Minutes 2017-02-13

YORK SUBURBAN SCHOOL BOARD
SPECIAL MEETING FOLLOWED BY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
FEBRUARY 13, 2017 - 7:00 PM
PROVARD EDUCATION CENTER

An Executive Session will be held at 6:30 PM prior to the meeting.

M I N U T E S
(approved on February 27, 2017)

General Business

Call to Order - Ms. Leopold-Sharp
1. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  Ms. Leopold-Sharp called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
2. Roll Call
  Members present – Emily Bates, Scott Eden, Ellen Freireich, Lynne Leopold-Sharp, John Posenau, Richard Robinson, Lois Ann Schroeder, Cathy Shaffer, Michael Thoman, Peyton Stuart ( Student Representative)
3. Public Comment. All comments and questions will be addressed to the President. Board and staff members will not normally respond to comments or questions during the meeting unless recognized by the President for this purpose. Comments will be limited, at the discretion of the President, to five minutes or less.
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
Board President’s Report - Ms. Leopold-Sharp
1. A committee of the Board met with representatives from York Suburban Education Association (YSEA) on January 30, 2017 at 6:30 PM in Executive Session for a Fireside Chat as permitted by Section 707 of the Sunshine Act for the purpose of discussing Personnel matters. No official action was taken.
  Ms. Leopold-Sharp reported above.
2. The Board met prior to this evening’s meeting in Executive Session as permitted by Section 707 of the Sunshine Act for the purpose of discussing Personnel matters. No official action was taken.
  Ms. Leopold-Sharp reported above.
Superintendent’s Report - Dr. Merkle
The Administration recommends Board approval of the confidential Administrative Disciplinary Hearing Agreement for SID # 1641379138, following a hearing conducted by Board appointed hearing officer, Victoria S. Gross. The Agreement sets forth the details of the recommendation in response to the Act 26 violation. The student was expelled for one calendar school year. The student may apply to return to York Suburban School District at the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year if the terms of the agreement have been met. [Motion; Discussion; Roll Call Vote]

Motion, Freireich, Second, Shaffer; Approval. Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
Business Office Report - Ms. Mason
1. The Administration recommends Board approval of the Proposed Preliminary Budget and the Resolution for the 2017-18 Budget and authorization to file for the Act 1 Referendum Exceptions for Retirement Contributions and Special Education Expenditures. The Preliminary Budget Proposal assumes the District will receive approval for the use of Act 1 real estate tax referendum exceptions. Until the Final Budget for 2017-18 is approved, the Administration will continue to review and revise the budget. [Motion; Discussion; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Shaffer, Second, Posenau; Approval. Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
2. The Administration recommends Board approval of the Contract for Professional Services with PA School Boards Association for job description development at the cost of $3,250. [Motion; Discussion; Roll Call Vote]
  Motion, Bates, Second, Shaffer; Approval.
  
  A discussion continued and the point was – the cost for this service is related to the number of job descriptions for the District.
  
  Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
Committee Report - Ms. Leopold-Sharp
Personnel Committee - Ms. Bates

Consent Agenda [You have before you the Personnel Report which includes resignation, employment, leave of absence, substitute teachers, guest teachers and prospective teacher as a substitute teacher. 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, Bates, Second, Shaffer; Approval. Roll Call Vote, all present, yes. Motion carried 9-0.
1. Resignation
  Recommend Board approval of the resignation of Rachael Schwimer as an Instructional Support Aide at Indian Rock Elementary effective February 14, 2017.
2. Employment
  1. Recommend the employment of Carol Brown as a Long-term Substitute Instructional Support Aide at Indian Rock Elementary effective February 14, 2017 through March 24, 2017 at the hourly rate of $9.55.
  2. Recommend the employment of Rachael Schwimer as a Long-term Substitute Learning Support Teacher at the Middle School effective February 15, 2017 through March 24, 2017 at the daily rate of $105.
3. Leave of Absence
  Recommend Board approval of the request of Cari Flora, Custodian at Indian Rock Elementary and the Education Center for a FMLA leave of absence starting February 7, 2017 through approximately April 1, 2017.
4. Recommend the employment of the following Substitute Teachers at the daily rate of $100, effective February 14, 2017:
  Rose Conrad
  Danielle Hamme
  Kayla Keating
  Danielle Potter
5. Recommend the employment of the following Guest Teachers at the daily rate of $100, effective February 14, 2017:
  Howida Moustafa
  Nancy Zortman
6. Recommend the employment of the following Prospective Teacher as a Substitute Teacher at the daily rate of $100, effective February 14, 2017.
  Nicholas Alton
Comments and/or Questions from the Public. All comments and questions will be addressed to the President. Board and staff members will not normally respond to comments or questions during the meeting unless recognized by the President for this purpose. Comments will be limited, at the discretion of the President, to five minutes or less.
An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:12 PM.

YORK SUBURBAN SCHOOL BOARD
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
FEBRUARY 13, 2017 - 7:00 PM
PROVARD EDUCATION CENTER

A G E N D A

General Business

Call to Order - Ms. Leopold-Sharp

Ms. Leopold-Sharp called the meeting to order at 7:12 PM.
Board President’s Report - Ms. Leopold-Sharp
Superintendent’s Report - Dr. Merkle
1. Farm to School Grant Report – Helen Heidler, Whitsons Culinary Group
  Dr. Merkle extended congratulations to Helen Heidler for her initiative to apply for this grant. The PA Department of Agriculture and PA Department of Education awarded this grant at a presentation held at the middle school in the new cafeteria.
  
  Mrs. Heidler reported having fresh produce available in schools is always a great thing. The grant was written to introduce new and exciting foods for students to taste in a new way. The three taste testing areas will be “Lettuce Entertain You” (leafy greens), “Where Have You Bean” (different beans), and “We’re Rooting For You” (root vegetables). The presentation received much press including a posting on the PDE website and mention in the “Perishable News”, in addition to the local newspapers.
  
  Congratulations was heard around the table!
  
  Dr. Merkle thanked Mrs. Heidler for her continued initiative to do great and exciting things for the students in the district cafeterias.
2. School Division Report – Primary; Laura Gordon - ELL/Imagine Learning and Culture Club
  Mrs. Gordon, Yorkshire English as a Second Language (ESL) Teacher presented the above information.
  
  A discussion followed and the points were – the volunteer program after school, Culture Club is good for the students as well as the parents, it was decided to have Yorkshire as the location for the club following a survey to the parents, transportation has been scheduled to allow students from other buildings to attend, Communities That Care (CTC) has assisted with the club and the buddy system for students; the Imagine Learning program starts in the primary level for students and goes with them as they grow and learn, use of the program is also a positive influence for the parents as they watch over their child’s shoulder; preparation in the cultural festival at the middle school in March has been part of the Culture Club; use of songs, poems, chants, conversations and lots of activities are used to share the concepts of language to students; an Imagine Learning account is available for all ESL students.
  
  Dr. Merkle thanked Mrs. Gordon for sharing this information this evening. This is an example of concrete programs to support our district goals, providing support and professional development for teachers and the engagement of this specialized population of students and their families. The District continues to provide translation of the website and the letters that go home to parents to keep the parents informed. This connection with CTC and the use of data has been very helpful and the result is seeing growth in the students. Mrs. Gordon is an example of a young teacher that was recently hired and is taking the lead to provide this support and encouragement for the ESL students.
3. Primary Emotional Support – The Administration will be recommending Board approval of the implementation of an Emotional Support Program at the primary level. Mrs. Hasenfuss will present the support for this recommendation.
  Mrs. Hasenfuss reviewed above.
  
  A discussion continued and points were – to maintain the numbers in the program after moving it back to the District, offering space for students outside the District similar to the Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU) fair share classroom would need much review because the driving force is not cost but serving the needs of our students and the District does not accept tuition students; the ES population is anticipated to grow; para-professionals could be moved to where assistance is needed as support positions do ensure the success of the program; bringing back two ES students is a break-even point financially; the Administration is looking for approval on February 27 and Board members were asked if any additional information was requested for making a decision; the recommendation includes implementation for the fall; a learning support teacher would be provided the necessary professional development for the different needs in the classroom; some students would remain out of the District depending on their specific needs.
  
  Dr. Merkle concluded the discussion sharing the unanticipated retirement and resignation of Learning Support Teachers recently gave the Administration the opportunity to pause to look at the program and plan to do some things differently as you see with the recommendation.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
4. Full Day Kindergarten Implementation Update – Dr. Maloney
  Dr. Maloney reported the Administration met with primary staff earlier in the month. Primary Related Arts Teachers met for professional development in the early skills of reading and writing. Work will continue on program and professional development in a few weeks. Many processes for moving furniture and supplies are being planned. The Administration meets weekly to stay on track with the implementation plan.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
  
  Dr. Merkle thanked Dr. Maloney, Dr. Ketterman and Dr. Stoltz for their leadership, focus and work on the implementation plan.
5. Superintendent Evaluation by Staff
  Dr. Merkle reviewed above.
  
  A discussion continued and points were – various reasons why teachers may not respond to the survey include their volume of work and volume of emails they receive, a reason why support staff do not respond is a little trickier because many support staff do not spend their day at a computer, all support staff do have access to a computer; suggestion of a letter from the Board President or Personnel Committee or a discussion at a future Fireside Chat agenda to encourage staff participation; this is an opportunity to provide the Superintendent feedback and not all districts invite teachers to evaluate the Superintendent; the 140 responses out of 1930 from parents or 7% response rate is important and a request for that information was made; the Administration will provide that information as requested.
  
  An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
6. Legislation Update – Property Tax
  1. Meeting with Senator Wagner
    Dr. Merkle reported eight Superintendents met with Senator Wagner and Senator Folmer in Harrisburg last week for 75 minutes. The Superintendents did provide a little information from the perspective of a school district. A written communication is also being shared with the legislators to provide a clear sense of the position of the school districts.
  2. Report out on Community Education Session
    Dr. Merkle reported information was presented to the Board on property tax reform in January and the Board asked the Finance Committee to review specifics. It was decided to schedule an Education Session for the community and 100+ people attended, some traveling a rather significant distance. The session was productive. Following community and organizational outreach to the legislators, the process has slowed down. It is important to continue to remain knowledgeable. Some attendees did share copies of their written correspondence they prepared for the legislators.
    
    A discussion continued and the points were – it is believed the legislation will not push this through, the sense of urgency on the legislators seems to have been slowed; possible reasons for this is operational details, inequity problem; it is important to remain vigilant; thanks was extended to the Board for scheduling this important education session for the community.
    
    An opportunity was provided for public comment.
    
    Jacklyn Colletti, 1506 Clover Lane – attended the education session, obtained much information and asked if any independent financial analysis for this new endeavor was available.
    
    Dr. Merkle responded not to our knowledge.
7. Lincoln Intermediate Unit Board of Directors Ballot
  Dr. Merkle reminded Board members to complete a ballot.
  
  Ms. Leopold-Sharp reported that Dallastown Area School District and YS share a position on the LIU Board. While YS has had a Board member serve on the Board for the last several years, it is now assigned to a Dallastown Board member.
Business Office Report - Ms. Mason
1. Items being recommended for approval on February 27
  1. The Administration recommends Board approval of the proposed Lincoln Intermediate Unit 2017-18 General Operating Budget.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information and noted there is a slight decrease from last year.
  2. The Administration recommends Board approval of the proposed York Adams Academy 2017-18 General Operating Budget.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information and reported there is no change on the district’s contribution.
    
    Mrs. Freireich, YAA Board member reported due to a retirement in the middle of the school year, there is no increase for next year. There will be an increase in the budget for the following year.
  3. The Administration recommends awarding the bid to _____ for the High School Roof Replacement in the amount of _____.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information.
  4. The Administration recommends awarding the bid to _____ for the Synthetic Turf Replacement at the Stadium in the amount of _____.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information.
  5. The Administration recommends Board approval of the contract with SimplexGrinnell in the amount of $38,562 for the High School Fire Alarm Panels.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information.
  6. The Administration recommends Board approval of the Letter of Understanding with Invent Now, Inc. to provide certain curricula and course materials for the summer education enrichment program for a license fee of $6,250 for the program.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information.
2. Informational Items
  1. Budget Update
    Ms. Mason reported the Governor released his budget and an anticipated $100 million increase for Basic Education Funding was announced. PDE has taken a different approach by making adjustments this year in May. YS appears to be okay, while some districts will not fair as well. Decrease in special education funding is anticipated and there are no concerns at this point. The tax collector rate will receive $3.56 per bill when it is mailed. No change from what we are currenlty paying.
    
    A discussion continued and the point was – a monthly county tax assessment survey was received by the Administration and at this time is level.
  2. Donation of $490 from the All-Sports Booster Club towards the purchase of wrestling singlets.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information.
  3. Donation of $837.88 from the Middle School PSO for a TV and mount for the Library.
    Ms. Mason reviewed above information.
    
    An opportunity was provided for public comment. There was none at this time.
Student Board Representative Report - Peyton Stuart
Mr. Stuart reported the Battle of the Buildings, a fundraiser for Dollars For Scholars that raised over $5,000, was an enjoyable and fun evening for staff, students and parents. Plans continue for the miniTHON and is scheduled in less that two weeks. The Musical at the high school is Pajama Game and will take place on March 3 and 4. An athletic report was provided. The National Honor Society sponsored a Candy-O-Gram Sale for Valentine’s Day. The English Honor Society have their shirts finalized and will be reading with students at Valley View. Seniors are starting to experiencing graduation excitement. The music department trip is one month away and details are being finalized for this trip to the Orlando, FL area. Quiz Bowl finished their season with their final match last week and have received a good position for post season competition.

Mrs. Schroeder reported YS hosted the county swim meet at Central York School District and Mr. Marshall was given many praises for his organization and leadership associated with the tournament.
Committee Reports - Ms. Leopold-Sharp
1. Academic Standards & Curriculum Committee - Mrs. Schroeder
  The annual Academic Standards & Curriculum Committee meeting is scheduled Wednesday, February 15 at 6:30 PM in the High School Library.
  
  Mrs. Schroeder reported above.
2. Finance Committee - Mr. Posenau
  The minutes of January 4 are provided.
  
  Mr. Posenau reported above. The Finance Committee rescheduled their next meeting to March 1.
3. Personnel Committee - Ms. Bates
  1. The minutes of January 12 are provided.
    Ms. Bates reported above.
  2. Superintendent Evaluation
    Ms. Bates reported she sent an email to Board members for their input on the evaluation of the Superintendent. Board members were asked to complete the information by February 20.
4. Policy Review Committee - Mr. Thoman
  The Policy Review Committee will be recommending approval of the following policy revisions.
  
  Mr. Thoman reported above and asked if there was any discussion. There were no comments at this time.
5. Additional Committee Reports/Announcements
  Ms. Leopold-Sharp asked if there were any additional committee reports or announcements.
  
  Mrs. Freireich reported a Facilities Committee meeting is scheduled on February 15 at 4:30 PM.
Lincoln Intermediate Unit – Mr. Robinson
The LIU …by Dawn’s Early Light Board Meeting Highlights of February 7 is provided.

Mr. Robinson reviewed above.
York Adams Academy - Mrs. Freireich
Mrs. Freireich reported the January graduation went well and four YS students graduated – Jeremiah Craft, Austin Hess, Benjamin Navarro and Shane Noel. It is a privilege and honor to be elected as President of the YAA Board for another year.
York County School of Technology - Mrs. Schroeder
The YCST Joint Operating Committee Mini-Board Report of January 26 is provided.

Mrs. Schroeder reported above.
Board Meeting and Committee Schedule
Ms. Leopold-Sharp reported above.
Comments and/or Questions from the Public. All comments and questions will be addressed to the President. Board and staff members will not normally respond to comments or questions during the meeting unless recognized by the President for this purpose. Comments will be limited, at the discretion of the President, to five minutes or less.
An opportunity was provided for public comment. Thee was none at this time.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 PM.

There will be an opportunity for public comment at the end of each report.

An Executive Session will be held immediately following the meeting.

An Executive Session was held.

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