbuchen stated that they have been fighting overcrowding issues at Leopold for a long time. Leopold parents have been coming to the Board with the same request. Something needs to be done. She asked for support for the small addition and renovations at Leopold and to fund it out of the operating budget so that work could begin as soon as possible. She knew the Board was thinking about a referendum so that money could be rolled up. She noted that the West/Memorial Task Force could not come up with an easy fix. Her children walk to schools and 45 minutes to another school would be too long. Making it a high poverty school was not acceptable. She supported building a school in Fitchburg. She asked that they vote tonight.
Lisa Shebesta, Leopold parent, stated that they are overcrowded and that it was only going to get worse in the future so they will need a second school or a bigger renovation. Instead they are getting a small plan that solves the problems quickly without waiting to go to referendum. She felt the money should come from the operating budget and that the board should vote tonight.
Diana Mahaffey, Leopold parent, wanted to know how much worse things have to get. She wanted the stop-gap measure financed through the operating budget. She wanted the board to get behind a longer-term solution.
Renee Hammond, resident of Swan Creek, wanted adequate space at Leopold so the children would not have to eat lunch at 10:30 in the morning. She supported the smaller renovation plan. She added that they deserve more than politics, that many parents and friends are attending private schools, that a new school is needed, and each school deserves the board's attention.
Annette Montgomery was encouraged two weeks ago. Stated that they are desperate at Leopold. They have great diversity. The children complain the most about the cafeteria. The board has a clear plan and should vote for it tonight. They cannot wait for a referendum. She begged the board to save this fabulous school.
3. Announcements
Ms. Carstensen read the names of the students who would be candidates for the Board of Education Student Liaison and where they go to high school. She also indicated that no students have chosen to run for the Alternate position but that the Student Senate may have a recommendation forthcoming to address this issue.
4. Financial Transactions
(Packets included a Doyle Property Analysis (2/8/06). A copy is attached to the original of these minutes.)
a It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that the proposal of $129,000 from Honeywell, Inc. for automated building controls at Sandburg Elementary School be approved with funding from the 2006-07 General Operating Budget (referendum - estimated at $52,900).
Discussion: Difference in price; only one submission; moving from existing controls to digital controls.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
b It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that an award be made to Dell Computer Corporation in the amount of $20,747 for computers to be used in the West High School Library and purchased under the authority of State of Wisconsin contract #11-20400-500 with funding from the 2005-06 general operating budget (referendum requisition 38774). 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 $66,654 from Thermo-Dynamics for a rooftop air handling unit at Toki Middle School be approved with funding from the 2006-07 general operating budget (referendum - estimated at $82,500). Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
d It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that the proposal of $27,436 from Fahrner Asphalt for tennis court resurfacing at La FolletteHigh Schoolbe approved with funding from the La Follette Booster Club and MSCR. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
e It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys that an award be made to Dell Computer Corporation in the amount of $37,396 for computers to be used in the Memorial High School Art Lab to be purchased under the authority of State of Wisconsin contract #11-20400-500; $34,071 will be funded from the Title IID Education Technology Grant and the remaining $3,325 will be taken from the general operating budget for 2005-06 (reference requisition 39976). Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
5. It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Juan José López that the Board approve entering into the Use Agreement with West Madison Little League. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried. (A copy of the Agreement is attached to the original of these minutes.)
6. Options to address the overcrowded student population in the West/Memorial Attendance Areas
(Packets included a sequential set of questions to deal with the West/Memorial overcrowding issues (a copy is attached to the original of these minutes.)
It was moved by Bill Keys and seconded by Juan José López to build the Leopold capacity and reconfigure it as recommended by the Administration.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to table the motion until the Board has seen the budget and the new board members have been seated. The motion to table failed with the student representative voting no and 2-5 with Lawrie Kobza and Ruth Robarts voting aye.
Discussion: Ongoing involvement of new board members. Notifying parents about where their children will go to school in the fall. If remodeling of the cafeteria is done out of the operating budget, can complete the work by mid-January. If financed through a referendum, remodeling can be completed by mid-April if it passes. Unknown impact on the operating budget. Administration has authority to continue with the planning and getting City approvals. Issue is preparing and receiving the bids. No budget decision until the end of May. Administration would plan to take it out to bid out of the operating budget as soon as it is designed. Bids would be received in June. Talks have already begun with the City. No traffic issues yet. Budget presentation on the 24th can include a scenario for funding the remodeling out of the operating budget.
Issues of funding, timing, number of children at each of the elementary schools, number of children at Leopold enrolled in private schools. Impact on operating budget if remodeling is funded out of the operating budget and a referendum passes. Can treat it like other borrowings by taking the payments out of the $3 million and not cutting staff. Maintenance will be going over; projects stop when there is no money left. Money for utilities may not be needed. Fuel costs are affecting things.
Administration will build the budget based on what has been heard tonight; what would be cut to do this. Then there would be what the Board would cut. Importance of knowing whether Board members would support a referendum. No guarantee of unity. Timing issue with getting bids approved and then waiting for a referendum to pass.
Bill Keys called the question.
Discussion continued: Support for a referendum to build a new West side school. Folding in the financing of the Leopold addition. Waiting to see what the Administration recommends for the $350,000 without getting locked in. Removing uncertainty for Leopold community if a referendum fails. Could support asking the Administration to come back with budget cuts of $8.3 million without voting on this motion.
Clarified that the motion includes committing $350,000 out of the operating budget for the Leopold addition.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 4-3 with Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, and Ruth Robarts voting no.
Discussion: Waiting to see where the process is by June. Going to referendum for a new school and other borrowings; September 12 primary and November election. Impact of waiting for two new members to be seated.
It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Ruth Robarts to table the issue of going to referendum. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 6-1 with Carol Carstensen voting no.
7. Other Business
Bill Keys and Juan José López expressed their thoughts as they ended their last official meeting as Board
members.
8. Adjournment
It was moved by Juan José López and seconded by Bill Keys to adjourn the meeting at 6:53 p.m. Motion unanimously carried.
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