Summary of Regular Board Meeting Held on December 4, 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

The Business and Education Partnership (whose partners are the Madison business community, public schools and Edgewood High School) was recognized for helping students and educators better understand the free enterprise system. On behalf of the Business and Education Partnership, Chairman of the Board John Swenson honored American Family Insurance and Research Products Corporation for their contributions and long time support for the Partnership.

Public Appearances

There were seven speakers on the topic of the Board's position on the Boy Scouts of America, seventeen speakers on the topic of continuing Boys Gymnastics as a sport, seven speakers on the topic of an addition to Hawthorne School and two speakers urging revisiting of the policy for awarding construction bids. There were 24 written registrations in support of continuing Boys Gymnastics, four in support of the Boy Scouts resolution, four in support of an addition to Hawthorne School, one in support of moving the TEP program to Lapham, and one in support of using union labor for district construction.

Board President's Announcements And Reports

Mr. Williams announced:

• members of the Board and administrative staff continue their work on school boundary line options. Options have been revised and updated based on public input. Information continues to be made available.
• Superintendent Rainwater met recently in Janesville with the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on State-Local Relations to discuss the Commission's proposal to take schools entirely off the property tax and have the state fund 100% of the cost of K-12 education. The Commission dropped the 100% funding idea, but will likely recommend a plan that provides districts with $7,200 per student toward the cost of education.
• members of a statewide coalition of federal Community Learning Centers grant recipients are developing strategies for long term sustenance of the program. MSCR Director Lucy Chaffin participates in the coalition. The first of the district's CLC grants will expire in 2001.
• the Board and district staff have been discussing a recent state law requiring all school boards to adopt a policy that makes specific criteria for promotion of students from fourth to fifth grade, eighth to ninth grade, and for high school graduation. This week staff will participate in a national teleconference on testing, standards and accountability.

Superintendent's Announcements And Reports

Mr. Rainwater announced:

• Art students from five area high schools are throwing pottery to make and sell soup bowls for the Souper Bowl, Madison's annual fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. The bowls filled with hot soup will be sold at Van Hise Elementary on January 27.
• District Grantswriter Howard Landsman was named Outstanding Fund-Raising Executive by the local chapter of the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives. Many of the district's grant awards are the direct result of his good work.

Committee Reports And Action Thereon

Performance & Achievement: Recommendations of the Evaluation of Learning Materials Committee were approved. There was no committee report.

Finance and Operations: There was no report.

Human Resources: Bill Keys reported he attended a conference on issues of cultural competence and will prepare a report. Eddie Thomas has been hired as the district's Recruitment Specialist.

Long Range Planning: Carol Carstensen reported the committee met earlier today and narrowed areas to be considered for boundary options. She reviewed decisions that still need to be made.

Partnerships: Ray Allen commented on the recognition earlier in the meeting of the Business and Education Partnership.

Legislative: Joann Elder reported the committee will meet this week with the Madison Legislative Delegation to discuss issues of common interest, including priorities for the state's 2001-2003 Biennial Budget.

Auditing, Purchasing, Transfers & Other Financial Transactions

Auditing: Interim bills and school building fund bills were paid.

Purchasing: The bid for Bakery Goods was awarded.

Transfers: There were no transfers.

Other Financial Transactions: All donations and grants received since November 6, 2000 were approved. The 2000-2001 budget was increased to support the IDEA READS project at Hawthorne Elementary School and to support the Indian Education program.

Human Resources Transactions and Reports:

All transactions and reports were approved. Bill Keys expressed sympathy for the death of Gompers Kindergarten teacher Capri Yogerst and shared some information about her.

Reports to the Board:

Board of Education/Common Council Liaison Committee: The committee received an update on professional police officers working in the schools and discussed homeless children in Madison.

Other Business:

An amended resolution was adopted regarding the Madison School Board's position on the Boy Scouts of America, the request by Madison Gas and Electric Company for an easement for a parcel located at 201 South Gammon Road was approved, three students over the age of 20 will be allowed to continue enrollment for purposes of graduation, and four students were granted diplomas of graduation based on completed requirements.

Old and New Business: None.

(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