TINTIC SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES – JANUARY 2020 MEETING Date: January 27, 2020 Time: 4:00 p.m. Location: Tintic School District Offices Eureka, Utah The meeting of the Tintic Board of Education was called to order by President Boswell at 2:00 p.m. President Boswell instructed the Business Administrator to call the roll which indicated the following Board members were in attendance: Members Present: Janice Boswell President Ted Haynes Vice President Helen Wall Member Heather Young Member Jeana Rowley Member Kodey Hughes Superintendent Jeremy Snell Business Administrator Taleigh Laird Student Board Member Members Excused: None Work Session Financial Audit Report FY2019 – Mr. Ron Stewart, CPA Mr. Ron Stewart, CPA reported the procedures of the audit conducted for Tintic School District. Mr. Stewart stated that their findings were that the District has sufficient controls in place, all was found in compliance, and issued a “Good” rating. Mr. Stewart stated that there was one finding regarding state compliance, in that the District went over budget in the areas of Instructional Services and School Administration. Mr. Stewart suggested the District make a plan for the next year for invoices that are turned in after the year end to prevent future overages. Mr. Stewart stated the District is in good financial shape. Mr. Snell stated his appreciation to Mr. Stewart in providing guidance and advice to the District. Mr. Stewart stated he appreciates the relationship with the District and that Mr. Snell does a great job with the District finances. President Boswell expressed her appreciation to Mr. Stewart for his services and to Mr. Snell for his work on behalf of the District. 1. Consent Agenda Review Personnel Report: Superintendent Hughes reported that Letters of Intent were received for Mr. Mark Carling, Mrs. Mary Agnes Carling, and Mr. Mario Johnson indicating they are not coming back for the 2020/2021 school year. Superintendent Hughes stated it will be a challenge to fill their positions, but that the District is using the Frontline job recruiting system and has not had any applicants to date. Letters of Intent for all District employees have been issued and are due back by February 6, 2020. Superintendent Hughes stated he will inform the Board if any letters are received communicating an employee does not intend to return. Minutes: December 16, 2019 Board Meeting Board members had no questions regarding the minutes. Warrants: November #00006617 to #00006679 Mr. Jeremy Snell, Business Administrator, discussed various warrants from the December check register. Member Wall asked about the expenditure to Cards Direct. Mr. Snell stated this was a purchase for District Christmas cards, custom printed with the District logo. There were no further questions. 2. Action Items Review There were no questions regarding the Application for Durable Power of Attorney to Attend Tintic High School or the Financial Audit Report FY2019. There was discussion regarding the 2020/2021 School Year Calendar options in which Superintendent Hughes stated that he gathered feedback from District teachers as to how each calendar option would or would not benefit the students. The teachers indicated that the Draft 1 calendar would be more applicable to student needs. Board members agreed with the teacher’s choice of Draft 1 of the 2020/2021 calendar options. Superintendent Hughes discussed the Superintendent’s Performance Review document and asked Board members to submit any changes needed and then the document will be placed in Superintendent Hughes employee file. Member Rowley asked when the Trustland Plans for the next school year will be presented. Superintendent Hughes stated the Board will start seeing them in April and could possibly be in review of them through June. Member Young stated that when they see amendments, they are for the current year’s Trustland Plan. Board Members discussed amendments happening at the end of the school year, how that does or does not benefit students for the current year’s plan, and that funds should be used with time to positively impact students. Member Wall inquired regarding the West Desert High School’s Trustland Plan Amendment as to comments made on the document. Mr. Snell explained that the comments are from the state to help guide the administrators developing the plan. Board members discussed the Request for Funding Application for the Tintic High School Band to be used to participate in a band competition in California. Member Rowley asked if there was a policy stating an amount that can be given and not exceeded. Superintendent Hughes stated there was not and it is at the Board’s discretion to approve or deny and decide the amount to fund. Mr. Snell stated is has been the practice of the Board in years past to grant funding at half of the cost, not to exceed $3500. Superintendent Hughes discussed a bid received for the band trip transportation for $5500. Mr. Snell stated that when groups go out of state for an activity that Risk Management asks the group to hire a coach who provides liability insurance instead of using District buses. President Boswell asked if there has been students who do not participate due to the cost of the trip. Superintendent Hughes stated there is a payment system, but if there has been a student who can’t make the payments, they have been covered by donors. Superintendent Hughes stated that communications with coaches have begun regarding school fees that will be starting next year to try and determine total costs for programs in order to develop a fee schedule. Mr. Snell stated there will need to be three public hearings before the next school year to present and discuss the fees. Superintendent Hughes stated he worries that programs will suffer and possibly disappear. Mr. Snell stated that school fees are state mandated and Tintic School District is required to implement a fee schedule. Superintendent Hughes stated a lot of planning will be taking place to try and keep all of the the programs similar in their fees. There was discussion regarding policy DBI – Employment Calendar and DEE – Compensation and Benefits and that the changes needed are clerical. 3. Board Training Superintendent Hughes presented Policy FBA - Admission and Attendance Eligibility and Admissions Requirements and stated that the school principals were present for the discussion to add input as to how admitting students who have been denied enrollment due to enrolling after the deadline affects the classroom environment and the education of the students. Superintendent Hughes stated the denied student can appeal to the Board for them to either uphold or reject the denial and that it is for the Board to decide, after hearing the principal’s perspectives, if they are going to reject students solely based on entry date. Superintendent Hughes explained the enrollment dates and deadlines. Mr. Greg Thornock, Tintic High School Principal, stated that the policy has the necessary built in safeguards to help with denying students with issues such as behavior or attendance. Mr. Thornock stated that it creates a hardship to admit students during a quarter and would like them admitted at the beginning of a quarter. Mrs. Crystal Leuk, Tintic School District Counselor, stated that our District’s quarters do not match with most other schools and creates the issue of admittance mid-quarter. Mrs. Leuk stated that this also creates missing credit for the student, either from the school they came from or when they start here, which can result in a credit recovery situation. Member Young asked how this issue compares to the need of increasing student population and having enough room for an increase. Mr. Thornock stated that he didn’t think it would be a problem and that a new student will be overwhelmed regardless. Mr. Thornock stated that the teachers already adjust for students who move into the District mid-year. Superintendent Hughes stated that the Board needs to decide if they will uphold denials based on date of application and let the schools decide what is best for their school. Superintendent Hughes stated that submitted denials will have reasons why the student is being denied admission. Member Haynes asked if this issue will be discussed at the upcoming legislature. Superintendent stated it would not. Mrs. Karen Kramer, Assistant Principal at Tintic High School, stated it is her opinion that students should not be denied due to an enrollment date, but only things like behavior issues, or the Special Education program being full. Mrs. Kramer stated that our schools need more students and that the credit issue is on the student. Board members were in agreement that the enrollment dates should not result in a denial of enrollment and that the councelor and administrators would assist the student in determining credits. Member Rowley reported regarding the Utah School Board Association Conference and that the theme was on social and emotional learning. Member Rowley stated that the 7 Mindsets program the District is using tied in well with the conference. Member Rowley stated that there was information regarding growing as a Board and possible ways to grow could be setting a yearly goal or reading a motivational book together. Member Young stated that it was reiterated to her at the conference that students who have good social and emotional health will be fine academically. Member Young told about a report of a school who implemented a gratefulness journal for five minutes per day and how it positively impacted the students. Member Rowley suggested that the District use broadcasting technology to use different teachers in teaching students the different social and emotional topics. The Board were in agreement to discuss Policy ECC – Curriculum Reading Achievement for K-3 at the work meeting for the February Board meeting.