Nelson County
October 20, 2009 5:00 PM
Nelson County Regular Meeting
I. Call to Order
Board Chair
Rationale

 BOARD MISSION STATEMENT

The NELSON COUNTY BOARD of EDUCATION, representatives of our citizens
 and entrusted with their children,
 pledges to support the mission of the
NELSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
 
by setting visionary direction through effective policy, oversight
 and efficient resource management.

VISION STATEMENT

QUALITY EDUCATION NOW-LEARNING FOR LIFE

II. Changes to the Agenda
III. Student/Employee Performance: Foster Hts.
Supt. Lantz
IV. Student/Employee Recognition
Supt. Lantz
V. Operations Consent Agenda
Board Chair
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Motion to approve consent items as presented passed with a motion by Mr. Damon Jackey and a second by Mr. Adam Wheatley.

V.A. Information: Personnel Actions
Attachments
V.B. Treasurer's Report
Attachments
V.C. Bills and Claims
Attachments
V.D. MUNIS Report
Attachments
V.E. Leaves of Absence
Attachments
V.F. Minutes from Previous Meeting
Attachments
V.G. Overnight/Out-of-State Trips
Attachments
V.H. Job Descriptions
Rationale

Job description: Director of Pupil Personnel/Construction & Maintenance Liaison

Attachments
VI. Student Support Services
Board Chair
VI.A. Construction Update
Attachments
VI.B. Change Orders
VI.B.1. Change Order # 24: Foster Heights
Rationale

Sight windows were added to various classroom doors at the new addition to Foster Heights.  Old Castle Glass will provide all glass, glazing tape and caulking for a cost of $167.00.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve Change Order #24, Foster Heights, was passed with a motion by Mr. Nicky Rapier and a second by Mr. Adam Wheatley.

VI.C. 2008-2009 Final Audit Report
Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the 2008 - 2009 final audit report as provided by Brown & Company was passed with a motion by Mr. Adam Wheatley and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VI.D. 2009 Post Audit Annual Financial Report
Rationale

Post-audit version of the fiscal 2009 Annual Financial Report is presented for review.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the 2009 post-audit Annual Financial Report was passed with a motion by Mr. Larry Pate and a second by Mr. Nicky Rapier.

VI.E. KISTA Refinance
Rationale

In order to participate in the KISTA bus refinance program due to a recent drop in interest rates, the attached proposed resolution must be approved by the Nelson County Board of Education.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the proposed resolution allowing district participation in the KISTA bus refinance program due to a recent drop in interest rates was passed with a motion by Mr. Adam Wheatley and a second by Mr. Larry Pate.

VI.F. Bid Approval: Thomas Nelson High School
Rationale

On Tuesday, October 13, twenty-three bid packages for the Thomas Nelson High School were opened and tabulated.  Low bidder is indicated on the attached document and is recommended for Board acceptance.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve bid packages as follows was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Nicky Rapier.

VII. Student Instructional Services
Board Chair
VII.A. Grants
VII.A.1. TIP Grant: New Haven
Rationale

New Haven School is requesting a Teacher Initiated Program (TIP) grant from the Kentucky Arts Council in the amount of $540. The grant requires matching funds in the amount of $285. This grant will fund a 5-day residency next Spring at New Haven of theater artist Kathi E.B. Ellis for a project linking historical studies of the Civil War period with creation of a dramatic presentation. The primary contacts and sponsors for this program are teachers Amy Mouser, Brittany Mattingly, Megan Hibbs (fifth grade), Wendy Doig, Steve Quisenberry, Michelle Lanham (8th grade), Cindy Phelps, principal, and Gail Kamer, curriculum resource consultant. A core group of 100 students in fifth and eighth grades will work with the social studies, reading and writing teachers and the artist to read journals, letters and other material from the Civil War period.  Once they have studied this material, students will be arranged in family groups representing both sides of the conflict. Based on what they have already read, they will write their own journal, letters, etc.  The artist, Ms. Ellis, will take these writings and arrange them into a script for each class, introducing students to script structure. Students will develop characters for the scenes and monologues in the script.  Costume pieces and props will be gathered and students will also explore period music.  Each class will prepare a culminating event for New Haven students, family, and community.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the TIP Grant application for New Haven School was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.A.2. TIP Grant: Boston
Rationale

Boston School is requesting a Teacher Initiated Program (TIP) grant from the Kentucky Arts Council in the amount of $540. The grant requires matching funds in the amount of $285. This grant will fund a 5-day residency next Spring at Boston of visual artist and “paper engineer” Jane McTeigue. The artist will collaborate with a Boston team including teachers Joanne Maldini, Hannah Jones, Nancy Smith, Kendra Faucett, Heather McGlone and Victoria Terstegge, along with interim principal Lori Indalecio. The project is entitled “A Fresh Approach to Math and Science.” In this residency the artist will work with second through fifth-grade students and teachers to create pop-up math and science books. Fifth grade students will integrate math and art curriculum in a book about geometry, 2-D shapes and 3-D forms, and units of measurement. Fourth grade students will create pop-up books on units of measurement. Third grade students will create books on geometry, and second graders will create 3-D books on the solar system. Fifth grade students will participate in a peer tutoring project by using their completed pop-up books to introduce the new geometry unit to 4th graders.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the TIP Grant application for Boston School was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.A.3. 21CCLC Grant: OKHMS, NH, Boston
Rationale

Old Kentucky Home Middle School, New Haven School and Boston School Bloomfield Middle School each wish to seek a 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) grant to launch a program to deliver academic and cultural enrichment programs during non-school hours. This program is meant to provide students with a broad array of activities designed to help boost test scores and add depth to the curriculum while providing positive youth development activities during non-school hours. Each of these three schools will apply separately as new grant applicants through the Kentucky Department of Education as part of the 21CCLC federal grant Program. KDE anticipates new grantee awards ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 per year for three years. Fourth year funding will decrease to 75 percent of the original funding. Fifth year funding will decrease to 50 percent of the original funding.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant application for Old Kentucky Home Middle, New Haven and Boston Schools was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.A.4. 21CCLC Grant: Childcare Program
Rationale

The Nelson County Childcare Program is seeking continuation funding through the Kentucky Department of Education as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Center federal grant Program. The program originally received a CCLC grant in 2002 and has the opportunity to apply for continuation funding for the next five years. The maximum award for the first year of that period is $75,000, with a decrease of 10 percent each year up to five years. No grant awarded will be less than $50,000 for any grant year. The purpose of the continuation grants are to assist grantees with seed money to continue successful 21st CCLC programming that has been funded in the past. Applicants will be screened on a pass/fail basis for capacity to administer the program determined by successful implementation and participation levels of the current program. The Nelson County program, which includes five centers, meets this criterion.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant application for the Nelson County Childcare Program was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.A.5. NGA "Hooked on Hydroponics" Grant: NH
Rationale

New Haven School is requesting approval of an application to the National Gardening Association (NGA) for a “Hooked on Hydroponics” grant to support a hydroponics program at the school. This grant program, sponsored by “The Grow Store” through the NGA, would provide a “WaterFarm Controller Kit and associated equipment, along with curricula and reference books. A specific value for this material is not provided. No matching funds are required. Middle grades agriculture science instructor Derek Smith plans to use the equipment and material to provide hands-on learning opportunities and introduce students to hydroponics. 

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the National Gardening Association "Hooked on Hydroponics Grant for New Haven School was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.A.6. MAC Grant: New Haven
Rationale

New Haven School is requesting approval of an application to McDonald’s Restaurants of Kentuckiana for a 2009 McDonald’s MAC (Make Activities Count) grant in the amount of $500. This grant is meant to support “meaningful, hands-on activities to enhance the learning process for students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Teacher Cindy Hanson would like to use the grant to purchase software necessary to support a web-based interactive program that addresses behavioral choices, character and bullying issues. This program is meant to promote emotional health and help children learn to take responsibility for their behavior. This is part of the core content taught in middle school.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the MsDonald's MAC Grant application for New Haven School was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.A.7. VSA Arts Grant: Boston
Rationale

Boston School is requesting approval of an application to VSA Arts of Kentucky arts inclusion grant in the amount of $1,200. This grant program is designed to give schools the opportunity to provide experiential learning through the arts for children with and without disabilities in an inclusionary setting. Victoria Terstegge, the reading recovery teacher at Boston, would like to use this grant for a project related to mask making and Tie-dyeing. Fifth students will partner with first grade students to create masks and tie-dyed shirts with fiber artist Pat Sturtzel. A cash match is “encouraged” but not required for this grant. The match does not have to be dollar for dollar and can include materials provided.

Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to approve the VSA Arts Grant application for Boston School was passed with a motion by Mr. Frank Hall and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

VII.B. Boston Trail Update
Rationale

The Boston nature trail and outdoor classroom project is moving forward at a steady pace. The trail is located on approximately 20 acres of forested Board property behind Boston School. The trail was conceived as a two-phase project consisting of a 2.300-foot main trail to be developed in phase one and four side trails to be added in phase two. Cost for the first phase was estimated at about $20,600, and phase-two, an additional $18,000.

The project also involves installation of three bridges along the main trail, a bird observatory and an amphitheater big enough to accommodate 300 children for outdoor programs and events.
Much of the cost for phase one has already been accounted for in the form of material, monetary and sweat-equity donations.
Those contributing to the project thus far include:

• Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

• Nelson County Schools Maintenance Department

• Cedar Creek Quarry, LLC

• Mago Construction

• Chip Carter

• Larry Schenk

• Jim Beam Brands

• Promotional Wood Products

• The Nelson County Extension Office

•  Nelson County Area Technology Center

•  Guy’s Building Supplies

• USDA Soil Conservation Service of Nelson County

Attachments
VII.C. District Improvement Plan
Attachments
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  After careful study of the supporting documentation provided, action to accept the Nelson County School District's District Improvement Plan was passed with a motion by Mr. Damon Jackey and a second by Mr. Adam Wheatley.

VII.D. CATS Assessment Report
Rationale

The Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) was administered in Nelson County during May 2009.  A presentation to board members will include current district data regarding No Child Left Behind (NCLB) results and Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT) results in specific content areas.  Trends and academic indexes comparisons for each school will be provided.

Attachments
VIII. Guest Comments
Board Chair
Rationale

Guest Comment Policy
Any person wishing to address the Board may do so by following these rules:
Individuals representing themselves are limited to 3 minutes.
Individuals representing a group are limited to 5 minutes.
Please step up to the microphone, state your name and address, and, if you represent a group, state the name of the group you are representing.

IX. Adjourn
Board Chair
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Motion to adjourn passed with a motion by Mr. Adam Wheatley and a second by Mr. Larry Pate.

X. Convene Executive Session
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to convene an executive session of the Nelson County Board of Education was passed with a motion by Mr. Adam Wheatley and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

XI. Adjourn Executive Session
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to adjourn the executive session of the Nelson County Board of Education was passed with a motion by Mr. Nicky Rapier and a second by Mr. Damon Jackey.

XII. Reconvene Regular Session
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to reconvene the regular session of the Nelson County Board of Education was passed with a motion by Mr. Adam Wheatley and a second by Mr. Larry Pate.

XIII. Adjourn Regular Session
Actions Taken

Motion Passed:  Action to adjourn the regular session of the Nelson County Board of Education was passed with a motion by Mr. Damon Jackey and a second by Mr. Adam Wheatley.