Committe Meeting Recap - June 9th: Part 1

SCHOOL BOARD COMMITTEE

Virtual Meeting through Live Stream

June 9, 2020 - 6:00 PM

CASD School Board committees are designed to divide the labor of the board into manageable categories.  As such, board members should be better prepared for full board meetings. This process is intended to ultimately improve the quality of board decision making.

Education Committee Agenda

PRESENTATIONS

• AFJROTC Marksmanship Program(Enclosure)

COMMENT: This is a gender-neutral, competitive sport that has shown to be effective in recruitment and retention with the AFJROTC Program. CASD AFJROTC has been struggling with enrollment.

CCAP believes this is an excellent offering for the District and appreciates the effort to retain the program.

AGENDA ITEMS

E. Supplemental Itinerant and Full Time Special Education Programs for 2020—2021 -  RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the supplemental itinerant and full time special education programs for the 2020—2021 the school year, as presented. (Enclosure)

COMMENT:

Dr. Dunlap asked Dr. Mangan to join him for the Special Education presentation. Special Education programming has been something the administration made the commitment to improving for the next school year.  They've examined the types of programs necessary to support our current student population and the types of programs we must offer for parents to consider enrolling students back in the district. Dr. Dunlap explained that the CCIU will be running additional special education programs. He emphasized the need or the district to budget for the reinstated programs for the following year:

• Emotional Support - collaborative approach across disciplines, social skills, and mental health services
• Life Skills - functional and academic needs based on age and need
• Autism Support - four classes in partnership with CCIU including early intervention models. Will meet the needs of many of the students who must be placed

Board Comment: 
Harlan cautioned that the numbers need to be watched for autism support classroom students and itinerant students. She also questioned the lack of autism support at the 8/9 and North. Mangan stated that the locations were created based on information gathered by building levels and supervisors. Dunlap remarked that these programs are more than we've had in the last four years. They will need to be revisited on a consistent basis. 

CCAP comment: Returning special education services are long overdue. We applaud the District's effort.  However, while we recognize the financial constraints, we believe the District needs to reassess the needs within the buildings and find a way to ensure that the proper supports are available to the students enrolled in each building for the 2020-2021 school year.

F. ATSI Plans - RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the ATSI Plans for submission to the Department of Education, as presented. (Enclosure—Reeceville) (Enclosure— Rainbow) (Enclosure —NorthBrandywine) (Enclosure—9/10Center) (Enclosure—CASH) (Enclosure—Presentation) 

Presentation: 

The ASTI plans focus on three priority areas academic excellence, school participation, and school culture. 

1. Academic Excellence- CASD lacks data and needs a better method to collect data and performance from students. The district is seeking universal screeners.

• Elementary schools have these indicators; the high school needs to create them. Elementary has been successful in using target intervention time and structured learning. 
• High school plans on using walk-throughs to collect data on staff to inform and create professional development for staff to improve instructional delivery and strategies to improve the academic excellence of students.

2. School participation - the goal is to improve a student academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally.

• Programs in place currently that build relationships and stress importance in being present in schools
• student engagement programs
• mind up
• equity training in high school in college writing
• family contact when students are absent
• letters 
• phone calls
• home visits
• chronic absenteeism or more than 10% absence 
• SAP meetings
• truancy programs

3. School Culture

• Increase necessary supports
• MTS
• PBIS Positive Intervention Supports 
• SAP (Student Assistance Program)
• Equity Discussions
• College and Career Readiness Lessons and Mentorship

Principal Roberts shared that they are looking forward to collaborating with stakeholders, administration, and the community. They've been busy working with the CCIU and PaTTAN and writing grants. They want to implement plans across the board and will be meeting with teachers this Friday to give them something to think of ideas to come back and hit the ground running in the new year.

Board Comment: Harlen asked what Universal Screeners the District was looking into and Magnan specified three options the District is negotiating. Mills asked for Magnan to explain to the public what a Universal Screener is and used for.

CCAP comment: We appreciate the District's commitment to collecting and using data to drive instruction. Last year the District made a commitment to utilizing Classroom Diagnostic Testing. However, we have not heard any follow up to that process or results from the 2019-2020 school year.

While we agree with the areas identified, we do have some concerns. For academic excellence, we believe that consistent professional development for teachers would help with some of that improvement. We also believe that the District should consider reevaluating the programs implemented over the past few years instead: the programs that teachers, students, and parents have repeatedly voiced their dissatisfaction: Units of Study and CPM.

 INFORMATIONAL ITEM(s)

• In-School Suspension update—Dr. Richard F. Dunlap, Jr. - Working with Kelly Services (RFP) for some support for in-school suspension.
• Enrollment - some still leaving but others trickling back from other placements.
• Board Goals/Comprehensive Bridge Plan Update (Enclosure)

Comment: Dunlap reviewed the priorities and goals of the Bridge plan at the 1:21 mark.

• Opening of Schools 2020-2021 (Enclosure)—Dr. Richard F. Dunlap, Jr. and Jason Palaia PDE (Enclosure)  CARES Act

Explanation:

Department of Education is asking all schools in the Commonwealth to create a Health Safety Plan. 

Three types of re-openings - Reopening will cost CASD about 2 million.

• Total reopening (Dunlap anticipates doing something like this- He believes we need to examine how to proceed) Prepared for any parents 
• Scaffolded Opening- Students in person - grade levels might take turns
• Blended Opening (Balances in-person and remote learning and allows movement between total remote and in person.)
• Total Remote Learning - what we participated in this year.

We have to be able to afford whatever option we go with. 

Federal Relief Money to help us reopen: $1,346,239 included in the current budget and the COVID 19 - Federal Disaster Emergency Grants - $718,137 add up to cover the reopening costs.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Lyryn Yacoe: She's concerned that Scott and the new 8/9 center do not have an Autistic Support the Classroom and is curious why this is the case. She questioned if the ATSI Plan should include any action plans or measurable objectives.

Finance Committee Agenda

PRESENTATIONS

• Proposed Final Budget – Richard F. Dunlap, Jr., Ed.D., Lori Diefenderfer, and Chuck Linderman (Confidential Enclosure)

COMMENT:

This has been presented over and over again throughout the last 6 months - Check out the presentation in the enclosure for details.

D.  Temporary Director of Operations—CCRES

RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the extension of employment with the Temporary Director of Operations, with an effective end date of October 9, 2020, through the existing Agreement of Services with CCRES at a cost of $440 per day.

COMMENT:

Dunlap said that the contract could be terminated at any time if we find ourselves a permanent applicant.  

O.    MDJ Rudy Holdings, LLC – LERTA Tax Appeal Agreement

RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the LERTA tax appeal agreement between MDJ Rudy Holdings, LLC and the Coatesville Area School District, as presented. (Confidential Enclosure-Agreement) (Confidential Enclosure-Tax Bills)

COMMENT:

M. Linderman explained that last year the board approved the first set of district-initiated tax appeals- this is mainly for businesses but could be large residential - must have an entity underpaying over $10,000. One commercial appeal is being settled to hopefully be shared next meeting - approximately $200,000 a year. Of a dozen - ten should all result in additional tax revenue. It is ensuring that commercial and large residential pay their share. 

R.   2020-2021 General Fund Budget and Tax Resolution

RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the General Fund Budget and Tax Resolution, as presented, in the amount of $175,900,000 for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year with a real estate tax rate of 38.2018 Mills of the assessed valuation, $3.82018 per $100 of assessed value, and a Realty Transfer Tax of 0.5%; an Earned Income Tax of. 0.5%; and a Local Service Tax of $5.00 (no change in these taxes). (Enclosure)

COMMENT: NO CHANGE IN TAXES

S.      School Homestead/Farmstead Resolution for 2020-2021 
        RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Reduction amounts, as presented, in the amount of $254.42 per Homestead/Farmstead with an assessed value exclusion of $6,660 per Homestead/Farmstead. (Enclosure)

COMMENT:

Linderman revealed that Legislatures found the 300 million dollars to make the fund whole and the District has around 15,000 eligible homes.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Ann Wuertz: She wanted to address the elimination of the special ed director and her concern in doing so since we have such a high need in our district.  She also spoke against the elimination of the assistant to the superintendent. 

Lyryn Yacoe: Spoke about her concern for the new position in the business office and why we aren't cutting costs in all departments.    "Didn't we just give a $25,000 raise to the new assistant business manager?  Between the new assistant manager and the promotion of the business the manager, shouldn't between both of them be able to do that for the time being?"  

She also had questions about the Transportation Specialist?  "Yet again, another business office position I think we can spare for the moment.   Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the district pay a large amount of money a few years back for Transfinder?  This program was supposed to do all the work for us.   The board voted on it because it was supposed to be a cost-saving in labor.  Are we using this program at all?"  

Lastly, she asked for an update requested on the RFP for a new solicitor.  

Operations Committee Agenda

PRESENTATION(S)

• RFP Update—Lori Diefenderfer and Chuck Linderman

COMMENT:

Diefenderfer provided an update on the athletic trainer services RFP they are reviewing. The District's current provider is Brandywine hospital. She is hoping to have more answers by the end of this month.

 

They also are reviewing an RFP for snow removal that was opened 6/8 and another for substitute teacher services.  The board should know more about this at the end of the month. 

• Transportation Update—Lori Diefenderfer and Chuck Linderman

COMMENT:

The transportation survey went out last week.  This year the district will not be sending out bus cards out to students, but instead parents and guardians will receive their information through home access. 

 

Lindeman also mentioned that come the new school year, with all the unknown, busing could be affected with the reopening of school. Dunlap mentioned there could be a need to add additional busing, however, there is no money for that. 

 

Unless there's federal or state assistance in that area, there would most likely be a recommendation from the business department to eliminate busing and just open schools with parents finding a way to transport students if required to open with any kind of social distancing.

If opening does not require social distancing or the District could do some kind of staggered schedule, the buses could just run every day. It would be a very expensive thing for the district to take on if busing is impacted.

Linderman reminded the board that Trandfinder was purchased a few years back, but was not opened due to the lack of staffing in our transportation department.

AGENDA ITEMS

C.  Student Parking Permit Fee – Coatesville Area Senior High School

RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of School Directors approve the annual fee of $100 for a student parking permit at the Coatesville Area Senior High School. Prorated fees will be applied quarterly based on the following fee schedule.

• $100.00 – Full Year Parking Pass
• $75.00 – 2nd  Quarter to 4th Quarter
• $50.00 – 3rd  Quarter to 4th Quarter
• $25.00 – 4th Quarter Only

SCHOOL BOARD COMMENT:  

Fisher asked what parking fee was for this year. Dunlap responded that it has been $10 for the last several years. 

Bookman asked if there could be a payment plan. Palaia said that the administration will work with families who unable to cover the total bill. 

Finkbohner questioned if the fee increased would ridership on buses increase. Both Rhone and Palaia told the board that they never had a problem in the past.  Kids always found the way to get the money (the fee was $100 in the past.)

Linderman added the additional funds from $10 to $100, the additional funds can be used in the budget and allocated to additional safety and security, especially in the parking lots. 

PUBLIC COMMENT

Lyryn Yacoe:  Thanked the District for continuing to provide meals to the community. She wanted to recognize the food service department's manager Mrs. Robinson's as well as her wonderful team's dedication and collaboration throughout these crazy times.