Monday, January 11, 2016
Board of Education Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order - Chair Smith called the meeting to order.
 

2. Invocation - Dr. Munn-Goins will gave the invocation
 

3. Pledge of Allegiance - Mr. Gary Rhoda led the Pledge of Allegiance

  
4. Adoption of Agenda - Chairman presented the agenda for approval. Item 8.02 -  Dr. Heavenridge's Discipline Report was deferred to February meeting. The amended agenda was approved.
  

5. Approval of Minutes - Chairman presented the minutes of the December 14, 2015 meeting for approval and they were approved.

 
6. Spotlights and Recognition

 
6.01 Board Recognition - Mrs. Valerie Newton
 

6.02 Teacher Assistants of the Year

Bladen Lakes Primary - Rose Burgess

Bladenboro Primary - Gail Hester

Booker T. Washington Primary - Lois Neal

Dublin Primary - Cindy Rankin

Elizabethtown Primary - Christine Smith

Plainview Primary - Jennifer McMillan

6.03 Student Attendance Banners - Mrs. Valerie Newton

November Student Attendance Banners for October attendance     Elementary - Booker T. Washington with a 95.22% attendance rate. Middle School - Clarkton School of Discovery with a 95.72% attendance rate. High School - West Bladen High School with a 93.91% attendance rate. Accepting Banner is Principal Ronald Coley Accepting Banner is Assistant Principal Brendan McCarthy   Accepting Banner is Principal Wesley Floyd

Random Act of Kindness Award - Dr. Taylor presented the Random Acts of Kindness Award to Lanae Fishman or East Arcadia. Lanae Fishman wrote a letter to Santa not for herself, but that Santa would bring classmates and her school school supplies. While at Independence Mall in Wilmington Lanae asked not for herself, but that Santa bring school supplies to her classmates and school. Then on Tuesday, December 15th, Santa's elves delivered school supplies to Lanae and her classmates at East Arcadia Elementary School Tuesday.

Principal Dee Jones was very thankful for the donation and said it is very rare to have a student like Lanae give back to her community. More from WECT.com.

(R) Lanae's father, Avery Fishman, accompanied her for acceptance of the award.

7. Citizen Participation - NONE
  

8. Information Items
  

8.01 District and School Transformation Team - Dr. Taylor introduced the NC Department of Instruction District and School Transformation Team headed up by Chuck Coker, District Transformation Coach.

Coker said the team would be working with the Bladen County School System for the next 18 months on the schools low performance issues. The team is not here to evaluate but to focus on curriculum and will provide service and support. Elizabethtown Middle School is one of 75 total low performing schoold throughout the state and will receive the most support.
   

8.02 Discipline Report - Dr. Heavenridge was not able to attend the meeting and this item was tabled until the February meeting.
  

8.03 December Financial Summary - Mrs. Sharon Penny
  

9. Action Items
  

9.01 Overnight Field Trip Requests - Assistant Superintendent Tanya Head presented one field trip requests for Bladenboro Middle School to attend the NC Beta Club Conference laster this month in Greensboro. The request was approved.
   

9.02 Fundraising Requests - DrAssistant Superintendent Tanya Head presented three fundraising requests, two for Bladenboro Middle School and one for Elizabethtown Middle School. The various fundraisers are to fund school activities and were approved.
  

9.03 Contract for Psychological Services Contract - Dr. Reida Roberts stated the contract was for a new psychologist and recommended the contract be approved and it was.
  

9.04 Approval of June 30, 2015 Audit Report - Adam Scepurek, CPA, from Anderson Smith & Wike, PLLC gave the audit report. According to Scepurek, the firm was hired by the board.

 
SScepurek said they needed to stop spending the fund balance which is down to $178K. The fund balance issue and what is a good fund balance is in debate across school systems. The school system must work with the county to determine the fund balance amount. Problem is school system wants one figure and the county wants another.

Scepurek stated that some counties run on a zero balance and issue the funds upon request, but that can be a problem as some requests like raises take time to process.

 
Sharon Penny, BCS Finance Director, spoke up and told the board schools are not required to maintain a fund balance to which Chairman Smith said, that would be a handicap.

 
The audit was approved.

9.05 School Consolidation - Dr. Taylor requested that the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's School Planning Division provide information on projected school enrollment, recommendations on district reorganization of schools, and that considerations for consolidation proposals be postponed until DPI has provided recommendations based on their review of relevant data of Bladen County.

Taylor said that the school closing/consolidation plan had gotten the attention of the community, the students and the teachers and that the plan was on hold. He said he wanted to spend additional time to make sure all relevant data involving the issus was researched and made public. He said they would be working with Ken Phelps, NC Department of Public Instruction.

Phelps is respnsible for  Lead Consultant, School Planning Public School Capital Building Fund School Long-Range Facility Needs and Planning Cost Data. Mr. Phelps contact information is ken.phelps@dpi.nc.gov, 919.807.3561.
      

Bonnelll Walker made the motion to include a statement that nothing be done as far as the school closing/consolidation for the 2016 - 2017 school year until this process is complete. The motion was 2nd and passed.

10. Closed Session
  

10.01 Certified / Classified Personnel
  

10.02 Student Transfers
  

10.03 Legal Issues
  

11. Closed Session Action Items
  

11.01 Certified/Classified Personnel - Dr. Antonia Beatty
  

12. Superintendent's Report
  

12.01 BCS Budget Calendar for 2016-2017
  

12.02 Early College Proposal with BCC - Dr. Taylor
  

13. Chair's Report
  

14. Adjourn

“Producing Responsible Citizens By Educating All Students With Global Skills Needed For The 21st Century”

 
“Producing Responsible Citizens By Educating All Students With Global Skills Needed For The 21st Century”