District 833

School Board Workshop

Unofficial Clerk's Summary

06 May 2010

Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a workshop of the School Board of Independent School District 833, South Washington County, was held on Thursday, May 6, 2010. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Leslee Boyd at 6:05 p.m. at the District Service Center, located at 7362 East Point Douglas Road South in Cottage Grove, MN. School Board members present were Marsha Adou, Leslee Boyd, Tracy Brunnette, Jim Gelbmann, Laurie Johnson, Ron Kath and David Kemper. Superintendent Mark Porter was also present at the meeting.

Barbara Osthus, Director of Nutrition Services, presented the first reading of the 2010-2011 Nutrition Services Budget. Barb presented the Nutrition Services' Fund 2 Goals, Budget Assumptions, Statement of Revenue & Expenditures and Fund Balance Summary. The programs offered by Nutrition Services include lunch, ala carte, breakfast, Kids Club breakfast/snack, Kindergarten milk, and 1st & 2nd grade snack milk.

Budget assumptions include:

The budget reflects a 0% increase in enrollment.

School lunch prices will not change - ala carte prices will be increased/decreased based on food/supply/labor cost changes.

School breakfast prices will not change.

Lunch reimbursement will be $.12 for each lunch sold. Breakfast reimbursement will be $.55 for each fully paid breakfast and $.30 for each reduced price breakfast.

Interest income is budgeted at $7,000.

Commodity usage is estimated at approximately $.195 a lunch; corresponding commodity revenue has been reflected within the federal aid revenue.

$250,000 has been budgeted for replacement of equipment.

Revenue for the 2010-2011 budget is proposed at $6,944,215 while expenditures are proposed to be $6,977,773 for a deficiency of $33,558 which will come from the department's fund balance. This budget will be brought back to the May 20th School Board meeting for approval.

Ernie Pines, Director of Community Education, and Ellen Casey, Community Education Account Specialist, presented the first reading of the 2010-2011 Community Services Budget. This budget was discussed and approved at the Community Education Advisory Council (CEAC) meeting on April 27, 2010. Revenue assumptions for this budget include:

Levy revenue amounts reflect funds certified in December 2009 payable in 2010 for the 2010-2011 school year. Basic Community Service Levy and Youth Levy revenues are reflective of district population figures.

Basic Community Education Levy funding is based on $5.42 per capita.

Community Education will maintain fee levels for al programs with the exception of aquatics. Slight fee adjustments are recommended to maintain the high quality of the program. In the area of facility use, two new hourly rate categories for the rental of district stadium and track facilities have been added.

Revenue projections for 2010-2011 include 14 elementary sites planning on offering Kindergarten Plus. A total of 31 sections with 20 students per section are currently budgeted. However, space availability and participant counts may impact the actual number of sections offered this fall. Spanish Immersion (3 sections) will be housed at Crestview.

ECFE will be funded at $120 per estimated population under 5 years of age. Funding formula changes will result in a drop in state aid dollars offset by an increase in levy dollars received.

School Age Special Needs levy is increasing due to prior period adjustment payments to meet actual expenditures reported.

Community Education anticipates continued financial support from the Lifelong Learning Foundation.

Interest income is budgeted at $20,000 as Community Education continues to spend down fund balance. The proposed interest income budget is also impacted by a decline in investment interest rates.

Expenditure assumptions for this budget include:

In the 2010-2011 school year, expenditures captured in administration will be allocated directly to specific Community Service programs at the end of the fiscal year.

In the 2010-2011 school year, Community Education anticipates an indirect cost recovery of approximately $15,000 for grants that District 833 is awarded.

K-Plus programs will be offered at 14 elementary sites in 2010-2011, pending space availability. A total of 31 sections are planned.

The Extended Day program budget is reflective of continued strong participation counts and enhanced school release day and summer programming.

The 2010-2011 Community Education budget includes $48,000 available for youth financial assistance, enabling all district families to participate in program offerings.

The Parents Forever Program, a Washington County Courts Collaborative, will not be offered through Community Education programming in 2010-2011.

The district's PERA contribution will remain at 7% of salary paid for nonlicensed staff.

The district's TRA contributions will remain at 5.5% of salary paid for licensed staff.

Chargebacks from the General Fund are estimated at $424,308 and include a building usage chargeback for the District Program Center, property and liability insurance, Kids Club building usage, swimming pool temperature increase, facility use user usage assessments and Kindergarten Plus building support specialist.

This budget will be brought back to the board for approval at their May 20th meeting.

Superintendent Mark T. Porter presented information on a proposed task force/study committee process to consider recommendations as to possible expansion of the Spanish Immersion program for the 2010-2011 school year. In March, 2010, the School Board discussed expansion of the current Spanish Immersion Program. This discussion was in part motivated by parents whose students would be unable to enter the current Spanish Immersion Program for the 2010-2011 school year due to low number of available spots in the program that are filled through a lottery process. At that time, the administration recommended, and the School Board approved, the formation of a task force/study committee process to consider and submit their recommendations for possible expansion of the Spanish Immersion Program for the 2011-2012 school year.

Spanish Immersion had its start in the South Washington County Schools with the first Kindergarten class of three sections in the fall of the 2004-2005 school year. The program was initially located at Bailey Elementary. A grade level has been added to the program each year, with full implementation K-5 taking place in 2009-2010. The program was moved to Crestview Elementary in the 2007-2008 school year as there was no longer sufficient space available at Bailey Elementary to house the program. At that time, the program was also named, "Nuevas Fronteras" (New Frontiers). The program continues to be housed at Crestview Elementary and occupies approximately one-half of the building space. The other half of the building continues to house the Crestview Elementary neighborhood student population. The following is a summary of the current enrollment in the Spanish Immersion Program;

Grade Number of Sections/Students Total Students

Kindergarten 3 sections of 20 students 60

First Grade 3 sections of 20 students 61

Second Grade 3 sections of 20 students 57

Third Grade 3 sections of 20 students 61

Fourth Grade 2 sections of 30 students 62

Fifth Grade 2 sections of 30 students 48

Implementation of each expanding grade level of the program was supported through state and federal grant opportunities. In total, approximately $550,000 in grant funds were accessed to implement the Spanish Immersion Program in the South Washington County Schools.

Over the years, the Spanish Immersion Program has increased in popularity with a resulting waiting list of students who wish to enter the program. In the earlier years, enrollment in the program was on a "first come, first served" basis, ultimately resulting in parents parking in the District Service Center parking lot overnight in order to be first in line. Subsequently, a lottery system was implemented to better manage this process. As the program reached full implementation 2009-2010, the number of available lottery slots diminished due to the established practice of granting preference to incoming students with a sibling already in the program. The following is a summary:

Year Sib. Pref. Grades Total Seats Openings Res. List Non-Res. List

2004-05 0 K 69 69 0 0

2005-06 5 K-1 69 64 4 7

2006-07 16 K-2 60 44 3 6

2007-08 27 K-3 60 33 27 2

2008-09 32 K-4 60 28 32 3

2009-10 38 K-5 60 22 42 3

2010-11 42 K-5 60 18 43 3

At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, the first students to successfully complete the K-5 Spanish Immersion Program will be advancing to grade 6, currently located at the middle school level in the school district. The middle school offering will consist of two content area offerings to be taught in the immersion method - Social Studies and Spanish. The middle school program will be housed at Cottage Grove Middle School. There is currently no specific Spanish Immersion Program alternative for students in grades 9-12.

Administration recommended the following for the proposed Spanish Immersion Task Force:

1. School Board/Administrative Tasks

Identify the process and timeline for decision-making.

Determine the appropriate membership of the task force.

Develop the specific charge to be issued to the task force and necessary elements of evaluation to be considered in evaluating and prioritizing the recommendations of the task force and the decision-making of the School Board.

Create an opportunity for stakeholder input during the decision-making process.

Review, consider and approve recommendations as to possible expansion of the Spanish Immersion Program for the 2011-2012 school year.

2. Timeline for Decision Making

School Board authorization of task force/study committee to review proposed expansion of Spanish Immersion Program for the 2011-2012 school year - March 10, 2010

School Board review and approval of proposed process, timelines and specific charge for Spanish Immersion Program Task Force - May 6, 2010

Task force meetings/process, to include multiple opportunities for public input as appropriate - June to November, 2010

Task force recommendations as to possible expansion of Spanish Immersion Program for the 2011-2012 school year submitted to Superintendent - November 10, 2010

Administration presents task force recommendations for board discussion/public input. - Board Workshops - November 18, 2010 and December 2, 2010 (if necessary)

School board decision as to possible expansion of Spanish Immersion Program for the 2011-2012 year at regular Board Meeting - December 16, 2010

3. Task Force Membership (10 members)

Co-Chair/Elementary Education Representative - Dave Bernhardson

Co-Chair/TLS-World Language Representative - Eric Skow

Secondary Education Representative - TBD by Superintendent

Facilities Representative -Mike Vogel or Designee

Spanish Immersion Teacher Representatives (2) - TBD by Superintendent

Citizen Finance Advisory Committee Member - Identified by Superintendent/Director of Finance

Curriculum Advisory Committee Member - Identified by Superintendent/Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum & Assessment

Board members (2) - Assigned by Board Chair

Non-Member/Administrative Resource for Finance - Aaron Bushberger

Non-Member/Administrative Resource for Communications - Barbara Brown

4. Specific Charge

The task force shall submit recommendations as to proposed expansion of the Spanish Immersion Program for the 2011-2012 school year to the Superintendent by November 10, 2010.

The task force shall provide a base-line evaluation of no expansion in 2011-2012 as to each of the proscribed elements of evaluation.

The task force shall provide two (2) or more alternatives for expansion in 2011-2012, though the task force may recommend a preferred alternative(s).

Task force recommendations shall include a thorough evaluation of the following elements;

o Financial Considerations;

Initial/one-time/start-up costs

On-going program costs

On-going transportation costs

o Sustainability;

Financial (see above)

Enrollment

Facilities

Staffing

o Alignment;

Elementary to Middle School

High School (all task force recommendations/alternatives shall include specific statement as to high school programming, including the base-line evaluation of no expansion in 2011-2012)

Fit into overall World Language Program in the South Washington County Schools

The task force is advisory to the superintendent and school board and its recommendations are non-binding. The final decision as to possible expansion of the Spanish Immersion Program in the 2011-2012 school year shall be made by the School Board after taking into account the recommendations of the task force and other comments and input received during its deliberations.

5. Stakeholder/Public Input Opportunities

It is anticipated that there will be multiple opportunities for stakeholder/public input into the task force process. These opportunities will be identified and determined based on the specific recommendations being considered.

" In addition, there will be opportunities for public input at School Board workshops to be held on November 18, 2010 and December 2, 2010 (if necessary) as well as at the School Board meeting on December 16, 2010.

The board discussed the task force proposal and immersion programs in general. Following the conversation, the board agreed that moving forward with the proposed task force was a good idea. The administration was given the approval to move ahead with plans for implementation of the task force.

The workshop adjourned at 8:00 pm.

6/16

Tags: public notices, meetings