AMPHITHEATER
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tucson,
Arizona
MINUTES OF
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING OF GOVERNING BOARD
Place, Date and Time
of Meeting
Wetmore Center, 701 West Wetmore Road, September 25, 2001,
5:30 p.m.
Board Members Present
Dr. Kenneth Smith,
President
Nancy Young Wright, Vice President/Clerk
Dr. Kent Barrabee, Member
Mike Prout, Member
Mary Schuh, Member
Central
Administrators Present
Dr. Vicki M.
Balentine, Superintendent
Dr. Richard Hooley,
Associate Superintendent
Todd A. Jaeger, J.D.,
Associate to Superintendent and General Counsel
OPENING
OF MEETING
Dr. Kenneth Smith called the meeting to order.
Item 6 was considered before items 4 and 5.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Motion to Recess Open Meeting and Hold an
Executive Session
Dr. Smith announced
that the Board would recess open meeting and hold an executive session for:
A.
Discussion and Consultation with
Representatives of the Governing Board Regarding Negotiations with Employee
Organizations Regarding Salaries, Salary Schedules, or Compensation Paid in the
Form of Fringe Benefits of Classified, Certificated and Administrative
Employees, Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(5);
B.
Discussion and Consultation with Legal
Counsel in Order to Consider the District’s Position and Instruct Legal Counsel
Regarding the District’s Position Regarding Contract for Improvements to
Naranja Road and Discussion or Consultation for Legal Advice Regarding the
Same, Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) and (4).
A motion was made by Ms. Young Wright, seconded by Dr. Barrabee and passed unanimously, that the Board recess into executive session. The time was 5:31 p.m.
OPEN SESSION
Reconvening of Meeting and Signing of
Visitors Register
Following the executive session, Dr. Smith reconvened the
meeting at 7:30 p.m., and asked members of the audience to sign the visitors
register. Procedures for addressing the
Board were described.
Pledge
of Allegiance
PUBLIC COMMENT
Kaydel Caspar addressed the Board in appreciation of the
benefits of the Career Ladder Program.
Rhonda Ball expressed a concern related to short-term teachers’
eligibility for pay for performance.
Dr. Smith noted that Board members by state law are not permitted to
comment during call to the audience, and asked that Dr. Balentine seek
clarification of Ms. Ball’s concern.
Rob Bennett asked that the
Board make clear statements and policies to reinforce the rewarding of teachers
for their work.
INFORMATION
2. Announcement of Date and Place of Next
Meeting
Dr. Smith announced the next regular meeting of the
Governing Board: October 9, 2001,
approximately 7:00 p.m., at Wetmore Center, 701 West Wetmore.
3. Monthly Budget
Status Report
Dr. Balentine stated that in the budget
process the District will be following this year, one of the components is a
monthly budget status report. She
presented the July 31, 2001 report, noting that the greater majority of the
District budget is encumbered for the entire year. In discussion of Medicare payments related to special education,
Dr. Balentine stated that once the entire Medicare program has been implemented
in the schools, the District expects to receive substantial revenue; at this
time $50,000 had been received.
CONSENT AGENDA
A motion was made by Ms. Young Wright to approve the consent
agenda. Mrs. Schuh seconded the motion
and requested discussion on items G and J.
In voting on consent agenda items A - F, H and I, the motion passed
unanimously. Appointment of personnel
is effective, provided all district, state and federal requirements are met.
Item G, Approval of Out-of-State Travel: Mrs. Schuh noted, related to José Bernal’s travel to the National FFA Convention, that an Amphitheater High School student whose project had been accepted would be competing nationally for significant scholarships. Best wishes were extended to the student.
Item J, Review and Approval of the Savvy Cyber Teacher
Grant: Dr. Hooley clarified that the
grant was applied for by the Technology Department, and is a renewal. The grant is to train K-12 teachers to use
the Internet to integrate research into their classrooms. Dr. Hooley will confirm that these are
straight, not matching, funds.
Mrs. Schuh moved approval of items G and J. The motion was seconded by Ms. Young Wright
and passed unanimously.
A. Approval of
Minutes
Minutes of the
September 11, 2001 and September 14, 1999 Governing Board meetings were
approved.
B. Appointment of
Personnel
Certified and
classified personnel were appointed, as listed in Exhibit 1.
C. Personnel
Changes
Certified and
classified personnel changes were approved, as listed in Exhibit 2.
D. Leave(s) of
Absence
Certified and
classified personnel were granted leaves of absence, as listed in Exhibit 3.
E. Separation(s) and
Termination(s)
Certified and
classified personnel separations were approved, as listed in Exhibit 4.
F. Request to
Terminate Early Retirement Contract
The Board approved
the request of Mary Woodward, former teacher, Amphitheater High School, to
terminate her early retirement contract and all benefits, effective September
30, 2001.
G. Approval of
Out-of-State Travel
Out-of-state travel
was approved (source of funding indicated):
Maryse Diakok and Mary Patsy Halpenny, Canyon del Oro High School, to
attend the Fulbright Workshop in Colorado in October (Teacher Exchange
Program); John Saintignon, Canyon del Oro High School, to take the boys varsity
basketball team to Nevada in November, and to Ohio in December, to participate
in Varsity Invitational Basketball Tournaments (students and Booster Club);
Jean Scott, Student Information Services, to attend the SASIxp Users Conference
in California in October (Technology Department); Terri Bible, Canyon del Oro
High School, to attend the DECA Conference in Oregon in November (vocational
education funds); José Bernal, Amphitheater High School, to attend the National
FFA Convention in Kentucky in October (vocational education funds). (See above discussion.)
H. Acceptance of Gifts
Donations were
accepted by the Governing Board, as listed in Exhibit 5.
I.
Approval
of Vouchers
The
following vouchers were approved as presented and payment authorized:
Vo.
128 $ 69,217.93
Vo.
129 123,705.11
Vo.
130 348,574.78
Vo.
131 166,690.47
Vo.
132 84,080.73
Vo.
133 212,846.29
6. Amphitheater Foundation Clothing Bank Status
Report
Dave Gallaher,
President of the Amphitheater Foundation, provided a status report on the
Clothing Bank
– a dedicated effort by
volunteers to improve the quality of education by providing clothes for
children in Amphitheater District. A
non-profit organization, no charges are made to those who receive services. Mr. Gallaher introduced Foundation board
members Brian Clymer (chair of fund drive to finance construction of the
new Clothing Bank facility), Jenni
Pagano (initiator of a fundraising drive through the schools,
entitled “Change for Change of Clothes”), and Johnny Thews (Clothing Bank head).
Mr. Gallaher expressed appreciation to Jay Hanson for
providing architectural services to the Clothing Bank. Mr. Hanson elaborated on the history of the
Clothing Bank and the need for a new facility, which will be moved from
Amphitheater Middle School to Amphitheater High School, keeping it in the same
general area. The Clothing Bank office
and headquarters will be accommodated by utilizing a house originally built by
students for Habitat for Humanity.
Money will be raised to fund a metal building for the Clothing Bank, and
donations of time and materials will be solicited from the construction
community to make this a reality. Mr.
Hanson presented a model of the project.
Student involvement in the Clothing Bank will be critical
to the project; Ms. Thews reported that students
in the work/study program would be involved.
Mr. Gallaher reported on the Foundation’s annual golf tournament, to be
held in May, which helps fund the Clothing Bank. Board members expressed appreciation to Mr. Hanson and the
Foundation board members for the many contributions they are making to the
District.
4. Discussion of District Policy Relating to
Political Activities on District Property
Board book information: Following discussion of proposed revisions to the District’s advertising and promotion policy (KHB) at the Governing Board meeting of August 28, 2001, Board members requested review of the District’s policy for political activity on school grounds, particularly as it might relate to the distribution of political materials or advertisements. Policy KHB would in fact apply to distribution of all advertising material, including that of a political nature. As presented, the policy requires pre-approval, by the Associate to the Superintendent, of any flyer or circular to be distributed on District grounds. Campaign materials that promote candidates or ballot measures are not authorized for distribution. The District does not have a separate policy on political solicitations; however, the following statement was proposed to be added to KHB-R, under a separate agenda item presented for approval: “Distribution of Political Materials: Political circulars or petitions may not be posted or distributed in schools.” This item was presented for the Board’s information, relative to agenda item No. 5.
5. Approval of Revisions to District Policy KHB Regarding Advertising in Schools and Facilities Usage
Board
book information: The Board at its
September 11, 2001, meeting studied revisions to Policy KHB and requested
revisions be made to the policy and its accompanying regulation.
Current
District policy sets limits on advertising in schools. This is based upon a philosophy that schools
are places to learn, not to receive solicitations to buy one product or
another. It is also clear that, while
at school, students are “captive audiences.”
Policy does, however, permit recognition of vendors who contribute to or
otherwise support District programs.
The
District permits individual “for-profit” businesses to lease site space for
their activities, i.e., Jazzercise, karate classes, which previously had been
organized through Community Extension Programs. In order to motivate these businesses to lease space through the
District Facility Usage office, the administration proposed to offer the
businesses an opportunity to advertise their class or organization to District
staff and students via flyers provided to a site, as they were previously able
to do through CEP.
The
revisions permit advertisements and/or promotional materials to be distributed
to staff and/or students on behalf of “for-profit” organizations that have
executed an appropriate lease for use of District facilities and are providing
an educational service or product, but only upon approval of the Superintendent
or her designee. Also included is a
restriction on permissible advertising flyers to those who advertise functions
occurring on District campuses, which precludes excessive advertisement of
other services or products offered by a vendor, keeping the focus on functions
affiliated by contract with District facilities.
By
implementation of the policy and regulation, the District incorporates a
contract provision that requires those utilizing District facilities to comply
with District policies and regulations.
In addition, the contract entered into for facility usage will require
vendors to obtain District permission before utilizing the District or school’s name in solicitations or
advertisements. The administration
recommended approval.
Mrs. Schuh moved to accept the changes that had been recommended and applied to Policy KHB, regarding advertising in schools and facilities usage, in the form presented. Dr. Barrabee seconded the motion.
Ms.
Young Wright inquired as to restrictions imposed by Regulation KHB-R,
Distribution of Political Materials:
“Political circular or petitions may not be posted or distributed in
school.” Mr. Jaeger clarified that
although the District may not provide for advocacy on behalf of a candidate or
a ballot measure of any kind, a candidate could speak, for example, about the
political process. Similarly, someone
could explain what a referendum is and cite examples of referendums on a given
ballot, without advocating one position or another on that issue. Arizona statute prohibits the use of school
resources to influence in any way the outcome of an election. There is the flexibility to provide information
and instruction on the process.
Mr.
Prout referred to KHB-R, Exclusion of Salespeople, “No unauthorized salesperson
. . .” and asked if there is a defined procedure for determining who is an
authorized or unauthorized salesperson.
Mr. Jaeger responded that authorization means one has had to go through
some sort of selective process; these processes are documented elsewhere in
policy. Dr. Balentine noted that
student activity items, which do not involve state money, do not fall under
this area.
The
motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Young Wright:
Organization of citizens legislative committee to contact
legislators.
No audience members addressed the Board.
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Ms. Young Wright, seconded by Dr.
Barrabee and passed unanimously, that the meeting be adjourned. The time was 8:25 p.m.