Guilford County Board of Education
Board Meeting
October 10, 2006

GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

The Guilford County Board of Education met in a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 12, 2006, at 712 North Eugene Street, Greensboro, North Carolina.  The following board members were present:  Walter Childs, Kris Cooke (arrived at 6:05 p.m.), Alan Duncan, Darlene Garrett, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Susan Mendenhall, Amos Quick (arrived at 6:19 p.m.), Nancy Routh,  Anita Sharpe (arrived at 6:05 p.m.), and Marti Sykes.  Also present were Superintendent Terry Grier and Attorney Jill Wilson.  

Call to Order
Chairman Alan Duncan called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence
Board member Marti Sykes led the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.

Recognition

Guilford County Schools’ Employee of the Month for September 2006
The board recognized Mary Ensley, school treasurer at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, as the district’s September 2006 Employee of the Month.  Board member Walter Childs presented Ms. Ensley with a certification of recognition.  In a prior ceremony, Ms. Ensley received a $50 gift card from Sam’s Club, which has partnered with Guilford County Schools to support the employee recognition program.

Public Comments
Chairman Alan Duncan called on members of the public who requested an opportunity to address the board.

Debra Vigliano, 315 Warren Street, Greensboro, NC 27403
Stephen Hoyt, 1402B Adams Farm Parkway, Greensboro, NC 27407
Bruce Davis, 903 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403
David Moore, 802 Pine Ridge Drive, Greensboro, NC 27406
Zachary Cabon, 1107 Clyde Place, High Point, NC 27262
Lawson Butler, 631 Foxridge Road, Greensboro, NC 27406
Joe Stafford, 4604 Forest Village Drive, Greensboro, NC 27406

Approval of Agenda
Chairman Alan Duncan asked board members to review the meeting agenda and called for a motion to approve or amend it.  Board member Marti Sykes requested that Consent Agenda Item F, “Consideration for Naming of Northwest Guilford High School Football Stadium,” be moved under Staff Reports as Item A.  Motion was made by Darlene Garrett, seconded by Marti Sykes, to approve the agenda as amended.  The motion passed upon unanimous voice vote.

Consent Agenda
Superintendent Grier presented the following Consent Agenda items:

A.   Meeting Minutes

The minutes of the August 3 Special Called Meeting, August 8 Regular meeting, August 17 Special Called Meeting, and August 24 Regular Meeting were presented for approval.  With regard to the August 24 Regular Meeting minutes, Board member Dot Kearns stated that the item under Staff Reports, entitled “Magnet Grant Update,” be amended as follows:  Under International Baccalaureate Northwood Grades K-5 – change the line which states “Establish a K-8 feeder to Ferndale” to “Establish a K-5 feeder to Ferndale.”  Under International Baccalaureate Ferndale Grades 6-8 – change the line which states “Establish a 6-12 feeder to Central” to “Establish a 6-8 feeder to Central.”

B.  Personnel Action Reports

The consent agenda included personnel actions as noted in the monthly Personnel Action Report requiring board approval. 

C. Teamsters Union Request                    

The consent agenda included a request that the board provide a one-year leave of absence for a Teamsters Union officer, which is the same arrangement as the one provided for the President of the Guilford County Association of Educators.

D. School Nurse Contract

The consent agenda included a recommendation that the board approve a contract with the Guilford County Health Department for five nurses in the amount of $260,282 for the 2006-07 school year. This contract is for the same amount of funding as last year while providing five nurses instead of four.

E.   First Reading – Policy JD, Student Discipline

The consent agenda included a recommendation that the board approve Policy JD, Student Discipline for first reading. The Policy Governance Committee has reviewed information received at the North Carolina School Boards Association Fall Law Conference in October 2005 and additional information received at the July 2006 Policy Conference regarding this legislation.  Additions to the existing Policy JD are recommended to comply with this legislation effective July 2006.    

Motion was made by Dot Kearns, seconded by Walter Childs, to approve the Consent Agenda as amended. Consent Agenda Items A, C and E passed upon unanimous roll call vote.  Item B passed upon majority roll call vote of 9-to-2 as follows:  Ayes – Walter Childs, Kris Cooke, Alan Duncan, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Susan Mendenhall, Amos Quick, Nancy Routh and Marti Sykes; Nays – Darlene Garrett and Anita Sharpe.  Consent Agenda Item D passed upon majority roll call vote of 9-to-2 as follows:  Ayes – Walter Childs, Kris Cooke, Darlene Garrett, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Susan Mendenhall, Nancy Routh, Anita Sharpe and Marti Sykes; Nays – Alan Duncan and Amos Quick.

Board Chairman Alan Duncan clarified that this policy will be placed on the district’s Web site with changes highlighted for a 21-day period of public comment.

Staff Reports

Consideration for Naming of Northwest Guilford High School Football Stadium
Kevin Lear, chief operations officer, presented to the board information relating to the naming of the football stadium at Northwest Guilford High School. Mr. Randy Southard, on behalf of the community, has requested that the Northwest Guilford High football stadium be named in honor of a distinguished individual who has made outstanding contributions to the Guilford County School system, as well as the community. The name proposed is as follows: R.L. Billings Stadium. The administration recommends that the Board study and fully consider the recommendation of R.L. Billings Stadium, following a period of public comment or input, or direct the administration to request the members of the community to provide any further information as may be required by the board in order to more fully consider the request and to make a decision.

Motion was made by Darlene Garrett, seconded by Anita Sharp, to support the name recommended by members of the community and name the Northwest Guilford High School football stadium the R. L. Billings Stadium. The motion passed upon unanimous show of hands.

Board Chairman Alan Duncan clarified that the recommended name would be placed on the district’s Web site for a 21-day period of public comment.

Academy Renovations
Sharon Ozment, chief finance officer, presented to the board an update on academy renovations. 

On August 24, 2006, the board approved a request from staff to apply for the release of $5.4 million of the $7.8 million available in Public School Building Capital Fund (PSBCF) dollars for middle school structural enhancement issues. The board tabled requests to increase the funding for the Academy at Smith High School and the Academy at High Point Central High School.

The staff is requesting board approval to increase the current $3.85 million project ordinance for the Academy at Smith High School by $1,897,246. This increase will bring the total project ordinance to $5,747,246. A copy of the line-item budget for this project reflecting the original and current construction budgets is included in the minutes file for information/reference purposes. The difference in cost is primarily attributable to the need for a new air conditioning system and resulting mechanical, electrical and roof overhauls, as well as a new fire protection system.

It is recommended that the $1,897,246 increase be funded with $1,422,935 in available PSBCF dollars and the requisite match of $474,311 be satisfied with 2006-07 capital outlay funds earmarked for equipment expenditures.

The staff is also requesting board approval to seek County Commission approval for a $2,292,281 project ordinance for the Academy at High Point Central. A copy of the cost estimates associated with this project is also included in the minutes file for information/reference purposes. This project was originally estimated at $1.9 million; however, a second culinary arts lab has been added.

It is recommended that the project be funded with $927,898 in available PSBCF dollars and the requisite match of $309,300 be satisfied with $100,000 in 2006-07 capital outlay funds and $209,300 in 2007-08 capital outlay funds. The $1,055,083 balance of the project ($2,292,281 - $927,898 - $309,300 = $1,055,083) will be funded with state lottery dollars.

Upon receipt of Board of Education approval, staff will submit the PSBCF applications requesting the release of funds as outlined above to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners for approval. Upon receipt of Guilford County Board of Commissioner approval, the applications will be forwarded to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for approval and release/transfer of funds.

As final numbers become available on the middle school structural enhancement costs and/or state lottery funds begin to flow, the regular capital outlay budget and perhaps some project ordinances as well will need to be revisited and revised. It is the staff’s understanding that state lottery funds will be governed by the same set of eligible expenditure guidelines as are PSBCF dollars – basically bricks and mortar projects.

Motion was made by Darlene Garrett, seconded by Anita Sharpe, to not expend funds on any academies until such time that the final bills for the middle school structural enhancement work have been received.

There was discussion among board members and staff, during which time board members presented their questions and concerns.

A substitute motion was made by Susan Mendenhall, seconded by Walter Childs, to approve the staff’s recommendation to (a) request the release of $2,350,833 in Public School Building Capital Funds for the projects outlined above; (b) authorize appropriate staff member(s) to appear before the County Commission on September 21, 2006 and request their approval of the release of $2,350,833 in Public School Building Capital Funds for the projects outlined above; and (c) authorize appropriate staff member(s) to appear before the County Commission on September 21, 2006 and request approval of the revised Academy at Smith High School project ordinance and approval of the Academy at High Point Central High School project ordinance as outlined above.  The motion passed upon majority electronic vote of 6-to-5 as follows:  Ayes – Walter Childs, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Susan Mendenhall, Amos Quick and Marti Sykes; Nays – Kris Cooke, Alan Duncan, Darlene Garrett, Nancy Routh and Anita Sharpe.

A motion was made by Darlene Garrett, seconded by Anita Sharpe, that the board create a review panel of six to nine members made up of volunteers from within the construction industry, financial community, and the GCS staff to review the past planning and implementation practices of Guilford County Schools’ construction including bond and renovation projects for the purposes of making recommendations for improving those processes and outcomes. 

A substitute motion was made by Alan Duncan, seconded by Dot Kearns, to table the previous motion so that the board has an opportunity to get input from staff in order to consider the motion in greater detail and to put this item on the agenda for the next board meeting.  The motion passed upon majority electronic vote of 8-2-1 as follows:  Ayes – Walter Childs, Alan Duncan, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Susan Mendenhall, Amos Quick, Nancy Routh, and Marti Sykes; Nays – Darlene Garrett and Anita Sharpe; Abstain – Kris Cooke.

Construction Update
Dave Burnett, executive director of facilities and construction management, presented to the board an update on the school construction projects throughout the district.

Staffing Update
Dr. Peggy Thompson, chief human resources officer, presented to the board an update on staffing, including vacancies and hiring demographics.

Board Discussion

Taser Update
Chairman Duncan spoke with regard to the August 22, 2006 community forum on the use of tasers and SROs.  Law enforcement officials, principals, parents, teachers, and members of the community participated in a follow-up to the discussion the board has already had with respect to the use of tasers in the middle and high schools.  The immediate item that came out of the discussion was that the one law enforcement body that is using tasers is the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department.  Sheriff Barnes, through discussion, has stated that there will be a review board put in place if a taser is used in a school setting.  The purpose of the review board would be to ascertain if the usage of the taser was appropriate under all the circumstances that were presented to that officer.  There was consensus by the board that the Board Chair and Vice-Chair will select the board person(s) to serve on the review panel when and if such an incident occurs.

Board member Darlene Garrett announced that there will be Shared Communications Task Force meetings with principals in September and October and that this would be a great time to seek their opinion in regard to this issue.

Chairman Duncan stated that it would be beneficial to continue an open-ended dialogue with principals and with other stakeholders in our middle schools to get a better sense and perception about what they think will be helpful and to provide feedback to the board in that regard.  

Motion was made by Deena Hayes, seconded by Darlene Garrett, to direct staff to explore alternatives for public safety in our middle schools county-wide.  The motion passed upon majority electronic vote of 7-to-4 as follows:  Ayes – Walter Childs, Alan Duncan, Darlene Garrett, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Amos Quick, and Nancy Routh; Nays – Anita Sharpe, Kris Cooke, Marti Sykes, and Susan Mendenhall.

School Climate Forums
Chairman Duncan led the board in a discussion regarding school climate forums.  He brought up the possibility of three additional forums on subjects that repeatedly come up before the board for which the board has not yet gone to the public to get input and commentary: (1) suspensions and what we can do to improve in that area, (2) potential alternative approaches for students who have sustained consistent disciplinary issues, and (3) attendance/tardy policies.  Chairman Duncan suggested it would be helpful to get input on these areas and sought guidance from the board.  Board member Deena Hayes suggested that the school climate forum should also include the perspective of how students and parents are treated in our schools and their experiences.  Board member Amos Quick suggested that student achievement also be added as a forum topic and stated that staff members should be present at these forums.

Board member Susan Mendenhall stated that the Shared Communications Committee is in the process of scheduling Shared Communications Committee meetings for the board, principals and teachers.  She asked for input on how often the board would like to meet each month so the committee can go forward and schedule these meetings.  Alan proposed that the meetings be extended over a three- to six-month period.  Chairman Duncan, with the consensus of the board, referred the suggested discussion topics to the Shared Communications Committee and asked that the committee set up these meetings as forums for public participation. 

Reports from the Chairman
The Guilford County Board of Commissions has asked that the board schedule a joint meeting with them during the second week of October.  Chairman Duncan asked board members to check their calendars and report availability to Kathy Gwynn, who will coordinate with the County Commissioners Office.  A notice will be sent to the board when the meeting date is confirmed.

Chairman Duncan reported on feedback he received in regard to proposed agenda items for the September 23-24 Board Retreat as follows:

1. The possibility of an IB program at Page
2. An analysis of the VSN program
3. A review of our balanced scorecard
4. Discussion regarding board communications
5. Bond referendum discussion
6. Portable classrooms v. year-round schedule
7. GCS “Our Promise”
8. Governance Committee report
9. Update on the GCS Mission, Core Values, and Thematic Goals
10. Community events
11. SAT update (if information is available)
12. Update on superintendent’s goals
13. MWBE report

Chairman Duncan requested that board members inform him of any additional items they would like to see on the agenda.  Discussion regarding times for the meeting ensued.  Chairman Duncan asked board members to check their calendars and report availability to Kathy Gwynn.  He will then schedule the best time around board members’ constraints.

Susan Mendenhall requested that Dot Kearns report on her recent meetings with some of our legislators.

Dot Kearns gave an update on recent meetings with House Representatives Howard Coble and Mel Watt.  Also attending these meetings were Board Member Kris Cooke, Chief Finance Officer Sharon Ozment and Superintendent Terry Grier.  Discussed during these meetings was the concern regarding the lack of adequate funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Title I of No Child Left Behind.

Board Comments

Board members were each allowed two minutes to make remarks, as they deemed appropriate.

Closed Session

At 10:10 motion was made by Deena Hayes, seconded by Marti Sykes, to go into closed session to preserve the attorney client privilege.  The motion passed upon unanimous voice vote.

The board returned to open session at 10:55 p.m.

Adjournment

With no further business, at 10:56 p.m., motion was made by Kris Cooke, seconded by Susan Mendenhall, to adjourn the meeting.  The motion passed upon unanimous voice vote.