August 17, 2020

DELAWARE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

6:30 p.m.

DELTA HIGH SCHOOL

 

MINUTES

Present:  Adam Williams, President; Trent Fox, Vice President; Lance Engle, Secretary; Jacob Case, Member; John Adams, Member; Darin Gullion, Assistant Superintendent; and Reece Mann, Superintendent

An executive session was held at 6:00 p.m. at the Administration Building.

 

I.                   CALL TO ORDER

 At 6:36 p.m. Board President, Adam Williams, called the meeting to order.

II.                PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III.             AMEND AGENDA

 A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to amend the agenda, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

IV.              MINUTES
A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Jacob Case to accept the minutes of the business meeting and executive session held on Monday,  August 3, 2020.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

V.                 FINANCE

A.     A motion was made by Jacob Case and seconded by Lance Engle to accept the list of vouchers, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

B.     Purchases over $7500:

  A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by John Adams to approve the following (items 1-2):

1.       Salyer-Taylor                              OP                         $11,046.00

      (EES Compressor)

2.      Lee Supply                                  OP                         $11,665.01

      (water heater)                             

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

C.     A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Jacob Case to approve the DMS Band ECA purchases, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

D.    A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve SA-5’s, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

VI.              COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Grant Zgunda, Delta High School Athletic Director, updated the Board on additional precautions his department, along with coaches, are doing that would help minimize exposure in practices, but also help protect each participant.

Amy Lewman, Royerton Elementary Principal, stated they have had a great start and it’s great to see little ones in the building again.  She stated the teachers’ morale is amazing, they are so excited and the kids are excited.  She thanked the transportation department for being phenomenal, as always.  She stated the custodians have the building looking fantastic with the extra cleaning protocols and taking care of the needs they have for everything being safe and clean.  She thanked Officer Marvin.  She stated car pick-up and  drop-off can be hairy if you’ve never experienced it and this year it has been great.  She stated they haven’t had any problems and she appreciates him out at the entrance for car drop-off and making sure people are being kind and taking turns.  She thanked the Board for the purchase of Chromebooks.  She informed everyone NWEA testing was so easy with every kid having their own Chromebook.  She stated they weren’t pushing carts around and if a teacher had a student who needed to take a little bit longer, they could sit back with their headphones on and take the test without being disrupted or leaving the classroom.  She informed everyone the new entry door at Royerton is functional and her third set of doors locked so they have a safe and secure entrance.

15-20 patrons attended the meeting to voice a wide array of topics ranging from how to enroll students virtually to promoting a face-to-face instructional environment.  Additional topics of concern related to question why DelCom appears to be going over and above the CDC recommendations for quarantining.

VII.           OLD BUSINESS

A.     A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Lance Engle to approve K-12 Textbook Rental for virtual students- 2nd Reading, as presented. The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

VIII.       NEW BUSINESS

A.     Certified Staff

1.       None.

B.     Classified Staff

A motion was made by Jacob Case and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (items 1-2):

1.       Resignation of Jodi Cook, Secretary at Delta High School, effective August 14, 2020.

2.      Resignation of Willow Sumwalt, Food Service Cook at Royerton Elementary School, effective July 15, 2020.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Jacob Case and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the permission to move forward with hiring a Secretary at Delta High School.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (items 3-5):

3.      Recommendation to employ Ashton Slaven as a Latchkey Assistant effective immediately, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing. 

4.      Recommendation to employ Courtney Magee as a Latchkey Aide effective immediately, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing. 

5.      Recommendation to employ Skylar Mills as a Latchkey Assistant effective immediately, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing. 

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

C.     Extra-Curricular

A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by John Adams to approve the following (items 1-5):

1.       Recommendation to employ Bethany Ratts as a Robotics Coach at Albany Elementary School effective for the 2020-21 school year.

2.      Recommendation to employ Duane Dye as an Assistant Cross Country Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2020-21 school year.

3.      Recommendation to appoint Sarah Ogle as a Volunteer Assistant Tennis Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2020-21 school year, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

4.      Recommendation to appoint Jennifer Southerland as a Volunteer Assistant Cross Country Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2020-21 school year, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

5.      Recommendation to appoint Kaylee Kemp as a Volunteer Assistant Cheer Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2020-21 school year, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

D.    Conference Requests/Field Trips

1.       None.

E.     Information and Proposals

1.       Superintendent

a.      A motion was made by Jacob Case and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the request for an unpaid leave of absence, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

b.      A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the MACC Proposal, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

c.       A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the EMCOR Guaranteed Savings Contract, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

d.      A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the Administrative Contract, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

e.      A motion was made by Jacob Case and seconded by Trent Fox to approve NEOLA Policy 2266 (Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities)-2nd Reading, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

f.        Mr. Mann informed the Board about the following fundraisers:

1.       Kelly Manor, Delta Volleyball, requests permission to hold a Virtual Facebook Raffle from September 1, 2020 through October 1, 2020, as presented.  Proceeds go towards team gear.

2.      Assistant Superintendent

a.      Use of Facilities:

1.       None.

b.      A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the New Retirement Plan Platform, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

c.       A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the 2021 Budget Pre-review and Permission to Advertise, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (items d-e):

d.      Request for Delaware Community Schools to accept a donation in the amount of $30.00 from Leroy from the Albany Class of 1956, as presented.

e.      Request for Albany, Eaton, and Royerton Elementary Schools to accept the donation of classroom supply kits from the Back to School Teachers Store, as presented.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

IX.             LETTERS/NOTES

X.                BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

John Adams – Mr. Adams thanked everyone who came to express their concerns with what the school is doing.  He stated on the schools behalf, it’s a moving target every day.  He knows our administrators, teachers, and all staff are doing the best they can.  He applauded everyone in their efforts to keep the doors open and keep kids in school.  He mentioned the girls’ golf team on being County Champs over the weekend and stated for them to keep up the good work.  He informed everyone we lost a bus driver Mrs. Herniak, who drove for us for many years and thoughts and prayers are with the family.  He stated her husband still drives for us and he’s thankful her for all the years she was involved with our school.  He thanked Mrs. Cook for all her years and for those who have been with us and are leaving.  He stated they have touched our kids’ lives in one way or another and he’s greatly appreciative of that.  He thanked Leroy from the Albany Class of 1956 and the Back to School Teachers Store for their donations.  He stated there have been a few people who have mentioned to him about being prepared for eLearning or virtual and have mentioned the new fitness center addition.  He wanted to make it known that since January 2020, they have spent over $715,000 for education and trying to gear up for either eLearning or virtual.  He stated there is a lot more going on here than just sports related things.  He thinks it’s appropriate to inform those who questioned him on a personal level just to put it in the minutes that that’s a lot of money to get ready.  He doesn’t think this Board would be opposed to spending more if it was the right thing to take care of the kids.  He stated over $700,000 is a lot of money spent on education.  He appreciates they can help the elementary grades with all new Chromebooks and making it easier for eLearning days.  He stated unfortunately it sounds like we are going to have some of those and that’s going to happen with the things we are dealt with today.  He thinks with the leadership we have and the protocols in place, we can get the job done and he commends them for it. 

Trent Fox – Mr. Fox stated it was nice to have patrons here tonight sharing their viewpoints.  He stated as a Board, he doesn’t know they all agree totally on every situation and how they handle things.  He thinks collectively as a group, they’ve come to the decision that what they are doing is the best for the majority of all our students here in the corporation.  He stated that’s one thing that’s hard for people to realize, they have to look at what the majority is and not just a small segment of the student population.  He stated they are constantly looking at what they are doing and he’s thankful they are able to keep the elementary students in the buildings and in front of teachers with instruction.  He stated we’ve made a lot of headway, but we are still learning and making headway towards this whole thing.  He thinks we’ll be better for it in the future once we continually get through this next phase.  He stated everyone heard the new proposal for athletics and even though it’s a great proposal, we are still going to have cases.  He stated there is no way around it, but hopefully we learn from the first go round to what we are doing now.  He stated the now is what we’ll focus on and if we come across something and figure out it wasn’t good enough, we’ll drill it down even further if we have to.  He stated education is very important, but so is the mental stability of kids and to be stable in our environment, they need other things outside of school because that is a big part of their growth as individuals.  He thinks as a Board, that is what they are trying to do, get students face-to-face and allow them to be in their normal environment and do normal things even though they have to wear a face mask.  He heard how great the students have been in the buildings the three or four days they were here as far as wearing their masks.  He stated the kids want to be here and they want them to be here, but they have to make sure they are doing it the right way and keeping everyone safe.  He stated it’s not just the students they are worried about, some of our staff are the most susceptible.  He stated if we don’t have staff, there isn’t a reason to have the kids here because we don’t have anyone to teach them.  He stated they have to be overly protective and that’s hard for others to swallow because everyone wants to move forward and get back with education. He stated that’s the most important thing and why we’re all here.  He thanked Mrs. Cook for a great 14 years and knows she’s looking forward to her next phase.  He wished her the best and thanked her for her time and for everything she did for us as a school corporation. 

Lance Engle – Mr. Engle concurred with his fellow board members.  He stated these aren’t fun times to be on a school board and be in a school making decisions you don’t normally make.  He feels they are doing the best they can with the information they get every day.  He thanked the parents who came and voiced their opinions.  He stated they encourage that and thanked them for their time.  He stated we still have people on both ends of the spectrum with being in school versus eLearning.  He stated eLearning is still new for our school corporation and we are getting better every day, but we can still be better.  He stated from day one since school ended in March, they believe face-to-face education is the best way to educate our kids.  He stated they want them in school because that’s the best way they are going to learn.  He stated we have taken a pause and a break, but we will be back with education on August 25th and hope to stay there.  He commented there will be other cases and that’s the mindset we have to have.  He stated to be flexible and know our administration, teachers, and principals have the best interest for our kids and keeping them safe. 

Jacob Case – Mr. Case concurred with his fellow board members.  He stated we have roughly 2,600 students to think about and over 200 staff members.  He stated each family has to look at their own case and what to do in this situation.  He stated we have kids from all different spectrums and have to give everyone the best option to keep them safe.  He stated school is to give every kid the best well-rounded and inclusive options for education and things outside of education like sports, band, choir, etc. He stated their goal is to give them a well-rounded education, but at the same time they have to keep everyone safe.  He stated there have been some hard choices and thanked Mr. Mann, Mr. Kile, and everyone making those choices and for keeping them involved the best they can.  He stated all of them want to have the kids in classrooms and in front of teachers.  He has 2 kids in the school system and wants them in class and in front of teachers, but he also wants them to be safe.  He stated not everyone will be happy, but they have to do what’s best for all 2,600 kids.

Adam Williams – Mr. Williams stated his fellow board members covered a lot of what he was going to say.  He stated he is so appreciative of the administration from the superintendent, assistant superintendent, Mr. Kile, principals, teachers, bus drivers, custodial staff, etc.  He stated he doesn’t know because he’s not there, but he can only imagine what everyone has been dealing with and trying to coordinate.  He stated they are doing an amazing job of staying dynamic and trying to adjust to circumstances and making the absolute best decision they can given the circumstances and constraints they are under.  He stated we are human beings and sometimes we make decisions in the moment and later wish we would have done something else or more we could have done.  He stated you learn, adapt, develop a plan, update your documentation, and change your policies and that is exactly how these things work.  He stated he’s proud of how well everyone has responded.  He stated to try to understand, shift your thinking just a little bit, and put yourself in the other person’s position for just a moment.  He stated we have 2,600 students we are dealing with versus your two kids or his two.  He stated he has felt or wished a situation could have been different, but for 2,600 other kids, he can understand.  He stated they are asking for understanding, flexibility, and positivity because this is something that can be overcome.  He stated it’s a situation everyone is dealing with so you can choose to be grumpy, upset, and angry, but instead be part of the solution.  He thinks most of the people who spoke tonight had positive suggestions here or there.  He stated it wasn’t a case where they were yelling and that civility works well so he appreciates their input.  He stated they may or may not have different opinions, but that doesn’t matter, we are a civil society and it was presented well this evening.  He appreciates all those who spoke.

XI.             FUTURE MEETINGS

A.     A Public Hearing on 2021 Budget will be held on Thursday,   September 10, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.

B.     A regular meeting for the Board of School Trustees is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2020 immediately following the Public Hearing.

XII.          ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Trent Fox and Board President, Adam Williams, adjourned the meeting at 8:11 p.m.

An executive session was held following the business meeting

 

August 17, 2020

 

 

ADAM WILLIAMS                                           __________________________

 

TRENT FOX                                                      __________________________

 

LANCE ENGLE                                                ___________________________

 

JACOB CASE                                                   ___________________________

 

JOHN ADAMS                                               ___________________________