All persons who address the Board at this time must complete a registration form before the meeting begins. Each Speaker is limited to 5 minutes. No action may be taken regarding the information received by the board. The topic must be placed on the agenda at a future meeting to receive deliberate action.

I have invited the Volleyball to to congratulate them and provide them with a certificate from the board.

Preston Caver will be present to provide the audit to the board.  There was 1 finding he will discuss with the board involving an inventory issue of commodities in the cafeteria.  This is not an actual $$$ issue but an inventory issue.  The board must approve and sign the audit.  Possible motion: I move the board approve the audit as presented my Moore, Caver and Setser.  A second is required.

Mrs. Rosenbalm and Mr. Perez will present the annual FFA and Agriculture report to the board.  No action for the boards information only.

Coach Minter will provide a athletic report to the board.  For Information only no action is needed.

Mrs. Robbins will provide a report on PBMAS, our status and our report we are required to be prepared to submit to TEA.  At this time we are not required to send.

Items appearing on the Consent Agenda are routine in nature and may be dealt with using a single motion, second and affirmative vote. At the request of any Board Member(s) any item can be pulled from the Consent Agenda and moved to the regular agenda for the Board’s consideration as a single item. If you have any questions concerning bills please call in advance for more detailed information. Recommendation: Approve the Consent Agenda as presented.
Motion:  I move we accept the consent agenda as presented.  Second is needed.

Big Sandy ISD offers middle school 8th grade students to take Alg 1 as a high school credit.  This is permissible with the state and allows advanced students to take a higher level of math as a high school senior.  There is some concern and confusion on whether these students must take both the Alg 1 EOC and the 8th grade STAAR according to Federal provisions compared to State provisions.  To be completely on the safe side with Federal guidelines and funding as well for state accountability, we are recommending these students take both tests.  They have done this in previous years, the concern for this year is our state commissioner is expressing to the schools that these students do not have to take the 8th grade test but the feds are expressing that they can reduce federal funding if they do not take the 8th grade assessment.  We wanted to express this to the board and allow the decision to be yours.  My recommendation is to require these students to take both tests.  Possible motion: "Based on the superintendents recommendation of the possibility of federal funds being reduced if 8th grade students do not take the 8th grade assessment, I move the board require these students to take both the 8th grade test as well as the Alg 1 EOC."  A second is required.

Mr. Stanford must state for the minutes if each member has completed, exceeded, or failed to complete the continuing education requirements.  Attached are the hours each member have received for this calendar year.  For information only.

This is an annual item to approve.  If we have students exhibit through Upshur County 4-H, for them to be counted as present for extra-curricular absences this resolution must be adopted.  The information and the resolution is attached.  Possible motion:  I move the board approve the resolution as presented.   A second is required.

Over the past few months we have listened to 2 companies present proposals on a LED lighting retrofit for the district.  I have attached a summary of the proposals and will have additional copies of the actual proposals at the meeting.  Entegral Solutions (E3) works with TASB and Buyboard to deliver quality products and service to the project.  Based on observations, meetings and information Mr. Weese and I have reviewed, I would like to recommend Big Sandy ISD hire Entegral Solutions to complete the LED Lighting retrofit for the district.  On the same note, there is a line item of $250,000 for capital expenditures in fund balance that actually the auditor asked us about while here and our plan because it had been on the books (pg. 18 of audit) for some time.  This would be an optimal time to utilize these funds.  Possible motion:  I move the board approve the proposal from Entegral Solutions  with a total cost to the district not to exceed $$238,381.  A second is required.

While at Board conference, I visited with a representative from Region 4 concerning transportation.  I believe engaging them to perform a route services report audit would be beneficial to us as a district with no upfront costs.  Compensation to region 4 is laid out in the agreement at a rate of 30% up to $500,000 and 20% above that.  If differences are found and the district does not enter these changes with the state the district will be charged $2700 (this will not happen).  There are no expenses charged only compensation to Region 4 if they find the state owes the district additional funds.  I highly recommend this agreement be executed.  Possible motion:  I move the board approve the Inter-local Agreement for the TransAudit as recommended by the superintendent.  A second is required.

We have a student discipline issue I want to inform the board of because it involves a felony 3 arrest of one of our students.  Aaron Harris a 16 yr old male high school freshman was found to be showing pictures of his penis to a couple of girls on the bus.  Once the parent of one of the girls expressed this to us, we investigated and deemed the local police force needed to be called.  They investigated and determined there was enough evidence that an arrest needed to be made and the parents were filing charges.  The student was arrested in the SAC room and removed from the campus.  He has been charged with indecency with a child which is a felony 3.  This is also a crime with a mandatory expulsion/DAEP placement once Big Sandy ISD is officially notified of the charge.  As of this information we have not received the notice.  I will give more information and would probably ask the board to enter executive session to discuss further details and actions by the district if needed.

Last year it was mentioned you would like to separate the Superintendent evaluation into a special meeting.  We need to discuss dates for this special meeting.  I will provide a packet in the coming weeks on the evaluation process and documentation.

I have asked Karen to provide this for each of you each month. It is a list of events we are aware of at the time of the meeting for the next 30 days.

High school: Daniel Shipman and Linda Reaves
Junior high: Pamela Rapp
Elementary: Megan Gilbert, Charlene Johnson and Quindy Whitaker
Support Staff: Deana Strickand
UCSSA: Kim Hawes and Patrick Jones

Board appreciation dinner is Monday, January 12 at 6:00, board meeting will start at 7:00.  Karen will send out a reminder after the Christmas break, this is for you, your spouse & family.

Filing date for applications to run for school board is January 28, 2015  - February 27, 2015 @ 5:00 pm. Election day is Saturday, May 9, 2015. This year Billy Wade Johnson, Cynthia Keppard and Angie McAfee are up for re-election.

February 4, 2015 Region 7 will be hosting a visioning Training for School Board teams.  Training will be from 6-9pm and count as a team building training.  I think this will be a good training for all of us to attend if possible.

Parade begins at 6:30 Jr class will be hosting a Chili/baked potato supper beginning at 5 until after the parade.  Also, there will be a "Bake off" held the same evening.