Minutes 2015-11-16

YORK SUBURBAN SCHOOL BOARD

Regular Monthly Meeting

November 16, 2015 – 7:00 PM

Ronald H. Provard Education Center

M I N U T E S
(approved on December 21, 2015)

General Business
Call to Order – Mr. Miller
1. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  Mr. Miller called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
2. Roll Call
  Members present – Emily Bates, Jennifer Clancy, Ellen Freireich, Lynne Leopold-Sharp, Roger Miller, John Posenau, Lois Ann Schroeder, Joel Sears, Cathy Shaffer, Elizabeth Huh (Student Representative)
3. Public Comment
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
4. Discussion and Action on Board Minutes. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting of October 19, 2015 and the Planning Committee Meeting of November 2, 2015. [Public Comment; Approval as submitted/corrected]
  Motion, Freireich, Second, Leopold-Sharp; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
Treasurer’s Report – Mr. Posenau [Consent Agenda: Would any Board member like any of these items considered separately or are there any questions on any of these items? If not, the chair moves approval of the below-mentioned items; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
Approval of Financial Reports as of October 31, 2015. [File for audit]
1. Treasurer’s Report (All Funds)
2. Condensed Board Summary Report – General Fund Revenue
3. Condensed III Board Summary Report – General Fund Expenditures Report
4. Condensed III Board Summary Report – Capital Projects, Capital Reserve, Food Service
5. Fund Accounting Check Summary Report – General Fund, Food Service, Capital Projects
6. Student Activity Account Summary
7. Budget Transfers
  Motion, Posenau, Second, Clancy; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
Board President’s Report – Mr. Miller
Superintendent’s Report – Dr. Merkle
1. Student Enrollment Report
  Dr. Merkle reviewed above.
2. York Academy Regional Charter School Update
  Dr. Merkle reviewed above. Responses were received from YARCS to our questions today and were distributed to our Administrative Review Team.
  
  A discussion continued and point was – the rubric form review prepared by the York City School District was not completed as planned at the site visit.
3. The Administration recommends Board approval of the High School French Society, which will provide students with the opportunity to engage in activities that promote the study of French. Proposed activities include French week at the high school, adoption of a needy family for the holidays, and additional activities to promote French culture and language. Mr. Robinson will serve as the volunteer advisor and the District will establish a Student Activities Account. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Dr. Merkle reviewed above.
  
  Motion, Bates, Second, Leopold-Sharp; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
4. The Administration recommends Board approval of the addition of one-half Learning Support contract. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Dr. Merkle reviewed above.
  
  Motion, Sears, Second, Schroeder; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
5. High School School Performance Profile (SPP) – Dr. Denise Fuhrman, High School Assistant Principal, will report out on the York Suburban High School SPP score.
  Dr. Fuhrman reviewed above.
  
  A discussion continued and points were – comparisons are more difficult due to the students coming and going out of cohort; Keystone exams may be delayed, with the law in front of us, we are determined to grow our students; components vs. weights – weighting was slightly different in closing the gap this year; no other component is similar to the participation rate in PSAT; districts do not have much influence on refining the components of SPP, much like the school funding formula; changes in demographics will continue to be more challenging as we go on and comparison of current performance to baseline will continue with five points against us will continue.
6. Pennsylvania School Boards Association “Honor Roll of School Board Service”
  1. Lynne Leopold-Sharp – 20 years
  2. Roger Miller – 8 years
  3. Lois Ann Schroeder – 8 years
    Dr. Merkle presented certificates as stated above.
Business Office Report – Ms. Mason
1. The Administration recommends Board approval of the 2014-15 Audit Report. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Leopold-Sharp, Second, Bates; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
2. The Administration recommends Board approval of a transfer of $700,000 to the Capital Reserve Fund. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Posenau, Second, Leopold-Sharp; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
3. The Administration recommends Board approval of advertising and soliciting of bids for the High School sidewalk repair. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Clancy, Second, Bates; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
4. The Administration recommends Board approval of advertising and soliciting of bids for the Middle School boiler project. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Bates, Second, Schroeder; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
5. The Administration recommends Board approval of advertising and soliciting for bids to renovate the kitchen and dining area of the Middle School as well as adding a secure entrance. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Shaffer, Second, Leopold-Sharp; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
6. The Administration recommends Board approval of a three (3) year maintenance agreement with Johnson Controls for Indian Rock Elementary in the amount of $8,035 for the first year and $8,276 for the second year and the third year of the agreement. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Bates, Second, Schroeder; Approval.
  
  A discussion continued and point was – this is an agreement that we have already had in place and the Administration brings this to the Board, there is a contract for each building.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
7. The Administration recommends Board approval of the Opt-Out Resolution which states that the District budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year will not have a tax increase that exceeds the Act 1 Index of 2.4%. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Ms. Mason reported above. The Administration’s recommendation is to table this item to wait and see what happens with the budget at the state level.
  
  Motion, Posenau, Second, Leopold-Sharp; Table this item.
  
  A discussion continued and points were – it is not the goal of the Administration to apply for exceptions this year, however during the last one and one-half weeks a variety of discussions have taken place with the state budget, one being a back-end referendum to raise taxes, it is premature to proceed with this resolution this evening as not enough is known as to how the discussions at the state level will end; it will be necessary to have a preliminary budget in December if this resolution is not adopted; all school districts in the county are above an index of 2.4%; the Administration did speak with Representative Schreiber but was unable to speak with other legislators and the governor last week; there is no definition at this time regarding total fund balance vs. unrestricted fund balance; estimates for exceptions are not available at this time; the Administration will continue to review information coming out of Harrisburg; recommend adopting the opt out resolution this evening as 2.4% tax increase is a significant increase in this economy.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  The discussion continued and points were – with the uncertainty in Harrisburg and the likelihood that the District will not go above the index, suggest the opt out resolution is tabled; Act 1 timeline is legislative and it would require legislation to push back to 2015-16 calendar.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes, except Clancy, Sears, no. Motion carried 7-2.
8. The Administration recommends Board approval of the IDEA Pass-Through Funds Allocation Agreement for 2015-16. The estimated allocation is $360,920. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Leopold-Sharp, Second, Shaffer; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
9. The Administration recommends Board approval of the purchase of a Combi Oven for the Valley View Elementary School at a total cost of $17,494 with installation. This is a combination oven/steamer that will allow the staff to cook higher yields, cook more than one food at a time while increasing food quality with less handling. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Shaffer, Second, Schroeder; Approval.
  
  A discussion continued and points were – this expense will come out of food service account; the equipment will be the District’s equipment.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
10. Informational:
  Food Service Department Report
  1. Dining Review Report for October
  2. Sales Report
    Ms. Mason reported above.
    
    A discussion continued and the point was – great idea about share table at the middle school where students put unwanted items for other students if they are interested, the Administration will research if share tables exist at other buildings and report back to the Board.
Student Board Representative Report – Miss Huh
Miss Huh reported the Honors English students had a trip to New York last Thursday. An induction ceremony for National English Society and National Honor Society was held last week. Students are participating in a canned food drive. A blood drive is scheduled on November 25. Spanish classes are supporting two Spanish families over the holidays. The marching band placed 6th in competition over the weekend. The winter sports season started today.
Committee Reports – Mr. Miller
1. Academic Standards and Curriculum Committee Report – Mrs. Clancy
  The minutes of September 22 are provided.
  
  Mrs. Clancy reported above.
2. Communications Committee Report – Mrs. Schroeder
  1. The minutes of September 1 are provided.
    Mrs. Schroeder reported above.
  2. The Activities and Communications Reports are provided.
    Mrs. Schroeder reported above. In lieu of a Board retreat, it was decided to have a Board dinner on December 7 at 5:00 PM, followed by a group picture of the Board at 6:45 PM and the Reorganization and Planning Committee meeting at 7:00 PM. The community budget meeting is scheduled on January 19 at 7:00 PM at Valley View Elementary School and this will be a time to present the state of the district and the budget. On-line calendars will be updated with this information. Hats off to sports teams that wrapped up the fall season, Boys Cross Country State Runner-up and District III Champions and three other teams were division champions – Congratulations!
    
    A discussion continued and points were – the banners going up around the high school campus will be expanded to other buildings when money is available, probably next year; positive feedback has been received about the banners, they look great!
3. Personnel Committee Report – Ms. Shaffer
  Consent Agenda [You have before you the Personnel Report which includes employment, leave of absence, additional substitute teachers, additional guest teacher, additional volunteer coach and additional building volunteers. An Addendum is located at the end of the meeting agenda. Would any Board member like any of these items considered separately or are there any questions on any of these items? If not, the chair moves approval of the below-mentioned items; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  
  Motion, Shaffer, Second, Bates; Approval of the Consent Agenda of the Personnel Committee Report.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
  
  Mrs. Shaffer reported a Fireside Chat was held on November 3 with the Association.
  1. Employment
    1. Recommend the employment of Allyson Gable who is currently a 50% learning support teacher as a full-time learning support teacher at Indian Rock Elementary at the salary of $51,425 (B.S – Step 1) to be prorated based on an effective date of November 9, 2015.
    2. Recommend the employment of Richard Guyer as Assistant Boys & Girls Swimming Coach #3 at the salary of $4,000 which represents Step 4 of the Extracurricular Salary Schedule.
  2. Leave of Absence
    Recommend Board approval of the request of Catherine Braun, High School Science Teacher, for an FMLA leave of absence from November 2, 2015 through February 8, 2016, followed by an unpaid leave of absence through the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
  3. Additional Substitute Teachers for 2015-2016
    1. Deborah Badessa
    2. Morgan Carr
    3. Charmanique Gingles
    4. Richard Guyer
    5. Graylyn Serafy
  4. Additional Guest Teacher for 2015-2016
    
    William Byrne
  5. Additional Volunteer Coach for Winter 2015-2016
    
    Steven Rice Wrestling
  6. Additional Building Volunteers for 2015-2016
    1. Kathleen Fuhrman
    2. Mallory Mullens
    3. Carita Williams
4. Policy Review Committee Report – Ms. Bates
  
  The Policy Review Committee recommends approval of the following policy revision. [Motion; Discussion; Public Comment; Roll Call Vote]
  
  006 – Meetings
  
  Motion, Bates, Second, Leopold-Sharp; Approval.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
5. Additional Committee Reports
  
  Mrs. Freireich reported the Facilities Committee will meet on November 18 at 4:30 PM.
Lincoln Intermediate Unit Board Report – Mr. Sears

The “…by Dawn’s Early Light”, highlights of the LIU Board meeting of November 3 is provided.

Mr. Sears reviewed above. The LIU is not a taxing authority, it is a governmental entity. Funds come from member districts (about 50%) and the other 50% comes from the federal government. The federal government money comes through the state and due to the budget impasse, monies are not available at this time. Member districts are making payments on time and that is helping the cash flow situation. Many examples were shared that are being done to conserve spending at the Unit. Consideration for a current and/or new Board member to continue on this Board is encouraged as we share a position with Dallastown SD.

Mr. Miller thanked Mr. Sears with the extra efforts he has put forth with his work with the LIU.
York Adams Academy Report – Mrs. Freireich
Survey of Class of 2015 YAA Graduates

Mrs. Freireich reviewed above.
York Area Tax Bureau Report – Ms. Mason
Ms. Mason reported on the meeting that was held on October 26. Collections are up approximately $7 million at this time due to a focus on delinquent collections. On December 18, the District will receive $11,900 for ex-operating excess funds for 2014. The budget was passed. The monthly collections are holding rather steady as the delinquents are being spread out.
York County School of Technology – Mrs. Schroeder
Mrs. Schroeder reported the Joint Operating Authority meets next week and in my absence Mr. Posenau will be attending.
Recognition of Visitors
Mr. Miller exteded thanks to visitors that came to the meeing this evening.
Board Meeting and Committee Schedule
Public Comment
Recognition of Outgoing Board Members
1. Jennifer Clancy
2. Roger Miller
3. Joel Sears
  Mrs. Clancy shared that it is an honor to be part of this Board for nine years and it has been fun to see how much we have accomplished. She had the opportunity to serve as Vice-President, Treasurer and Academic Standards and Curriculum Committee Chair and really enjoyed her work with the academics at YS. She is following her passion with the opportunity to run and serve as district judge. She has really enjoyed working with the teachers and administrators, developed many good relationships with school board members, tried to be responsive to community members and their concerns and tried to make students the primary focus. She wishes the Board well with the three new faces joining the Board next month.
  
  Dr. Merkle thanked Mrs. Clancy for her years of leadership and service to the District and presented her a plaque and district activities golden pass.
  
  Mr. Sears remembers someone mentioning to be aware of the B’s, band, buses, balls. He remembers the pain when the business office went through with the bus routing. The building discussions got fairly heated. In the future, we may start to discuss athletic programs and the real risks when we put students on the fields. Most recently we have been discussing restructuring the band program. Those B’s have come up a few times. He thanked the Board for helping him to learn about these things. He would not call serving on the Board fun but there are fun times and good people to work with on the Board. The biggest B in my bonnet is the budget – it is a relentless, ruthless and ungrateful beast – by law, we are bound to deal with the budget. We cannot have an unbalanced budget and yet we have no control over the things that really drive the health of the District when it comes to the financial chunks from the federal and state governments. We are sitting here waiting today 130 days after the beginning of the fiscal year with no budget resolution. That is unacceptable. Another observation is boundaries. We are a member of a nine member body and we act as one. We have to keep a very difficult balance between academic and non-academic issues. We have the finest academic team in the state and our results show that. The District does not control the demographics, we respond to them in a fashion that really makes him proud. As he has been involved with the budget discussions for several years, it is really the learning of the human side that he is most grateful for during his time serving on the Board. Finally, the last B is to look beyond. Look beyond what we talk about at meetings, it is important to know there are multiple priorities and we always need to be look beyond the present budget. He believes we have a done a great job at this by looking beyond 3, 4 or 5 year horizon. We cannot control it but we do this for insight. We have some challenges now, tremendous growth potential at Regents Glen with low-cost affordable housing. Young families with children that present numerical and possibly demographic challenges. Those homes do not generate any way near the tax for the burden that they will place on the District. The balance continues to remain important. Every decision we make goes beyond the District. When we negotiate a teacher contract, that reverberates throughout the area. If we talk about changing academic programs, that reverberates throughout the area. We need to take advantage of looking beyond the District to be involved with what is going on in Harrisburg. We need to take an active role in that and try and energize our constituents to do the same thing to look beyond for the good of the Commonwealth. He thanked everyone for allowing him to grow and he hopes that he was able to give some back.
  
  Dr. Merkle thanked Mr. Sears for his years of leadership and service to the District and presented him a plaque and district activities golden pass.
  
  Mr. Miller shared about his association with the District – he started kindergarten in September 1960 and continued through grade 12, he coached basketball for ten years, his four children went through the District and along with his eight years of service on the Board that is a total of 48 years. This has been my education in many levels with the exception of my college years. Being on the Board has been a fantastic education and experience. He has enjoyed getting to know the people on the Board. I am proud of the things we have accomplished over the last eight years. When he first came on the Board and looked at the budget, there was a $300,000 fund balance on a $45 million budget. That is not much wiggle room when you look at the activities and expenditures that go through this school district. We have overcome that and been upgraded in our debt service. We have come through a very difficult economic time for our country. Our Administrators have worked very hard to bring us to where we are today. It has been a great ride and he will remember it fondly. The experience he has experienced has been a big part of his life. He plans to participate in other meetings and organizations. His Board work is done here but his work with other Boards will continue and he plans to take his experiences from here into the future. He thanked everyone for working with him. We are part of a team and we all contribute to make this District grow. We need to be thankful for what we have, and we need to be thankful for our teachers, administrators and Board.
  
  Dr. Merkle thanked Mr. Miller for his leadership and service to the District and presented him a plaque and district activities golden pass.
Board President’s Comments – Mr. Miller
An opportunity was provided for public comment.

Jonathan Stehr, 644 Wheatlyn Street – Mr. Stehr thanked each Board member for their service to the District. People outside of this group do not understand the amount of time involved in being a member of the Board of School Directors. Your volunteer service to the District is appreciated.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:14 PM.

ADDENDUM

TO: Members of the York Suburban School Board

FROM: Michele A. Merkle, Ed.D, Superintendent

DATE: November 16, 2015

SUBJECT: Addendum to the Agenda for the Regular Monthly Board Meeting of November 16, 2015

VII. Committee Reports – Mr. Miller

C. Personnel Committee Report – Ms. Shaffer

1. Employment
c. Recommend the employment of Deborah Badessa as a full-time substitute biology teacher for Catherine Braun at the high school effective November 3, 2015 through the end of the 2015-2016 school year at the salary of $51,425 (to be pro-rated based on employment and Step 1 of the Bachelor’s Degree Schedule).

d. Recommend the employment of Brittane Kitzmiller as an instructional support aide at Indian Rock Elementary at the hourly rate of $10.50, effective November 17, 2015.

6. Additional Building Volunteers for 2015-2016

d. Rachel Wolpert

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