Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting No. 14 - April 24, 2002
MINUTES
| Members Present: | Jeffrey Freiberg, Len Gensburg, Monib Khademi, Paula Reynolds, Brian Swartz |
| Administrative Staff: | Barbara B. Young, Superintendent Kerri M. Mills, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent Leslie Thornton, Director of Curriculum & Instruction Ruthanne Bexton, Park School Principal Whitney Hoyt, Mill Valley Middle School Principal |
| 1. 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 Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at Park School, 360 E. Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley, CA. President Freiberg called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM, thanked the Park School PTA for hosting the meeting and congratulated Park School for being named a California Distinguished School. |
| 2. AGENDA | M/S/C Gensburg/Khademi (5-0) to approve the agenda, with Item 6.D to follow 3.B and 6.F to follow 5.D. |
| 3. COMMUNICATIONS A. Public Comment |
Strawberry Point School parent David Elkind expressed concern about the configuration of next year's 4th grade at the school. The Board directed the Superintendent to meet with the parents and teachers involved. Strawberry Point School PTA Co-President Pheme Geyer thanked Mr. Gensburg for his presentation at the school last week. |
| B. Staff/Supt. Reports - Khademi Trustee of Year - Juvenile Officer - Graf - TAs - employee groups - EM recognition - P2 / CCR |
Superintendent Young announced that Mr. Khademi has been named Marin County Trustee of the Year, along with Cindi Clinton of Novato. Mr. Khademi was recognized for his extraordinary work on the Joint Legislative Advisory Committee (JLAC) on behalf of the students of Marin County. Ms. Young: introduced Detective Jackie Graf, new Juvenile Officer for the Mill Valley Police Department; announced that the District has reached tentative agreements with the certificated and classified bargaining units; announced that Edna Maguire was recognized at the County level for its emergency preparedness program; reported that representatives from the Partnership Project attended the open house for the Santa Clara housing project for teachers. Dr. Mills reported that the recent Coordinated Compliance Review focus meeting was a success. |
| Board Reports - Budget - Funding Advisory - Challenge Campaign |
Mr. Gensburg reported on the recent budget discussion at Strawberry Point. Ms. Reynolds reported on her work with PTA and Kiddo regarding financial issues facing the District. Mr. Swartz reported on activities of the Superintendent's Advisory Group on Fundraising. The Group is a collaboration of Kiddo, PTA and District representatives that has been meeting weekly to address the fiscal issues the District is facing, due to the State budget crisis. A Challenge Campaign is being mounted to raise $1.2 million, through Kiddo, by the end of June. The first $700,000 is committed to the visual arts and music programs. A letter is being sent to all parents; priorities for programs to be reinstated as once that amount is raised will be set at the May 8 Board meeting. Mr. Swartz commended Kiddo, the PTAs, the teaching staff and District management for great team efforts. Mr. Khademi commented on the political ramifications of the State fiscal crisis, and the work of the JLAC in this area on behalf of Marin students. |
| 4. PERSONNEL A. MS AP- Huntington |
M/S/C Khademi/Swartz (5-0) to approve appointment of Kathleen Huntington as Mill Valley Middle School Assistant Principal, effective July 1, 2002. |
| 5. BUSINESS & FISCAL A. PERS credit |
M/S/C Reynolds/Khademi (5-0) to approve participation in Public Employees Retirement System two years of additional service credit window period from May 15, 2002 - September 11, 2002. |
| B. Res.#7-01/02: Spec. Ed. Funding (AB 2093) | Ms. Young gave some background on the State's appropriation of federal funding increases intended for special education. AB 2093 will guarantee that increased federal special education funding will be passed on to school districts. |
| - Motion: Res. #7-01/02 | M/S/C Khademi/Gensburg (5-0) to adopt Resolution #7-01/02: Support AB 2093 Special Education Funding. |
| C. TRAN agreement; Kelling, Northcross & Nobriga | Ms. Harden explained the process of the District issuing Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs), which are used to cover cash flow deficits that occur each year and provide an adequate cash reserve. |
| - Motion: TRAN agreement | M/S/C Gensburg/Khademi (5-0) to approve agreement with Kelling, Northcross & Nobriga as fiscal advisor for the issuance and participation in pooled Tax Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN); fee for service: $8,000. |
| D. Res. #8-01/02: Request TRAN; Marin County | M/S/C Khademi/Gensburg (5-0) to approve Resolution #8-01/02: Requesting Marin County Board of Supervisors to Issue Tax & Revenue Anticipation Notes in the Name of the Mill Valley School District for Fiscal Year 2002-2003 in the Principal Amount of Not to Exceed $5,000,000 and Authorizing the Sale Thereof & Authorizing Preparation of an Official Statement in Connection Therewith. |
| 6. BUILDING & SITES A. Facilities Funds |
Ms. Harden presented an overview of the various Facilities Funds, including allowable expenditures from each and current balances. |
| B. Criteria: Modernization & Bond expenditures | Ms. Young discussed the criteria for the use of remaining bond and modernization funds. The District will act as construction manager for any projects, with Facilities and Finance Committees' oversight. |
| C. Capital improvements / deferred maintenance | The structure for decision making regarding deferred maintenance and capital improvements was discussed. Middle School Principal Whitney Hoyt volunteered to be on the committee. |
| D. Skateboard Park | Ms. Young, on behalf of City Manager Don Hunter, gave an update on the skateboard park, which is expected to be completed in July. The Tamalpais Union High School District will be requested to contribute $5,000 toward the project, with $10,000 being requested from our district. Students and parents who made comments regarding delays in the project were advised to contact the City of Mill Valley. |
| - Motion: skateboard park contribution | M/S/C Gensburg/Khademi (5-0) to contribute $10,000 to the City of Mill Valley's skateboard park project on District property, with funding source to be determined following later budgetary considerations. (Funding source will be Fund 40, Special Reserve Fund) |
| E. Underground utilities - E. Blithedale | Ms. Young reviewed City of Mill Valley's project with PG&E regarding the undergrounding of utilities along E. Blithedale Avenue near Park School. In 1996, the District made a commitment of up to $100,000 toward the project being extended from Catalpa to Elm, with the assumption that the project would be completed by the year 2000. PG&E and the City are only now ready to commence with the work. After board and community discussion, the Board took the following action in support of its prior commitment. |
| - Motion: $100,000 to underground utilities | M/S/C Khademi/Swartz (5-0) to reallocate from the Special Reserve Fund $100,000 for the agreement with the City of Mill Valley for its undergrounding utilities project on E. Blithedale Avenue from Catalpa to Elm Avenues. |
| F. Marin Day School agreement | Ms. Young reported that Marin Day Schools (MDS), which provides extended day care services at our school sites, has been searching for a preschool location. With space becoming available at Edna Maguire as the enrollment decreases there, Ms. Young recommends the leasing of the current 5th grade wing to Marin Day Schools. She said that the Strawberry Point site was also explored, and that a long term commitment could not be made as enrollment will be increasing at that site. Several parents and former parents spoke in support of the agreement. Pat Burns and Melinda Kanter-Levy, Co-Directors of Marin Day Schools, and members of the board for MDS answered questions. |
| - Motion: Marin Day Schools lease agreement | M/S/C Khademi/Gensburg to authorize the Superintendent to enter into an agreement with Marin Day Schools for lease of space at Edna Maguire School for a term of five years, with an option for a five year renewal. |
| G. MS site improvement | Ms. Young gave a Middle School Site Improvement - Phase 1 update, saying that the project is going out to bid. One area of concern is the condition of the asphalt around the school, with not all areas currently included in the project. The cost to replace all asphalt is estimated at $209,000, with estimated cost of $60,000 to resurface/repair. Replacement could be add alternates in the bids. It is the consensus of the board to consider the Middle School asphalt once the bids are received. The Superintendent was directed to gather further information regarding advantages and disadvantages of resurfacing versus replacement of the asphalt. |
| H. TV garbage enclosure | M/S/C Khademi/Gensburg (5-0) to authorize $10,000 toward the Tam Valley School garbage enclosure. |
| I. Deferred Maintenance - Skateboard allocation |
Ms. Young gave a deferred maintenance plan update. The funding for previously approved skateboard allocation was discussed, with the consensus of the board being to use Fund 40 (Special Reserve) funds. |
| 7. CONSENT AGENDA Warrants |
M/S/C Khademi/Gensburg
(5-0) to
approve Consent Agenda, as follows: - Warrants #0255-8990/9010, dated 04/03/02, for $10,902.46; -9440/9482, dated 04/05/02, for $23,364.59; #0256-0369/0415, dated 04/12/02, for $91,716.83; - 0794/0832, dated 04/17/02, for $43,198.08. |
| Payroll certifications | - Payroll Certification: March 2002: Mid-Month, dated 04/03/2002, for $32,771.16. |
| Personnel Action #0102-5 | - Approval of Personnel Action Form #0102-5. |
| Minutes: Special - 4/10/02; Regular - 4/10/02 | - Minutes: Special meeting April 10, 2002; Regular meeting April 10, 2002. |
| Gifts: Kudler | - Gifts to MVSD - PowerMac 5200/75, Ethernet cards, keyboard, monitor, cables & mouse, from D. Kudler. |
| 8. ADJOURNMENT | Mr. Freiberg announced that the next regular Board meeting will be at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at Edna Maguire School and adjourned the meeting at 10:00 PM. |
|
Respectfully submitted, |