THE SCHOOL BOARD OF

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA

MINUTES, SEPTEMBER 16, 2005

The School Board of Escambia County, Florida, convened in Workshop Meeting at 9:00 a.m., in Room 160, at the J.E. Hall Educational Services Center, 30 East Texar Drive, Pensacola, Florida, with the following present:

            Chairman:                     Mr. Gary L. Bergosh

            Vice Chairman:             Mrs. Patty Hightower  

            Board Members:           Mrs. Cary Stidham

                                                Dr. Charles E. Glover, Sr.

                                                Mr. Pete Gindl, Sr. (not present)

            School Board General Counsel:        Mrs. Ellen Odom

Superintendent of Schools:               Mr. Norm Ross, Deputy Superintendent (represented Mr. Jim Paul)

I.            CALL TO ORDER

Mr. Bergosh called the Regular Workshop to order at 9:00 a.m.

A.     Open Discussion  

·         Update on the District’s Escambia Educational Recovery Team (EERT) assistance with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in Mississippi

·         Update on fuel shortage situation 

·         Update of number of Louisiana and Mississippi students displaced by Hurricane Katrina who have enrolled in District schools

·         Request for listing of all construction projects for the year (including non-sales tax) – Cary Stidham

·         Request for Open House dates to exclude September 29^th due to Round Table discussions hosted by the Board

II.            COMMENTS FROM SUPERINTENDENT

Mr. Ross had no comments on the agenda as presented.

   III.            TIME CERTAIN ITEMS  

No items submitted. 

The following item was moved forward on the agenda:

Unauthorized Purchase of Design Services for the 2005 Woodham High School Band Field Show

(Item V.D.26 on September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting agenda)

      Mr. Mike Philly, Band Director at Woodham High School, gave a brief explanation regarding the unauthorized purchase of design services for the 2005 Woodham High School band field show. 

  IV.            PROPOSED ADDITIONS OR REVISIONS TO SCHOOL DISTRICT RULES

Notice of Intent to Adopt Revisions to School District Chapter 7

(Item II.A.2 on September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting agenda)

      The following revision was suggested for Section 7.01(4): Student Transfer Procedures – Student transfers shall be governed by the provisions of the then most current edition of the School Board publication entitled: Student Transfers Procedures, as has been adopted and published by the School Board Chapter 3 of School Board Policy. 

      Notice of Intent to Advertise Amendment to School District Rule 6Gx17-1.07(2) - Audit Committee

      (Item II.B.3 on September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting agenda)

      All committee members shall be an accounting/auditing professional and possessing an active CPA license or CIA designation a professional certification (i.e., CIA, CPA, CFE).

      Mr. Scott Woody, Director of Internal Auditing, explained that this rule amendment would make it easier to find members for the Audit Committee as it would not exclude accounting/auditing professionals with an inactive CPA license or CIA designation from serving on the Audit Committee. 

The following issue was addressed with regard to the minutes from the August 16, 2005 Regular Meeting which were being presented for approval on the September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting agenda (Item 5 under Section III, “Approval of Minutes”):

      Mrs. Odom indicated that due to a discrepancy by the State, the contract number for Item V.A.5 from the August 16, 2005 Regular Meeting was listed incorrectly.  She requested that the minutes from that meeting reflect the correct contract number as listed below:

State of Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Contract Non-State Term No. 06-129VH296 (Contract number was previously listed incorrectly as 05-169VH695)

V.            CONSENT AGENDA

A.     Curriculum and Instruction

2.   Contract between the School Board of Escambia County, Florida and Community

      Drug and Alcohol Council (Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant)

3.   Contract between the School Board of Escambia County, Florida and the Child

Victim Rapid Response Program of Northwest Florida Comprehensive Services for Children, Inc. (Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant)

Mrs. Hightower requested evaluative data for these particular items. 

11.      Order Authorization, EduTest, Plato Learning (Contract Renewal)

      Upon inquiry by Mrs. Stidham, Mrs. Marcia Nowlin, Director of Title I, explained that this item would renew the contract with Plato Learning for EduTest web-based assessment for 18 months; and that presenting the renewal at this point would avoid cost increases that were scheduled for next month.  Mrs. Stidham requested evaluative data regarding the performance of the EduTest assessment.  

B.     Finance

6.   Disposal of Capitalized and Non-Capitalized Assets:

a)      Auction Lists I, II and III for September 2005

b)      Scrap Lists I and II for September 2005

Mrs. Stidham questioned whether it was possible, instead of auctioning, to donate any suitable items to a school district in Mississippi or Louisiana (affected by Hurricane Katrina).  Mrs. Odom indicated that she would research the issue and provide an answer prior to the September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting.

8.   2005-2006 Miscellaneous Salary Schedule

Mrs. Hightower raised the issue of increasing the substitute teacher pay rate.  Mrs. Linker noted that there would be a significant cost associated with such an increase; she also noted that the current substitute teacher pay rate was comparable with surrounding districts.  Mrs. Hightower then raised the issue of providing retro-pay to long-term substitute teacher positions (after the 20-day mark).  Again, Mrs. Linker noted that there would be a significant cost associated with such an increase.  She indicated that she would determine the number of people serving as long-term substitutes and calculate the cost of retroactively paying them the increased daily rate of $55 for the 20-day period prior to becoming a long-term substitute.

C.     Human Resource Services

1.       Instructional/Professional

d.   Out-of-Field

      Upon inquiry by Mrs. Stidham, Ms. Teenie Wehmeier, Certification Manager, including the list appearing on September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting agenda, there would be a total of 138 teachers teaching out-of-field out of approximately 3200 teachers, with 80 of the 138 teaching out-of-field in reading. 

f.        Special Requests                            

8.               Permission to establish five (5) college student positions for the areas listed below:

Human Resources

Risk Management

Finance and Business Affairs

Payroll

Curriculum & Instruction/Court Liaison

      Dr. Alan Scott, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resource Services, provided the Board with a handout outlining the financial impact of establishing five (5) college student positions.  It was noted that these positions would replace positions currently filled with high school students and that the change was being requesting because these positions necessitated a higher level of maturity and confidentiality to perform the required duties and responsibilities.  Mrs. Stidham and Mrs. Hightower expressed concerns with excluding high school students and with the assumption that college students possessed a higher level of maturity and confidentiality than high school students did.  It was suggested that the request be revised to read “permission to hire college students if qualified high school students were not available.”    

D.     Purchasing

10.   SuccessMaker Software for Oakcrest Elementary School

      Upon inquiry by Mrs. Hightower, Mr. Don Manderson, Director of Instructional Technology, confirmed that the SuccessMaker software was compatible with computers at Oakcrest Elementary School.            

11.   SuccessMaker Software for Title l Schools

      Mrs. Stidham requested data to show that the SuccessMaker software proved to be a successful program before a purchase request was submitted next year. 

12.      Temporary Employment Services for Sacred Heart School

13.      Temporary Employment Services for Little Flower Catholic School

14.      Temporary Employment Services for Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy

15.      Temporary Employment Services for Saint John the Evangelist Catholic School

16.      Temporary Employment Services for Saint Michael Interparochial School

      *Items 12-16 Temporary Employment Services for Title I eligible schools.  District pays vendor directly for services contracted by the school.  Schools are given an allocation of Title I funds, they determine how those funds will be spent, and the District acts a conduit for federal Title I funds – held by the District.  Mrs. Odom asked for an indication, in writing, from the temporary employment leasing companies stating that they understand that the District was responsible for only the amount of Title I funds specified and any expenditure beyond that amount was exclusively the responsibility of the school.

17.   LeapFrog Literacy Center and Components for Montclair Elementary School

      Mrs. Hightower questioned how many students would actually be served by the LeapFrog Literacy Center.  Mr. Ross indicated that staff would provide that information prior to the September Regular Meeting. 

20.      School Buses for the Transportation Department

      Mrs. Hightower questioned whether it was “normal to purchase 42 buses per year?”  Staff members explained that the bus fleet was on a replacement cycle and that the District tried to maintain the same level of purchase every year to keep the replacement cycle going. 

27.      Change Notice #1 to Purchase Order #269594

Upon inquiry by Mrs. Hightower, Mr. Steve Sharp, Division Chief, explained that it was necessary to issue a change notice in order to increase the contract amount to include additional costs incurred during the excavation needed for limited source removal and site restoration activities at Brown Barge Middle School. 

36.   Portable Modular Classrooms for Various Schools          

      Upon inquiry by Mrs. Hightower, Mr. Ron Peacock, Director of Facilities Planning, indicated that the costs of these portable modular classrooms would be reimbursed by FEMA due to damages caused by Hurricane Ivan. 

37.      Emergency Purchases of Fuel

      Mrs. Stidham has requested a copy of the contract that the District has with Petroleum Traders Corporation (per executive summary) and copies of the agreements with Cougar Oil, McClure Oil, and Tate Oil (per executive summary). 

E.      Operations

1.       Facilities Planning

A.     Final Payments

2.   Corrective Special Warranty Deed – Patwill Company, Inc.

      In February 2002, the Board conveyed a piece of property to Patwill Company, Inc.; however, due to an error on the legal description contained in the original Special Warranty Deed, the entire piece of property had not been conveyed to Patwill Company, Inc. as originally intended.  Mrs. Odom explained that it was necessary to issue this Corrective Special Warranty Deed in order to correct the legal description contained in the original Special Warranty Deed and convey the entire property to Patwill Company, Inc., as originally intended.

4.       Security, Safety & Emergency Operations

A.     Miscellaneous

1.   Annual SREF Inspections

      Mrs. Hightower requested that in future submissions of the annual SREF inspections include a notation on the “executive summary sheet” of those items that had been corrected from the previous year. 

F.      Student Transfers

      Ms. Dawn Ramirez, Coordinator of School Choice, indicated that the backup documentation contained various errors, which would be corrected and resubmitted prior to the September 20, 2005 Regular Meeting.   

G.     Internal Auditing

      No discussion was held.  

  VI.            UNFINISHED BUSINESS

No items submitted. 

VII.            NEW BUSINESS

A.     Items from the Board

1.       Report from Florida School Boards Association’s Board of Directors Meeting – Patty Hightower

      Mrs. Hightower briefed the Board on the last meeting of the Florida School Boards Association’s Board of Directors.   

B.   Items from the Superintendent

                  No items submitted. 

C.   Items from the General Counsel

                  No items submitted. 

VIII.            COMMITTEE/DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

1.       Status of Educational Support Personnel (ESP) Job Study

      [NOTE: The Educational Support Personnel (ESP) Job Study was approved at the April 20, 2004 Regular Meeting (Item V.D.4).]  Mr. Jerry Caine, Educational Support Personnel Manager, briefly reviewed a memorandum provided to the Board regarding the status of the Educational Support Personnel (ESP) Job Study.                        

2.       Diversity Report

      Mrs. Mary Helen Fryman, Director of Instructional, Professional/Technical and Administrative Personnel, briefly reviewed information provided to the Board, regarding minority employee demographics.    

ADD    3.         Title I Supplemental Educational Services

      Mrs. Marcia Nowlin, Director of Title I, briefly reviewed information provided to the Board, regarding Title I supplemental educational services.  

IX.            ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, the Regular Workshop adjourned at 12:10 p.m. 

Attest:                                                              Approved:

________________________________                    ________________________________

Superintendent                                                  Chairman