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Meeting Agenda
CALL TO ORDER
WELCOME AND MEETING FORMAT
DISCUSSION MOVED FORWARD: Hockey Co-Op
CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS
SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS/REQUESTS (10 Min)
BOARD REPORTS/REQUESTS (10 Min)
ACTION ITEMS
CONSENT AGENDA (5 Min)
OTHER ACTION ITEMS
Selection of Date, Time and Place for 2024-2025 Regular Meetings  
Designation of Person Responsible for Posting Meeting Notices 
Selection of Legal Counsel for the 2024-2025 School Year
Selection of Auditor for the 2024-2025 School Year
Approval for Depositories for School Funds for the 2024-2025 School Year
Employment - Certified
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Delegation of Authority
Board Retreat Planning
OTHER MATTERS (5 Min)
ADJOURN
Agenda Item Details Reload Your Meeting
Meeting: July 22, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Special Meeting
Subject:
CALL TO ORDER
Description:
Tom Buffett, Katie Cavanaugh, Shulawn Doxie, Mary Gebara, Melanie Lynn,  Andrew Phelps and Jayme Taylor
 
Subject:
WELCOME AND MEETING FORMAT
Description:

Welcome to this special meeting of the Okemos Board of Education held in public for the purpose of conducting the business of the school board.

There is one opportunity for public comment: Citizens who wish to address agenda or non-agenda items will have an opportunity at the beginning of the meeting. In-person individuals who wish to address the board must complete a blue form, located with the agendas near the room entrance, and present it to the board’s secretary prior to the start of the agenda item. 

At the appropriate point in the agenda, the board president will call upon individuals who have submitted a blue card for their comments.
Subject:
DISCUSSION MOVED FORWARD: Hockey Co-Op
Description:
Athletic Director Ken Hintze will present information regarding a potential MHSAA Hockey co-op in collaboration with Charlotte and Owosso schools. The board will review the agreement developed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association as a "co-op" solution.
Attachments:
Subject:
CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Description:
At this time in the meeting, citizens have an opportunity to address the board regarding items of interest that that may or may not be part of the evening’s agenda.  Citizens are required to limit comments to three minutes, except when this requirement is waived by the board president during the meeting.  A designated timekeeper will communicate to the individual who is addressing the board at three minutes. The board highly values public comment and input; however, the board meeting format is designed to facilitate the evening’s agenda and, therefore, restricts board members from engaging in conversation with speakers or immediately responding to questions.  Questions and concerns may be addressed by the board later in the agenda and may be assigned for follow-up by the board or superintendent at a later date.
Subject:
SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS/REQUESTS (10 Min)
Description:
The superintendent will highlight events and issues of interest and take questions from the board.
Subject:
BOARD REPORTS/REQUESTS (10 Min)
Description:
The board will acknowledge receipt of correspondence.
Individual board members may highlight other events and issues of interest and request follow-up on other matters of concern.
Subject:
ACTION ITEMS
Description:
Within Action Items, there is a Consent Agenda to expedite the business of the board which groups a number of items together to be dealt with by one action of the board. However, items in the consent agenda may be extracted by individual board member request for further discussion or clarification.
Subject:
CONSENT AGENDA (5 Min)
Description:
In an effort to expedite the business of the board of education, but in no way meant to diminish the importance of each item, a Consent Agenda has been developed.
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board approve items 1 and 2 for immediate implementation and appropriate action. Item 1: Approval of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 24, 2024; and Item 2: Approval of the minutes of the Special Meeting of July 15, 2024
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
That the board approve items 1 and 2 for immediate implementation and appropriate action. Item 1: Approval of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 24, 2024; and Item 2: Approval of the minutes of the Special Meeting of July 15, 2024.Katie CavanaughShulawn DoxieCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Subject:
OTHER ACTION ITEMS
Description:
The Other Action Items require additional discussion prior to board action.
Subject:
Selection of Date, Time and Place for 2024-2025 Regular Meetings  
Description:
The board of education currently meets the second and fourth Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board establish the dates of regular meetings of the board of education to generally be the second and fourth Monday of each month, adjusted for Mondays with no school; the time of each meeting to begin at 7:00 p.m., with no new discussion after 10:00 p.m.; and the place of meetings to be the Community Conference Room at Central School; and that the board direct administration to publish the date/time/location of these meetings on the district's web site
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
That the board establish the dates of regular meetings of the board of education to generally be the second and fourth Monday of each month, adjusted for Mondays with no school; the time of each meeting to begin at 7:00 p.m., with no new discussion after 10:00 p.m.; and the place of meetings to be the Community Conference Room at Central School; and that the board direct administration to publish the date/time/location of these meetings on the district's web site.Tom BuffettKatie CavanaughCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Attachments:
Subject:
Designation of Person Responsible for Posting Meeting Notices 
Description:
The board of education annually establishes a regular board meeting schedule for the school year, which is posted on the district’s website in July.  Notice of each individual regular meeting or any special meeting to be held during the school year is required in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board designate the superintendent of schools or designee to post all regular and special school board meeting notices for the 2024-2025 school year in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
Subject:
Selection of Legal Counsel for the 2024-2025 School Year
Description:
Currently, Okemos Public Schools utilizes the services of Thrun Law Firm P.C.  The district has found their services to be excellent.
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board retains Thrun Law Firm, P.C. as legal counsel for the 2024-2025 school year
Action(s):
Motion 1 Carried:
That the board designate the superintendent of schools or designee to post all regular and special school board meeting notices for the 2024-2025 school year in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.Shulawn DoxieMelanie LynnCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Motion 2 Carried:
That the board retains Thrun Law Firm, P.C. as legal counsel for the 2024-2025 school year.Katie CavanaughShulawn DoxieCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Subject:
Selection of Auditor for the 2024-2025 School Year
Description:
Currently, the Okemos Public Schools utilizes the services of Maner Costerisan P.C.  The district has found their services to be excellent.   
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board retain Maner Costerisan P.C. as auditor for the 2024-2025 school year
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
That the board retain Maner Costerisan P.C. as auditor for the 2024-2025 school year.Andy PhelpsMelanie LynnCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Subject:
Approval for Depositories for School Funds for the 2024-2025 School Year
Description:
Currently, the district utilizes Michigan School District Liquid Assets Fund Plus, Fifth Third Bank, and PNC Bank. PNC Bank is the primary banking institution used by the district.
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board designates Michigan School District Liquid Assets Fund Plus, Fifth Third Bank, and PNC Bank as depositories for school funds for the 2024-2025 school year, which includes Accounts Payable, Payroll, Debt Retirement Activity, Food Service, Student/School Activity and Building & Site Sinking Fund
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
That the board designates Michigan School District Liquid Assets Fund Plus, Fifth Third Bank, and PNC Bank as depositories for school funds for the 2024-2025 school year, which includes Accounts Payable, Payroll, Debt Retirement Activity, Food Service, Student/School Activity and Building & Site Sinking Fund.Tom BuffettKatie CavanaughCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Subject:
Employment - Certified
Description:
The hiring of all certified employees must be approved by the board of education; employment of support staff shall be in accordance with school district policy.
Recommended Motion(s):
  1. That the board approve the employment of Kelly Nobles, 2nd Grade Teacher at Bennett Woods at Step 10, Division II; Katie Thorington, 3rd Grade Teacher at Bennett Woods at Step1, Division I; and Anna Weigle, Language Arts Teacher at Chippewa Middle School School at Step 1, Division I of the teacher salary schedule, effective August 12, 2024 in accordance with sections 1230 (2) and 1230 a (2) of the Revised School Code conditioned upon receipt of acceptable criminal history checks and criminal records checks
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
That the board approve the employment of Kelly Nobles, 2nd Grade Teacher at Bennett Woods at Step 10, Division II; Katie Thorington, 3rd Grade Teacher at Bennett Woods at Step1, Division I; and Anna Weigle, Language Arts Teacher at Chippewa Middle School School at Step 1, Division I of the teacher salary schedule, effective August 12, 2024 in accordance with sections 1230 (2) and 1230 a (2) of the Revised School Code conditioned upon receipt of acceptable criminal history checks and criminal records checks.Andy PhelpsMelanie LynnCarried
  • Taylor: Absent
  • Buffett: Yea
  • Cavanaugh: Yea
  • Doxie: Yea
  • Gebara: Yea
  • Lynn: Yea
  • Phelps: Yea
Subject:
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Description:
Discussion items are intended to provide an opportunity for review of material and interaction concerning the individual items.  Action is not taken during the board meeting.  Discussion items may be acted upon by the Board of Education at a later date. The board president may move a discussion item forward in the meeting agenda to facilitate timely discussion and/or community input on that discussion item.
Subject:
Delegation of Authority
Description:
Annually, school districts may elect to have the plan review of school construction projects and inspections conducted by local building departments.   For this to happen, both the school district and the unit of government(s) must execute the application, Request for Annual Delegation of School Plan Review and Inspection Authority to a Local Unit of Government Enforcing Agency.  The board is being asked to designate a local inspector, Meridian Township to be the primary inspector for upcoming bond projects, building, and renovations. 
Attachments:
Subject:
Board Retreat Planning
Description:
The Board will discuss the upcoming retreat and a tool to prioritize agenda items and due dates.
Subject:
OTHER MATTERS (5 Min)
Description:
  • August Board Meeting
  • Superintendent Evaluation Follow Up
Subject:
ADJOURN

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