HIGHLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DISTRICT NO. 401 – KING COUNTY
Minutes of Regular School Board Meeting
September
28, 2005
CALL TO ORDER
President Slattery called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. in
Multipurpose Room at White Center Heights Elementary School.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Community School Partners of Highline Director Jeannie Hwang Bray led
the flag salute.
ROLL CALL
Board members present:
Tom
Slattery, President
Steve
Denmark, Vice President
Phyllis
Byers
Matt Pina
Mengstab Tzegai
Central office members present:
John Welch, Superintendent
Geri Fain, Assistant Superintendent
Carla Jackson, Assistant Superintendent/Teaching,
Learning, and School Improvement
Alan Spicciati, Executive Director/Secondary Schools
Beckie Bouchard, Director/Assessment, Evaluation,
and System Accountability
Dave Jarvis, Executive Director/Human Resources
Susanne Jerde, Executive Director/Elementary
Learning
Catherine Carbone Rogers, Director/Communication and
Community Relations
Alan Schmidt, Director/Facilities Services
Marsha Spreier, Executive Director/Elementary
Learning
Tony Zeman, Director/Security and Safety
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Phyllis Byers moved approval of the minutes of the September 14, 2005,
regular board meeting and executive session as presented. Matt Pina seconded the motion.
The minutes were approved as presented.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Steve Denmark moved approval of
the agenda as presented, seconded by Mengstab Tzegai.
The agenda was approved unanimously.
HOST PRINCIPAL – Greta Salmi
White Center Heights Elementary School Principal Greta Salmi welcomed
everyone in attendance; introduced staff members in attendance; gave an overall
report of the school’s successes and improvements regarding WASL scores;
acknowledged Salmon Creek Elementary School staff members for their
contribution to the successes of the students; remarked on the generosity of
the White Center students and what they were doing for Hurricane Katrina
survivors; and ended with a short PowerPoint presentation showing the school’s
first assembly of the year.
COMMUNICATION
Community/Staff
Organizations and Committee Reports
Highline Education Association President Alan Sutliff commented on the
Urban Enterprise Center event several employees attended and reported on his meeting
with the Director of Human Resources Dave Jarvis regarding balancing numbers.
Community School Partners of Highline Director Jeannie Hwang gave an
update regarding the organization and the various services they provide;
thanked a number of individuals for allowing them to work at our schools to
provide assistance to the students.
Scheduled Communication
There was no scheduled communication.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Superintendent John Welch congratulated White Center for their
achievements this year on the WASL tests, and noted that in reading, math, and
writing White Center out-paced the state in terms of gains and credited
Principal Salmi’s leadership for the increases; reported on the district’s
student enrollment count; gave an update on the deaf and hard-of-hearing
program at Bow Lake; commented on the half-day work/study regarding the
strategic plan on October 8; and stated he would revise the draft of the
2005-06 Work/Study and Presentations Schedule to include additional Wednesdays.
MATTERS REQUIRING BOARD
ACTION
Consent Agenda
General Fund warrant #168263 dated 9/16/2005 for $917.21;
General Fund warrant #168264 through #168480 dated 9/21/2005 for $1,775,057.89;
Capital Projects Fund warrants #168481 through #168501 dated 9/21/2005 for $1,207,662.22;
ASB Fund warrants #168502 through #168526 dated 9/21/2005 for $39,260.09;
General Fund warrants #168527 through #168529 dated 9/21/2005 for $8,220.99;
Capital Projects Fund warrant #168530 dated 9/21/2005 for $818.00;
General Fund warrants #168531 through #168774 dated 9/28/2005 for $810,865.80;
Capital Projects Fund warrants #168775 through #168797 dated 9/28/2005 for $348,143.39;
ASB Fund warrants #168798 through #168809 dated 9/28/2005 for $10,067.31;
Trust Fund warrants #168810 through #168811 dated 9/28/2005 for $443.49;
and General Fund warrants
#168812 through #168908 dated 9/28/2005 for $2,755,135.78.
Matt
Pina agreed to leave Item # 2 on the consent agenda provided the resolution was
corrected to read John Welch’s name instead of Joseph McGeehan’s.
The
consent agenda was approved unanimously.
Assistant
Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and School Improvement Dr. Carla
Jackson, Executive Director of Secondary Schools Alan Spicciati, Executive Director
Elementary Learning Susanne Jerde, and Executive Director of Elementary
Learning Marsha Spreier, Midway Elementary Principal Ben Gauyan, and Academy of
Citizenship and Empowerment (A.C.E) Principal Stacy Spector gave an update on
school improvement efforts related to the superintendent’s focus schools.
1. Legislative Report
Phyllis Byers reported on the Washington Legislative
Assembly that she and Superintendent Welch attended; gave board members a
handout from the conference regarding issues; updated the board on the various
positions of interest; and asked board members to review the voter information
guide pertaining to candidates for the new State Board of Education election.
2. Other
Business
Matt Pina expressed concern
about how the boundary changes will affect families/siblings of students
attending Sylvester Middle School, and stated he would like to know if there is
anything the district can do for those families involved.
Tom Slattery asked
Superintendent Welch to get back to the board regarding capacity issues
relating to the boundaries.
Tom Slattery commented on
his visit to White Center Heights and his observation of the Chess Foundation
of America’s program. He urged the board to visit the school whenever they have
an assembly and see how the students interact with one another.
3. Follow-up
Items
Matt Pina followed-up on the
verbiage for Procedure 4412 that he introduced to the board on September
14. Tom Slattery commented the verbiage
pertained to a procedure and received approval from the board, so
administration would just need to incorporate the change. Superintendent John Welch said the wording
would be added to 4412P per the board’s agreement and the board would receive a
copy.
Tom Slattery stated he would
like to see the board act upon the proposed resolutions for AYP and Special
Education.
4. Next Steps
There will be a half-day Work/Study Session on October
8 at Cedarbrook regarding the Strategic Plan.
The next scheduled board meeting will be held on
October 12, 2005, at the Educational Resource and Administrative Center at 7:30
p.m.
Announced there would be two work/study sessions
following the meeting:
·
Capital
Facilities Improvement Plan 2006, Phase II
·
Bow
Lake Schematic Design
There
was no unscheduled communication.
ADJOURNMENT
Tom Slattery adjourned the meeting at 6:34 p.m.
__________________________________
President,
Board of Directors
____________________________
Secretary to the Board