Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting No. 11 - January 22, 2001
MINUTES
| Members Present: | Jeffrey Freiberg, Len Gensburg, Monib Khademi, Julie Kennedy |
| Member Absent: | Elizabeth Spencer |
| Administrative Staff: | Barbara B. Young, Superintendent Dorothea M. Thompson, Ed. D., Interim Assistant Superintendent Kerri Mills, Ed.D., Director of Special Education Laurie Harden, Chief Business Official |
| CALL TO ORDER | The Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees, acting as the Governing Board of the Mill Valley School District, met in regular session at 7:00 PM on Monday, January 22, 2001 at the Mill Valley School District Administrative Office, 411 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley, CA. President Gensburg called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM and reported that Ms. Spencer was absent due to prior commitment. Mr. Gensburg also reported that the Board had met in Closed Session at a Special Meeting earlier today to discuss an anticipated litigation matter, with the Board acting to deny a claim by Maggiora & Ghilotti regarding the Strawberry Point School modernization project. |
| AGENDA | M/S/C Khademi/Freiberg (4-0) to approve agenda. |
| COMMUNICATIONS Superintendent |
Superintendent Young reported that the February 12 Board meeting would be held in honor of Jack Dorward, retired Middle School teacher, and Dorcas Bertrand, former parent leader, both of whom died this past week. Ms. Young also reported: that there will be an update on Governor's budget at February 12 meeting; that the District's Political Action Committee will meet on February 7 at 7 PM in the District Office; that, with the energy crisis, the District is analyzing utility costs, conservation measures and outside use of facilities; and that she will be attending a State Superintendents' Symposium for the remainder of the week. |
| Staff - Tanguay | Tamalpais Valley Principal Rich Tanguay reported on the Safe Routes to School program held at the school last Friday, which included federal, state and local officials. |
| Board - Khademi |
Mr. Khademi reported on county educators' legislative trip to Sacramento; and announced that Jim Orrell, Assistant to County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke, is retiring at the end of the month, and requested that the Board honor him with a proclamation. |
| - Kennedy | Ms. Kennedy reported that labor negotiations was the topic at the recent Marin County School Boards Association meeting, with superintendent evaluation the topic next month; and that she attended a District Special Education staff meeting. |
| - Gensburg | Mr. Gensburg reported that the major new area for the Education Task Force is the transition to a full 8th grade algebra program and adoption of math curriculum. |
| MINUTES - 08/Jan/01 regular; 16/Jan/01 special | M/S/C Freiberg/Kennedy (4-0) to approve minutes of regular meeting of January 8, 2001; and to approve the minutes of special meeting of January 16, 2001. |
| BUSINESS & FISCAL 99-00 Audit Report |
Virginia Porter, of Goodell, Porter & Fredericks, CPA, presented the 1999-2000 Audit Report. She noted that all of last year's findings were corrected, and that the required 3% reserve is very low for a reserve fund. Ms. Porter also said that the workload in all districts has increased due to the many reports required by the State for any new programs. |
| - Accept audit report | M/S/C Freiberg/Khademi (4-0) to accept the 1999-2000 Audit Report as presented by Goodell, Porter and Fredericks, CPA. |
| Site block grant: SP | M/S/C Freiberg/Kennedy (4-0) to approve 2000-01 Strawberry Point School Site Block Grant. |
| MVTA/MVSD agreement | Mr. Gensburg read the Agreement between the Mill Valley School District and the Mill Valley Teachers Association (MVTA), previously tentatively agreed to by the parties. Dee Treshnell, Co-President of MVTA, was in attendance to sign the Agreement. Included in the Agreement is a salary increase of 8.5%, retroactive to July 1, 2000; the establishment of a stakeholders' advisory committee for the purpose of developing recommendations for maintaining the future solvency of the District in the absence of additional donations from the community; the revision of the Retirement Article; and the retention of the current Transfer Article. Ms. Young reported that Kiddo! will provide additional money to offset the Middle School art program, and that a small group has established an emergency fund to "bridge" the funding need this year. Ms. Young also reported that members are being gathered for the stakeholders' advisory committee, and that an outside facilitator will be used. Mr. Gensburg commented that it was an oversight that the negotiations team did not include a site administrator on the advisory committee and hopes this can be rectified. |
| - Motion | M/S/C Freiberg/Khademi (4-0) to approve the Agreement between the Mill Valley Teachers Association and the Mill Valley School District as presented. |
| CURRICULUM / POLICY- Appeal of IDT denial: Hendrickson | The tabled action of the appeal of the Superintendent's denial of an Interdistrict Transfer for Thomas Hendrickson (6th grade) from Sausalito School district to the Mill Valley School District was addressed. Discussion was held regarding space at grade level and previous actions on similar requests. The following action was taken. |
| - IDT denial upheld | M/S/C Freiberg/Gensburg (3-0-1 abstention Khademi due to lack of participation in previous consideration) to uphold, with regret, Superintendent's denial of Interdistrict Transfer for Thomas Hendrickson (6th grade) to Mill Valley School District from Sausalito School District, due to lack of space at grade level. |
| Study Session: Assessment Parent Survey |
Ms. Young made opening comments regarding assessment in the District, saying that our students continue to excel and that districts in the State that reached growth targets from last year will receive $63 per student. Site Councils will determine how the money will be spent after a district-wide joint meeting. Principal Jim Derich reviewed our district's assessment results. Ms. Young reviewed the parent survey from last year, saying that key issues district-wide included homework, conferences, K-5 PE, communication and transitions K-5/6-8 and 8th grade/high school. The district is considering another format for the survey this year, perhaps conducting it "on-line". |
| PERSONNEL Leave: Eshoff |
M/S/C Khademi/Freiberg (4-0) to approve certificated leave request for Ann Eshoff- Family Medical Leave and regular leave, effective May 11, 2001 through 2001-02 school year. |
| Resignation: Case | M/S/C Freiberg/Kennedy (4-0) to accept, with regret, the resignation of Darcie Case (certificated on leave), effective January 5, 2001. |
| BUILDINGS / SITES | There were no items for action regarding renovation and modernization projects. |
| CONSENT AGENDA Warrants |
M/S/C Khademi/Freiberg (4-0) to
approve Consent Agenda as follows: - Warrants #0250-5034/5064, dated 01/05/2001, for $34,715.69; -5421/5457, dated 01/10/01, for $37,345.44; -5866/5885, dated 01/12/01, for $105,249.90; -6251/6320, dated 01/17/01, for $115,765.77. |
| Payroll | - Payroll certification: December 2000- Supplemental, dated 04/Jan/01, for $49,395.57. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mr. Gensburg announced that the next regularly scheduled Board meeting will be at Tamalpais Valley School, 350 Bell Lane, at 7:00 PM on Monday, February 12, 2001 and adjourned the meeting at 9:10 PM. |
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Respectfully submitted, |