FRANKLIN REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS COMMITTEE-OF-THE-WHOLE MEETING MINUTES May 6, 2013 Heritage Elementary School

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1 FRANKLIN REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS COMMITTEE-OF-THE-WHOLE MEETING MINUTES May 6, 2013 Heritage Elementary School A. BOARD MEMBER ATTENDANCE Present: Absent: Larry Borland, Joe Seymour, Jane Tower, Herb Yingling, Paul Scheinert, Kimberly Bondi, Dennis Irvine Dennis Pavlik B. AGENDA TOPIC 1. Superintendent s Report Sloan Elementary School Principal Tina Burns spoke about the many additional science activities that take place at Sloan to help increase the students love of and appreciation for science. The Sloan Arts and Science Fair was held on April 11 th and 12 th and was open to all students in grades K-5. The following students attended the Board meeting to showcase their entries which received awards in various categories: Hadley Regelski (Kindergarten); Ben Perry (First Grade); Cade Kirkpatrick (Second Grade); Alaina Perry (Third Grade); Justin and Halle Jakiela (Fourth Grade); Manali Badwe, Martina Henninger and Elena Swecker (Fifth Grade). 2. Bond Refinancing A resolution regarding the refunding of the Series of 2008 General Obligation Bond was presented to the Board for consideration. This resolution establishes parameters for the potential refunding/restructuring of the Series of 2008 General Obligation Bond. This Bond has a call date of May 15, 2013 and an outstanding principal of approximately $2.6 million. The District is considering a Parameters Resolution which would authorize the financing team to issue the bonds as long as certain parameters are met and provide the greatest flexibility in restructuring. The refunding of this Bond would provide monies to help pay for major expenses such as the Middle School HVAC replacement project, as well as provide increased flexibility in the Capital Fund expenses.

2 Option 1 of the suggested restructuring options would provide the maximum relief in 2014 and 2015 and help the District to realize approximately $1,865,000 of local effort relief in 2014 and $437,000 in The Board will be asked to take action on the Administration s recommendation to adopt the resolution presented regarding the refunding of the Series of 2008 General Obligation Bond at its regular voting meeting on May 20 th. 3. Food Service Contract for A food service contract with Metz Culinary Associates for the school year was presented with a guaranteed profit of approximately $47, Projection revenues have decreased due to lower enrollment, less catering and more efficient use of personnel. The cost for lunch at the elementary level has been set at $2.05 and $2.35 at the secondary level. The school year will be the final year for the current contract with Metz. An RFP for the food service contract will be developed during the summer months and sent out in the fall. The Administration hopes to award the new food service contract in March, Renovations to the Heritage kitchen will begin immediately following the last day of the current school year and are scheduled to be completed before the beginning of the school year in August. The Board will be asked to take action on the proposed Food Service contract for the school year at its voting meeting on May 20 th. 4. Cow Patty Bingo Use of Facilities The Franklin Regional Band Boosters are seeking permission to hold its annual Cow Patty Bingo fundraiser on September 29 th at the Senior High School baseball field and parking lot. This is a major fundraiser for the Band each year and provides each band member with an opportunity to raise funds to help defray the cost(s) associated with upcoming band trips. The Boosters are also asking that the standard fees associated with the use of District facilities be waived for this event. The Board will take action on the above request on May 20 th. 5. BandTrip to Disney World The Senior High School Music Department is seeking permission from the Board for the High School Band to travel to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in order to perform in the Magic Kingdom. Tentative departure is scheduled for March 19 th with a return date of March 23 rd. The cost per student is estimated at $1200; the Boosters will provide numerous opportunities for the students to participate in fundraisers to help defray the cost. There is no cost to the District for this trip.

3 The Board will vote on the above trip request when it meets on May 20 th. 6. Capital Projects Five capital projects were presented to the Board for consideration: Upgrade of a Senior High School Science Classroom C.M. Eichenlaub of Pittsburgh, PA - $9, for providing lab tops and fixtures; East Suburban Interiors of Murrysville - $10, for installing lab tops And fixtures; Total project cost - $19, (New Capital) This project will provide an additional chemistry room for use by the Senior High School Science Department and enable the Senior High School to properly serve those students who have scheduled chemistry for the 2013/2014 school year. Replacement of Furniture Districtwide Hampton Office Equipment of Greensburg, PA; Strictly for Kids of Tacoma, WA; P.E.M. Co. of Bethel Park, PA; Reed Associates of Johnstown, PA; East Suburban Interiors of Murrysville, PA - $23, (Capital Replacement) This project will replace furniture in all five (5) buildings. All of the furniture that is being replaced will be sold for scrap metal. Typically, 1.5 percent of all elementary furniture is replaced each year. Renovation of Campus Roadways K. Dolan Construction Co. of Blairsville, PA $44, (Capital Maintenance) The replacement of the small sections of the roads and parking lots each year helps to preserve the life of the asphalt. This year s project will include roadway sections near the Middle School, on the Sloan campus and the main roadway to the Senior High School from Old William Penn Highway. Improve the Monitoring and Control of Visitors in all District Schools Work would be completed by District Services personnel, Technology Services, the School Resource Officer, and outside contractors - $86, (New Capital) Security enhancements will be developed based on the needs of each building. Physical enhancements will include structural changes, door and lock improvements, deterrence improvements, additional monitoring and improved communications. Procedural changes will also be incorporated to correspond to the physical changes. Middle School HVAC Electrical, Controls and Balance Contractor Recommendation Allegheny City Electric of Pittsburgh, PA $204,700 electrical contractor for the Middle School HVAC rooftop replacement

4 WAE Balancing of Mercer, PA - $30,400 Balance contractor who will review the installation and check all air flows and temperature ratings of the Middle School HVAC rooftop replacement under operating conditions Automated Logic of Pittsburgh, PA - $843, Second lowest bidder for the controls contractor; Scalise Industries of Lawrenceville, PA $798, To date, the award of this contract has not been made. Both firms are being evaluated based on the software preferred by both. A recommendation will be forthcoming for the May 20 th voting meeting of the Board. The total cost of this project, should Automated Logic be chosen, would be $1,078, with funding from the Capital Replacement Fund. The Board will be asked to take action on each of the proposed capital projects when it meets on May 20 th. 7. Donation Basketball Court The Sloan PTO has donated $10,000 for the installation of a basketball court at Sloan Elementary School for the upper level playground. This court would be located across from the front of the school in what is currently a grassy area surrounded by trees. Three sides of the court will be enclosed by a six foot high fence that will keep the ball from rolling down the hill. The court will be usable all year long and easy to keep clean, even during the winter months. Members of the PTO worked with District Services Manager Dennis Majewski on the specifications for this court and associated costs. Even after the generous $10,000 donation, the Sloan PTO Treasury will still have a very healthy balance of approximately $20,000. Acceptance of the above donation by the Board will be on the agenda for the May 20 th voting meeting. 8. Concussion Management Policy As per the Safety and Youth Sports Act, the State is now requiring all school districts to adopt a concussion management policy. As per the policy developed by the State, prior to participation in an athletic activity, every student athlete and his/her parent/guardian shall sign and return the acknowledgement of receipt and review of the Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Information Sheet. The District s policy presented to the Board is pretty much word for word the policy developed by the State. The District currently uses the services of the Allegheny General Hospital and the UPMC Concussion Management Centers.

5 While baseline testing would be helpful for all contact sports, the District would be required to pay for the license for this testing and determine which sports are considered contact sports. The Board will be asked to take action on the proposed Concussion Management Policy, on first reading, on May 20 th, in order for the policy to be in place for the beginning of the fall sports season in August. 9. Summer Technology Projects A listing of summer replacement and new technology projects, for a cost not to exceed $640,500.00, was presented to the Board for consideration. These projects are necessary due to equipment age; repair/replacement status; electrical and cabling installations; and new equipment purchase ans need to be scheduled around the summer cleaning schedule of District Services. These projects will continue the District s efforts to provide 21 st century global classrooms for all students. They will also enable differentiated instruction, help to expand student resources and prepare students for cloud computing. Professional development will also be required in order to ensure proper usage of the technology available to teachers. The Board will take action on May 20 th on the request to move forward with scheduling and installation of the proposed summer technology projects. 10. Purchase of Literacy Textbooks Based on the recommendations presented with the Literacy Cyclical Review, Board consideration is being asked for the following: a. To place the requested literacy textbooks on display for the required 30-day period for review by the public; b. To approve curriculum writing for those courses identified through the cyclical review process in order to align those courses with the revised Scope and Sequence. Curriculum rewrites will then be presented to the Board for adoption. Curriculum writing would not exceed $9,000; the purchase of the proposed literacy textbooks would not exceed $110,000. The curriculum writing and proposed textbooks were both approved by the members of the Literacy Subject Council. The Board will take action on the above requests on May 20 th. 11. Use of Service Animals The purpose of this policy is to ensure that individuals with disabilities are entitled to bring service animals into school district buildings and vehicles, as well as onto school district grounds. This policy specifically addresses the use of animals. The District s policy, as presented, was written in conjunction with ADA requirements.

6 The Board will be asked to take action on the proposed policy regarding the use of service animals in the District on May 20 th. A special thank you was noted for the members of the local SLAM group who organize a fishing derby for special needs students each year at the creek at Sloan Elementary School. Students from Clelian Heights and The Children s Institute participated in this event this year, with the help of SLAM members and students from the Senior High School. 12. Pressley Ridge Letter of Agreement The District has received a Letter of Agreement from Pressley Ridge for services for the school year, should the District need to place a student(s) at that facility. Currently, there are no students attending Pressley Ridge. A thirty-day notice by either party would be required to terminate the Agreement. The Board will be asked to take action on the above Letter of Agreement at its monthly voting meeting on May 20 th. 13. ESY Agreement with Children s Institute The District has received a Services Agreement from the Children s Institute (CI) for the purpose of providing Extended School Year Services for a student currently attending the CI. These services will be provided during the summer months during the hours of 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at a cost to the District of $ per day and in conjunction with the student s current Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Board action on the proposed Agreement will occur at its voting meeting on May 20 th. 14. Notice of Adoption of Policies, Procedures and Use of Funds The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit has submitted a request to the District to formally adopt the WIU s Policies, Procedures and Use of Funds under the federal requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. By formally adopting the Policies, Procedures and Use of Funds, the District promises to follow IDEA legislation and is eligible to share in the IDEA Part B Pass Thru Funds. The WIU-adopted policies and procedures are implemented to fulfill the requirements of 22 PA Code Chapter 14 and the regulatory requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B. The Board will vote to formally adopt the above-mentioned policies and procedures on May 20 th. 15. Joint Purchasing for Gasoline & Diesel Fuel for The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit (WIU) Joint Purchasing Consortium for Gasoline and Diesel Fuel has recommended the award of the bid for diesel fuel for the school year to Guttman Oil at a cost of $2.99 per gallon. Guttman

7 Oil was the lowest responsible bidder meeting or equaling the specifications set forth by the WIU. The Consortium has also recommended the award of the bid for unleaded gasoline for the school year to Guttman Oil at a cost of $2.75 per gallon, also the lowest responsible bidder meeting or equaling the specifications set forth by the WIU. The Board will take action on May 20 th on the request by the WIU to approve the award of the fuel contracts to Guttman Oil for the school year 16. Local Audit Services A Request for Proposal for local auditing services has not been conducted within the past ten years. The District has contracted with McKeever, Varga & Senko for this service for several years. However, they have elected to discontinue performing local audits for school districts. An RFP for auditing services was distributed in March, Based on the results of the RFP, the Administration has recommended the District contract with Mark C. Turnley, CPA, as the independent external auditor to audit the financial statements of the District for the years ending June 30 th 2013, 2014 and 2015 at a cost of $13,500, $13,500 and $14,000, respectively. The firm s audit practice focuses on the area of governmental entities and serves more than twenty (20) school districts in Pennsylvania, including Norwin, Kiski, Belle Vernon, Jeannette City and Greensburg-Salem. The Board will take action on the Administration s recommendation for local auditing services when it meets on May 20 th. 17. GASB 45 Valuation Services Provider In 2004, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued a standard requiring school districts to account for and report the cost of post-employment benefits over the working lifetime of employees. Previously, this cost was reported on a pay as you go basis. However, GASB is now requiring those costs to be calculated by a qualified actuary who will determine the costs to be paid in the future. The Administration is recommending the use of Willis of Pennsylvania, Inc., to conduct this valuation currently required at a cost of $6,945.00, per their proposal. Willis satisfactorily completed the District s prior two valuations. Information obtained from this valuation will enable the District to plan for long-term financial and business goals in a proactive manner. The Board will be asked to take action on the recommendation to use Willis of Pennsylvania to provide the required GASB 45 actuarial consulting services when

8 It meets on May 20 th for its regular voting meeting. 18. NWTC Operating Budget for The District has received the proposed general operating budget for For the Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center (NWCTC). Franklin Regional s share of the budget - $434, is a decrease of $21,000 from the current NWCTC budget. This proposed budget was approved by the Joint Operating Committee of the NWCTC on April 18, At this time, the NWCTC is requesting approval of the following resolutions related to the NWCTC budget for : a. Approval of the NWCTC General Operating Budget; b. Authorization to the NWCTC to secure a Revenue Anticipation Note in the approximate amount of $2,610,000 to cover operating expenses for the school year; c. Authorization for the execution of an operation contract in the amount of $434,495 with NWCTC for the school year for the expenses of administration and operation of the Technology Center. The Board will take action on the above resolutions when it meets on May 20 th. 19. Donations/Gifts Board policy dictates that all gifts to the District monetary or material be presented to the Board for approval/acceptance. The following is a list of recent donations to the District: FREA Staff Contributions $ Fund-A-Meal Mrs. Ethel Hall $ Fund-A-Meal M/M Mark Clemente $ Middle School Softball Uniforms M/M John Yurinko $ Middle School Softball Uniforms Jim Bosco $3, Two Mobi learners; 1 Mobi view; 1 Mobi Quick; 1 Mobi 360; 1 set each IR and RF Student Response Systems Senior High School PTO $ Amana microwave and stainless steel cart for the Senior High cafeteria $ Nexus 7 16 GB Tablet for Computer Science Department $ Microscope Slides for Biology Dept. $ Walmart Gift Card for Nurse s Office for the purchase of student snacks

9 The Board will take action to accept the above donations at its voting meeting on May 20 th. 20. Budget Transfers Budget transfers for the period ending April 30, 2013, in the amount of $22, for the General Fund and $13, for the Athletic Fund were presented to the Board for consideration. As there were no questions regarding these budget transfers, the Board will take action to approve the transfers on May 20 th. 21. Proposed General Fund Budget The proposed final General Fund Budget for with expenditures of $49,461,448 and revenues of $49,081,839, with $270,000 of additional funding coming from the PSERS committed fund balance and $109,609 of additional funding coming from the unassigned fund balance, was presented to the Board for consideration. The proposed budget includes a 1.0 millage increase. The budget, as presented, includes a $5,000 increase in the Human Resources budget for use in implementing the VeriTime employee time management system and the PA Etep Teacher Evaluation System. The figure for salaries represents the capture of one position at the Senior High School level which will be filled by a candidate with dual certification. The retirement of one custodial staff member and one support staff member are also reflected in the proposed budget. The budget also reflects a $25,000 increase to cover the cost of materials requested as a result of the recent Literacy Cyclical Review. The Board has the option to use monies saved from the proposed bond refinancing to balance this budget and thus avoid a millage increase. The proposed budget is being proposed without any decrease in programs offered or compromise to the quality of education provided to the students of Franklin Regional School District. With a little over a month left before the Board needs to vote on a final budget for the school year (which must be submitted to the State by June 30, 2013), the Administration is working to find out if any change in State funding might be available to the District before that vote is taken. The Board will take action on the proposed budget on May 20 th. The final vote on the budget will take place on June 17 th.

10 22. Personnel The Certificated Personnel report includes a sabbatical request (Sloan Librarian), several requests for leaves of absence (family, medical and unpaid); recommendations for several long-term substitute positions (Special Ed. and Assistant Principal for the Middle School), and additional substitute teachers for the remainder of the current school year. The Support Personnel Report includes several resignations, approval of a Special Education Aide at Sloan Elementary School, and additional substitute support staff for the remainder of the school year. The Supplemental Personnel Report includes the resignation of an Assistant Curriculum Coordinator, the employment of a summer employee for District Services, and the employment of an afternoon Greeter for Sloan Elementary School. As there were no questions regarding the Personnel recommendations, the Board will take action on these recommendations on May 20 th at its regular voting meeting. C. Audience Recognition George Meert Asked the Board to try to hold the line when approving the budget for ; one mil or no mil would be appreciated. D. Executive Session Board President Herb Yingling announced the Board had met in Executive Session prior to the start of the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting to discuss contractual, legal and personnel issues. The Board would not meet in Executive Session following adjournment of the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m.