Tonight’s (9/24/13) Bethel School Board meeting included several significant items including,
1) District Goals
2) An amended Superintendent’s contract
3) M&O Levy to send to ballot
4) Tech Levy to send to ballot
The remainder of the meeting was more procedural and those items follow these four.
ESTABLISH 2013-14 goals for the district as presented
Bethel School District GOALS for 2013-2014
✔ ENSURE EQUITY
1. Continue programs, services and partnerships to ensure equity of opportunities district wide.
2. Recognize and remedy any issues of inequity that occur within the district.
3. Continue monitoring results of the harassment, intimidation and bullying policy and program.
✔ IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
1. Improve graduation rates and ensure overall academic success by examining and utilizing current data and academic trends from Pre-K to 12th grade and tailoring the educational process to meet each individual student’s needs.
2. Monitor and provide updates to the board on the implementation of middle schools.
3. Continue to evaluate High Schools That Work and Making Middle Grades Work, including the technical advisory visit (TAV) results.
4. Monitor Response to Intervention (RTI) and provide periodic review of RTI effectiveness including testing and reporting of formative assessments and indications of progress, such as the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), Measures of Academic Progress (MAPs), and optional assessments completed in grades 11 and 12 such as AP, ACT, SAT, ASVAB, etc. Ensure a “datadash board” is available on the district website.
5. Provide periodic updates on the effectiveness of targeted interventions including math.
6. Plan to implement student choice options and ensure technology/computers are available to improve student learning and performance.
✔ IMPROVE COMMUNITY-SCHOOL RELATIONS
1. Continue collaboration with legislative, military and community groups.
2. Work with government officials on key issues.
3. Encourage parent involvement.
4. Actively engage and seek input from all Bethel School District residents utilizing resent and future technologies.
✔ IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS
1. Continue providing information regarding issues facing the district.
2. Continue improvements in technology for communications with parents, teachers and the community.
3. Ensure student performance data is displayed on the district website.
✔ PROVIDE GUIDANCE OF CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION
1. Continue oversight of capital construction to ensure high quality facilities within budget.
2. Plan and evaluate future capital needs.
✔ REVIEW/IMPROVE OPERATIONS DISTRICTWIDE
1. Continue monitoring district operations to maximize mission effectiveness.
2. Continue to monitor district operations for opportunities to responsively maximize cost effectiveness and the district’s obligation to be a good steward of its resources.
APPROVE the (amended) superintendent’s contract.
Amendments to the superintendent’s contract are recommended as follows:
1. Term. The term of this Employment Contract is for three (3) years, commencing July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2016.
3.1 An annual salary of Two Hundred Thousand Two Hundred Eighty Dollars ($200,280) payable in equal monthly installments.
3.4 Thirty (30) days of vacation annually, such vacation to be used upon prior notification to the Board. Not more than five (5) consecutive working days will be taken for vacation during the time school is in session without permission from the Board. Vacation days may be accumulated to a maximum of thirty (30) days. The District shall pay to the Superintendent accumulated unused vacation days at the per diem rate of his salary as Superintendent, based on a total of 216 days, not to exceed ten (10) days annually. Unused vacation time will be compensatable upon termination of employment as Superintendent to a maximum of thirty (30) days payable at the per diem rate of 1/216th of the annual salary application at the time of termination, provided, that such compensation shall be reduced to the extent required to avoid any additional liability by the District to the Teachers’ Retirement System resulting from the payment of compensation for unused vacation.
ADOPT Resolution 06 (13-14) providing for a four-year Technology Levy proposal for collection in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
RESOLUTION NO. 06 (13-14)
A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Bethel School District No. 403, Pierce County, Washington, providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the district at a special election to be held therein on February 11, 2014, of a proposition to authorize the district to levy an additional tax to provide a total of $18,000,000 for the District’s Capital Projects Fund for technology improvements and equipment, such levies to be made for four years commencing in 2014 for collection in the school years from 2014-2015 through 2018-2019.
BACKGROUND:
Harvey Erickson, Chief Financial Officer, will present information for planning for a technology levy election on February 11, 2014.
A technology levy is a form of capital levy that can be levied for up to 6 years. The District has never levied either a capital levy or a technology levy. The proposed levy is necessary to provide an enhanced instructional program at all schools using technology. The recommendation is for a 4-year levy to match the District’s 4-year M&O levy cycle.
We are recommending a four-year technology levy at the following amounts:
$4,500,000 levied in 2014 for collection in 2015
$4,500,000 levied in 2015 for collection in 2016
$4,500,000 levied in 2016 for collection in 2017
$4,500,000 levied in 2017 for collection in 2018
The estimated property tax rates per $1,000 assessed valuation are:
$0.57 in 2014
$0.56 in 2015
$0.55 in 2016
$0.53 in 2017
ADOPT Resolution 05 (13-14) providing for a four-year replacement of expiring school programs and operation levy proposal for collection in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.RESOLUTION NO. 05 (13-14)
A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Bethel School District No. 403, Pierce County, Washington, providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the District at a special election to be held therein on February 11, 2014, of the proposition of whether excess taxes should be levied of $40,100,000 in 2014 for collection in 2015, $41,900,000 in 2015 for collection in 2016, $43,800,000
in 2016 for collection in 2017, and $45,700,000 in 2017 for collection in 2018, said excess taxes to pay part of the educational maintenance and operations support of the District.
The current four-year maintenance and operation levy (2011-2014) was estimated at a property tax rate of $3.18 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation (AV). Since 2009, we have lost 24.5% of assessed valuation.
We are recommending a replacement four-year maintenance and operation levy at the estimated levy lid amount:
$40,100,000 levied in 2014 for collection in 2015
$41,900,000 levied in 2015 for collection in 2016
$43,800,000 levied in 2016 for collection in 2017
$45,700,000 levied in 2017 for collection in 2018
The estimated tax rates per $1,000 assessed valuation are:
$5.05 in 2014
$5.18 in 2015
$5.31 in 2016
APPROVE the Pierce County Skills Center consent agenda as presented
ACCEPT the Rocky Ridge Elementary Improvement Project as complete in accordance with plans and specifications for the project.
ADOPT Resolution 7 (13-14) allowing the school district to pay for school director(s)-elect attendance at the WSSDA Annual Conference
ADOPT Resolution 7 (13-14) allowing the school district to pay for school director(s)-elect attendance at the WSSDA Annual Conference
APPROVE the 2013-2018 FUTURESCHOOLS strategic plan.
Approve the consent agenda as presented
Contractural Services in Consent Agenda
Supplemental Health Care
09/04/13 – 06/13/14 $157,411
YTD $482,267
Special Services
Lori Haugen
Funding Source: State Special Education Funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide Occupational Therapist services to Bethel students per IEP
during the 2013-14 school year.
Education Based Services
09/04/13 – 06/13/14 $72,090
YTD $1,121,400
Special Services
Lori Haugen
Funding Source: State Special Education Funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide Occupational Therapy services to Bethel School District
students per IEPs during the 2013-14 school year.
Catchall Environmental 09/25/13 – 09/24/16 $15,715
$10,067 (2013-14)
$2,824 (2014-15)
$2,824 (2015-16)
Facilities Steve Story
Funding Source: Departmental budgetary funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide maintenance and support for storm water systems. To assist in qualifying Spanaway Lake High School for a savings on Pierce County Surface Water Management Fees. Enrolling in the county’s credit program will save the district an estimated $28,912 over the course of three years. The Contract Amount of $15,715 is applied to the credit savings giving the district a total savings of $13,197.
Turnitin 09/20/13 – 09/19/16 $34,737
Technology Marc Elliott
Funding Source: Departmental budgetary funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide a software tool for detecting and preventing plagiarism of student work.
Tacoma Art Museum 06/07/14 $7,851 estimated
GKHS Lynn Gil
Funding Source: ASB funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide catering and use of facilities for GKHS 2013-14 Prom.
Thomas Kelly 10/01/13 – 09/30/14 $23,500
Special Services Lori Haugen
Funding Source: State funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide the district with use of the Learning Assistance Software to manage the Learning Assistance Program (LAP) that teachers can build and view student accelerated learning plans.
Elevation Healthcare 09/18/13 – 06/14/14 $82,388
Special Services Lori Haugen
Funding Source: Special Education federal funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide occupational therapy (OT) services to the district students during the 2013-14 school year.
Dell ~ VMware 09/01/13 – 08/31/14 $15,931
Technology Marc Elliott
Funding Source: District budgetary funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide technical support and subscription services for VMware academic pplications. This software allows the district to consolidate servers into a virtual server for higher performance.
Interlocal/Cooperative Agreements in Consent Agenda
Puget Sound ESD 09/01/13 – 08/31/14 $2,500
Human Resources Todd Mitchell
Funding Source: District budgetary funds
DESCRIPTION: To provide licensing, hosting and support for the district online registration system for training courses offered through classified and certificated professional development.
ACCEPT the following policies for first reading and further study: 0550 FUTURESCHOOLS: A STRATEGIC PLAN 2013-2018; 3246 USE OF ISOLATION, RESTRAINT, RESTRAINT DEVICES AND REASONABLE FORCE
The board was also presented with revisions in the policies for use of isolation, restraint, restraint devices and reasonable force. These were presented for first reading and may be adopted, set on for further revision or a second or third reading before adoption.
Pierce Prairie Post 