Summary of Regular Board Meeting Held on August 28, 2000

Regular monthly meetings of the Board of Education are close captioned. They are shown again on Tuesday evenings with captions for those unable to watch on Monday evenings.

Recognition

Lucy Chaffin presented a review of summer MSCR programs. She noted there are many new programs and they are always changing. She thanked staff for a job well done. Programs highlighted were the after-school component of the Reading Academies, Safe Haven, Warner Park Community Recreation Programs, Day Camp, Tennis Program, Mad Youth Camp, StageCoach Players, Swim Lessons, Playgrounds, Adult Softball and Pontoon Boat.

Public Appearances

There were four speakers and sixteen written registrations in support of renewing the exclusive beverage vending contract with Coca-Cola, and twelve speakers and two written registrations opposing renewing that contract.

Board President's Announcements And Reports

Mr. Williams:

• the Board is seeking suggestions for the name of the new school at Cross Country. In earlier Board action preference was indicated to select the name of a Latina or Latino person.
• the district has received a U.S. Department of Education grant to recruit, hire and train middle school drug prevention and school safety coordinators.
• the State Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of Wisconsin's school aid formula but possibly opened the door to further litigation by establishing a "sound basic education" standard.
• the DPI has revised the criteria for eligibility for special education and sent them to the Wisconsin legislature for review.
• Board members will be closely watching developments in the legislative arena.
• welcomed all teachers and new teachers.

Superintendent's Announcements And Reports

Mr. Rainwater announced:

• welcome to the start of the 163rd year for the Madison public schools. It has been an outstanding opening day with no problems or incidences coming to the Superintendent's Office.
• in a message to all staff last week, the Superintendent and MTI Director John Matthews reconfirmed the commitment to working together to seek resolutions to problems. District goals were emphasized and staff were urged to consider what school is like for students and families. A main goal for the year is to focus on how staff treats each other and works together to ensure our schools are an inviting place that provides a framework for strong communities.
• two new assistant superintendents and eleven new principals, along with a record 200 new teachers will bring experience, leadership, new energy and ideas to Madison classrooms.
• Summer Reading Academies were held at three sites and offered eligible students from seven elementary schools a morning of intensive literacy activities in class sizes of less than ten students and an afternoon of recreational programs.
• officially opened in July, one of the Reading Academy sites was the Learning Center at Allied Drive. It is hoped the center will increase opportunities and access to resources for children and families in the Allied Drive neighborhood.
• Madison students taking the ACT college test continue to outperform their state and national peers with composite scores 9% higher than other Wisconsin students and 15% higher than the national average. There has been a 50% increase in the last ten years in the number of low-income students taking the ACT. The percentage of students of color taking the test has increased by 13% since 1998.
• Project SMART, a schools-museum-art partnership among the District, the Elvehjem Museum and the Madison Art Center has been awarded a $21,000 grant from the Pleasant Company's Fund for Children.
• Emerson School has received a grant from the Evjue Foundation to support a Saturday morning mentor program for at-risk students.

Committee Reports And Action Thereon

Performance & Achievement: In early October, the committee will hear a report by the Superintendent on progress on the district's three priorities as well as information about ACT scores.

Finance and Operations: The committee heard departmental updates and alternatives to short term borrowing, performance contracting, and a telecommunications long range plan. A topic of the September meeting is naming the school at Cross Country. The Request for Proposal process will proceed to bid out Option #3 to implement new voice equipment and implement a new private Wide Area Network.

Human Resources: The committee approved modifying the current administrative appraisal surveys and adopting a cultural competency requirement for screening potential employees.

Long Range Planning: The committee reviewed results of a survey of families who reside on Allied Drive. Action: Continue the assignment of the elementary childen from the Allied Drive area to the three schools to which they have been assigned for a three- to five-year period subject to review based on academic and other criteria. Discussion should continue about giving direction to the administration focusing on a long range plan. The recommendation was accepted for assigning students in the Hawk's Landing and Valley Ridge areas as a temporary measure through the end of the 2000-2001 academic year.

Partnerships: The committee reviewed the exclusive beverage vending contract with Coca Cola representatives and several modifications were agreed upon, including the use of generic panels on the vending machines and negotiating with other vendors who could provide nutritional drinks as well. The motion was defeated to continue the beverage contract with Coca Cola for a two-year period, that the vending panels be limited to a generic format, and that the district negotiate with Food Services or other local vendors to provide other nutritional drinks.

Legislative: The committee reviewed issues for the next Biennial Budget including school finance, special education/special needs, revenue limit flexiblity and local control. The public was challenged to become involved in school legislative issues.

Auditing, Purchasing, Transfers & Other Financial Transactions

Auditing: Interim bills were paid. There were no School Building Fund bills.

Purchasing: No items.

Transfers: There were no transfers.

Other Financial Transactions: All donations and grants received since July 10, 2000 were approved. Authority was given to administration to approve, through october 30, the expenditure of $219,415 from the Reserve for Contingencies for up to five teacher positions, including educational assistants, to accommodate fall enrollment changes within the equity formula process. The budget was increased to support Community Learning Centers at Allis, Falk, Hawthorne and Leopold Schools; to support the recruitment, hiring, training of middle school drug prevention and safety coordinators, to support professional development activities for the integration of instructional technology into the curriculum, to support the cost of building remodeling for a new athletic training room and the purchase of athletic training equipment, to support MSCR Youth Resource Centers at Sherman and Toki, and to support the cost of landscaping improvements at Shorewood Elementary Schools. Source of funding was provided for each budget increase.

Human Resources Transactions and Reports:

All transactions and reports were approved.

Reports to the Board:

Board of Education/Common Council Liaison Committee: Joann Elder had no report.

Other Business:

Forty-five students were granted diplomas of graduation. Citizen members were appointed to the Legislative and Partnerships committees and a citizen was re-appointed to the Partnerships Committee.

Old and New Business: Juan José López congratulated students who have graduated for athletic accomplishments, Ray Allen thanked members of 100 Black Men for sponsoring a picnic and distributing backpacks to students, Bill Keys welcomed new teachers, and Carol Carstensen commended East staff and administrators for inviting parents of incoming freshman students to go through a shortened schedule and have lunch with their child on the first day of school.

(A complete copy of these minutes is available from the Board of Education Office, 261-9000. This summary may have been published before the minutes were approved by the Board of Education. Please call to check on any changes.)

Regular Meeting Summaries