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Snippets 2010-11 (Pg. 1)
Snippets Index: The Snippets information is organized by a July through the following June format, generally corresponding to the school year. 7/6/10 Board Meeting Results Include Addition Of Two Dual-Credit Courses in English Department And Other Info (7/8/10) Attending this meeting were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray, Principals Douglass and Strasser, Director of Technology Vance Monical, Tara Seuferer, Jr.-Sr. High School Guidance, Teachers Mike Buczkowski and Melinda Shultz and Stephanie Sailors-Herd and sons, London, Noah and Keaton. Oath of Office - This was administered to Jason Herd and Russell Phillips whose terms will expire 6/30/2014. Consent Agenda - This was unanimously approved and included claims totaling $389,284.48. Among the claims were $3,150.00 for anti-virus software (annual expense); $36,563.55 for 30 Apple MacBook laptops and mobility cart to be used in Tara Wolfe's classroom; $1,128.05 for NEOLA update service and $25,000.00 for both schools to continue in the Indiana School Achievement Institute process. Also included was the employment of Anita Sarver and Vickie Long for the Cafeteria Staff. Board Re-Organization - Unanimously elected were Dr. James Ayers as President, Jason Herd as Vice-President and Joyce Zartman as Secretary. Corporation Attorney - Robert Murray was unanimously approved with the current annual fee of $4,000 being continued. Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association - Membership in this Association was unanimously tabled pending receipt of further information. 2010-2011 Support Staff Salary Schedule - Mr. Foster recommended that this schedule receive no increase from the previous year. However, his recommendation included replacing “Cafeteria Helpers” and “Cooks/Cashier” with “Cafeteria Staff” at what had been salary for the “Cooks/Cashier.” He feels this will provide more flexibility for the Cafeteria Manager to rotate workers among the various areas so they become more familiar with the various facets of the overall operation. This was approved 4 to 1 (Phillips). Phillips was opposed due to the increased cost of the recommendation. Consider Revisions/New policies - Fifteen policies received a first reading. Following discussion of Policy 5463 (Credits From State-Chartered, Special And Non-chartered Schools) it is Phillips' understanding that at this time the Board does not wish to change the current policy. Policies will receive a second reading and action at the July 20th meeting. Other Business Board Comment - Mrs. Zartman and Mr. Phillips thanked Mr. Cress for his time and effort in serving the last four years as Board President and conducting the Board's meetings. Regarding teacher leaves that occur at times, Phillips suggested that every effort be made to fill them with well-qualified and licensed individuals. Two suggestions were the possibilities of publicizing the need on the Department of Education website and utilizing Kelly Services. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 7/20/10 Board Meeting Results Include Discussion Of The Process For Evaluation Of The Superintendent, Employment Of Randy Zartman & Christina Champ And Other Info (7/27/10) Attending this meeting were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray and Principals Douglass and Strasser. Consent Agenda - Included were the June Treasurer's Report (see excerpts) and claims totaling $397,031.02 including $12,530.00 for re-carpeting the Library; $5,700.00 to paint including the girls' Jr. High locker-room (visitor’s room during games), the west wall of the north gym lobby, top of the wall at south gym lobby (where leaks had stained the paint), part of the hallway in the High School headed toward the Art Room, the bottom of the Elementary Gym, the Library and the small room used by Mr. Rombold that is adjacent to the Library. Also done was the scraping of all the hanging paint (not all of it yet) off the duct work in Chemistry Lab. Additional claims included $1,208.07 for an interactive whiteboard in Mrs. Wolfe's room and $4,986.00 for ten iPads. Also recommended were the employment of Randy Zartman as full-time bus route driver and Christina Champ as Cafeteria Manager. Mr. Foster cited Mrs. Champ's experience with dining halls at Purdue University and commented she has done some private catering and references have stated she is very creative and energetic. He also stated "...she's very open to getting her hands dirty...if they need help in the line somewhere she'll jump in..." Foster said that among the several references consulted was Lynn Korniak who is in charge of the 4H Youth Development program for the Cass County Extension Office. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved except "Consider request from Jason Herd and the Cass County Youth Football for use of the football game and practice fields beginning August - thru October 2010. Games are played on Sundays at 1:30P.M." The vote was 4 to 0 to 1 (abstention-Jason Herd). Board Comments - One topic that Phillips commented about was the process that is used to present the Board's evaluation of the Superintendent to him. Last year the Board approved the Board President to present the Board's evaluation of the Superintendent to him in a one-on-one setting. Although uncertain how many years Phillips believes this has been the practice for at least several. However, he feels there are reasons why the entire Board should present the evaluation. An audio recording (8 min., 25 sec.) of the Board discussion on this topic will be found here. The sequence of the speakers is as follows: Phillips, Herd, Ayers, Zartman, Cress, Phillips, Herd, Zartman, Foster, Zartman, Cress, Zartman, Phillips, Ayers and Zartman. Snippets Of Comments From 6 Hour Board Member Retreat On July 28, 2010 (Russ Phillips, 8/28/10) Snippets of
Comments from July 28, 2010 Board Retreat On Wednesday, July 28, 2010 the Board as well as other
individuals noted below participated in a Retreat that lasted more than 6 hours.
The purpose was for School Board training and planning and there was discussion
and comment on a variety of topics. It was open to the public and took place at
Caston Jr.-Sr High School. Snippets of selected comments are included below and effort
was made to not change their intent. Several places the exact words appear in
quotes. For those not attending it may be unclear what is meant by some of the
comments and you may want to check with the individual who made them. Breaks and lunch were not recorded. 05:00 refers to 5
minutes and 0 seconds. 01:22:36 refers to 1 hour, 22 minutes, 36 seconds. You
can’t infer from this the length of time spent on the comments or topic since
only selected comments are included here. Time is recorded to expedite further
review of the recording. The retreat was facilitated by Bob Poffenbarger, a retired
school superintendent. Those making comments below include: Bob
Poffenbarger (Facilitator), Dan Foster (Superintendent), Cindy Douglass
(Elementary Principal), Adam Strasser (Jr.-Sr. High Principal), Karla VanWinkle
(Assistant Jr.-Sr. High Principal) Michaela Slisher (Parent), and Board
members Jim Ayers, Jason Herd, Joyce Zartman, Bruce
Cress and Russ Phillips. 05:00 Overview of Retreat topics 8/4/10 Board Meeting Results Include Discussion Of Whether Or Not To Fill Assistant Principal Position, Approval Of Resolution In Support Of Indiana Being On Central Time And Other Info (8/5/10) Attending this meeting were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray, Principals Douglass and Strasser, Administrative Associate for Finance Denise Chandler, Director of Technology Vance Monical and Patrons Michaela Slisher and Harry Richter. Consent Agenda - Included were the July Treasurer's Report (see excerpts) and claims totaling $331,999.11 including $95.00 for registration of Tara Wolfe to attend Moodle Moot Conference; $3,700.00 to repair/replace malfunctioning fresh air unit and compressor above the Family and Consumer Science Classroom; $1,509.28 to install in the Cafeteria Walk-In Freezer a system that will provide immediate and remote notification when the freezer malfunctions and $1,515.00 to purchase several graphing calculators w/touchpad to be used by the math department. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Stipends - Unanimous approval was given for the employment of staff for 2010-2011 study tables with a stipend of $15.00/hour and the Extended Day Learning Program with a stipend of $35.00/hour. The latter pertains to both the Elementary and Jr.-Sr. High Schools. Extending Contracts - The contracts of Mrs. Douglass as Elementary Principal and Mrs. Stevens as Athletic Director were extended to June 30, 2012 and the contract of Mr. Foster as Superintendent was extended to June 30, 2013. The vote was 4 to 1 (Phillips). Phillips stated that his objection had nothing to do with the job performance of any of the individuals. His objection was based upon the need to retain maximum flexibility and to limit financial liability. He referred to the concept of a single principal for K-12, that he recently wrote about, augmented by one or more assistant principals. He also referred to the Shared Services Study where consideration was given to sharing services among two or more school corporations. Although this study didn't refer to such a possibility for the position of superintendent it certainly is a possibility that has been emphasized by Governor Mitch Daniels. Regarding the position of Athletic Director there have been informal discussions among some regarding the possibility of the position including additional school administrative responsibilities. It should be noted that Indiana Code does not require these contracts to be extended or renewed at this time. Central Time Zone - The Board unanimously approved the resolution in support of all of Indiana being on Central Standard Time during the winter months and Central Daylight Time during the rest of the year. Superintendent Foster has recently written why he thinks Indiana should be on Central Time. Personnel - The resignations of Bus Driver John Mollencupp and Jr.-Sr. High Assistant Principal Karla VanWinkle as well as the employment of Nyssa Gore as Jr. High Math Teacher were unanimously approved. Jr.-Sr. High Assistant Principal Vacancy - The possibility of further school funding cuts by the state is a major consideration in whether to fill this position. This becomes even more critical when referring to "assistant principal" because the state requires an initial two-year contract. If filled with a different title, i.e. "dean of students" or "administrative assistant," it is believed that there is no two-year requirement. Mr. Foster shared that Mr. Strasser has indicated that if the Assistant Principal position would be eliminated one year from now he would prefer not to even have the position this school year. Mrs. Zartman spoke about possibly providing some part-time assistance to the school rather than retaining the full-time position. She mentioned the idea of a current part-time employee, i.e. bus driver or cafeteria staff, that might be able to have additional responsibilities and pay. Mr. Strasser said that he feels it is helpful for the principal to have discipline responsibility because that is how you get to know the students and that's how the kids come to respect you and develop a relationship with you. Phillips mentioned that for the school year just completed there were 3,025 office referrals (an average of 17 per day) with the top referrals being:
Phillips also noted that a goal has been set for the coming school year to reduce office referrals to 1,080 (an average of 6 or less per day) and questioned the likelihood of this being achieved if the assistant principal position is eliminated. Mr. Cress stated he was not in favor of hiring another "assistant principal" because of the previously discussed budgetary issues. Phillips emphasized twice that however this is handled his expectation of Mr. Strasser is that he will daily know what is happening in the classrooms and school and will provide follow-up as warranted without a semester, not even to mention a year, slipping by and what should have been done has not been done. It is Phillips' understanding that Mr. Foster will bring a recommendation back to the Board on this matter, possibly at the August 17th Board meeting. Other Agenda Items - All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher remarked that she feels the dress code from head to toe, both for students and staff, should be "hit hard" this year. She also noted that the aqua and orange trim around the outside of the building makes the building "look old" and encouraged the Board to consider this as marketing of schools becomes more important. (State funding dollars are determined by student enrollment and increasingly students may attend, without tuition, a public school outside their school district of residence. - Webmaster) Mr. Richter commented on the discipline topic and expressed concern that part-time assistance will not be available to assist as needed during the entire day and commented that Mr. Strasser's "...plate is pretty full..." He also pointed out that the north exterior exit from the Jr.-Sr. High School Gym is sometimes pretty hazardous (icy) during winter weather. Board Comment - Joyce Zartman expressed appreciation for the years of service Dave Sommers has contributed as Cross Country Coach. Bruce Cress suggested that he thought it would be helpful for the Transportation Supervisor to soon meet with the Bus Drivers to outline expectations, etc. Phillips asked about the Work Session that will precede the Board meeting and how it will be structured. It appears to Phillips that this will require some further discussion. 8/17/10 Board Meeting Results Include Not Filling Assistant Principal Position, Discussion Of Marketing Caston Schools And Other Info (8/19/10) (On this evening the Board did a walk-through of the school buildings at 5:15P.M., held a Work Session (open to the public) at 6:30P.M. and held its regular Board Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending the Work Session and Board Meeting were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray Administrative Associate for Finance Denise Chandler and Director of Technology Vance Monical. Patron Pat Brown arrived at the Board Meeting at about 8:25P.M. Work Session - Whether or not to fill the Assistant Principal vacancy was discussed. Joyce Zartman stated she has been told by various coaches that they are not being evaluated. Mr. Foster stated that coaches have been evaluated. Russ Phillips questioned why the various supervisors (i.e. Director of Transportation, Cafeteria Manager, Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Athletic Director, etc.) do not meet in Executive Session with the Board to report on those they supervise. Foster commented, in contrast to teachers and principals, that these other employees are considered "at-will" employees. Due to a lack of time capital projects and the superintendent evaluation tool were not discussed. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $231,999.09 including $1,615.64 for 3 white marker boards to be used in classrooms; $529.05 to purchase 37 copies of "The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make" and 10 copies of the Activity Guide (these will be used by the Jr.-Sr. High School including the character portion of the Success Period); $1,500.00 for tree trimming and removal; $2,056.00 for wood carpet for the playground; $4,029.40 for ALEKS subscriptions; $1,318.00 for two additional document cameras and $500.00 annual maintenance fee for NEOLA (Bylaws & Policies). The Consent Agenda, including employment of Marla Duvall as Bus Driver and employment of various coaching positions was approved 4 to 1 (Zartman). It is Phillips' understanding that Zartman voted against the Consent Agenda because of her understanding that coaches are not being evaluated. Final Review And Approval To Advertise 2011 Budgets - Denise Chandler noted, “…I don’t think that it’s going to be any big secret that probably next year is going to be a tough year…My personal opinion is we will not be able to carry the staff that we have this year…” The Board unanimously approved advertising the 2011 budgets. Jr.-Sr. High School Assistant Principal Vacancy - Upon Mr. Foster's recommendation the Board unanimously approved not filling this position at this time. When Phillips asked if not filling the position would interfere with Mr. Strasser having the time on a daily basis to know what is happening in the classrooms and school Mr. Foster said, "He feels no." Online Physics Course - The Board unanimously approved offering the online Physics Course through the Indiana Online Academy. Board Comment - Jason Herd expressed his interest in the marketing of Caston Schools, particularly as it regards a highway billboard. Joyce Zartman commented the “...building looks great…the floors were clean, the rooms were spruced up…thanks to everybody…” Jason expressed his interest in discussing various committees (i.e. Buildings & Grounds, Extra-Curricular, Curriculum, etc.) with Board member participation. It is Phillips' understanding that marketing of Caston Schools will appear on the next agenda and the "committee" topic will be discussed at the next Work Session and/or the regular meeting. The Visitors' Dressing Room was painted this summer and Mr. Foster commented, “…I didn’t realize how bad that room looked until they took me in there…I was embarrassed, I was truly embarrassed because that room and the gym are the two places that those people see…I was really disappointed by that…” Phillips responded, “…that’s the kind of attitude from the superintendent that has to filter down to the other people who have responsibility in those areas…” All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 9/7/10 Board Meeting Results Include Discussion On Marketing Caston Schools, Update By Principal Strasser On Several School Improvement Plans And Other Info (9/10/10) On this evening the Board held a Work Session (open to the public) at 6:30P.M. and held its regular Board Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending the Work Session and Board Meeting were all Board members and Superintendent Foster. The following joined the meeting(s) while in progress at about the indicated time: Michaela Slisher (6:38), Vance Monical (6:44), Principal Douglass (7:09) and Principal Strasser (7:11). Work Session - Mr. Foster commented about the new health insurance rates for participants and stated they are effective October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. The use of "committees" with Board member participation was discussed. North Miami school board uses committee structure and Mr. Foster will inquire among several other superintendents about their use of committees. Caston currently has a Health Committee that Bruce Cress serves on. Phillips expressed his interest in the "curricular" area and feels the committee structure will help facilitate communication with and among the Board. Phillips also expressed that it would be helpful if Work Session topics were designated in advance. The intent is to further discuss the possible use of committees at the next Work Session. Michaela Slisher commented briefly about a grading scale issue that is presently under review by the Jr.-Sr. High. Public Comment re: advertised items - Michaela Slisher commented about the Elementary Community Volunteer Program and the upcoming Callout Meeting September 14th. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were the August Treasurer's Report (see excerpts) and claims totaling $350,754.28 including $4,489.36 for one day of training for the Elementary Teachers & Staff by a consultant with the Franklin Covey Institute. The focus was on strategies that can be used to teach elementary students the principles represented in the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Consent agenda also included the recommendation to employ numerous staff in various extra-curricular positions. The Consent Agenda was approved 4 to 1 (Zartman). Marketing Caston Schools - About 25 minutes were used to discuss various ideas related to this including some of the actions being taken by other school districts to market their schools. This item was unanimously tabled. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement - This statement submitted by Mr. Foster discloses that his wife, Rachel, may be used as a substitute teacher/aide on an as needed basis and was unanimously approved. Public Comment - Michaela Slisher asked why the school website was not included on the new sign in front, remarked about items being declared surplus/junk, asked about a committee being created to market Caston Schools and suggested focusing on a niche represented by our schools that could contribute to a marketing effort. Board Comment - Zartman requested to have an Executive Session scheduled for several personnel issues including the opportunity to view the Superintendent’s final evaluation for 2009 and 2010 which has not been viewed previously by the Board. Phillips commented, “…anytime the term evaluation is brought up I think…it perks up ears and is kind of a red flag because somebody wonders if someone is under the gun or about to be canned…that’s the furthest thing from my mind and I believe from any of our minds (further affirmation of this point) as we talk about the superintendent evaluation process , but, as far as putting it off because we have more important things, I’m not sure as a Board we really do have more important things because…there’s only one person we supervise and we formally evaluate and that’s the superintendent and as a Board, in my opinion, we are in a position to be very instrumental in helping to lead this school corporation in terms of direction that we want it to go…I am very interested in us returning to the topic of superintendent evaluation and the tool that would be used for that…I do not care at all for our present tool. I think it’s too cumbersome…too lengthy and it’s a tool that is impractical for a Board member to complete…I am interested in an Executive Session.” Phillips also expressed interest in Mr. Foster completing a self-evaluation, in writing, for the recently completed school year and also requested that all coaching evaluations from last school year be available at the Executive Session for review and due to the uncertainty of the time needed suggested the session be held following the regular meeting rather than before. Cress noted, “I’m not in any way, shape or form in favor of revisiting Mr. Foster’s evaluation…If we want to look at the instrument that’s fine, but, I’m not in favor of looking at his evaluation…” Phillips remarked, “…I don’t believe I ever saw the written evaluation that was completed for Mr. Foster for 2009 or 2010. I had input into the process, but, as far as what was written up and presented to him, I’ve not seen it and it just seems to me that it stands to reason that as a Board member I should be aware of what that final evaluation was that was presented to him. Herd added, “I don’t think anybody wants to re-evaluate anyone.” Cress followed, “I don’t think we need to revisit it.” Phillips remarked, “…not too long ago the comment was made (that there was concern) that it would turn into a free-for-all. In no way, shape or form do I envision it turning into a free-for-all and if in fact it was felt that something was getting a little lengthy or was becoming repetitious or someone was trying to re-evaluate, certainly there are 5 members and at least three of those members can say, hey, we’ve discussed this, we’ve given it a fair airing, we need to move on. Herd added, “I’m in favor…I think we should be able to see the final evaluation…the evaluation itself is done as far as I’m concerned…” Board President Ayers then commented, “Mr. Foster, we need an Executive meeting (Session) with the 2009, 2010 evaluation…” Ayers also requested that the evaluations for all the coaches be available for review at the Executive Session (this request was supported by Phillips, Zartman and Herd and was not supported by Ayers and Cress). On other matters Phillips asked several questions of Principal Strasser who supplied the following information: As of last Friday (Sep. 2) there have been 23 office referrals for student behavior since the beginning of school averaging thus far 1.8 daily referrals (after averaging 17 per day last school year the school had set a goal of no more than 6 per day for this school year). The School Improvement Plan remains intact and where the Assistant Principal, a position no longer in existence, was the designated point person for follow-up another staff member will pick up that responsibility. The School Improvement Plan refers to a “mentoring program” and currently two students are participating and each is being mentored by a different teacher. Thus far, 13 of 25 teachers have had at least one student come in between 7:50 and 8:20A.M. for assistance with their studies. Phillips also asked if each of our 9th graders, as per the School Improvement Plan, currently has a 4 year plan developed regarding their high school career. He also posed the possibility of the entire Board, assuming there is interest and availability, visiting the schools and classrooms for a day. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 9/21/10 Board Meeting Results Include Fewer Students Enrolled, Patrons Question Grading Scale And Unused Vacation Day Practice To Be Reconsidered And Other Info (9/24/10) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. and held its regular Board Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray, Principals Douglass and Strasser, Director of Technology Vance Monical and Patrons Lida Moeller and Michaela Slisher. Work Session - Mr. Foster reported that tentative average daily membership (ADM) as of Friday, Sep. 17th was 797 students compared to last year's figure of 803. He also reported on various committees, with board participation, of several other corporations. Jason Herd suggested that Board members give thought to committees they would be interested participating in. Mr. Foster will report at the next Work Session on the various committees currently functioning at Caston. Public Comment re: advertised items - None. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $294,659.79 including $250.00 for annual dues for the Upper Wabash Valley School Study Council, $570.00 for annual membership in the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents and $1,120.00 for annual membership of two principals in the Indiana Association of School Principals and their respective national principals organization, $995.00 for four students to take an online Physics Course, $43,815.00 for roof repairs, $1,507.00 annual fee for archiving and storage of email communications and $90.00 for registration of Cindy Douglass and Paige Bowditch to attend a Response to Intervention workshop. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Financial - Unanimous approval was given for payment to Superintendent Foster of seven unused vacation days from the 2009-10 school year. Other Business - The employment of Tim Strasser to drive two students from Caston to their school in Logansport at a rate of $7.25 per hour based on a round-trip both in the morning and afternoon was unanimously approved. Public Comment: Michaela Slisher's comments: (1) Questioned whether there had been adequate publicity of the need for a bus aide (as of this Board meeting there was still the need), (2) Regarding the possibility of patrons serving and/or participating in "committees" she said, "...“if people feel like it is open…and you get it communicated well enough you will have people who are very interested coming to those committee meetings…I would hope that…somebody isn’t going to hand pick the committee because that kind of defeats the purpose…” and (3) She provided an update on the Elementary Volunteer Program stating that 20 people attended the recent call-out meeting, another 21 people who couldn’t attend have expressed their interest and currently 13 people have received an assignment for volunteering. Slisher also asked about the grading scale that has recently been under review by Principal Strasser. Mr. Strasser provided scales from other area schools. Lida Moeller commented that she understood that the reason for revising the scale last June was to "level the paying field" relative to the scale that was being used by many schools (a lower scale) in Indiana so that Caston would be on an equal footing grade point average wise when students seek college admission and merit scholarships. With the revised scale she pointed out this had been accomplished for each level (i.e. D-, D, D+...A-, A) except A+ and in this case Caston established a higher percentage, 100%, to receive an A+. She noted, "Bottom line is I think you've hurt the top kids, you've lowered their gpa's, you can't have helped them." Board Comment: Assuming that the recent grading scale revision has resulted in an unintended effect Phillips asked Foster if changes could yet be made for the current school year. Foster replied, "possible, yes - difficult, probably." Upon questioning by Phillips it was reaffirmed that the provision for 12 month employees that allows them to be paid for up to seven unused vacation days will be on the October 5th Board agenda for review/discussion/consideration. Principal Strasser, in response to a question from Phillips, stated that in recent days a tentative four year course selection plan for their high school career has been completed by all 9th grade students. When asked if bus drivers are assigned to routes in the most cost-effective manner Foster said, "Usually, and we're looking at one right now..." All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 10/5/10 Board Meeting Results Include Update On Current Indebtedness And Available Financing Options For Future Projects Without Increasing Tax Rate, Unused Vacation Day Practice Discussed And Other Info (10/8/10) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. and at 7:00P.M. held a Budget Adoption followed by the Regular Meeting. Attending were all Board members, Superintendent Foster and Corporation Attorney Bob Murray. Also attending the Regular Meeting were Director of Technology Vance Monical and Transportation Supervisor Adam Taylor. Work Session - After further discussion about Board member participation on various committees the following is Phillips' understanding of the result. Joyce Zartman and Bruce Cress expressed interest in helping with a "Buildings and Grounds Committee." Jason Herd expressed interest in helping with an "Extra-Curricular and Athletics Committee" and Russ Phillips expressed interest in helping with a "Curriculum/Instruction/Technology Committee." With further discussion additional committees with Board participation are a possibility. The topic of community participation on committees was briefly discussed but it was decided that this needed further discussion. Budget Adoption - The Board unanimously adopted the CY 2011 budgets for General Fund, Debt Service Fund, Transportation Fund, Bus Replacement Fund, Capital Projects Fund and Rainy Day Fund Budgets. Public Comment re: advertised items - None. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $348,351.32 including $600.00 for Harmony software training for the Cafeteria Manager, Jr.-Sr. High School Principal and Lorie Offutt, $600.00 registration fee for three Advanced Placement course teachers to attend a conference, $1,350.00 for an Apple MacBook laptop for Mr. Byrn and $33,741.00 to replace tables, chairs and checkout desk in the Media Center. The Treasurer's Report for September 2010 was not available for review and the item regarding the stipend for the extended day learning program and study table supervision was previously approved at the August 4th Board Meeting. With the exception of these two items the Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Surplus/Junk - This was unanimously tabled. Discussion Items -Curt Pletcher of H.J. Umbaugh & Associates discussed Caston's Debt Service Fund obligation (will be paid off as of 1/1/2013 and the Energy Savings Contract indebtedness (will be paid off as of 7/1/2015) that is paid through the Capital Projects Fund. Also discussed was Caston's practice of allowing 12 month employees to be paid for as many as 7 unused vacation days. For the 2009-10 school year there were eight 12 month employees who exercised this option at a total cost to the Corporation of $9,547.32 including wages and related expenses. Also, ten other north central Indiana school corporations were surveyed and none of them have the practice of paying for unused vacation days. Public Comment - None. Board Comment - Phillips continued the discussion from previous meetings regarding the revision of the tool used to evaluate the Superintendent. It's his understanding that Board members will bring to the next meeting the current tool with deletions and additions that each Board member would suggest. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 10/19/10 Board Meeting Results Include Ratification Of Collective Bargaining Contract, First Reading Of Revised Policy 4433 - Vacation And Other Info (10/22/10) Attending were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray, Principals Douglass and Strasser, Director of Technology Vance Monical, Elementary Guidance Counselor Anita Doan, Patron Marty Zartman and Student Trey Doan. Public Comment re: advertised items - None. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were the September Treasurer's Report (see excerpts) and claims totaling $343,871.09 including $650.00 for inspection of bleachers (required annually), $935.00 for steamer and walk-in cooler repairs, $774.60 for fence repairs damaged by wind, $779.25 for Internet access (monthly expense) and $1,755.75 for mobile computer workstation for Transportation Supervisor. Also, the employment of Melissa Jones as Bus Assistant. After the October 5, 2010 minutes were amended (a couple technical points) the Consent Agenda with amended minutes was unanimously approved. Policy - Bylaw 0160 revision was removed from consideration at the October 5th meeting. New Policy 5335 was withdrawn for consideration by the Superintendent. The remaining new/revised policies, after receiving a second reading, were unanimously approved. Policy 4433 - Vacation - This policy currently includes a provision to pay up to a maximum of seven unused vacation days for 12 month employees. This policy received a first reading. After about 30 minutes of discussion a consensus emerged to revise "a maximum of seven" to "a maximum of three." This revision will be eligible for a second reading at the next Board meeting. Collective Bargaining Contract between Caston Classroom Teachers Association and Caston - Mr. Foster mentioned this Contract was recently ratified by the CCTA. He also expressed his appreciation for the understanding manner in which the negotiations took place. The new contract calls for no increase in salary figures. However, credit will still be received for additional experience and education. Health insurance premiums increased an average of about 10%. Part of the premium is paid by the employee and part by Caston, thus, both will incur additional cost. In recognition of this the contribution by Caston to a teacher's annuity was reduced by about one-third. Previous yearly amounts ranged from $525.00 to $980.00 depending on years of teaching experience at Caston. The Board unanimously approved the one-year contract that extends from September 1, 2010 thru August 31, 2011. Public Comment - None Board Comment - Phillips requested an Executive Session be scheduled for several issues relating to employee job performance. After brief comments by other Board members it is Phillips' understanding that this will be scheduled for November 2nd as will a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 11/2/10 Board Meeting Results Include Both Schools And Corporation Make AYP And Other Info (11/5/10) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. and at 7:00P.M. the Regular Meeting. Attending were all Board members, Superintendent Foster and Corporation Attorney Bob Murray. Also attending were Principals Douglass and Strasser and Patron Pat Brown. Work Session - Brief discussion took place on the Superintendent Evaluation Form that is being considered for revision. The Board has been considering going to paperless Board meetings and about 15 minutes was used helping the Board get familiar with used laptops that included the information for the evening's meeting. Mr. Foster mentioned that Caston currently has two 2nd Grade classes, one with 23 students and the other 25. Mr. Foster was suggesting the possibility of hiring a 2nd grade aide for the remainder of this school year. No action was taken on this. He also commented that there are about 8 or 9 teachers eligible to retire although he is not aware of any at this time who are planning to do so at the end of the year. Public Comment re: advertised items - None. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were the October 31, 2010 Treasurer's Report (see excerpts) as well as claims totaling $395,567.33 including $26,774 for fall coaching salaries, $3,996.00 (10 monthly payments of this amount for the school year) for Century Career Center and $49,409.00 (10 monthly payments of this amount for the school year) for Logansport Area Joint Special Services Co-Operative (LAJSSC). Phillips pointed out that the current Treasurer's Report shows that for the first ten months of the year Caston's General Fund expenditures were about $392,000 more than its receipts. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Policy 4433 - Vacation - This policy currently includes a provision to pay up to a maximum of seven unused vacation days for 12 month employees. Upon second reading it was approved 4 to 1 (Zartman) to replace "a maximum of seven" with "a maximum of three." Superintendent Evaluation Form - The compiled ideas from Board members for revision of this form were distributed for review. They will be given further consideration at the November 16th Board meeting. Public Comment - Pat Brown complimented Principal Strasser and the Jr.-Sr. High School staff for the positive changes that are underway at the Jr.-Sr. High School. Board Comment - Cress complimented both schools and the corporation for making AYP. He also feels that no Board member should attend the National School Boards Association National Convention due to the depressed economy. Since Policy 4433 pertains to support staff, Zartman would like to see a similar policy available for 1st reading next meeting pertaining to the superintendent. She also referred to the newly placed scrolling sign in the Jr.-Sr. High School Gym, would like to see the signed contract and feels the Board should be more informed regarding contracts that are being signed that result in advertising. Phillips suggested that it might be more clear and transparent in the future, regarding Board member attendance at workshops etc., to identify specific Board members who request to attend. Previously it has not been uncommon to approve attendance for all, yet, only one or two and sometimes none attend. He also reported on a recent Caston Technology meeting. The following were discussed: (1) Adding another classroom with a 1:1 laptop environment, (2) Upgrading the school's network infrastructure with the possibility of commercial wireless access and (3) Replacing the phone system and giving consideration to hosted vs. on-site VOIP. Phillips also commented further about expenses for this year being about $392,000 more than receipts and noted that in 2009 expenditures exceeded receipts by about $164,000. Also, Phillips expressed interest in having our financial situation reviewed at a Board meeting asap. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. Executive Session - Following adjournment of the regular meeting the Board met in executive session under I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(9) to discuss a job performance evaluation of an individual employee. 11/16/10 Board Meeting Results Include Patrons' Comments About Parking Congestion, Out-Dated Sound System And Role Of Board Members And Other Info (11/20/10) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. and at 7:00P.M. the Regular Meeting. Attending were all Board members and Corporation Attorney Bob Murray. Also attending were Principal Strasser, Speech Clinician Paige Bowditch, Director of Technology Vance Monical and Patrons Michaela Slisher and Pat Brown. Superintendent Dan Foster was absent due to illness. Work Session - Due to Superintendent Foster's absence nothing of substance was discussed. Public Comment re: advertised items - None. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $248,305.62 including $2,507.64 for fall coaching salary, $7,060.00 to refinish both gym floors and $13,450.00 as the final draw for lighting of the baseball field. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Presentation - Paige Bowditch gave an interesting and informative presentation with actual demonstrations regarding the iPad and how it is being used with students. Public Comment - Michaela Slisher commented about what she considers a hazardous situation in front of the school at dismissal time when students are being picked up. Because the parking places are occupied cars are parked curbside with significant congestion. It is even more crowded on Fridays and during winter the situation is even more dangerous. Slisher noted, “The parking and pick up after school is getting to be, in my opinion...a safety issue.” Slisher attended the Elementary Veterans’ Day program and noted, “There was a table of kids that I think had a really, really cute skit, but, I think they did because I don’t know for sure if they did because I couldn’t hear anything any of them were saying…they looked like they were very rehearsed, they looked like they really, really knew what they were doing and I was so disappointed that I could not hear what their skit was about…the sound system was really bad…” Pat Brown affirmed Michaela’s comments regarding the congestion issue at dismissal time. He also complimented the Jr.-Sr. High School regarding the Veterans’ Day program that was presented. However, he noted, “Our sound system is just lacking…parts of it are antiquated, parts of it are jerry-rigged.” He continued, “The people putting on the production for the Veterans were doing their best, but, band-aid and bailing wire don’t make you look the best...I think it was a distraction for some of the Vets.” On another topic Brown shared, “I’ve had five people (not the Principals or Superintendent) from different stations throughout the system complain…that Board involvement outside School Board meetings…(has) become a distraction, in some cases to the detriment of the work getting done…” Board Comment - Bruce Cress congratulated the schools on the Veterans’ Day programs. He mentioned that the sound system in the Jr.-Sr. High Gym dates back to 1968 and “It definitely needs to be replaced and I think we need to look at it.” On another topic Cress noted, “Since ’68 we have the best administration we’ve had at this school. We have a Superintendent and Principals who really care about the kids…I would highly encourage my fellow Board members to let the professionals do their job…if we let them do their job our school will only get better.” All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. 12/14/10 Board Meeting Results Include Explanation Of 2009 & 2010 Finances, Report On Implementation Status Of Strategies For Jr.-Sr. High School Improvement Plan And Other Info (12/18/10) On this evening the Board held an Executive Session at 6:00P.M. to discuss a job performance evaluation of an individual employee. This was followed at 7:00P.M. by the Regular Meeting. Attending the Regular Meeting were all Board members, Superintendent Foster and Corporation Attorney Bob Murray (arrived during meeting). Also attending were Principals Douglass and Strasser, Director of Technology Vance Monical and Patron Michaela Slisher Public Comment re: advertised items - About a seventeen minute conversation was initiated by Michaela Slisher who shared comments/questions regarding the Dance Team. Others responding on this topic included Principal Strasser, Joyce Zartman, Superintendent Foster and Russ Phillips. Regular Meeting - Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $814,488.58 including $860.00 registration cost for Jason Herd to attend the Annual Conference of the National School Boards Association to be held in San Francisco; $137,972.50 for a semi-annual lease rental payment when the large courtyard between the two schools was enclosed for classroom and guidance office space (this amount is paid twice a year from the Debt Service Fund and the final payment will be December 20, 2012) and $169,166.54 for the semi-annual payment for the energy savings contract (completed air conditioning of building, new lights and window glass, etc.; this is paid from the Capital Projects Fund and the final payment will be July 1, 2015). The Consent Agenda, except item D pertaining to co-coaches for the Dance Team and requested to be removed from the Consent Agenda by Phillips, was unanimously approved. Dance Team - The employment of Ellen King and Megan Schroeder was approved 4 to 1 (Phillips). Phillips has no objection to the creation of the Dance Team or the recommendation of the co-coaches. However, the Dance Team was created and performed publicly before the Board discussed the matter and acted on the employment recommendation. Thus, he objects to the process by which this occurred. MacBook Lab Presentation - Due to the absence of Teacher Tara Wolfe an abbreviated presentation was given by Vance Monical. New Policy 1233 - Vacation, Administration - Upon second reading this was unanimously approved providing for a maximum of 3 unused vacation days by the superintendent to be paid. Other Business - The Board gave unanimous approval of a non-binding "letter of intent" with Kerlin Bus Sales & Leasing, Inc. to purchase two 81 passenger buses and 1 15 passenger activity bus. This was done to secure a cost advantage. Also unanimously approved was Board and Superintendent attendance at the ISBA Winter Academy. Discussion Item - Capital Projects - Discussion included first determining our needs and then options for funding those needs. Mr. Foster will report back to the Board information on file regarding previous needs discussed and estimated costs from that time. At a later time a facilities planning committee may be formed. Building Report from Principal Strasser - A report was given on the implementation status of the various strategies being used by the Jr.-Sr. High School as part of their School Improvement Plan. Corporation Financial Status - In 2009 Caston spent about $164,000 more from the General Fund than it received. Thus far in 2010 it has spent about $382,000 more from the General Fund than it has received. Mr. Foster gave an informative overview and refresher of what accounts for this. Public Comment - Michaela Slisher asked if consideration was being given to reducing electrical consumption by unplugging items, such as room-size refrigerators, when possible such as Christmas Break, etc. She also commented again about what she considers a hazardous situation in front of the school at dismissal time when students are being picked up. Because the parking places are occupied cars are parked curbside with significant congestion. It is even more crowded on Fridays and during winter the situation is even more dangerous. Slisher also noted that there is a hole along the drive in the area that needs attention. She also criticized the admission fee of $4.00 to Jr. High basketball games as being too high and finds the rotating sign in the gym to be kind of distracting. She also questioned why those wishing to exercise may not use the building for walking. She also was critical of the process used in creating the Dance Team and publicizing the need for coaches. She feels there needs to be greater transparency on these topics. Slisher also objected to the Dance Team being created and performing before coaches were employed by the Board. Board Comment - Phillips asked about further consideration of the Superintendent Evaluation Form that is under review. However, due to the lateness of the evening further discussion of this was postponed. He also complimented Principal Strasser and his staff on their commitment to implementing the strategies of their School Improvement Plan and complimented Superintendent Foster on his very informative review of Caston's finances for 2009 and 2010. Phillips also asked about a presentation on the Midwest Conference and its member schools that Mr. Herd has prepared. Phillips, Herd and Zartman all expressed interest in this being presented at an upcoming Board meeting. Phillips also commented that by restricting parking of the staff in front of the school that the congestion at dismissal time could be helped. Mrs. Zartman suggested that we consider discussing the possibility of Board meetings being recorded by the school system. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 9:39P.M. 1/6/11 Board Meeting Results Include Cafeteria Manager's Employment Terminated, Changes In Random Student Drug Testing Details And Other Info (1/9/11)On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. This was followed at 7:02P.M. by the Regular Meeting and shortly after its adjournment it was followed by the Board of Finance at about 8:03P.M. Public Work Session - Attending were all Board members, Superintendent Foster and Patron Michaela Slisher At about 6:50P.M. Principal Strasser and Director of Technology Vance Monical arrived. About 24 minutes were spent continuing the discussion on the Superintendent Evaluation tool and process. The remainder of the time was used to discuss the topic of paperless Board meetings and whether the Board is interested in moving this direction. Regular Meeting - Attending were those stated above. Celebration - Mrs. Shultz has indicated that the new Advance College Project (ACP) Elementary Composition I class had 12 students this past semester, Other Business - It was unanimously approved to change the vendor for the random student drug testing program. Four reasons for making the change: (1) testing will be done in the bathroom area of the Health Area, (2) an alternative test measure of an oral mouth swab may be administered if needed, (3) more frequent testing becomes a possibility, and (4) the cost will be about the same as before and possibly less. The employment of Christina Champ, Cafeteria Manager, was terminated effective December 8, 2010 by a vote of 3 to 2 (Phillips and Zartman). Upon questioning from Phillips Mr. Foster stated there were days Mrs. Champ was instructed not to report for work, both before and after December 8th, and is not being paid for. Phillips commented, “I just feel like the process that’s resulted in your recommendation is flawed in my opinion and I just have trouble supporting what you are recommending.” Mr. Foster responded, “I respectfully disagree…” Mrs. Zartman said she felt there should have been another Executive Session given the discussion at a previous Executive Session. Mr. Ayers stated he felt Mr. Foster had provided the Board the necessary information to take action. Public Comment - In response to comments by Mrs. Swisher it was reaffirmed that a parent may request their student be included in the random student drug testing program even if the student would not be subject to it otherwise. Board Comment - Upon questioning by Phillips Mr. Foster mentioned that the intent is to continue with nutritious meals and adequate variety in the menus that was provided 1st semester. Phillips also recommended rescheduling the 1:1 MacBook interactive environment presentation by Mrs. Wolfe as soon as possible. Phillips asked what the final results of the Hoosier Math Cup were (a competition that some Caston Elementary students were participating in) and found it unbelievable that President Ayers admonished him for asking questions during "Board Comment." Ayers commented, "I don't think it's the place for it." Soon thereafter he said, "I didn't say you can't ask questions...when we ask for 'Board Comment' you should give us comment." Cress then said, "Well, I agree with him, it says 'Board Comment' and that's what it means, just pure comment, not questions and answers and besides we have a 5 minute limit on 'Board Comment', our Board Policy." Phillips does recall that at one time there was this 5 minute limit, however, he is uncertain if it is currently in Board Policy. (REVISION 1/9/11, 2:25P.M., EST - At the August 2, 2005 Board meeting a motion was unanimously approved "...that there be a Board Discussion Section near the end of the meeting agenda with a five minute limit per Board Member assessed." However, to Phillips' knowledge this does not appear in the Board Policy manual.) Board of Finance Meeting - In recent past it has been practice that the School Board President and Secretary served in the same capacity for the Board of Finance. It was unanimously approved to continue this practice for 2011. By a vote of 4 to 1 (Cress) the Community State Bank of Twelve Mile, IN was designated to continue as the depository of Corporation funds. The only investment asset of the Board is a sweep account at Community State Bank. For 2010 this account earned $69,762.98 in interest. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 8:18P.M. 1/17/11 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include Presentation On Traveling Distances To Other Midwest Conference Schools And Alternatives, Kathy Ward Returns To Assist Cafeteria And Other Info (1/21/11) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:00P.M.and a Regular Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending both were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, both principals, Director of Technology Vance Monical, and Patron Michaela Slisher. Director of Student Activities/Athletic Director Debb Stevens was present at the Public Work Session until 6:24P.M. when she excused herself due to another commitment. Public Work Session - Board Member Herd gave a presentation regarding athletic scheduling and cost reduction. This had to do with traveling distances to other Midwest Conference schools and various alternatives. Regarding future capital projects Phillips suggested that this topic be discussed at the next meeting so that perceived needs could be given further consideration. He feels this will help to project total estimated funding that will be needed. Regular Meeting, Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $247,629.04 including $3,860.00 to upgrade the controls for the soft water conditioner. It was also noted that a claim that was approved at the last meeting for $14,857.61 was found to be incorrect and payment was held. It was replaced by a correct claim at this meeting for $5,943.04 pertaining to transporting two students during the 2009-10 school year from Royal Center to Kokomo as part of their transportation needs. Mr. Foster's recommendation to approve temporary part-time employment of Kathy Ward in the Cafeteria at $10.00/hour was changed to $14.53/hour due to the responsibilities involved. $14.53/hour is the wage of a first year Cafeteria Manager. It was also noted that applications are being received for Cafeteria Manager. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Financial - Unanimously approved was the transfer of $96,000.00 from the General Fund and $107,000.00 from the Transportation Fund for a total of $203,000.00 to the Rainy Day Fund. Phillips did note that he was interested in knowing Caston's current liability regarding its employees for severance/retirement benefits. In other words is Caston current in funding this liability or is it behind or ahead in doing so? Superintendent's Evaluation Form - There appeared to be consensus on this including that the superintendent will first complete a self-evaluation using the form, share it with the Board and then the Board will complete their evaluation of the superintendent. Other Business - Unanimously approved were the resignation of Tara Wolfe as track coach effective immediately and the retirement of Christy Skinner effective at the end of the 2010-11 school year. Elementary INSAI Update - Principal Douglass presented an informative update on the various implementation strategies that are underway at Caston Elementary. Public Comment - Michaela Slisher reported that about 33 school volunteers are providing a total of about 60 hours per week of assistance to Caston Elementary. She also noted that "soccer," a sport that Caston participates in, is not noted on the Midwest Conference website. Additionally she referred to the considerable discussion of recent months regarding the creation of committees. However, she indicated she is unaware of any actually being created. Board Comment - Board President Ayers said that the previously approved limitation of 5 minutes per Board member would be enforced. Cress thanked Tara Wolfe for the several seasons she coached the Track Team, expressed his support for paperless Board meetings by using laptops and noted his appreciation for the more than 30 years that Christy Skinner has served as a Caston teacher. Phillips requested an explanation of what caused the Cafeteria balance of $56,577.70 in November to decrease to $991.90 in December. He also asked how thumb drives (i.e. paperless Board meetings) will be distributed to Board members several days before the meeting. Also noted was the fact that last fall the Board was on the verge of visiting the 1:1 interactive class and Phillips asked if other Board members were still interested in doing this. Phillips commented that before a recommendation is made regarding wages and benefits for any employees that he feels it would be helpful for the Board to have a comprehensive review of wages and benefits for all employee groups. He feels this should include the Board members. Executive Session - Following adjournment of the Regular Meeting the Board met in Executive Session to discuss job performance evaluations of individual employees. top 2/15/11 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include Retirement Of Teacher David Wynn, Discussion Of Possible Capital Projects And Discussion Of "Public Comment" and "Board Comment" Section Of Agenda And Other Info (2/19/11) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M.and a Regular Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending both were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Corporation Attorney Bob Murray, Principal Strasser, Director of Technology Vance Monical, and Patron Michaela Slisher. At 6:58P.M. Principal Douglass joined those in attendance. Public Work Session - Several possible projects were discussed. This included railings in the aisles of the bleachers in the Jr.-Sr. High School Gym as well as replacing the seats and the public address system. Another possible project was installing a wireless infrastructure in the two schools and replacing the phone system. From quotes and estimates that were provided the total of these projects appeared to be something less than $400,000.00. Regular Meeting, Consent Agenda - Included were claims totaling $807,269.46 (represents equivalent of two meetings) including $198.96 for annual subscription to On-Star Service for Corporation van, $121.00 for a web cam to be used by the Music Department and $31,105.37 for textbook reimbursement (this is a receipt/expenditure process, i.e. received from the State, then redistributed to the Extra-Curricular Textbook Rental account). Phillips expressed concern about pressuring teachers, particularly in their first year of teaching, to assume coaching responsibilities. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Presentation on 1:1 Computing - Unanimous approval was given for the School Board and Superintendent to attend a presentation at Lincoln Junior High of Plymouth, IN. Two identical presentations will be held, one on March 11 and the other on April 7. Memorandum of Understanding - This Memorandum with the Caston Classroom Teacher's Association pertains to Teacher David Wynn and provides for him to retire effective February 17, 2011 and receive Caston's retirement benefit. Following February 17th he will have no right to use or demand compensation for any accumulated combination leave days he has remaining. Mr. Foster referred to it as a "very unusual situation." The Memorandum also calls for Mr. Wynn to remain enrolled in the Corporation group insurance plans through August 31, 2011 with the Corporation paying 100% of the cost and Foster noted that while that may seem like an "extraordinary measure and it is" Mr. Wynn is foregoing three months salary to benefit the Corporation. Foster continued, "The Corporation will spend approximately $1,000 to save $20,000." The Memorandum was unanimously approved. Change of Board Meeting Date - The Board unanimously approved rescheduling the March 1st meeting for Monday, February 28th due to the possibility that Caston's sectional game may take place March 1st. Summer 2010 - Indiana Virtual Academy Recap - This report was provided and included courses taken and grades received. Request for Clarification - At this meeting upon being asked by Phillips, Board President Ayers took the position that questions may not be asked by members of the public or by Board members during "Public Comment" and "Board Comment." Phillips asked other Board members if they supported the President's position. Cress said, "absolutely." Zartman said, "Questions sometimes can't help but be asked" and she does not support Ayer's position. Corporation attorney Murray offered the opinion, "Can a comment be quizzical? Absolutely." Phillips understood Herd to very diplomatically say that he did not support Ayer's position. Murray also said that just because a question is asked it may not be possible to answer it at the moment because of having insufficient information available at that time. Phillips assumes that is understood by all Board members. Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher would like to see Board meeting dates included on the school calendar particularly because the regular schedule is sometimes departed from. She also expressed thanks for the prompt removal of the posts, noting they are particularly a hazard when covered by snow, that were on the ground near the drive in front of the Elementary Office. Also noted by her is the lack of "committees" that would provide for public involvement regarding the school and she cited the ongoing discussion about various capital projects as a case in point. Slisher commented about the Elementary PTO program "Pay It Forward" (someone who is the recipient of a good deed pays it forward by doing a good deed for someone else). Currently a supply drive (shampoo, deodorant, etc.) is underway to help the Emmaus Homeless Shelter and Morningstar Girls' Home and she believes there will be more than 300 items collected. Board Comment - Zartman as well as others expressed appreciation for Mr. Wynn's dedicated service of 34 years to Caston. Included in the comments were "outstanding man" as well as "tremendously talented guy" and the very unique contribution of working with 6th grade classes in presenting a musical. Cress commented that on a Sunday morning he was in the building and noticed all the lights were on in the Varsity Locker Room and the sink was running hot water about the size of his little finger and an exterior door was not secured. He also expressed thanks for all of the thoughtfulness expressed by others regarding the recent loss of his brother. Phillips noted that Harmony is used to publicize coaching vacancies and asked if it would be helpful in getting the word out to announce all vacancies such as the current Cafeteria Manager vacancy through Harmony. He also asked for a meaningful update on the Cafeteria balance and inquired who on behalf of the Corporation would serve on the interviewing team for the Cafeteria Manager vacancy. Foster responded, "I have not set a team." Phillips asked about the drug-free grant money and Foster stated we did not receive a grant this year and he assumes these grants are no longer being awarded. Phillips was curious if we would discontinue student drug testing once the drug grant money on hand is exhausted. As of January 31, 2011 $1,223.85 remains in the Drug-Free account.
All other Agenda items eligible for action were
unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 8:07P.M. 2/28/11 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include Continued Discussion Of Possible Capital Projects, Purchase Of 3 Buses And Other Info (3/5/11) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M.and a Regular Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending both were all Board members except for Joyce Zartman, Superintendent Foster, Principal Douglass, Transportation Supervisor Adam Taylor and Patron Michaela Slisher. Also attending the Regular Meeting were Director of Technology Vance Monical and PTO President Cynthia Wiese. Public Work Session - Several possible projects were discussed. This included railings in the aisles of the bleachers in the Jr.-Sr. High School Gym with a cost of around $50,000 as well as replacing the seats at a cost of about $50,000 and the public address system. It was pointed out that from a previous time about $133,000 had been designated to enlarge the area where current special education classes are located, however, it now appears that amount may possibly be used for other purposes. Also, there is about a 100 ft. section of drive near the Bus Barn that is in very poor condition. It was also reported that it is federally required that bus radios and handheld radios be replaced by Jan. 1, 2013. Regular Meeting - Public Comment re: advertised items - None Consent Agenda - This was unanimously approved (4 to 0) including claims of $437,737.07. Bus Purchase - It was unanimously approved to purchase two 81 passenger buses at a total cost of $193,822 with two full-size bus trade-ins and one Thomas mini-bus at $54,159. The two 81 passenger buses include an auxiliary fuel-fired heater ($3,630/unit) and 4 surveillance cameras per bus at $2,616 per bus. The mini-bus has a wheelchair lift and track seating. Public Comment - None Board Comment - Phillips expressed appreciation for the Indiana Virtual Academy recap of last summer's program that was presented last meeting and thanked Mrs. Seuferer for preparing the information. Upon comments by Phillips, Mr. Foster mentioned that it just had not occurred to him to use Harmony as a means of publicizing vacancies, such as the Athletic Department does, as they occur. Since grant money for random student drug testing has not been received from the State this year and it's been assumed it has been discontinued Phillips asked if it's important to use other Corporation funds for this purpose. The only response was from Bruce Cress who said, "Absolutely...if you save one kid, it's worth it..." Regarding discussing with Rochester Schools the possibility of sharing a Cafeteria Manager Mr. Foster said he had tried four times to contact them and had not heard back from them. Cress asked for an update regarding replacing the sound system in the Jr.-Sr. High Gym. Foster said he would seek other quotes for this. Cress also suggested Ken Fraza who manages McHale Auditorium might be able to refer us to someone for help. Cress also thanked Mr. Monical for his written rationale for suggesting we upgrade our infrastructure network. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 7:30P.M. 3/15/11 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include More Discussion Of Possible Capital Projects, Acceptance Of Retirement And Resignation Requests And Other Info (3/19/11) On this evening the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:00P.M.and a Regular Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending both were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Principal Douglass and Patron Michaela Slisher. Patron Cynthia Wiese joined the session at 6:04P.M. and Principal Adam Strasser at 6:35P.M. Also attending the Regular Meeting were Corporation Attorney Bob Murray and Ryan Hartzler of Patriot Insurance. Public Work Session - Discussion continued on various capital projects, both in the short-term and long-term. There was consensus that for the short-term the Board would like Mr. Foster to gather pertinent information on the following six possible projects: (1) replacing phones, (2) water penetration of west wall of special education area in Elementary School and the lobby just prior to entering the area, (3) drainage along the drive by the baseball field and paving of about 100 feet of the drive in that area, (4) increased square footage for weight conditioning area, (5) railings in the aisles of the Jr.-Sr. High Gym bleachers, and (6) replacing the public address system in the Jr.-Sr. High Gym. Regular Meeting - Public Comment re: advertised items - None Consent Agenda - Included was the February 28, 2011 Treasurer's Report (see excerpts). Phillips noted that the balance in the General Fund of $2,807,497.47 is the lowest since November 2008. Also included were claims for $311,553.59 that included $2,800.00 to H.J. Umbaugh & Associates for continuing disclosure information and $4,090.00 for annual software maintenance regarding the accounting and payroll process. Mr. Foster explained that the disclosure information stems from additional indebtedness incurred in 2002 and annual disclosure of this had not occurred in the past. This has now been brought up-to-date. Due to an oversight earlier, formal employment of Richard Scully as Girls' Varsity Basketball Coach for the 2010-11 school year was included. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Liability Insurance - Unanimous approval was given to approve this for Patriot Insurance for $49,992.00. Redesignation Of $133,352.84 - Unanimously approved was designating $133,352.84 previously set aside for a Kindergarten addition to the Capital Projects Fund with no specific purpose. Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher stated that she would still like to see the School Board meetings listed on the school calendar. She also shared a recent experience where she and others witnessed a high school student on two occasions within several minutes not abiding by a rule at the school. Board Comment - Regarding Gary Smith's pending retirement Phillips on behalf of the Board expressed appreciation for his "dedication and loyalty" to Caston over his 39 years of teaching. Phillips, again on behalf of the Board, expressed appreciation for the work of Director of Technology, Vance Monical, and noted he will be "greatly missed." All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 7:52P.M.
4/5/11 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include More Discussion Of Possible Capital Projects, Approval Of Summer Classes And Other Info (4/8/11)
4/19/11 Public Work Session/Board Meeting Results Include Discussion Of Process For Employment Of Coaches And Other Info (4/23/11)
5/3/11 Public Work Session/Board
Meeting Results Includes Discussion Of Cutting Positions And Other Info (5/6/11)
Public Comment re: advertised items - Mrs. Slisher, as
a celebration, commented about Caston's participation in the recently held Jr.
High Academic Super Bowl. She also hopes that by decreasing the salaries
for the Technology Department staff that it does not contribute to turnover
of staff and she expressed curiosity regarding the recommended change in Policy
9250, "Relations with Parents." 2011-2012 Jr.-Sr. High Student Handbook - This year's Handbook says, "Students should have no other piercing visible besides earrings worn in the ears." Principal Strasser has recommended that "and/or nose ring studs" be added to the current statement. Upon questioning Mr. Strasser clarified that a "ring" attached to the nose would not be allowed. Phillips suggested that clearer language be used so that there is no confusion regarding the intent. This was a first reading and it will be brought back to the next regular Board meeting for final action. "Reduction In Force" information - Mr. Foster shared the following: Caston's approved budget for 2011 is $6.1 million (this as well as the following numbers are approximate). In response to Phillips' question Mr. Foster speculated that 2011 expenditures will be "close to... ($5.4M), hopefully less." Mr. Foster added, “Short of doing an operating referendum there’s no additional revenue coming in.” Caston's projected revenue for 2012 is $4.9 million. Foster also said that the approved budget for 2010 was $5.6 million, however revenue was $5.1 million. In both 2009 and 2010 actual expenditures each year were $5.4 million. Mr. Foster referred to the Art position and noted that even one year ago when it was filled there was uncertainty in his mind as how long it could be sustained. Foster emphasized (regarding cutting an Art position) "It's not a done deal." Phillips also believes this to be the case because his understanding is for a position to be cut requires Board action and this has not happened. Board member Cress said to Mr. Foster, “I’m not on board with cutting this Art position, no way, shape or form...I'll go out on a limb, I would be in favor of looking at athletic stuff before we cut Art, Band...” Foster noted, “We’re going to ask for some voluntary transfers on some positions and if not we may have to make some involuntary transfers on some positions…” He continued by saying he doesn’t envision asking the Board at its next regular meeting, May 17th, to take any action on personnel cuts. There will be a Public Work Session Wednesday, May 11th at 2:00P.M. to discuss budgets. Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher again expressed interest about School Board meetings being included on the Corporation Calendar that appears on the school website and how this might reduce conflicting times of various meetings/events. She also expressed the need for more public and School Board awareness and participation in the process of considering a reduction in force, i.e. cutting teaching positions, etc. Board Comment - Phillips said it would be helpful for the Board to have clear and succinct data on revenue vs. expenditures for a given period of time. Because he feels the amount is excessive Phillips also feels the Board must make a decision on the current General Fund balance of $2.7 million dollars and whether part of it is going to be used to subsidize operational costs and/or pay for capital project needs. Phillips also commented about the considerable discussion that occurred at the last Board meeting regarding the Board's role in the evaluation process of coaches. Since he did not speak on the topic then Phillips commented, "I think it's vital the Board review, not complete, but review evaluations of all employees...with the exception of one and that one...is the Superintendent where not only do we review that evaluation, but we also complete that evaluation." Phillips also asked about the possibility of someone being contracted to write grant applications and the same thing regarding focusing on publicity and marketing of Caston Schools.
All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about
8:31P.M. 5/11/11 Public Work Session Results Indicate Need To Cut Costs (5/16/11) The Board and Superintendent as well as Administrative Associate-Finance Denise Chandler spent a little more than two hours on the topic of General Fund budgets and finances. Also attending were Patron Michaela Slisher and Reporter Christina Seiler of The Rochester Sentinel. Mr. Foster and Mrs. Chandler gave a presentation regarding budgets and finances. The following represents Phillips' understanding and pertains only to the General Fund. In 2009 Caston spent $163,587 more than it received. In 2010 Caston spent $278,722 more than it received. In 20ll, as of April 30th, Caston has spent $275,159 more than it has received. Caston has been able to do this as a result of its balance in the General Fund. As of April 30, 2011 this balance was $2,735,494.80. In 2010 Caston spent $5,308,442. In 2011 it expects to receive $4,863,208 and in 2012 it expects to receive $4,837,430. For Caston to function within its receipts for 2012 it would need to eliminate about $450,000 to $500,000 of expenses from what was spent in 2010. Furthermore, there is significant need to reduce expenditures for the remainder of 2011. Mr. Foster has suggested eliminating 5 1/2 to 6 teaching positions to bring expenses more in line with receipts. It was noted that total coaching stipends in 2010 were $92,716. Phillips believes the balance in the General Fund of $2,735,494.80 is excessive and that part of this needs to be wisely spent to continue programs for students and/or to complete one or more capital projects. Another Public Work Session will be held Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 3:00P.M. in the Administration Building to discuss possible ways to cut costs. (A Rochester Sentinel report on this meeting will be found here.)
5/17/11 Public Work
Session/Board
Meeting Results Include Employment Of Cafeteria Manager And Other Info
(5/21/11)
Regular Meeting - Public Comment re: advertised items - Michaela Slisher pointed out the recent front
page publicity in two area newspapers regarding Caston’s Band and the
Elementary school’s first place of nine participating schools in the Healthy
Fitness program. (The school received an award of $10,000 for first place.)
Samantha Swanson spoke in support of retaining the Jr.-Sr. High School Art
position. 2011-2012 Elementary and Jr.-Sr. High Student Handbooks - These were unanimously approved.
Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher suggested that consideration
be given to having the first row or two of bleachers available to those with
mobility difficulty. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 7:34P.M. 5/18/11 Public Work Session Results: Many Ideas Are Discussed To Cut Cost But No Decisions Are Made (5/25/11) The Board and Superintendent as well as Administrative Associate-Finance Denise Chandler spent a little more than two hours on the topic of General Fund budgets, finances and cutting costs. Also attending were Principals Douglass and Strasser, Director of Student Activities/Athletic Director Debb Stevens and Patron Michaela Slisher. Discussion from a previous session will be found here. A newspaper report on that session is here. In 2010 Caston's General Fund expenditures were $5,308,442. In 2011 Caston expects to receive from the State $4,863,208 and in 2012 it expects to receive $4,837,430 for the General Fund. For Caston to function within its receipts for 2012 it would need to eliminate about $450,000 to $500,000 of expenses from what was spent in 2010. Furthermore, there is significant need to reduce expenditures for the remainder of 2011. The following is an overview of the discussion by the various individuals present, Many ideas for cutting costs were put forth, however, no decisions were made by the Board on where to cut. There are basically three approaches that are being used by school systems to reduce costs. Some eliminate positions/programs and their cost reductions are made primarily in this manner. Others approach cost reduction with the thought that everyone needs to have some skin in the game and beginning with the School Board, Superintendent and right on down the line everyone is affected. The third approach is a combination of the first two. It was suggested to eliminate 5 ½ positions with some affected individuals being reassigned to positions being vacated due to retirements or an individual on leave. This would cut costs by about $235,000. Eliminating an Art position was mentioned. The question was asked how this would affect a student seeking an Academic Honors Diploma. It was also noted, as employees retire in the near future, their replacement will likely be less costly. Also, as supervisory positions become vacant the wage scale will be reviewed and possibly altered. A guidance counselor position was noted as an administrative position with the thought it should be cut before a teaching position. When Mr. Foster was asked if the Guidance position can be done by one person for K-12 he said, “I wouldn’t say that’s impossible, I think it’s very difficult …I think the scope of going K-12 is very difficult, I’m not going to say impossible.” Comment was made about eliminating the Librarian position. Phillips noted “…the media center is really at the heart of your operation…I’m really struggling with eliminating that position.” Comment was made about possibly combining the In-School Suspension position with another position. The topic of unemployment compensation was brought up regarding those who lose employment. Phillips also noted that Indiana under-funds Caston’s Full Day Kindergarten program by about $69,000 per year. In other words State dollars received for grades 1-12 (about $6,200 per student) are having to be used to supplement State dollars (about $4,629 per K student) to fund Caston’s Full Day Kindergarten program. Phillips noted that some Corporations charge a fee for their Full Day Kindergarten program and other systems are reverting back to a ½ day program. Regarding Athletics Mr. Foster said they came up with a list of $21,000 of possible cuts that is "roughly athletics" and it could go up another $5,000 or $10,000 if "sponsorships" are considered. This pertains to various extra-curricular clubs, etc. that have a sponsor. It was pointed out that this doesn't necessarily mean specific sports or clubs would be eliminated because volunteers would be sought for these. The topic of "pay to play" was brought up. Health insurance received considerable discussion. In 2010 Caston paid $32,051 toward health insurance costs for Board members. The possibility was mentioned of reducing the Corporation’s cost (90%) of a single plan health insurance for non-certified employees to possibly the same level (70%) as for certified employees. Also, eliminating health insurance for Board members was mentioned. Students attend school 180 days per school year. However, teachers are contracted for 185 days. With that in mind it was suggested that teachers' days be reduced by two, thus, cutting costs. Another possibility was a 1% reduction in all employees' wage. Building usage fees was also mentioned as a possibility. Mr. Foster responded, "not generally," when asked if reassignment of individuals or vacating a position require Board action? Mr. Foster thinks we need to make cuts of about $500,000 now rather than part now and more one year from now. He noted, “If we don’t take proper steps now we are going to be in a world of hurt.” As indicated earlier no
decisions were made at this session by the Board on where to cut.
Possibilities for cost reduction were only discussed.
6/7/11 Public Work
Session/Board
Meeting Results Include Cost Reduction Of $200,000 By Eliminating Teaching
Positions And Retirements And Other Info
(6/9/11)
On June 7, 2011 the Board held a Public Work Session at 6:30P.M. and a
Regular Meeting at 7:00P.M. Attending the Public Work Session, either in
its entirety or part, were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Principals Douglass and Strasser,
Director of Technology Dan Williams, Teachers Paige Bowditch, Braden Chandler
and Linda Wade, Aide Vicki Albright and Patrons Vance Monical and Michaela
Slisher. In addition to the aforementioned, also attending the Regular Meeting in its entirety
was
Corporation Attorney Bob Murray. Regular Meeting - Public Comment re: advertised items - Michaela Slisher shared concern over anticipated cuts and the detrimental effect it could have on student learning. Consent Agenda - Included was the May 31, 2011 Treasurer's Report (see excerpts). Claims including $494.13 for usage of the McHale Performing Arts Center for Caston Jr.-Sr. High School's Spring Concert were presented. Also included was 34 hours of overtime for various staff. Mrs. Kelly Miller who holds an Indiana Professional Educator's License for Spanish was recommended as Spanish teacher for the 2011-2012 school year. More "Claims" info here. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Indiana School Board Member Summer Academy - The motion to allow attendance by Board members and the Superintendent was approved 3 to 2 (Ayers, Cress). Bruce Cress suggested this be skipped due to various cuts in expenditures that are being made. It should be noted that in the past, seldom, if ever, have all Board members attended this. Non-Renewal Of Non-Permanent Contract - The non-renewal of Jr.-Sr. High School Art Teacher Justin Densborn's contract was approved 4 to 1 (Cress). Superintendent Foster noted that the intent is to reduce Caston's K-12 Art Department from two to one teacher. He also pointed out the intent is for the majority of the one teacher's time to be spent with the Jr.-Sr. High School for the upcoming school year. It was noted this should save about $40,000 to $45,000. Reduction Of Semi-Permanent Contract - The reduction of Kathleen Christman's contract, as Jr.-Sr. High School Business Teacher, from full-time to 4/7ths of a day was approved 5 to 0. It was noted that this should save $25,000 to $30,000. Re-Alignment Of Staff For 2011-2012 School Year - Mr. Foster withdrew this item from the Agenda saying that assignment of teachers did not legally require formal Board action. Phillips objected to the Board not having the opportunity to take action on this since the result will be the elimination of positions that have existed during the recently concluded school year. However, a majority of the Board was not supportive of Phillips' position. Mr. Foster indicated his intent to reassign Tina Paschen from her Jr. High Reading and Literature teacher position to an Elementary teaching assignment. The Jr. High position will not be filled. He also indicated his intent to reassign Linda Wade from the Elementary Remediation teacher position to that of Elementary classroom teacher. The Remediation position will not be filled. He also announced his intent to have Librarian Amber Helt teach 1 or 2 Jr. High English classes next school year. Coupled with other changes and filling a leave and retirements with existing staff he noted that about $130,000 should be saved. Replacing Telephone System And Upgrading Wireless Infrastructure - This was removed from the Agenda in order to receive clarification on some details.
Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher noted that all of the 8th
Grade Algebra class recently passed their End-Of-Course Assessment (ECA). She
also encouraged the Board to allow audience comment during Public Work Sessions.
Linda Wade suggested a task force be created to consider different ways to
recruit students from outside the Caston School Corporation. All other Agenda items eligible for action were unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at about 8:31P.M.
6/13/11
Special Board Meeting/Public Work Session Results Include Campus-Wide Wireless
Infrastructure Unanimously Approved (6/16/11)
Public Comment - Michaela Slisher remarked that the Rochester Tumbling Express that will be using the Cafeteria/Stage next month for a recital would be an excellent opportunity for Caston to market its schools and provided several ideas regarding this. Public Work Session - More discussion took place on cost-reductions, the extent to which they must occur and the timeline for making such cost-reductions. It's Phillips' understanding that at the June 21st meeting there will be the opportunity to take action on more cost-reductions.
6/21/11 Public Work
Session/Board
Meeting Results Include Caston Cost Reduction For Employee Health Insurance And Other Info
(6/25/11)
Regular Meeting - Public Comment re: advertised items - Michaela Slisher expressed the hope that whatever cost-cutting decisions are made will reflect concern for the students and parents in the district as well as appeal to others outside the district. Consent Agenda - Claims including $61,500.00 for retirement pay for three teachers were presented. Also included was a total of 14 hours of overtime for five employees. More "Claims" info here. The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved. Cost Reductions - Phillips spoke in support of eliminating Caston's contribution to health insurance for School Board members. At the next regular meeting Phillips intends to make a motion to amend Bylaw 0144.1. He also intends to make a motion to eliminate Caston's contribution ($200.00 annually per individual) to Board member dental and vision insurance. During 2010 Caston contributed $32,051.00 towards health insurance for Board members. By a vote of 5 to 0 the Board approved increasing the classified employee (i.e. secretaries, aides, bus drivers, etc.) single health insurance plan contribution from 10% to 20% effective Oct. 1, 2011 and to 30% effective Oct. 1, 2012. Teachers, etc. currently pay 30% of the cost of this plan.). A motion to allow teachers to have in their classroom personal convenience appliances (i.e. refrigerators, heaters, microwaves) for an annual fee of $75.00 was defeated 2 to 3 (Cress, Herd, Phillips). A motion for all personal convenience appliances to be removed from classrooms and to remain only in designated areas (i.e. Health Area, etc.) was approved 3 to 2 (Ayers, Zartman). Phillips noted that Caston has a Superintendent, two Administrative Associates (one for Personnel and one for Finance) an Elementary Principal, a Jr.-Sr. High Principal, an Athletic Director and two Counselors and emphasized that these positions and responsibilities need to be reviewed as regards cost effectiveness. He commented that it had nothing to do with an individual's job performance, rather it has to do with the need to cut costs. He observed that none of these positions involve daily teaching in the classroom although he acknowledged they have important supportive roles. He does not believe there is any imminent change in this structure, noting the Superintendent is under contract for the next two years and both principals for the upcoming school year. Phillips shared that the Superintendent position has a salary of $93,730 and by the time you add Social Security, Medicare, Retirement Fund and Health Insurance with the family plan you have a position that costs over $127,000. Past practice during the summer has had Caston extending contracts an additional year for the Superintendent and Principals. However, Phillips believes this should not be considered until the law requires it, so that optimal flexibility is retained in the event the Board would want to reconfigure positions and responsibilities as part of cutting costs. Other Business - Board President Ayers appointed Phillips to assist with Caston's marketing effort as it regards Caston's Schools. Public Comment - Mrs. Slisher stated her interest in helping out with Caston's marketing effort and noted that students outside the Caston district wishing to attend could use area transit for transportation. She also feels the Board should have the opportunity to fill a position even if this action is not recommended by the Superintendent. Board Comment - Phillips noted that he would like to see the Board having further opportunity in helping to develop the proposed 2012 Budget. He also would like to see the Board materials for meetings prepared so they can be electronically searched, highlighted and copyable/pastable. The meeting adjourned at about 8:49P.M. 6/29/11 Special Board Meeting Results Include Approval Of Master Contract With Teachers' Association And Approval Of Support Staff Salary Schedule And Other Info (7/1/11) On June 29, 2011 the Board held a Special Meeting at 6:00P.M. Attending the entire meeting were all Board members, Superintendent Foster, Principal Douglass, Teacher Braden Chandler and Patron Vance Monical. Also attending were Principal Strasser, Student Ginger Slisher and Patron Michaela Slisher. The Board unanimously ratified the 2011-2012 Master Contract between the Caston Classroom Teachers' Association and the Caston School Corporation. The contract is effective through June 30, 2012. It provides for an Early Retirement Incentive of $20,000 for a maximum of six eligible teachers, to be paid for with Education Jobs Fund (i.e. stimulus) monies. It also includes Caston ceasing annuity contributions beginning in January 2012 of $360 - $640 (based on years at Caston) for each employee. A one-time stipend of $300, again using Education Jobs Fund (i.e. stimulus) monies, will be paid each certified employee. The salary schedule includes no increase in base pay, however, the "steps" or "increments" will be applied accordingly. The 2011-2012 Support Staff Salary Schedule was approved for "current employees only" 4 to 1 (Phillips). The schedule includes no increase in base pay, however, the "steps" will be applied accordingly. The Board has had discussion that any new employee might be paid by a different schedule, however, such a schedule has not been developed. Phillips thought it ill-advised to limit the newly approved schedule to "current employees only" when there is not an alternative schedule in place for any future new employees. Board Comment - Regarding the marketing of Caston Schools, Phillips noted that he had been contacted by a patron who emphasized the need for "curb appeal." Specifically, it was noted that the landscaping around the sign in front of the school needs attention as well as surrounding the greenhouse. Upon viewing the area Phillips noted there was a lot of weed growth along sidewalks, curbs and along the building. Mr. Foster noted that a custodial employee is in the process of becoming a licensed herbicide applicator as required by Indiana. Building Tours - Mr. Foster announced guided
tours of Caston's facilities for new students, kindergartners, those entering
junior-senior high school and anyone else will take place on Friday, July 8.
The first tour is at 10 a.m. followed by a second at 11 a.m., starting at the
school office. Questions may be directed to Superintendent Dan Foster,
574-857-2035, or fosterd@caston.k12.in.us.
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