AMPHITHEATER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tucson, Arizona
MINUTES OF SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING
OF THE GOVERNING BOARD
Place, Date and Time
of Meeting
Wetmore Center, 701 West Wetmore Road, May 28, 2002, 3:30
p.m.
Board Members Present
Dr. Kenneth Smith,
President
Mary Schuh, Vice President/Clerk
Dr. Kent Barrabee, Member
Mike Prout, Member (present for open meeting following
executive session)
Nancy Young Wright, 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.
Pledge
of Allegiance
There were no public
comments.
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 the following purposes:
A.
Consideration and Determination of
Appeal of Long-term Suspension Hearing Officer’s Decision, Pursuant to A.R.S.
§15-843(A);
B.
Determination of Whether to Hold an
Expulsion Hearing and Designate a Hearing Officer to Hear Evidence, Prepare a
Record and Bring a Recommendation to the Board, Pursuant to A.R.S.
§15-843(F)(2);
C.
Determination of Whether to Hold an
Expulsion Hearing and Designate a Hearing Officer to Hear Evidence, Prepare a
Record and Bring a Recommendation to the Board, Pursuant to A.R.S.
§15-843(F)(2);
D.
Determination of Whether to Hold an
Expulsion Hearing and Designate a Hearing Officer to Hear Evidence, Prepare a
Record and Bring a Recommendation to the Board, Pursuant to A.R.S.
§15-843(F)(2);
E.
Determination of Whether to Hold an
Expulsion Hearing and Designate a Hearing Officer to Hear Evidence, Prepare a
Record and Bring a Recommendation to the Board, Pursuant to A.R.S.
§15-843(F)(2);
F.
Determination
of Whether to Hold an Expulsion Hearing and Designate a Hearing Officer to Hear
Evidence, Prepare a Record and Bring a Recommendation to the Board, Pursuant to
A.R.S. §15-843(F)(2); Determination of Whether to Hold an Expulsion Hearing and
Designate a Hearing Officer to Hear Evidence, Prepare a Record and Bring a
Recommendation to the Board, Pursuant to A.R.S. §15-843(F)(2).
A motion was made by Mrs. Schuh, seconded by Dr. Barrabee and passed unanimously, that the Board recess into executive session. The time was 3:32 p.m.
RECONVENING OF OPEN MEETING
Reconvening of Meeting and Signing of
Visitors Register
Following the executive session, Dr. Smith reconvened the
meeting at 5:03 p.m.
STUDY/ACTION
2. Review of 2002-2003 Governing Board Meeting
Dates
There was no discussion of the
2002-2003 Governing Board meeting dates.
3. Election of Delegate to Arizona School Boards
Delegate Assembly
Mrs. Schuh nominated Nancy Young
Wright as delegate to the Arizona School Boards Association 2002 Delegate
Assembly, to be held June 29, 2002. Ms.
Young Wright nominated Mary Schuh as alternate. Ms. Young Wright and Mrs. Schuh were elected by acclamation.
Following a
recess from 5:15 to 5:25 p.m., the meeting was reconvened in the East
Conference Room.
Board book information: As Governing Board
President Dr. Ken Smith has frequently advised in his Legislative Updates, the
Arizona Legislature is continuing to pursue a course of drastic underfunding of
public education in this state. For Amphitheater
District, this will result in the reality of cuts in funding: a loss of $2,048,731 in building renewal
funds next year and a loss of $80,928 in utilities funding next year, and
$168,735 more the following year. It
also means the previously discussed fact that the only increase in maintenance
and operations funding which the District will receive next fiscal year will be
the meager and capped 2% inflationary factor (approximately $1 million)
provided by Proposition 301.
In a District the size of Amphitheater, with more than 16,000 students and 2,200 employees, $1 million can provide no means of expanding the District budget at a level which keeps pace with demand and need for expansion of programs and services.
These financial
realities and their impacts upon employee compensation, programs and services
necessitate the examination of District operations for determination of
potential modifications which improve efficiency of the District, allowing for
savings that might be recovered and redirected to existing needs of the
District. Just a few possible
considerations are briefly described below to facilitate discussion.
Board book
information: The District currently
operates schools on two different calendars (traditional and modified), and has
for the past several years. Nationally,
public schools are increasingly moving away from modified or “year-round
calendars.” Educational research
evidences no positive impact upon student achievement from modified calendars. High schools, due to interscholastic and
other factors applicable to the student age group served generally, do not
operate on a modified calendar, and of course, Amphitheater District does not
have a high school on a modified calendar.
Operation of the
schools within one district on two different calendars does have fiscal and
efficiency impacts. Additional buses
are required; intersession programs are required; utility usage is higher;
coordination of facilities maintenance efforts is affected. Progress or location in standards-based
curriculum varies across the District.
Impacts on time-sensitive evaluation and assessment schedules are
experienced. Customer service varies
as some facilities close while others remain open. These factors and others suggest a review of our bifurcated
calendar system for potential modifications that could improve District
efficiencies and reduce costs.
Dr. Smith provided a history of District traditional/modified calendars
that have been followed in recent years.
Discussion included the advantages/disadvantages of the various
calendars, the costs of running two calendars, and practices of other
districts. The Board directed Dr. Balentine
to bring this matter to the Board for review in August or September.
Board book information: The
District presently provides bus service for distances shorter than those funded
by the State of Arizona. Because of the
District’s unique combination of topographic and urban traffic issues, the higher
level of transportation service may be a necessity. But other transportation considerations may present some
opportunity for improving the efficiency of District operations. Possibilities include reduction or
consolidation of special trips; consolidation of routes resulting from a single
school calendar system; coordinated vehicle maintenance schedules resulting
from a consolidated school calendar; or a reduction in the number of buses
required to be purchased or leased.
These are but a few potential issues to consider with respect to
transportation costs.
Efficiencies/costs of transportation were discussed.
A dinner recess was taken from 6:15 to 6:49 p.m.
Board book
information: The current meet and
confer process uses an interest-based bargaining approach. There is one point of view that this form of
process is more time consuming than other options. Another view would be that other processes could take more time
because there is less identification of shared interests. All parties to this year’s and last year’s
process generally agreed that a great amount of staff time was taken by
negotiations, resulting in extensive time away from normal job duties and, in
some cases, costs for substitute coverage.
District policies relating to the meet and confer process for all employee groups are attached, including HDA (applicable to the administrative group), which is outdated and no longer relevant, given the disbanding of the Amphitheater Leadership Association. Also included is GCU, relating to membership of certificated personnel in professional organizations and released time for the AEA president.
Discussion
included the efficiency and productiveness of the current meet and confer
process. Suggestions were made to
improve the model by compressing the time frame, imposing deadlines. Further input will be sought from staff and
the Amphitheater Education Association.
Dr. Smith discussed the impact of negative communication between various
parties in the District. Mr.
Lewandowski pledged to make a commitment and use his influence to eliminate
these negative interactions.
Board book information: With
State cuts in District utilities funding over the next several years, the need
for greater efficiency in utilities use becomes more urgent. A specific agenda item concerning
conservation will be presented at the June 11 Governing Board meeting. This discussion will allow the Board to
provide direction or questions that might aid in the development of the June 11
item.
Staff will incorporate energy-saving proposals in a report
at the June 11 Board meeting.
Board
book information: School districts
traditionally rely upon the “down” summer months to make or conduct necessary
improvements, maintenance or repairs to their facilities. Frequently, however, summer use of school
facilities can interfere with these efforts, sometimes delaying or even
canceling maintenance plans.
Coordination or limitation of summer uses might improve district
efficiencies in the completion of facilities projects on a more timely, regular
and cost-effective basis. Utilities
savings might also be achieved. These
issues are identified to facilitate discussion and Board guidance. The administration is not making any
specific recommendations at this time other than that these issues be studied
and assessed further, together with others that may be suggested.
There was discussion of the summer schedule for closings for maintenance, and the coordination of summer programs.
There were no
requests for future agenda items.
There were no
public comments.
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Mrs. Schuh, seconded by Dr. Barrabee
and passed unanimously, that the meeting be adjourned. The time was 9:53 p.m.