Board Briefs—January 19, 2010 In This Issue School of the Month Special Recognition Public Comments Board Reports Superintendent Report       Audit Report Quarterly Financial Reports 2009-2010 Elementary Calendar Change EHS Proficiency Recommendation Consensus

School of the Month
Ms. Beth Engel, Principal of ECE at Maddox, said she and the staff and children are very excited to have the program in one building. Ms. Engel presented a Powerpoint that depicted highlights of the preschool program. The Early Childhood program is licensed by the Colorado Department of Human Services and serves children ages 2 1/2 through 5. The program provides a comprehensive system of services which address child, family, and community needs. The program strives to help children develop a positive attitude toward learning and support their development while encouraging life-long learning. The preschool program involves the families to assist them in developing language and reading skills along with activities that continue learning. The teachers provide activities that meet the individual needs of each child by encouraging engagement through fun and creative activities.

Special Recognition
Mr. McDaniel recognized Ms. Beth Engel, Principal of ECE at Maddox. Mr. McDaniel said the district is very lucky to have Ms. Engel who is a very effective leader. He has observed Beth interacting with parents, kids, and teachers and said Beth uses best practices and is a superstar at achieving positive results.

Public Comments
There were no public comments.

Student Representative to Board
Karly Gelinas, EHS Student Representative, reported that 134 EHS students are participating in winter sports. Attendance at EHS is up with AVID classes having the highest, a 90% attendance rate. Fund raising activities for prom have raised $700 so far. The National Honor Society will hold a blood drive on February 26. Freshman Open House is January 27 and 28.

Board Reports
Ms. Howard attended the District's Accountability (DAC) meeting and reported that Ms. Kim Tooze, Cherrelyn Teacher, presented information on Cherrelyn's School Health Improvement Plan, "Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds". The school is focusing on nutrition and exercise.

Ms. Miller reported that she learned that Saint Mary's School wants to use the tennis courts at Romans Park on the weekdays, between 10:00 a.m. and noon. The Community Garden project is moving forward and generating a great deal of interest. It was also noted at the Parks and Recreation meeting that coyotes have been spotted at Belleview Park. Ms. Miller said the Board enjoyed attending the Colorado's Finest Alternative High School's mid-year graduation and reported there were 25 graduates. The Englewood Education Foundation provided $1000 dollar scholarships to three of the graduates.

Superintendent Report
Mr. McDaniel has presented budget information to 14 separate local groups, including parents, administrators, teachers and classified employees. The purpose of the meetings is to provide perspective on the state budget and what that means to Englewood Schools. The dismal economic forecast will mean a 2 to 2.3 million-dollar decrease in the districts' budget. Eighty-five percent of the district's money goes to employees' salary and benefits. Mr. McDaniel plans to notify probationary teachers, who will be non-renewed for next year, as soon as possible so they can attend job fairs and seek employment elsewhere. The non-renewal list will be brought to the Board at the February 2nd meeting. Some districts have already notified and non-renewed all their first-year teachers.
Mr. McDaniel has informed the Board that the District's legal counsel and Chief Negotiator will be at the March board meeting to provide information relevant to the 2010 Negotiations.
Mr. McDaniel introduced Mr. David Henderson, Director of Operations and District Safety Coordinator, who explained legislative requirements and district compliance regarding the National Incident Management System. Mr. Henderson said district administrators have completed or will soon complete classes that train them on appropriate response to a crisis situation. The district will be compliant May 1, 2010.

Audit Report
Ms. Peg LaPlante introduced the District's auditor who told the board that the audit provides reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The auditors also look at internal controls to make certain there are no significant deficiencies. Englewood Schools received a "clean" audit.

Quarterly Financials
Ms. Peg LaPlante provided the quarterly financials for the period ending September 2009. Some revenues are coming in slower, due to the economic situation but major expenditures are on target. Ms. LaPlante stated that supplies are the one area the district can cut so those budgets have been restricted. Interest earnings are down. Capital reserve has to be maintained because the district buildings are old and repairs are required.

2009-2010 Elementary Calendar Change
The Board approved the request by Ms. Mary Vedra and Ms. Michell Ansley to add a non-student-contact day to the Traditional Elementary Calendar on April 5 and the Bishop Calendar on April 12. This would provide additional staff development time and add on day (Monday) to Spring Break for students.

EHS Proficiency Recommendation
The Board approved the recommendation from Mr. Jon Fore, Principal of EHS, to keep service learning, end the other 5 proficiencies immediately, including for the Class of 2010, with the stipulation that students who have passed all their proficiencies receive special recognition for doing so.

Consensus
The Board approved the following consensus items:
a. Personnel Recommendations and Addendum
b. 2010-2011 Calendar (1st Reading)
c. Policy KDE Crisis Management (National Incident Management) and KDEA, KDEA-R Crisis Communication (1st Reading)
d. Policy EBCE School Closings and Cancellations (2nd Reading)
e. Policy GCE/GCF Professional Staff Recruiting/Hiring (2nd Reading)
f.  Public Posting of Notices—In accordance with Section 24-6-402(2)c, Colorado Revised Statutes, it is recommended that the Roscoe L. Davidson Administration Building, 4101 S. Bannock St., is designated as the official posting place for all required legal notices when a quorum of the Board of Education attends a meeting.

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