December 14, 2015 at 6:30 PM - Regular Meeting

Description:  If interested in addressing the School Board during the Communications portion of the meeting, please stand and state your name when the Board President requests communications from the citizens.

Description:  The District recommends approval of amending the budget to properly code the stadium project expenditure from fund 10 to fund 38.

Description:  The Board approved a no-cost long-term facility plan study be conducted by Nexus.  Nexus will deliver their preliminary report to the board and answer questions.  If the board wishes to continue work with Nexus or any other vendor to received a detailed long-term plan the district recommends preparing a request for proposal for vendors response.

Description:  After final aid estimates and property valuation was known the district has $177,953 surplus.  The surplus has yet to be allocated.  The board could choose to allocate the surplus to salary and benefits, non-capital instructional needs and services, capital projects, existing debt, fund balance, or a combination thereof.  

The board has the opportunity to decide what to be done with the surplus or leave the funding allocation to the discretion of the District.  The District recommends a balanced approach by placing funds aside for a comprehensive long-term facilities study, capital projects, and other instructional needs.  

Description:  The board has received the Financial Audit for 2014-2015 for review as prepared by Johnson Block.  The audit will be placed on the January board agenda for final approval.  The Board can choose whether or not to request a representative from Johnson Block to be in attendance at the next board meeting or through a committee meeting.

Description:  Review of Job Description

What is the Superintendent not doing that you would like to see started?
What is the Superintendent doing that you would like to see stop?
What is the Superintendent doing that you would like to see changed?

Description:  The Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) provided Mineral Point Schools with a survey tool to learn which areas of government the board is in agreement with and which areas require more discussion at a local level.  The survey tool is at no cost to the district with a decision needed by the board as to whether or not to take advantage of this free opportunity and whether or not to purchase the  services of WASB to facilitate plans surrounding areas identified as in need of improvement.

Description:  The Board's Strategic states the district will show evidence of an operational endowment fund by the end of the 15-16 school year.  The District has investigated The Madison Community Foundation and The Southwest WI Endowment Fund and information learned to date find both vendors to be viable options.  The recommendation of the Superintendent is to proceed with the Madison Community Foundation based on personal preference.  The District looks to the board for direction for implementation of an endowment.  

Description:  Three calendar proposals for the 2016-2017 school year were brought forward for consideration.  All three options were presented to staff and families of students for input on a preferred calendar.  The board will review the findings of the survey and determine a course of action to include approve, modify, or reject any of the three options presented.

Description:  Board Members expressed interest in learning more about Professional Learning Communities (PLC) through video resources.  A short vignette of PLC's will be shared with the board throughout the year to give the board a better understanding of the work being conducted by staff in a PLC environment.

In this video, Mike Mattos describes the processes and information needed to identify students in need of Tier II intervention (RTI). This includes teacher-created common formative assessments (CFA). Through the use of CFAs, teams can identify which students did or did not master specific essential standards. Doing so allows for targeted interventions. CFA’s also allow teachers to review and compare the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching essential standards. This allows teachers to share best practice and improve overall results.

https://globalpd.com/search/content/249

Description:  The School Board FieldBook will be distributed with a timeline for completion and discussion agreed upon and book study questions distributed.

Description:  Chapter 3 explores the need for effective communication and collaboration between the board and its constituents—administration, staff, parents, students, and the community.  The board needs to communicate with individuals in differing roles so they can understand, relate to, and carry out the board’s strategic direction. The authors suggest collaborative structures a board can use to listen and respond to needs and requirements, share interests, and elicit feedback. 

Question 1:  What are the pros and cons of operating as a board of the whole? What tools, strategies, and data help the board operate as a whole?

Question 2:  Why is it imperative that the board establish and reflect upon ground rules to guide its behaviors and actions? What are the ground rules of your board, and how do you enforce them? 

Question 3:  What are the pros and cons of operating as a committee? What is the relationship between a board committee and the board as a whole?

Question 4:   Examine the Communication Structures and Processes chart on page 132.  What communication structures and processes does your board use?

Question 5:  How does your board policy address the procedure for registering a complaint?  How effective is your board in following the appropriate “chain of command” in addressing the complaint?