Highlights of Board of Education Meeting

August 12, 2013

SET LEVY FOR 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR  (2013 Tax Year)

A.      PRESENTATION OF THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL TAX RATE

Board members reviewed the recommendation for the Camdenton R-III School District tax levy by fund.  These amounts are consistent with the figures presented in the budget which was approved in late June.  Assessed valuation has declined approximately $5 million. 

B.      PUBLIC COMMENT

C.      SET TAX LEVY FOR THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR

Pursuant to Amendment 2, the Board set the tax levy rate of $2.87 for the 2013-2014 fiscal year broken out by fund as follows:  $1.23 Incidental Fund 1, $1.18 Teachers Fund 2, $0.31 Debt Service Fund 3, and $0.15 Capital Projects Fund 4. 

PUBLIC COMMENT

Public comment cards were presented from Jason Whittle, Sophia Shore, Bill Seib, Natalie Sales, Mindi Sales, Joan Michaelree, and Malia Thompson.  All addressed the Board regarding the District’s public participation policy and employment practices except Joan Michaelree who declined to speak, saying her comment did not pertain to an agenda item, however the topic does need to be addressed.

CONSENT ITEMS

A.      Approve Minutes and Documentation of July 8, 2013, Board of Education Meeting

B.       Readopt Policy BBFA, Conflict of Interest & Financial Disclosure

Pursuant to the guidelines of the Missouri Ethics Commission the Board was asked to consider readopting the existing Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosure policy.

C.       Approve Special Education Compliance Plan

An updated Special Education Compliance Plan was reviewed.  There were some minor revisions to the plan.  These include changing wording from mental retardation to intellectual disability, the addition of local education agency and changing some plural words to singular.

D.      Permission to Bid for Audit

The District is currently in the last year of the audit agreement with Graves and Associates.  Per policy the District asked for Board permission to bid the audit this fall.

E.       Set 2013-2014 Tuition Rates

The Board reviewed information regarding proposed tuition rates for 2013-2014.  These rates are based on information obtained on the Annual Secretary to the Board Report.  Elementary tuition would be $8,100 and secondary tuition would be $8,700.  These rates would be for students new to the District.  Administration further recommended that our grandfathered students continue to be grandfathered but raise the tuition rate by $500 as done the past three years, or $5,700 for 2013-2014.

F.       Implementation of New Performance Based Teacher Evaluation

Given the review of the certified state model Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation System, the time commitments, and delay in training, administration asked for Board approval to allow flexibility in implementing the new state model PBTE system, by training some certified staff on the new system and still have the option of keeping the current PBTE in place for one more year.

The Board approved consent items as presented.  Schulte abstained from voting on the July 8, 2013, Board meeting minutes as she was absent from that meeting.

APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORTS

The July 2013 Treasurer’s Report was approved as submitted.

NEW BUSINESS

A.                  REVISIT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, POLICY BDDH, & EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

District patrons Joan Michaelree and Chris Michaelree addressed the Board regarding this agenda item.  The District’s current public participation policy was reviewed as well as two model policies recommended by MSBA.  Also, an opinion paper from Betsey Helfrich, attorney from Mickes, Goldman, and O’Toole, was reviewed.  She cited court cases on which she based her recommendation. 

Susan Goldammer, attorney and Senior Director from MSBA, presented information regarding public participation and answered questions from the Board. 

Additional avenues for the public to communicate with the Board will be sought.  The existing public comment policy will be reviewed.

The Board tabled this item of public participation until the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

B.                 APPROVE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

Michael Kautz from ACI-Boland presented construction documents for the Board’s consideration.  Due to several factors, construction is running behind schedule a few weeks.  Mr. Kautz expects to bring construction bids to the Board in December.  The Board approved construction documents as presented.

C.                  SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM REPORT

Larry Lewis, Director of the Summer School program, submitted a written report on the 2013 summer school program and was present to answer questions.  Next year the credit recovery program will be more computerized and the summer academy will continue.

D.            RESOLUTIONS REPEALING PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS AND AUTHORIZING ISSUANCE OF BONDS

Based on advice from the District’s bond counsel, the Board was asked to consider modifying language of recent bond resolutions. 

The Board adopted resolutions repealing the resolutions passed on July 8, 2013, and in place thereof authorizing the issuance of general obligation school building bonds, Series 2013A & 2013B, of Camdenton Reorganized School District No. R-3 of Camden County, Missouri; prescribing the form and details of said bonds; providing for the levy and collection of an annual tax for the purpose of paying the principal of and interest on said bonds as they become due; and authorizing certain other documents and actions in connection therewith.

E.                   SURPLUS PROPERTY SALE ITEMS

Per Board policy, Board approval is required to sell surplus property items.  A tentative list of items for sale was presented.  The list will be revised throughout August and a finalized list will be presented for approval at the September Board meeting.

BOARD WRAP-UP

This is an opportunity for the Board to report on upcoming meetings, meetings attended, registrations, and deadlines.  The following items were discussed:

·         All-Staff Breakfast - Monday, August 19, 7:00 a.m.

·         Board Retreat – September 18, 2013, tentatively scheduled for 8:30-noon.

·         MSBA Conference, October 3-6, 2013

·         Fall Regional Meeting – October 16, 2013.  Camdenton will host.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

In compliance with State Statute 610.021 (closed meetings and closed records), the Board went into Executive Session for the following purposes:

1)       Legal actions, causes of action or litigation involving a public governmental body and any confidential or privileged communications between a public governmental body or its representatives and its attorneys (610.021)(1).

2)       Lease, purchase, or sale of real estate (610.021)(2).

3)       Hiring, firing, disciplining, or promoting particular employees (610.021)(3).

4)       Individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees (610.021)(13).

OTHER

Nancy Masterson suggested a combined letter from School of the Osage, Camdenton, and possibly Lebanon be sent to area legislators including verbiage similar to the resolution on HB 253 which the Board adopted in July.