Embedded Files
Regular Meeting Agenda: 6:00 pm Regular Meeting
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Fremont County School District Number One
Board of Trustees
863 Sweetwater Street
Board Meeting -Disclaimer- Notes from the board meeting are intended to highlight the major events/decisions/tone of the meeting as determined by the Lander Education Association representative attending.
They are NOT meant to be an exact transcript of the entire meeting.
For items with documents, those are available on the website of the governing board at the Lander Schools Website.
1. 6:00 General Business
Subject A. Call to Order
Chairperson Kail on Zoom
Subject B. Pledge of Allegiance
Subject C. Additional Agenda Items
None
Subject D. Adoption of the Agenda
Subject E. Approve Minutes - December 13, 2022
Subject F. Approve Minutes - January 12, 2023
Subject G. Recognitions
None
Subject H. Public Comment
A concerned community member addressed the board regarding a personnel issue. She mentioned the board was emailed in regards to the issue. This community member also wanted to be present for the challenges of drug use with our students and community members. Also wanted to express understanding of how we feel a sense of responsibility for all the students, but that it falls under the responsibility of parents for the discussion of drugs and drug use individually. Her biggest concern with the board creating policy, and having all these policies regarding drug testing can disempower the parents if they assume the school is taking care of everything. She wants the board to voice that this is a shared responsibility with the caregivers of the students and the board.
Another community member offered input for the proposed policy for mandatory drug testing for extracurricular activities - we have a policy that doesn’t define or measure what the problem is, nor is there a system to handle the abuse. There is an escalation in the policy for participating in activities, the other policy that already exists is a different system in conflict with the way the policies will be applied to students who are not active in extracurricular activities. Contact parents, develop plans, make sure there are resources available. These should be in the policies for all the students, not just the students involved in extracurricular activities. You want to identify those at risk as early as possible as drugs affect the developing mind. It is not something related to sports, it is related to a child's life. There appear to be a lot of costs associated with the policy but not a breakdown of what those costs are. There is more work that needs to be done in the background for these policies.
KH reminded the community members that if they wanted to comment more on the policy to hold it until the discussion gets to those policies.
2. 6:15 Programs-Reports-Presentations
Subject A. Board Member Reports
MM - First BOCES meeting last week. The status of BOCES is in good shape. They had a windfall of money, a royalty payment. All the other parts of the county that BOCES serves, the funding is staying where it is at.
5th grade holiday market in December, it was fun and got great stocking stuffers.
Sat in a curriculum meeting regarding the 2 new highschool courses proposed.
KH - went to new board member training in Riverton. It was a lot of fun. Reminded me that I need to be conscious about knowing and communicating what our job is. There is often a lot of confusion about where our power lies. We could educate the community members on what the board is and what our role is.
The training was very informative and included great scenarios.
JK - I talked with Travis about taking on roles that were discussed during the planning session. Will get a staff member and an administration member for the forum for the candidates. Need a co-chair for the forum with Jennifer Butler. Should have been added as an additional agenda item. Put at the end of discussion items. Added as item D to discuss co-chair.
January 4 attended a priority planning for the superintendent Degenfelder, along with individuals at the state and WDE employees, other school board members, teachers, and a librarian. Very informative. She set the ground for what her intentions are. Willing to share information.
Friday and Saturday is the Lander invite for wrestling, hosted here.
Subject B. Superintendent's Report
The Legislature has started a few bills that have gone to 3rd reading that are going to be followed as they continue.
Look at the current legislation being presented: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2023
3. *Consent Agenda
Subject A. Approve Expenditures/Pre-Approve Utilities and Financial Rpt
*Consent Agenda Type Action (Consent)
Subject B. Stipulated Expulsion Agreements
*Consent Agenda Type Action (Consent)
Our adopted rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Robert's Rules, provide for a consent agenda listing several items for approval of the Board by a single motion. Most of the items listed under the consent agenda have gone through Board subcommittee review and recommendation. Documentation concerning these items has been provided to all Board members and the public in advance to assure an extensive and thorough review. Items may be removed from the consent agenda at the request of any board member.
4. 7:00 Action Items
Subject A. Personnel Actions
Recommend approval.
Motion by Taylor Jacobs, second by Aileen Brew.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yes: Aileen Brew, Karen Harms, Kathy Hitt, Taylor Jacobs, Scott Jensen, Jared Kail, Mike McConne
Subject B. WSBA Board vacancy vote
Two board members from other districts. We get 2 votes from our district because of our size. This position is a member to guide the director of WSBA in his work. Need a recommendation and then to vote on one of those members.
Karen recommends Carla Mann. Board agreed to give the 2 votes to her.
6-0
Subject C. Approve New Course Recommendations
Action - vote on as a packet
Motion passed
Requesting adoption of two new LVHS courses that were recently approved by the CCC:
1) Introduction to Business
2) Math 4
Provides rigor for all students. Every student has an opportunity to approach rigorous math. Intro to business provides a foundation and then determines an avenue to continue into business.
Motion by Taylor Jacobs, second by Karen Harms.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yes: Aileen Brew, Karen Harms, Kathy Hitt, Taylor Jacobs, Scott Jensen, Jared Kail, Mike McConnell
Subject D. Approve Middle School soccer
Action
Soccer wasn't the highest rated on a survey, but it is the only high school sport that doesn’t have a feeder from the middle school level. (The highest rated activity was bowling). Season would be in Spring. The funds would come from general funds. There are coaches in mind that have been talked with.
Administration will recommend adding one middle school soccer team for boys and one for girls. We will then evaluate this after the season to see if numbers dictate that we need to split them into grades 7 and 8.
Estimated costs - $13,000
Motion by Jared Kail, second by Taylor Jacobs.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yes: Aileen Brew, Karen Harms, Kathy Hitt, Taylor Jacobs, Scott Jensen, Jared Kail, Mike McConnell
5. 8:00 Discussion Items
Subject A. Policy (1st reading)
Discussion
State law changes to absences and truancy that made FCSD1 makes changes - added to JED
Recommended for removal:
JE-R K-8 Student Absences and Excuses - redundant
JECA Enrollment Policy - LVHS - redundant
JED-R2 Lander Valley High School Attendance Regulations - redundant
KMJ - Impact Aid Policy - We do not receive Impact Aid
Recommended for changes:
JED - STUDENT ABSENCES AND EXCUSES
JHB - TRUANCY (legal counsel and statutory changes)
EBAB-R - New regulation to accompany policy EBAB Hazardous Material Communications
Goes into more detail, comes from the State.
IJLA - PUBLIC COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Created a process for complaints or objections. Crossed off sections are the previous process. Added some time frames. A subcommittee of the CCC will be part of the review committee for complaints, including a library media specialist.
https://go.boarddocs.com/wy/fcsd1/Board.nsf/files/CN2S6L712A9B/$file/IJLA%20011723.pdf
One parent or community member on the committee, outside of the complainant.
TJ What happens if this is a pervasive issue, even if it is resolved early? In order to know the level of the problem. Should something be added to a set number of situations or some other indicator that there is an issue?
JK - 30 days seems too long for the process, can we cut that down to 2 weeks?
Barker - possibly. The only concern is the time to get the material, do the work, discuss it, and then come up with a decision. An understanding of the time isn’t known as we haven't done it yet.
Is it the assumption that the committee will be ready to make a recommendation by the end of the 30 days?
Rewording may be needed with 5a to clarify the timeframe.
Potentially say that the written recommendation will be completed within 30 days.
AB What about at the highschool level adding a student on the review committee?
TJ Is there anything in the discussion that would not be appropriate for the student to participate in?
How would you choose the student to be on the committee? Would it be up to Brad and/or Ceatirss? How workable would that be?
Maybe we have a student involved on the front end, but not involved during the challenge of the material.
KH - Could we add, if appropriate a student may be asked to join/could be involved in the process?
When is it appropriate?
Are we asking kids to make decisions that a committee should be making decisions about, JK - this isn’t the right place for it.
JICHA - MANDATORY DRUG TESTING FOR STUDENTS INVOLVED IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Mirrors a policy that the wyoming supreme court found suitable
Consequence from activities, not a school related consequence
Second reading will bring the % to be tested each time
Was sent to administrations
This is what was sent by legal council as a policy that was sent in front of the supreme court and passed
Don't yet have cost prediction, it would come from general funds
Where do we address prevention? What is being done already in the schools? And what do we need to strengthen?
KH Bring the policy next month as a continued first reading but with more information addressing the questions brought up
Goshen reported that they have noticed little change over the past 5-6 years since the implementation of the policy
Would be implemented in the fall, we need to have more time dedicated to the policy
JK Can agree that we need a multi-pronged approach to drug use. The attendance just wasn’t there for the Tall Cop, The THC presentation this year was very well advertised, almost no parents were still involved. Educating the parents and educating the students through the parents has not gotten through as our efforts so far haven’t seen to register.
We are definitely targeting a group that is least likely to be the group of concern. But we can do this group legally, and it is an in-group to test some of the drug use in our schools.
CW was involved with another district that implemented this policy and would be willing to address questions in a forum or directly. For a student it was a deterrent and an easy way for her to address peer pressure.
JICHA-E - MANDATORY DRUG TESTING FOR STUDENTS INVOLVED IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES GENERAL AUTHORIZATION AND CERTIFICATION OF UNDERSTANDING
JICHA-E1 - REMOVAL FROM EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TESTING POOL REQUEST FORM
Subject B. 2023-24 School Calendar
Discussion
Version A - Starts on a wednesday, 3 days at thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, come back January 2. Spring break for a week. This calendar goes past memorial day. Graduation stays the same on both calendars. Staff and students go to May 30
Version B - everything the same as Version A until December - shorter winter break: Dec 21, extra day in January; Ends May 24 before memorial day.
TJ Concern about Version A is that parents would be pulling their kids for the week after memorial day. Having Monday off and coming back Tues-Thurs. Concerned about how it would play out.
Barker - Feedback will be gathered and then presented to the board.
Subject C. Building Liaisons
Discussion
Board liaisons from 2022:
Jared Kail - Pathfinder High School
Taylor Jacobs - Lander Valley High School
Kathy Hitt - Lander Middle School
Scott Jensen - Baldwin Creek Elementary
Michelle Escudero - Gannett Peak Elementary
New Board Liaisons 2023:
Karen Harms - Pathfinder High School
Mike McConnell - Lander Valley High School
Aileen Brew - Lander Middle School
Taylor Jacobs - Baldwin Creek Elementary
Jared Kail - Gannett Peak Elementary
Subject D. New Co-chair for superintendent search forum
Ideas from board members:
Linda Barton
Mark Calhoun
Bill Alley
Bill or Sue Lee
Jeremey Forbis
Shelly Johnson
JK How should we proceed - Put Aileen in charge of finding someone out of the list of names and getting that set up. Let Jared know and he can forward those names on.
6. 9:00 Administrative Details/Reminders/Future Plans
January 31, Board retreat @ 6:00 pm
February 5-6, WSBA Legislative Forum @ Cheyenne
February 21, Board meeting @ 6:00 pm
7. Adjournment: 7:24
Subject A. *Consent Items Disclaimer
* Approval of agenda simultaneously approves Consent Items.
Our adopted rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Robert's Rules, provide for a consent agenda listing several items for approval of the Board by a single motion. Most of the items listed under the consent agenda have gone through Board subcommittee review and recommendation. Documentation concerning these items has been provided to all Board members and the public in advance to assure an extensive and thorough review. Items may be removed from the consent agenda at the request of any board member.
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