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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 May 31, 2006 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, McDaniels Auditorium Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Johnny Winston, Jr. at 5:07 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Ruth Robarts, Arlene Silveira, Shwaw Vang, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
PRESENT: Connor Gants (arrived 6:37 p.m.)
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Jennie Allen, Diane Crear, Mary Gulbrandsen, Doug Johnson, Jack Jorgensen, Bob Nadler, Roger Price, Art Rainwater, Mary Ramberg, Donna Williams, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
1. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to approve the minutes of the Special meetings dated February 27 and March 22, 2006 as distributed. Motion unanimously carried.
2. Announcements
There were no announcements.
3. Finalization of Proposed 2006-07 MadisonMetropolitanSchool DistrictBudget
(Packets included updates to the supplemental items and analyses of the BOE budget amendments 1-38 and the process for budget decision making adopted by the Board. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
Mr. Winston reviewed the steps in the process. Questions were answered. It was suggested that the two items related to Fund 80 may be the easiest because they do not affect the operating budget.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Arlene Silveira to consider the GLSEN proposal for approval in the amount of $25,000 from the Fund 80 Reserve for Contingency.
Discussion: Uncertain about having to use the Fund 80 Reserve in lieu of cutting the equipment for Room 103 and reducing the allocations for Bootstrap. Entire budget should be moved before making changes.
Ms. Mathiak withdrew this motion, agreed to by seconder.
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to approve the 2006-07 budget in the amount of $332,947,870.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Arlene Silveira to amend the budget by approving the GLSEN proposal in the amount of $25,000 to be funded through Fund 80 (not the Reserve for Contingency).
Discussion: Practice of taxing to fund outside community agencies.
Motion carried 6-1 with Ruth Robarts voting no.
Shwaw Vang recused himself.
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to amend the budget to fund the Kajsiab House Project in the amount of $50,000 from the Reserve for Contingency (not Fund 80).
Discussion: Looking at other cuts instead of the Fund 80 Reserve for Contingency.
Ms. Carstensen amended her motion, seconded by Arlene Silveira, to fund this proposal from a reduction of $50,000 from the Bootstrap program. Ms. Mathiak accepted the amended motion as friendly.
Discussion: Administration was asked to explain a bit more about the proposal; how the Urban League has merged with Bootstrap.
The amendment as revised carried 5-1 with Ruth Robarts voting no and Ms. Mathiak temporarily interrupted (microphone issue).
Shwaw Vang returned at this time.
It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Ruth Robarts to amend the budget to make an additional cut to Fund 80 for video and sound equipment for Doyle Room 103 in the amount of $42,000.
Discussion: Funding for GLSEN and reducing the tax levy. Disadvantages to set-up and environment in McDaniels vs. Room 103 and not being able to hold more than one meeting at a time that could be replayed later. Advantages to having both rooms to provide more access; appropriate expenditure out of Fund 80.
Motion carried 4-3 with Carol Carstensen, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr. voting no.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to amend the budget to add back the elementary strings program twice per week in the fifth grade and to pilot the choice of music or strings program for a total of $101,004 to be funded by $100,000 from General Transportation and $1,004 from the Board of Education budget.
Discussion: Impacts on transportation. Second bus at Allied Drive and Wright and Spring Harbor buses. Possible changes with Madison Metro; possible opportunities in serving Fitchburg and the Homeless. Federal obligations for providing service for the Homeless. Currently charging students who ride to Spring Harbor and Wright. Speculative discussions between Fitchburg and Madison Metro.
Ms. Robarts withdrew her amendment.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to amend the budget to add back the elementary strings program twice per week in the fifth grade and to pilot the choice of music or strings program to be funded by $1,004 from the Board of Education budget and $100,000 by capping employee travel for one year.
Discussion: Two-year comparison not available. Alternative ways to deliver strings. Priority of the addition compared to others. Compromise proposals relative to strings. Danger is not allowing staff to talk to other people and learn; detrimental to professional training development. One year moratorium would cut the employee travel budget by 50 percent. Board budget would probably involve the food account which amounts to about $4,000. Motion refers to general district travel from the operating budget. Strings has only been cut once and a fee added.
Ms. Robarts withdrew her amendment.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Shwaw Vang to reinstate the fifth grade strings program two times per week and pilot the choice program at one school next year to be funded by $1,004 from the Board of Education budget; $50,000 from a one-year limit on employee travel; and $50,000 from a one-year limit on retirees, teachers, administrators and clerical people coming back to perform short-term work for the district.
Discussion: Clarified that the $50,000 is less, not total. Retirees cut is $50,000 less than spent to date this year already. Anticipation of task force support. Viability of source of funding. Description of what kinds of projects the retirees are asked to work on. Necessity of the work, law requires certified teachers, mentors, funding from the Reserve for Contingency and from grants, middle school design team. If reallocated, the district would have to pay extra. Intentionally use people who have retired within the last three years, most recently in the field.
Shwaw Vang amended the motion to reduce the one-year limit on the use of retirees, teachers, administrators and clerical people to perform short-term work to $10,000 and cut $40,000 from the transportation for student athletic practices and games budget.
Discussion: Transportation is to practice and games. Some legal obligations. Not all schools have all the sports facilities. Car pooling issues with students. Booster Clubs maxed out. Ms. Nash is working with the Athletic Directors to differentiate the funding for those who have facilities and those who do not. Fine arts during the teaching day vs. athletics after school.
The motion, as amended, carried 4-3 with Carol Carstensen, Arlene Silveira, and Johnny Winston, Jr. voting no.
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to amend the budget to add back one FTE to Lincoln Elementary for the 4/5 classrooms and one FTE for the Connect program at the high schools to be allocated according to need at an estimated cost of $123,660 and to fund that by moving 1.5 custodians to Fund 80 and reducing Institutional Members by $23,160 for one year.
Discussion: One Connect program person to be shared. How the allocation would work. How and when the vacancy rate is used. Teacher-student ratios at Lincoln. Unallocated teacher at Lincoln will be cut if not needed for enrollment purposes. Institutional memberships was reviewed. Justification for additional 1.5 custodians coming out of Fund 80. Exploring a moratorium on membership with the Wisconsin School Boards Association.
Connor Gants arrived at this time.
Student Representative voted to abstain. Motion carried 5-2 with Lucy Mathiak and Johnny Winston, Jr. voting no.
Recessed at 6:56 p.m.
Reconvened at 7:13 p.m.
It was moved by Shwaw Vang and seconded by Ruth Robarts to amend the budget to reinstate 1.0 FTE Albanian BRS to be funded out of transportation for high school games and practices in the amount of $13,238; $10,000 from Student Services line item 1070 (miscellaneous and other expenses); $8,000 out of Human Resources line item 353 (supplies and materials); $8,619 from transportation for athletics; and to fund the remaining part of the position from Fund 80 for a total of $53,238.
Mr. Vang amended his motion to take the $8,619 from athletics and not transportation for athletics.
Discussion: Albanian student enrollment has dropped below BRS service level; students speaking other languages could use the support. District has been successful serving these students in small numbers. No way to find out what other groups are in the same situation. Student Services budget includes Brearly Street and formula money and staff development. Could take Alternatives down to freeze level. Need to change the job description to fund under Fund 80. District has someone who works in the Hmong community and the GLBTQ position. Most recent immigration about six years ago and is still in the Leopold area. No way to make this transportation cut and offer athletics the way it is now. Sports would have to be cut in some way. District should be providing more transportation for sports.
Student Representative vote on the motion, as amended, was no. Motion failed 2-5 with Ruth Robarts and Shwaw Vang voting aye.
It was moved by Shwaw Vang and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to amend the budget to reinstate 0.5 FTE Albanian BRS out of athletics transportation, Student Services miscellaneous, and Human Resources supplies and materials.
Mr. Vang amended his motion to partially fund the .5 position from athletics in general and not out of athletic transportation.
Student Representative's advisory vote on the motion, as amended, was no. Motion carried 4-3 with Carol Carstensen, Arlene Silveira, and Johnny Winston, Jr. voting no.
Administration will work with the Athletic Directors to try to make this cut, but the Superintendent may ask the Board to cut a sport if they cannot.
Lucy Mathiak moved to amend the budget to restore $360,000 to the elementary education budget by a suggested change in handling resources that are held back now and then added back in the fall through grants.
Discussion: No certainty; totals will not be known by October. Comparing balanced budgets to balanced budgets. Staffing is the same as last year.
This amendment was withdrawn by Ms. Mathiak.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to amend the budget by adding one FTE to LincolnElementary for grades 4/5 to keep student teacher ratios where they are in the amount of $53,300 funded by take out one of the 45.7 non-teaching teachers out of the operating budget and out of Doyle. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 4-3 with Carol Carstensen, Arlene Silveira, and Johnny Winston, Jr. voting no.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Ruth Robarts to restore one FTE psychologist, social worker, and nurse in the amount of $213,441 using one FTE that is non-classroom ($53,300); a reduction in consulting services by $50,000; a reduction in Human Resources of $30,000; and a reduction in Business Services of $100,000.
Discussion: Cuts were to be made by the administration. Where the cut would come from in the Human Resources Department (discretionary and recruiting). Already have a $50,000 moratorium on travel and $8,000 already cut from Human Resources supplies.
Ms. Mathiak withdrew her amendment.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Ruth Robarts to amend the budget by reinstating one FTE psychologist, social worker, and nurse in the amount of $213,441 by using one FTE non-classroom teacher ($53,300); $50,000 from consulting services; $10,000 from Human Resources; and $100,000 from Business Services.
Discussion: Board making the decision about the cuts vs. the administration. Little cushion for responding to other kinds of adjustments. Business Services cuts - many mandates, already cut travel, consulting; no more to go. How library pages relates to these cuts. Social work layoff due to loss of grants. Affect on school climate.
Recessed at 8:54 p.m.
Reconvened at 9:10 p.m.
Ms. Mathiak withdrew her amendment.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Ruth Robarts to restore one FTE psychologist and one FTE nurse in the amount of $139,441 by using one FTE non-classroom teacher ($53,160); reducing consulting services by $25,000; reducing Business Services by $25,000; reducing General Administration by $25,000; reducing Human Resources by $10,000; and reducing the Board of Education budget by $1,281 for a total of $139,520.
Discussion: Have to agree on the end result. Administration would expect the Board's support. Ideas for restoring the library pages.
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Carol Carstensen to table the amendment. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Ruth Robarts to restore Library Pages by $150,000 by using one FTE non-classroom teacher ($53,160); reducing consulting services by $25,000; reducing Business Services by $25,000; reducing General Administration by $25,000; reducing Human Resources by $10,000; reducing the Board of Education budget by $1,281; and cutting the second Allied Drive bus route at $15,000.
Discussion: Taking the bus route out of the Reserve for Contingencies. Consider $15,000 out of Legal Services. Selling things to outside people from Teaching and Learning and that money is already in the budget. Non-teaching positions would have to come from Teaching and Learning. District's strength comes from strong professional development and primary class size.
Ms. Kobza amended her motion to remove the cut of the second Allied Drive bus route at $15,000 and funding elementary library pages at $139,441.
Student Representative's advisory vote on the motion, as amended, was aye. Motion carried 6-1 with Carol Carstensen voting no.
Ms. Kobza assumed the chair.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Shwaw Vang to amend the budget to purchase a new garbage truck at $105,000 with funding from General Transportation.
Discussion: Borrowing over six years for $20,472. Could use equity fund. Total of $120,000 needed to include going to the dump. No driver; cuts a position somewhere else in that unit. Contract was back-up because both vehicles failed. Costs for the garbage contract could offset the cost. Difference would be $10,093.
Carol Carstensen made an amendment, accepted as friendly by mover and seconder to fund the cost of the garbage truck out of the maintenance line of the operating budget after taking out the cost of the current garbage contract for a total of $10,093.
Student Representative's advisory vote on the motion, as amended, was aye. Motion carried 6-1 with Lawrie Kobza voting no.
Mr. Winston reassumed the chair.
It as moved by Lucy Mathiak to amend the budget to fund one FTE psychologist and one FTE nurse for a total of $139,441 by freezing Public Information at the 2005-06 of $25,000; freezing subscriptions at the 2005-06 level of $17,000; cutting one non-classroom teacher at $53,160; reducing the Director of Building Services by $25,000; and reducing the Board of Education budget by $2,000.
Discussion: Increase in Public Information is salary and fringes also subject to consulting and General Administration. Public Information has only $30,000 outside of salaries, etc. Proposal to have ½ time psychologist, ½ time nurse, one unallocated position, and cut it in half. Cannot add back to the budget in October. Administration would come back from the Reserve.
Ms. Mathiak amended her motion, seconded by Ruth Robarts, to reducing 1.5 non-classroom teachers; reducing the Director Building Services budget by $25,000; and freezing subscriptions at $17,000 for a total of $120,000.
Discussion: Importance of staff development and research.
Student Representative advisory vote on the motion, as amended, was aye. Motion failed 2-5 with Lucy Mathiak and Ruth Robarts voting aye.
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Ruth Robarts to reduce the Fund 80 Reserve for Contingency by $83,500. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
Discussion: Class size at Crestwood, Spring Harbor, or Wright were not discussed; can address in the future. There was a request to the Board Officers to schedule Board discussion in the late summer or early fall about the kinds of issues raised around SAGE at schools with low poverty levels and the future of Spring Harbor.
It was moved by Shwaw Vang and seconded by Ruth Robarts to amend the budget to add one FTE in the amount of $70,500 for the Connect program by cutting $25,000 from Business Services line time 256; cutting $5,000 from General Administration line item 1164; and $40,500 from the Fund 10 Reserve for Contingency.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion failed 2-5 with Ruth Robarts and Shwaw Vang voting aye.
It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Ruth Robarts to define the student transportation for athletics games and practices from the athletic budget in general. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Shwaw Vang to adopt the 2006-07 budget in the amount of $ $332,947,870, separating out the Kajsiab House Project.
Discussion: This budget will include MSCR and Food Service. MSCR's increase in rental fees is not part of this budget. Administration will be making recommendations for Food Service meal costs.
Ms. Carstensen withdrew her motion.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Ruth Robarts to amend the budget to restore one FTE psychologist and .5 FTE social worker ($37,000) for a total of $121,000 by a reduction to the Lead Elementary Principal and Special Assistant to the Superintendent positions by 50 percent and the Board of Education budget at $1,000.
Ms. Mathiak amended her motion to reduce the Elementary Lead Principal by 50 percent and leave the Special Assistant to the Superintendent at 100 percent and reduce the Board of Education budget by $1,000.
Discussion: Lead principal comes from IDEA money so something else would have to cut from there. Cannot use the psychologist from there. Critical position. The pre-referral intervention process was described. How the Special Assistant to the Superintendent on race relations fits into this.
Ms. Mathiak withdrew her motion.
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Ruth Robarts to adopt the entire 2006-07 budget of $332,947,870, as amended, with the separation of the Kajsiab House Project. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
On the motion to fund the Kajsiab House Project in the amount of $50,000 from a reduction in the Bootstrap program of $50,000, Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 5-1-1with Ruth Robarts voting no and Shwaw Vang abstaining.
4. Other Business
There was no other business.
5. Adjournment
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to adjourn the meeting at 11:28 p.m. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
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