Marianne Davis, District 1

Larry Yeager, District 2

Billy Montgomery, District 3

Christie Devine, District 4

Randy Phillips, District 5

The agenda is being presented for approval. Any changes are to be made at this time.

1. TITAN PROUD – No Exceptions - A student from each school (Mercer Elementary, Mercer Co. Intermediate School, King Middle, and Mercer County Senior High School) will be recognized each month at the board of education meetings for their efforts in the classroom, leadership skills and attitude. The student award recipient must meet the following guidelines:

• Perfect attendance during the month student(s) are being observed.
• Completed all homework assignments and tests.
• Passing grade.
• No discipline issues.
• Student demonstrates good leadership skills.
• Student exhibits a winning attitude and spirit toward learning and peers.

MERCER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -Emma Tatum, 2nd grade

MERCER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL – Cameron McKinney, 3rd grade

KING MIDDLE SCHOOL – Hannah Phillips, 6th grade

MERCER COUNTY SENIOR HIGH – Kaitlyn Curtsinger, 12th grade

2. Abby Sears, KMS, 6th Grade – contest winner Abby Sears, 6th grader at King Middle School, designed the winning entry in the district’s annual Design A Christmas Card contest. The contest is held at a different school each year on a rotation schedule and this year King Middle School students had the opportunity to design the district Christmas Card. The card has been professionally printed and given to all district staff from the Mercer County Board of Education members and Central Office staff. (see attached image of card)

• cc_design2018.pdf

This section of the agenda is reserved for reports only, no action will be taken.

The Superintendent will report to the board at this time.

Superintendent Report

December 19, 2018

• Differentiation – the administration from each school and the Instructional Department attended a training on how teachers can differentiate their instruction in their classrooms.It was a very productive meeting and we are having a follow up meeting tomorrow morning.As we move forward, Rigor and Differentiation will be the main two topics that we will be focusing on.
• Pensions – as most of you are aware that Governor Matt Bevin called a special session on Monday, December 17^th to try and pass a pension plan.The legislators met for two days and decided that they did not have enough time to pass any legislation in the special session.I want to thank those staff members who went to Frankfort to the special session on a spur of the moment.Those members are Lee Ann Divine, Terry Gordon, David Buchanan, and Cindy Brown.They were in the House of Representatives from 6:00 until 11:45 on Monday night.
• Congratulations to our MCIS Amps musical program.They have been selected to perform at the annual KSBA conference on February 22^nd at 1:00 pm.They will be performing on the opening day!Thanks to Brian Mollett and Larry Yeager for making this happen!What a great opportunity for our students.
• Ross Tarrant opened bids yesterday for the remaining parts of the construction project.This part includes the awning at KMS, and the security vestibule at MCIS along with a few other projects.Good news to report.Three of the four bids opened were below our projected costs.We will be bring those bids to the January meeting for approval.

The Finance Officer will report to the board at this time.

Board Meeting – December 19, 2018

November 2018 Monthly Recap - Ending GF Cash Balance $5,906,030 (LY $6,386,429)

• General Fund Revenue:
  • Overall revenue is down 2% compared to last November, this includes the beginning balance. Receipts received in the year are up 4% compared to last year at this time.
  • Increase in Revenue of $5,053,452 between October and November
    • Mainly due to increase in property and motor vehicle taxes
  • Received 48.9% of the revenue that is budgeted for this fiscal year

     

• Expenditures:
  • Up 8% compared to last year November.
  • Increase in Expenses of $1.69 million between October and November (average monthly expenses $1.6 million)
    • Mainly due to:
      • Tax commission
      • Increase in instruction of over $35,000 (sub costs, instructional materials, etc.)
  • Expended 36% of the expenses that are budgeted for this fiscal year

• Timeline:

December:

• Review staffing guidelines

   

  January:

• Review Draft Budget for fiscal year 2020
• Receive SEEK estimates for fiscal year 2020

   

  February:

• Review and approve SBDM Allocations for fiscal year 2020
• Review contracts/potential new bids for services (Mowing, Snow Removal, Audit, etc.)

• Activity Accounts Oct 2018
• Bank Rec Nov 2018
• Financial Summary November 2018
• Monthly Financial Report November 2018
• November 2018 Balance Sheet

KRS 160.390; KRS 160.38; KRS 160.370    The Superintendent is responsible for all personnel actions including hiring, assignments, transfer, dismissal, suspension, reinstatement, promotion, and for reporting these actions to the board of education (KRS 160.390 (1)).  All appointments, promotions and transfers of principals, supervisors, teachers, and other school employees shall be made only by the Superintendent of schools, who shall notify the Board of the action taken (KRS 160.380(2a)).

Pursuant to Board Policy 01.421, persons wishing to address the Board must first be recognized by the Chairperson and stand behind the podium. An individual or group granted the privilege of being heard must give his/her name, address, and reason for speaking. The Chairperson may rule on the relevance of the topic to the Board's Agenda, and will set the time limit to five (5) minutes. The Board will only act on/respond to items on the published agenda. If you wish to have an item placed on the agenda, you must first meet with the Superintendent.

At this time the board will receive comments from the public.

“Consent Agenda” items are voted on with one motion and one vote. 

These are, typically, items that happen on a regular basis, are annual fees, or routine items in doing business. 

The board may discuss any item they wish.

The board has the option to pull any item out for a separate vote.

• Finance Corporation Meeting Minutes November 15, 2018
• Regular Meeting Minutes November 15, 2018

• Paid Warrant Report November 2018.pdf

Approval of SBDM Meeting Minutes as presented.

• KMS SBDM November 14, 2018
• KMS SBDM October 17 2018.pdf
• MCIS SBDM Minutes 10-16-18

Provide clinical experiences with the University of Kentucky.

• UK MOA

Staffing Guidelines for the 2019-20 school year are attached. There is no proposed change from the current school year staffing guidelines, but these must be approved annually by the board.

• Staff Allocation Guidelines 2019-20.pdf

KRS 158.070 requires for the 2018 -2019 school year, and each year thereafter, the local board of education, upon the recommendation of the local superintendent, shall annually appoint a school district calendar committee to review, develop, and recommend school calendar options.

The school calendar committee share consist of the following:

• 1 school district principal
• 1 school district office administrator other than superintendent
• 1 local board of education
• 2 parents of students attending a school in the district
• 1 school district elementary teacher
• 1 school district middle or high school teacher
• 2 school district classified employees
• 2 community members from the local chamber of commerce, business community, or tourism commission

Lisa Sparrow- Guidance Counselor at MCSH is requesting to extend her leave using sick and unpaid days beginning 1/1/2019 until 7/1/2019. See letter for more information.

Sara Hamlin- Teacher at MCSH is requesting to be off from approximately 1/25/19 until end of school year from her teaching position. Combination of sick, donated and unpaid days. See letter for more information.

Spring Hill Camps is requesting to use the Harlow Education Center the week of June 9 - June 14, 2019.  Request and insurance certificate are attached.

• SpringHill Camps.pdf

Attached is the official KETS Offer of Assistance in the amount of $22,404. If the board approves to receive the offer of assistance, those funds must be matched by the board. This is already set aside in the budget that was approved.

• Fund Utilization Form 1st Offer 2019
• KETS Offer of Assistance.pdf

Approval of the Memorandum of Understanding between Council on Postsecondary Education, GEAR UP Kentucky and Mercer County School District.

• GEAR UP MOA.pdf

Attached is the application and certificate of payment  for a design-build project from CMTA. This is the portion that is due to CMTA for all of the work that has been performed from back in the Spring to current. We will not submit this payment until our bonding proceeds have been received in January, but the payment must be approved for payment to be made.

• Payment due to CMTA.pdf

Discussion and potential action regarding bus driver shortage.

Proposed change to salary schedule effective January 1, 2019 includes a $1.31/hour raise for all steps on the Bus Driver salary schedule, with the intention to increase the Bus Driver schedule that was approved July 1, 2018  by $2.00/hour effective July 1, 2019.

The proposed change also includes the addition of:

A $250.00 one time payment to all permanent classified employees, excluding Bus Drivers (job class 7941), in place of an annual raise for fiscal year 2019. Employees must have a signed contract and currently working in their contracted assignment as of January 1, 2019 in order to receive the payment.

• Proposed change to salary schedule.pdf

Proposal to create the following positions:

2 Full-time substitute bus driver positions (added to 1 that we already have to equal 3 positions) - no more cost to the district than there currently is, other than experienced drivers having a higher rate of pay/hour.

3 Full-time substitute teacher positions - additional cost on the daily rate between substitute pay and full-time daily rate, no additional costs for benefits as those will be paid by the state.

Special Education - for full year: Job Class 7761, 185 days, 6 hours/day (to replace certified position vacated due to retirement).

Proposed changes to existing positions:

Addition of 10 contract days to the Director of Technology position (to replace a portion of a classified position at central office vacated due to retirement).

Addition of 5 contract days to the 7862 Attendance Supervisor position (to replace a portion of a classified position at central office vacated due to retirement).

Special Education - for full year: Job Class 7772, 185 days, 5 hours/day changed to 185 days, 6.5 hours/day (due to replacement of certified position due to retirement).

Proposed elimination of positions:

Eliminate Public Relations/Graphic Designer/Attendance Specialist position (due to retirement).

Eliminate Public Relations stipend (due to retirement).

Eliminate Additional Public Relations to KSBA Regional Chair stipend (due to retirement).

Special Education - eliminate 7320 Instructional Assistant position (due to replacement of certified position due to retirement).

Due to a retirement at Central Office, we would like to request bids for contracted public relations work for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year, to be revisited for the 2019-20 year.