SBDM Council Minutes

March 17, 2004

 The Picadome School Community is committed to all students attaining the highest levels of academic achievement and responsible citizenship through equitable opportunities in becoming lifelong learners.

  

The meeting was called to order at 3:17 by Darla Simms, council chair. Members present: teachers- Kathy Cleary, Tammy Johnson and Bill McMakin; parents- Steve Stone and Jeff Mefford.  Parent member Bob Kinley was absent.  Also present were Melissa Moore and Elayne Crystal.

 I.                   Minutes

        The minutes of the February 18, 2004 meeting were read and approved with changes.

Miss Simms asked council to add requests for Extended Field Trips to the agenda under Action Items. Council agreed.

 

II.                Budget

A.    SCIF Miss Simms explained that the superintendent will have a freeze on spending money from some codes in the School Council Instructional Fund as of April 1, 2004.  This is to ensure all purchase orders are paid in time to close the books by the end of the fiscal year.  There was a question about money remaining in several codes.  Miss Simms said some of the money is encumbered; purchase orders will be posted.  We should be able to carry forward 10% of our original budget as  we have in the past.  Ms. Cleary asked about the $1000 in furniture and fixtures. Miss Simms explained that it was put in that code to cover any needed large purchases but could be transferred through a budget transfer approved by council if needed elsewhere .

B.     Budget Transfer

In October, 4^th grade classes went to 4-H camp. In order to have school personnel in each cabin, a retired male teacher agreed to go. He was to have been paid substitute salary. The budget office approved this on November 11, 2003 and Judy Boggs approved it November 10, 2003. However, the payment has not been made because SBDM approval was not indicated on the form.  Miss Simms asked council to approve a $260 budget transfer from regular instruction to substitute salary to pay the substitute; council had discussed this before the October trip but had not documented approval in the minutes.  Council approved by consensus.

C.    Miss Simms asked council to approve a budget transfer for a computer station (from section 0118 to expendable equipment-section 0739).  The new station is due to a medical need of one of our teachers.  Council approved by consensus.

D.    Council members agreed that if we had money remaining in the regular instruction code and  tables could be  purchased from this code , Miss Simms should go ahead and place an order for kidney shaped tables for our special education teachers.  

 

III.             Information Items

A.    Disaggregated Data

Council reviewed and discussed the data.

B.     Extended School Services Update

Brenda Smith told council that there are 31 students meeting twice a week with Bonnie Savage in the ESS Day Waiver Program. There are 35 students in the ESS after-school program.

C.    Comprehensive School Improvement Plan

Mrs. Smith presented the draft Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.  Council discussed several changes/clarification.  Mrs. Smith will make these changes and present the plan at a special called SBDM Meeting on March 24, 2004.

 IV.              Action Items

A.    Policy-Assignment of Staff Time (instructional and non-instructional)

The draft policy was read and discussed. Miss Simms will discuss areas of concern with the Budget and Personnel Committee.  Council will consider this the 1^st reading and it will be placed on the April 21 agenda for the 2^nd reading.

B.     Policy-Curriculum and Instruction

Council read and discussed the draft policy written by the Curriculum and
Instructional Practices Committee. Council agreed the policy was well-written and complete. Miss Simms brought up an issue from several parents who were concerned that homework is used as “punishment” by some teachers.  After discussion, council agreed that homework should not be used for punishment; it is to reinforce curriculum taught in the classroom. Council asked Miss Simms to address individual cases where this may be happening, rather than addressing it in policy. This was considered the first reading of the Curriculum and Instruction Policy.

C.    Policy-Budget

Miss Simms asked council to skip this item and bring it up at the end of the agenda due to the fact that staffing must be addressed at this meeting because it is due March 26.

D.    Policy-Professional Development

This policy will be put on the April 21 agenda.

E.     Extended Field Trips

The 3^rd grade trip to the Newport Aquarium and the 4^th grade trip to             Frankfort were both approved by consensus.

V.                 Work Session

A.    2004-2005 Staffing

Miss Simms explained the procedure for district allocation of staffing to schools. Council went over the staffing sheet item by item. After much discussion, council decided to have PE, music, art, and science as the discretionary positions. However the decision was not made as to whether these would be 1.0 or .9 positions. Council decided to trade in the SAFE aide position and computer lab assistant.  Council staffing priorities include .5 writing teacher, .5 reading teacher, and .8 microcomputer specialist.  There will be further staffing discussion at the March 24 special called meeting.  

B.     2004-2005 SCIF Budget

Miss Simms distributed copies of the 2004-2005 SCIF Budget to council members. She reminded them that this is the proposed budget based on projected enrollment for the 2004-2005 school year.  Adjustments are made by the state based on the second month average daily attendance.   

 

Council spent the remaining time in the meeting reviewing the Budget Policy.  Members read and discussed the draft policy.  Council will work on the Budget Policy again at the April 21 meeting.

 

         Meeting adjourned.

 

         AGENDA – APRIL

1.      Policies- Assignment of Staff Time and Curriculum – 2^nd reading

2.      Policies- Use of School Space; PD; Technology Standards

3.      PD budget

4.      Work session – staffing – smaller class application