PALOUSE SCHOOL DISTRICT #301  -  GARFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT #302

JOINT BOARD MEETING - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003

The Garfield school board and the Palouse school board meetings were reconvened at 7: 35 p.m. by Palouse board chairman Jerry Schwartzman.

Present: Palouse board John Leendertsen, Jerry Schwartzman, Paula Echanove, Mike White, and Kent Keller. Garfield Board members Mike Cronk, Roger Pennell, Warren Neal, JillPalmer and Craig Cochran.

Also Present: Superintendent Beverly Fox, Principals Bill LaMunyan and Skip Wilson, Business Office Manager Patsy Dunning and Recorder Cindy Kimberling.

Guests: Kurt Kimberling, Sherry Partch, Valorie Fisher, Tim Coles, Dennis Griner, Cindy Dvorak, Patty Rippee, Diane Main, Patty Cottrill, Jody Akins, Wendy Delzer, Marv Pillers, Tom Westacott, Alli Bennett, Janet Barstow, Ben Barstow, Patty Kent, Ruth Vertrees, Rich Olson, Pete Bishop, Julie Bishop, Dan Kallaher, Holly Thomas, Debbie Gilbertson, Jiggs Anderson, Debbie Anderson, Ron Rosebrook, Jarrod Pfaff, Emily Wagnitz, Linda Kildew, Becky Manning, and Kathy Pinter.

Resignations, Softball coach, MS track/HS track Asst. coach, School Climate Survey,           

Cost Sharing, Policy, and Public Comment were added to the agenda.                                   

Mike Cronk moved to table the minutes of January 30, 2003 until the March meeting.         

Jerry Schwartzman seconded the motion and the motion passed.  Mike White added that maybe a recorder should be used in order to get accurate minutes. This will be considered.

Mrs. Fox received letters of resignation from Nikkie Brown – high school softball coach and Cindy Kimberling - Business Office Assistant.  John Leendertsen moved accept the resignations with regret and Mike White seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.  Warren Neal and Roger Pennell moved to accept the resignations for the Garfield board.  The motion passed unanimously. 

Mrs. Fox submitted these hiring recommendations:                                        

Garfield lunch program – Neva Kuehner

Garfield paraeducator – Janelle Maricle

HS Softball coach – Phil Weagraff

MS track/HS assistant track coach – John Bofenkamp

Mike White and John Leendertsen moved to accept the recommendations for hiring.

Warren Neal and Jill Palmer moved for the Garfield board .  The motion passed by both boards unanimously.

Dennis Griner shared the curriculum of his Current World Issues class at the high school.  He presented a nice Powerpoint slide show.

Dan Kallaher is the middle school math teacher.  The 8^th grade algebra class is writing a report on a mathematician.  The 7^th grade are working on WASL and assessment questions.                               

Bill LaMunyan shared news from the Palouse Elementary and the high school. He added that the Knowledge Bowl team competed with Logos and Genesee, winning both matches.

Skip Wilson shared news from the Garfield Elementary and the middle school.

Mr. LaMunyan reported that a public hearing will be held March 12^th at 7 p.m. in the library to discuss I-728 funds.  The staff proposals include continuing the PEP program and the enrichment classes.

Mr. Wilson reported that the Garfield public hearing is set for March 12^th at 6:30 p.m.   The staff proposals include continuing the kindergarten position so the K/1^st position stands as is. 

Mr. LaMunyan reported that the elementary staff have been brainstorming ideas for the classroom configurations.  They agree that the configurations should remain the same as this year.

Garfield elementary configurations would look the same as this year.

Dennis Griner, WPEA representative, reported that the Association enjoyed the time spent with negotiations.  According to a letter he recited from the WPEA, they are ready to negotiate.

Mrs. Fox reported that the visitation team sent a report.  The step #5 needs work. It is the goals section.  In May the visitation team will be back back to meet with Group 5 and a few people.  There will be no need for a late start.  It has taken longer than anticipated, the requirement is every six years now.

School climate survey was done free of charge by a group of WSU students.  There is  a lot of documentation for the results.  The students perceive the school as safe.

John Leendertsen and Kent Keller moved to pay Jeanne McCown an additional $500 for being the self study coordinator because it has taken more time than anticipated.  The Palouse board passed the motion unanimously.  Jill Palmer and Mike Cronk made the same motion for the Garfield board.  The motion passed unanimously. 

Mrs. Fox recommended these start dates: September 8, 2003, September 2, 2004 and September 1, 2005

John Leendertsen moved to accept the recommended start dates.  Kent Keller seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

Jerry Schwartzman asked Patsy Dunning to run some different figures for the special education program and come back to it at the March board meeting.

Superintendent announcements: Sent off an AmeriCorps grant for both districts. We will be notified in April if approved.

·        Bill LaMunyan completed the Office of Civil Rights audit.

·        The public meetings for the I-728 funds will be on March 12^th  6:30 and 7 p.m.

There was a break at 8:46 p.m.

The meeting resumed at 9:03 p.m. 

Kurt Kimberling stated that he is concerned about the future of the cooperative and the two boards ability to agree on issues.  He asked the boards if it is in fact the guiding principle of the cooperative that the boards must have consensus before any action is taken.  Jill Palmer replied that this is the way the boards have worked under in the first year she was appointed to the board.  Kurt stated that he believes that this is the intent of the founding fathers of the cooperative.  There is already tension in the two communities.  What is in the best interest of the children is the issue.

Debbie Gilbertson stated that she was at the last meeting and watched the communities be divided again.  As she sees it, the issue is whether Garfield and Palouse will be hiring the same superintendent.  The board cannot say anything about the superintendent. She asked if Kurt could go to Bev Fox and ask why there is a problem.  She feels that Bev is the only one that could say what the problem is.

Bev Fox responded that she wasn’t sure of that.

Debbie said that she understands the frustration.  If the cooperative is lost, both districts suffer.  We can't let this divide the town and ruin the cooperative.  Look in your hearts, is this worth destroying the cooperative?  Do what is the best for this district, was her comment to the boards.

John Leendertsen replied in reference to the statement that was quoted in the press from a board member about not everyone having the facts, he wants to make it clear that none of the Palouse Board members believe that there is something to require dismissal of the superintendent.

Wendy Delzer thoughts were that perhaps the state was unaware about the two boards at the time when the cooperative boards put together the policies that govern them.

Rich Olson stated that the policy was written to allow the districts to be a cooperative.  Each board must remain its own entity for its own districts in order to keep the two school districts separate otherwise the state will look upon this as a single district.  The question now is how do you deal with one board with one opinion and the other board has another opinion.  The boards need to resolve the issues within themselves.  The public wants that.  You must resolve this to go into the future.

Sherry Partch agreed with Kurt and Rich. She is concerned, that’s why she is here. We need to figure it out.

Valorie Fisher stated that her opinion is that a lot of people are using words and not always listening.  The practice and the spirit of cooperation is being put aside and the law is being pulled out. She suggests that the boards think back to the practices before and look to the future to see how their actions will affect the children of the schools. 

Warren Neal replied that the board is aware of the cooperative issues and it is the desire and commitment to keep the cooperative.  It is his feeling that the co-op will not split up over this issue.  There is a difference of opinion and we will get through this, it may be that we agree to disagree.  The co-op is going to continue. We are going to make it.

Jody Akins asked that instead of working towards agreeing to disagree, can you work towards agreeing?

Warren Neal stated that the policy will be looked at.  The commitment to kids' education is there.

Valorie Fisher said that this is all well and good but the agree to disagree is just the first hole in the dam.  We need to fix the hole to move in the future.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.