BOE Meeting Summary - November 13, 2006
November Board Meeting Synopsis
-
Supplemental Duties
The board approved
the transfer of Scott Coppoc from assistant high school track coach
to head junior high track coach and the hire of Steve Bauer Sr. as
assistant junior high track coach.
- Approval
of Gifts and Donations
10/5/2006 Snack Express-CMS Proceeds $33.31
10/12/2006 Snack Express-CES Proceeds-AR $58.39
10/19/2006 CMS Home & School-5th & 6th Grade AR Parties
$193.43
10/19/2006 CCCC-Tech Prep Internships-Atwell & Holmes
$1,500.00
10/19/2006 Coca-Cola-CMS Proceeds $61.04
10/19/2006 Hinman Subway-CHS Scorers Table Advertisement
$250.00
10/20/2006 Concordia Chamber of Commerce-Chili Cook Off-SADD
$320.40
10/30/2006 CHS Students-Gifted Field Trip-Stiles $106.00
10/31/2006 Peoples Exchange Bank-Renaissance Council $350.00
10/31/2006 Cloud County Chemical Dependency Committee-JH Student
Council-Red Ribbon Week $200.00
11/1/2006 Peoples Exchange Bank-Rachel's Challenge $100.00
11/1/2006 Central National Bank-Rachel's Challenge $100.00
11/1/2006 Jamestown State Bank-Randall Branch-Rachel's Challenge
$100.00
11/1/2006 Welcome Service-Rachel's Challenge $25.00
11/1/2006 Concordia Optimist Club-Rachel's Challenge $500.00
11/1/2006 Concordia Rotary-Rachel's Challenge $100.00
11/1/2006 KNCK-Rachel's Challenge $100.00
11/3/2006 Concordia Lions Club-Rachel's Challenge $500.00
11/3/2006 Cloud County-Seize the Moment Fund-Rachel's Challenge
$500.00
11/3/2006 United Bank & Trust-Rachel's Challenge $100.00
11/3/2006 Cloud County Resource Council-Rachel's Challenge
$750.00
11/3/2006 Citizens National Bank-Rachel's Challenge $100.00
TOTAL $6,047.57
10/31/2006 Lyle Pounds, Keith Sherwood, Herschel Betts, Chris
Hamilton, Greg Hattan
Bill Dotson, and Coppocs Sports & Awards-Retired Track Record
Board to CHS
-
Recognition of Student Accomplishments
The CHS and CMS
student accomplishments were reviewed.
- Safe
Routes to School
Mrs. Mortimer
reported that the district received a $9,500.00 grant from KDOT for
the planning process to increase safety for students walking or
riding bikes to the elementary school. The middle school is located
within the allotted distance around the elementary school and will
also be included in the planning session.
- Ethanol
Plant Update
The following
information has been gathered since the last board meeting by Mrs.
Mortimer:
Funding: There is no way to predict what effect the ethanol plant will have on USD 333 funding, until we know what the amount of the actual assessed valuation will be. Any increase to assessed valuation, increases our valuation per pupil; or reduces our state aid since our wealth has increased. However, it is the opinion of State Dept. of Education officials that the impact could potentially be offset. Also, if the valuation did affect the school budget, we should have a year to plan for it; (previous year's valuations are used to compute the school finance formula).
I contacted the
superintendents in three communities about the effects of the
ethanol plants in their communities. Each of the plants are about
one-half the size of the proposed Concordia plant.
District
#1: Enrollment
increased slightly; but actually people in the community just
changed jobs. Some people stayed in the community because of the
plant, rather than moving to find jobs, or working elsewhere.
Traffic: The truck traffic increased by their middle school
by at least 90 trucks per day. The city is currently working on a
bypass. The plant also has rail service.
Financial: They expect a ripple effect to positively impact
their school/community. However, they have some local investors and
local individuals on the Board and may also receive other financial
donations. Their plant just began operations and they will have
more advice later.
District
#2: Enrollment may
have increased slightly, but a more noticeable effect was that the
enrollment stabilized; rather than continuing to decline. Again,
parents were able to find jobs and stay in the community, instead
of leaving for work purposes.
Financial: In exchange for district support of the tax abatement;
the ethanol plant gives a monetary donation to the district each
year. The donation has been between $15,000 and $20,000 per
year.
Other: The issue of water was a great concern for
them.
District
#3: Enrollment
increased by 12-15 students, especially during construction, and
then decreased, by that number, after construction was completed.
Otherwise, they virtually have seen no impact on enrollment
numbers.
Financial: They believe the investors are benefiting from
the profits of the plant, and some of those are local. However,
they have not observed any major boom on the local economy, nor
does the school receive any direct benefits. The county
commissioners, along with the school board did try to overturn the
ten year tax abatement; but the efforts did not succeed. This
district also discussed the fact that the school dollars are driven
exclusively from tax dollars. Typically, city governments have less
than 50% of their budget from tax dollars, and can generate
additional revenues from user fees (utilities). Therefore, the tax
abatements do not affect city budgets as much; but in the end the
"users," or taxpayers, ultimately pay for the tax
abatement.
- KASB
Regional Meeting Report
Dr. Bryant reported
on the regional meeting he attended in Marysville. They discussed
several issues but the one that he found the most interesting
concerned the revamping of the Marysville junior high student
council.
- KASB
Legislative Committee Report-Delegate Assembly
The board discussed
the policies and resolutions that will be discussed and voted on at
the delegate assembly at the KASB Convention in
December.
-
Alternative High School Graduation
The alternative high
school graduation will be held on December 15th at 10:00 a.m. in
the board room. Wanda Backstrom, Chuck Knapp or Steven Bryant will
be the speaker for the graduation.
-
Communications
Dr. Bryant asked that this agenda item be added. The board
discussed better ways of communicating with teachers, parents, and
students. Some ideas discussed were to attend parent-sponsored
meetings (PIE and Home and School), to attend department chair
meetings, and to visit the teacher lounges during their lunch
periods.
- Water
Wells
Karl Stricker
informed the board that the district is submitting a new
application for the usage of the well at the football practice
field. The wells were drilled in 2001 and the district was only
granted access to use the well on the playing field. Data has been
collected since 2004 that indicates that the usage of the well on
the playing field has not affected the water level. (In 2004 it
measured 110 feet to water and in Nov. 2006 it measured 109 feet to
water after more than 1,000,000 gallons of water has been pumped
onto the playing field.) The district is also working with the city
on a letter of support to be sent in with the application.
-
Accept/Reject CHS Electrical Project Bids
The board accepted the
bid from Hood Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electric, Inc. in the amount
of $73,542.00. This is the first phase of the air conditioning and
electrical project at CHS.
-
Approve CHS Activity Account Signature Card
The signature card
for the activity account was outdated and Central National Bank
required a resolution be passed at a board meeting authorizing the
new signers.
- CHS
Site Council Membership Addition
The board approved
the addition of Elaine Bowers to the CHS Site Council
membership.