BETTENDORF COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BETTENDORF, IOWA
Official Minutes of the November 1, 1999, Regular Meeting
1. Call to Order
The Board of Directors of the Bettendorf Community School District, in the County of Scott, state of Iowa, met in open session according to Iowa law for the regular meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on November 1, 1999. President Mayer called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and members recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary, verified that the meeting notice had been posted and mailed to the media as required by law.
Members present: Directors Anderson, Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Wahlstrand, Weigle.
Members absent: Director Roski.
Other officials present: Wayne Drexler, Interim Superintendent; John Perdue, Assistant Superintendent; Paul Bobek, Executive Director of Business Affairs; Celeste Reuter, Director of Communications; Mary Ellen Olson, BEA Representative; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.
2. Agenda Approval
A deletion under item 5.06 of the consent agenda was noted, removing Karina Duran-DeGarnica from the “Classified Approval to Employ.”
Motion by Director Wahlstrand, seconded by Director Petersen, to approve the agenda with the above mentioned deletion.
Ayes: 6 Directors Anderson, Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Wahlstrand, Weigle.
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 Director Roski. Motion carried 6-0-1.
3. Comments and Suggestions from Audience.
3.01 President's Statement. On behalf of fellow Board members, at this time I would like to invite any member of the audience to step to the microphone with comments about items of interest or concern that do not appear on the agenda this evening. Please begin by stating your name and address. It would be most appreciated if you would limit your comments to three minutes so that we can keep the meeting moving in a timely fashion and allow others an opportunity to speak. We ask that you remember that Iowa law prohibits us from discussing specific employees or their job performance. If you have thoughts to share about items that are included as topics for tonight's meeting, we would invite those comments when we reach that point in the meeting. Thank you for your support of our school district.
There were no comments from the audience.
4. Commendations.
4.01 Congratulations to the Girls and Boys Cross Country teams on their placement in the MAC Conference competition: Girls: Varsity-3rd Place; Jr. Varsity-4th Place; Freshman/Sophomore-1st Place. Varsity girls placed as follows: Renee Begyn, 2nd; Ali Garrett, 8th; Jenny Frels, 17th; Ann Marker, 20th; Emily Hall, 21st. Freshman/Sophomore girls placed as follows: Abby Gierke, 1st; Karrisa Lohf, 2nd; Megan Bradly, 4th; Kristen Brown, 5th. Renee Began was named to 1st Team All Conference. Boys: Varsity-1st Place; Junior Varsity-1st Place; Freshman/Sophomore-1st Place. Varsity boys placed as follows: Erik Goff, 1st; Kyle Messmer, 3rd; Ben Schutman, 4th; Adam Sauder, 19th; Ryan Ahlers, 32nd. Freshman/Sophomore boys placed as follows: Artur Mueller, 1st; Jeff Guild, 3rd; John Frahm, 4th; Erik Day, 5th; Erike Goff, Kyle Messmer and Ben Schutman were named to 1st Team All Conference.
4.02 The following Bettendorf Middle School staff members have presented at conferences recently: Rick Herrig presented “The Middle School Concept: Why it Works,” on September 22 at the IAMLE Northeast Sectional Conference, Waverly, Iowa. Jennifer McNab and Sue Begyn presented “Taking the Next Step: Preparing Children for Their Future,” on October 7 at the Quincy Conference, Quincy, Illinois. They presented two sessions on using technology in the mathematics classroom. Tim Wernentin presented “Sportsmanship at Middle School: Yes, It Can Happen,” on October 8 at the Midwest Regional Middle Level Conference, Sioux Falls, SD.
4.03 Congratulations to Terry Paustian, who was named Coach of the Year for Boys Golf for the MAC Conference.
4.04 Jake Peterson and Eric Lindstrom, Bettendorf High School 9th graders, were selected to participate in the 14th Annual Opus Honor Choir Festival, under the auspices of the Iowa Choral Directors Association. The 1999 Opus Honor Choirs will perform at 4 p.m., November 18, in CY Stephen Auditorium at the Iowa State Center in Ames. Approximately 2,600 students were nominated by their directors for 720 positions in the four honor choirs. Selections were made by taped auditions.
4.05 Thank you to Mr. Tim Wilkinson for his donation of The GI Bill to the Bettendorf High School Library.
4.06 Board of Education Director Karen Petersen will be presented with the Better Boardsmanship Award of Achievement Certificate at the Iowa Association of School Boards Annual Convention in Des Moines on November 18. She will receive this Certificate in recognition of her commitment to continuing education through inservice programs.
5. Consent Agenda.
Director Weigle noted a change to the October 12, 1999, meeting minutes, on page 1, item 2. The sentence should read, “...due to technical difficulties with the speaker phone, she was unable to join the meeting until 6:19 p.m.”
Motion by Director Wahlstrand, seconded by Director Anderson, to approve the Consent Agenda as amended.
Ayes: 6 Directors Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Wahlstrand, Weigle, Anderson.
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 Director Roski. Motion carried 6-0-1.
5.01 Approval of October 12, 1999, Special Meeting Minutes.
5.02 Approval of October 18, 1999, Special Meeting Minutes.
5.03 Approval of October 18, 1999, Public Hearing Minutes.
5.04 Approval of October 18, 1999, Regular Meeting Minutes.
5.05 Approval of October 19, 1999, Special Meeting Minutes.
5.06 Approval of Administrative Recommendations--Personnel.
Certified Approval to Hire
Siobhan Wood/HH/4th grade teacher/BA, Step 6.5,/$21,600/Replacing Dianne McIlrath/Effective 11/2/99.
Certified Contract Modification
Chris Iossi/GW/Delete K-12 Curriculum Leader (TAG)/$941/Effective 10/31/99.
Dana Vavroch/BHS/Add K-12 Curriculum Leader (TAG)/$941/Replacing Chris Iossi/Effective 11/1/99.
Schedule D Resignations
David Pipe/BMS/.5 Assistant 7th & 8th Basketball (Girls)/$777/Effective 10/99.
Schedule D Approval to Hire
Mary Windsor/BMS/.5 Assistant 7th & 8th Basketball (Girls)/$777/Replacing David Pipe/Effective 10/99.
Approval to Hire
Robert Ogan/RSAC/Computer and Network Technician/8hours per day/$15.87 per hour/New position/Effective 11/15/99.
Classified Transfer
L. Scott Meyer/Custodian/Transfer from 2nd Shift (BHS) to 1st Shift (NA)/same hours per day/$12.73 per hour/Replacing Marzett Givens/Effective 10/25/99.
Diane Thorton/Transfer from Food Service Satellite Worker (TJ)/Inventory Van Assistant (BHS) to Part-Time Assistant Cook (BHS)/Same hours per day/$7.99 per hour/Replacing Vicki Day/Effective 11/25/99.
Classified Resignation
Ruth Sharp/PN/Individual Aide/Effective 11/5/99.
Dianne Wisham/BHS/Food Service Regular Part-Time/Effective 8/20/99.
Classified Approval to Employ
Sue Gordon/NA/Food Service Satellite Worker/1 hour per day/$6.14 per hour/Replacing Mary Justice/Effective 11/1/99.
Nicole Stevenson/NA/Teacher Associate-Special Education/5.75 hours per day/$9.70 per hour/Replacing Julie Emerson/Effective 11/1/99.
5.07 Approval of Construction Change Orders.
5.08 Approval of Student Teaching Agreement with Marycrest International University
5.09 Approval of Requests for Open Enrollment.
Into Bettendorf, 1999/00:
Morgan Lintz, grade 1, from Pleasant Valley, change of residence
Alyssa Valdez, grade 12, from Davenport, change of residence
Out of Bettendorf, 1999/00:
Nicholas Cox, grade 8, to Davenport, change of residence
6. Action Items.
6.01 American Education Week Proclamation.
Motion by Director Petersen, seconded by Director Wahlstrand, to approve the resolution proclaiming the week of November 14-20 American Education Week.
Ayes: 6 Directors Mayer, Petersen, Wahlstrand, Weigle, Anderson, Arney.
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 Director Roski. Motion carried 6-0-1.
7. Discussion Items and Reports.
7.01 Superintendent’s Report.
1. Board Policy Review. Superintendent Drexler requested input on a timeline to begin review of board policy series 100-300. Subcommittee members indicated an interest scheduling a time within the next 30 days to begin the initial review of these policies.
2. Board Treasurer. Directors indicated their preference for appointment of an outside individual to serve as treasurer to the Board of Education. Names for consideration should be submitted to Superintendent Drexler by November 15.
3. Expulsion Hearing. Superintendent Drexler requested a meeting of the Board for an expulsion hearing. The date of Wednesday, November 10, at 7:00 p.m. was scheduled.
The Board recessed at 7:20 p.m. and reconvened at 7:25 p.m.
7.02 Discussion with Iowa Legislators. Senators Sheldon Rittmer and Maggie Tinsman discussed educational issues in the legislature. These topics included: school finance, change in the bargaining date, funding of school facilities, class size reduction, local control, educational quality, charter schools, school safety, teacher shortages, IPERS benefits, social promotion, and school to work. Both expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to dialogue regarding important issues facing the state in education.
7.03 Physics Research Report. Mr. Pete Bruecken, Bettendorf High School physics instructor, presented a report regarding his QuarkNet project, a unique opportunity to work with particle physics research in Cern, Switzerland. Prior to his trip to Switzerland, Mr. Bruecken spent eight weeks working with two pre-production accelerator prototypes, one at the University of Iowa and the other at Iowa State University. He expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation to the Board for the opportunity to be a part of an international experiment and to share his experience and knowledge with the students of BHS.
7.04 Shared Communication.
Director Weigle attended the Junior Achievement “Exchange City” and noted the positive experience and career awareness for children.
Director Wahlstrand attended the BHS “Fireside” event, a tradition for reflection and interjection the evening prior to the last regularly scheduled football game. He also reported on a recent news conference, announcing a grant to Eastern Iowa Community College to build a manufacturing center as part of the Skills 2000 work initiative.
Ms. Jean Bengfort, Director of Technology, discussed the recent hiring of a new technology staff member who will assist with the growing support needs. Temporary assistance has also been contracted to help with immediate technology issues.
Motion by Director Wahlstrand to adjourn the meeting at 9:47 p.m.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BETTENDORF COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BETTENDORF, IOWA
Official Minutes of the November 11, 1999, Special Meeting
1. Call to Order
The Board of Directors of the Bettendorf Community School District, in the County of Scott, state of Iowa, met in open session according to Iowa law for the special meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on November 11, 1999. President Mayer called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary, verified that the meeting notice had been posted and mailed to the media as required by law.
Members present: Directors Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle.
Members absent: Director Anderson.
Other officials present: Wayne Drexler, Interim Superintendent; Paul Bobek, Executive Director of Business Affairs; Judy Miller, Director of Human Resources; Nancy Herrin, Executive Assistant; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.
2. Agenda Approval
Motion by Director Roski, seconded by Director Petersen, to approve the agenda as presented.
Ayes: 6 Directors Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Roski, Wahlstrand, Weigle.
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 Director Anderson. Motion carried 6-0-1.
3. Superintendent Search Interview Questions & Assessment Tools.
Mr. David Else of the Else Leadership Group facilitated the process of developing interview questions based on qualities the Board desires in a superintendent. He updated directors on advertisements and responses to the search to date. Additionally, he reviewed the strategies for interviewing, discussed potential interview questions and tools for assessing and evaluating candidates. Directors plan to review this information and schedule a work session to further develop and finalize the interview questions.
The Board recessed at 8:30 p.m. and reconvened at 8:35 p.m.
4. Interview Process.
Directors provided input to Ms. Nancy Herrin, Executive Assistant, regarding the process of the interview, including proposed timelines, interview groups, community visits, and a tentative itinerary. The following dates were scheduled for upcoming Board meetings:
Monday, November 22, 7:00 p.m. - Develop interview questions
Monday, November 29, 7:00 p.m. - Finalize interview questions
Thursday, December 2, 7:00 p.m. - Review finalists and select interview candidates
Monday, December 6, 7:00 p.m. - Regular Board meeting
Wednesday, December 8, 5:00 p.m. - Interview candidates
Thursday, December 9, 5:00 p.m. - Interview candidates
Monday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. - Regular Board meeting
Tuesday, December 14-16 - Site visits
Thursday, December 16, 7:00 p.m. - Select finalist
Monday, December 20, 7:00 p.m. - Special Board Meeting (Tentative)
Motion by Director Wahlstrand to adjourn the meeting at 9:29 p.m.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BETTENDORF COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BETTENDORF, IOWA
Official Minutes of the November 15, 1999, Regular Meeting
1. Call to Order
The Board of Directors of the Bettendorf Community School District, in the County of Scott, state of Iowa, met in open session according to Iowa law for the regular meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on November 15, 1999. President Mayer called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. and members recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary, verified that the meeting notice had been posted and mailed to the media as required by law.
Members present: Directors Anderson, Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Roski, Wahlstrand.
Members absent: Director Weigle.
Other officials present: Wayne Drexler, Interim Superintendent; John Perdue, Assistant Superintendent; Paul Bobek, Executive Director of Business Affairs; Celeste Reuter, Director of Communications; Mary Ellen Olson, BEA Representative; Brad Downs, Student Representative; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.
2. Agenda Approval
Motion by Director Wahlstrand, seconded by Director Petersen, to approve the agenda as presented.
Ayes: 6 Directors Anderson, Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Roski, Wahlstrand.
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 Director Weigle. Motion carried 6-0-1.
3. Comments and Suggestions from Audience.
3.01 President's Statement. On behalf of fellow Board members, at this time I would like to invite any member of the audience to step to the microphone with comments about items of interest or concern that do not appear on the agenda this evening. Please begin by stating your name and address. It would be most appreciated if you would limit your comments to three minutes so that we can keep the meeting moving in a timely fashion and allow others an opportunity to speak. We ask that you remember that Iowa law prohibits us from discussing specific employees or their job performance. If you have thoughts to share about items that are included as topics for tonight's meeting, we would invite those comments when we reach that point in the meeting. Thank you for your support of our school district.
Mary Broderick, 2610 Hunter Road, Bettendorf, inquired as to the district’s policy regarding expulsion and alternative schooling. She noted the recent media coverage of the Decatur, Illinois, expulsions.
Superintendent Drexler shared the Board’s policy regarding zero tolerance for weapons or drugs on school grounds and the consequences of up to one year expulsion. He indicated that disciplinary procedures are generally progressive and expulsion hearings are reviewed individually. Dr. Perdue noted the Board has the discretion of offering tutorial services to an expelled student; however, this would be a privilege and is not routinely done.
4. Commendations.
4.01 The Boys’ Cross Country Team placed 3rd at State. Eric Goff placed 3rd; Kyle Messmer 10th; and Ben Schutman 11th. The Girls’ Cross Country Team placed 8th at State. Renee Begyn placed 24th, Ali Garret 41st, Abby Gierke 66th, Emily Hall 75th, Anne Marker 85th, Karissa Lohf 88th, and Jenny Frels 92nd.
4.02 Mike Lowry, a senior at BHS, has been designated a 1999 Iowa Advanced Placement Scholar in recognition of outstanding academic achievement on the AP examinations.
4.03 Congratulations to the Girls’ Swim Team, who won State Championship on Saturday, November 6. The team is coached by Mike Ahrens, who was selected as the Iowa State Girls Swim Coach of the Year. Leigh Taylor placed 1st in the 200 yard freestyle and 1st in the 500 yard freestyle; Erin Petty placed 1st in the 200 yard individual medley; Audrey Clark placed 6th in the 50 yard freestyle and 2nd in the 100 yard freestyle; Leigh Taylor, Erin Petty, Marcy Thomasson, and Audrey Clark placed 1st in the 200 yard freestyle relay; Kelsey Klein placed 4th in the 100 yard breaststroke; Erin Petty, Shannon Schoening, Leigh Taylor, and Audrey Clark placed 1st in the 400 yard freestyle relay and broke the State record.
4.04 Jeff Johansen, principal of Herbert Hoover Elementary School, was commended by Junior Achievement for his participation in and assistance with the Quad Cities Area Business Hall of Fame.
5. Consent Agenda.
Director Roski inquired as to the effectiveness of the 28E Agreement for Family Consumer Science and Industrial Technology with Scott Community College. Dr. Perdue stated the current procedure is effective for providing the classes; however, ideally it would be desirable to have instructional staff within the district to provide these services.
Motion by Director Anderson, seconded by Director Petersen, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.
Ayes: 6 Directors Arney, Mayer, Petersen, Roski, Wahlstrand, Anderson.
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 Director Weigle. Motion carried 6-0-1.
5.01 Approval of November 1, 1999 Regular Meeting Minutes.
5.02 Approval of Monthly Financial Reports.
5.03 Approval of November 15, 1999, Bills Recommended for Payment.
5.04 28 E Agreement for Family Consumer Science and Industrial Technology
5.05 Approval of Administrative Recommendations--Personnel.
Schedule D Approval to Hire
Chad Uhde/BMS/Assistant Intramural Wrestling/$843/Replacing Dave Boynton/Effective 1/2000
Classified letter of Assignment Modification
Rodney Abbott/BHS/Move from Lead Custodian 2nd shift to Custodian 2nd shift/Same hours per day/$13.08 per hour/Effective 11/8/99
Dawn Gray/RSAC/Computer and Network Repair Technician/Increase pay to $15.87 per hour/Same hours per day/Effective 11/12/99
Jill Schmitzer/BHS/Individual Aide/Change in student due to move/Same hours per day/Same rate of pay/Effective 11/15/99
Classified Approval to Employ
Yong Suk Benson/BMS/Food Service Worker, Regular Part-Time/4 hours per day/$6.07 probationary rate; $6.36 rate beginning 2/14/99/Replacing Karen Dodd/Effective 11/16/99
Sharon Markovich/MT/Individual Aide ECSE/3 hours per day (Monday-Thursday)/$8.30 per hour/New position/Effective 11/1/99.
5.06 Approval of SBRC Additional Allowable Growth
5.07 Approval of Tuition Application
5.08 Approval of Requests for Open Enrollment.
Out of Bettendorf, 1999/00:
Alexander Thola, grade 1, to Pleasant Valley, change of residence;
Jacklyn Trugillo, grade 10, to Pleasant Valley, change of residence;
Out of Bettendorf, 2000/01
Nicholas Anderson, grade 8, to Pleasant Valley
6. Discussion Items and Reports.
6.01 Discussion with Iowa Legislators.
State Representative Clyde Bradley discussed educational issues in the legislature. These topics included: restructuring of electrical services, the Administrative Rules Committee, technology funding, class size reduction, alternative high school weighting, student accountability and associated costs, and charter schools/vouchers. Representative Bradley encouraged Board members to contact him regarding legislation they have an interest in so that he can be aware of its impact on the local area. In closing, he expressed his appreciation to the Board for the opportunity to dialogue regarding important issues facing the state in education. Unfortunately, Representative Millage was unable to attend the meeting due to a scheduling conflict.
6.02 Shared Communications.
Directors Roski and Weigle recently attended a Schools Council meeting and reported that the elementary staff is requesting an increase in the amount of planning time. The option of starting the school day earlier and having an early dismissal once per week is being reviewed. To minimize the disruptions in family schedules, it was also suggested to review the possibility of having the teachers come in one hour early one day per week and adjusting the dismissal time if necessary. Staff would also like to begin IBB discussions regarding Schedule D earlier this year. Parents and staff also expressed dissatisfaction regarding the early release on Friday, November 12, for the quarter-final state football playoffs. BHS and BMS were released early, while the elementary schools remained on their regular schedule. Superintendent Drexler noted the main reason for not releasing the elementary students was due to safety concerns and child care issues.
Director Petersen left the meeting at 7:58 p.m.
Director Weigle joined the meeting at 7:59 p.m.
Director Wahlstrand referenced the Skills 2000 report issued by Eastern Iowa Community College recently. A $1.2 million complex is being planned to assist in preparing and training workers for major labor needs. Director Wahlstrand will continue to keep the Board updated. Director Wahlstrand also mentioned his positive experience of visiting the BMS orchestra class.
Director Weigle visited the headstart program at Armstrong elementary and spoke highly of the community service this is providing to the young children in Bettendorf.
6.03 Student Information System.
Mr. Glenn Pelecky and staff of the Mississippi Bend AEA provided a status report regarding the Student Information System (SIS). He distributed an implementation plan and timeline overview and responded to questions. Directors acknowledged the countless hours and phenomenal efforts of district staff in resolving multiple problems associated with the new system. Concern was expressed regarding the significant financial commitment related to ongoing labor and hardware costs the district has incurred outside of the original budget. Mr. Tom Castle, BHS Principal, outlined numerous issues and difficulties with the system. Registration modules, transcripts, absenteeism, discipline, and history were identified as system issues which still need resolution. Directors expressed their dissatisfaction and requested more support from AEA and AAL.
The Board recessed at 9:16 p.m. and reconvened at 9:25 p.m.
6.04 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).
Dr. John Perdue reviewed the major components of the five year Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) and acknowledged Mr. Caroline Olson’s, Curriculum Facilitator, efforts in development of the CSIP plan. He outlined goals, assessment of student progress, standards and benchmarks, and state indicators associated with the CSIP. The purpose of the evaluation and ongoing progress of the district’s plan were also identified.
6.05 Naming of BHS Athletic Fields.
Superintendent Drexler presented a recommendation to name the BHS baseball field in honor of Wendell Hill. Mr. Hill served as athletic director and coach for most of his 32 years with the district and was instrumental in the development of the athletic program. Directors reviewed the criteria for naming a district building or field and suggested both the baseball and softball field be named in his honor. This item will be brought back as an action item at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.
6.06 Sales Tax Appropriation.
Mr. Bobek reviewed the estimated receipts associated with the local option sales tax and presented options to Directors regarding repayment of the bond issue. The consensus of directors was to escrow the annual principal and interest payments over seven years and the spend the balance of the funds on school improvement projects.
6.07 Superintendent’s Report.
Superintendent Drexler discussed the weighting issue associated with Project READY funding. He recommended the 28E Agreement be revised to reflect the purchasing of services. Directors concurred with this recommendation, and the agreement will be presented at the December 6 Board meeting for approval.
Motion by Director Wahlstrand to adjourn the meeting at 10:20 p.m.
