MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
BENTON HARBOR AREA SCHOOLS
MARCH 8, 2005

The March regular meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Ken Woltman at 6:05 p.m. at the Benton Harbor High School, Student Commons Area.

Present:  Mr. Ken Woltman, Mrs. J. Allene Smith, Mr. Anthony A. Henry, Mr. Robert L. Bowman and Mrs. Carolyn Fort

Absent:  Dr. Perry Davis and Mr. Dan McGinnis

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps JROTC offered the Presentation of Colors and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Minutes
A motion was made by Mr. Henry and supported by Mrs. Smith that the Minutes of the work session of February 1, 2005 be approved as printed.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

A motion was made by Mr. Bowman and supported by Mr. Henry that the Minutes of the special meeting of February 1, 2005 be approved as printed.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

A motion was made by Mrs. Fort and supported by Mr. Bowman that the Minutes of the regular meeting of February 8, 2005 be approved as printed.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mr. Bowman that the Minutes of the public hearing of February 15, 2005 be approved as printed.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

A motion was made by Mr. Bowman and supported by Mrs. Smith that the Minutes of the special meeting of February 21, 2005 be approved as printed.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Vendor Payments
A motion was made by Mr. Henry and supported by Mr. Bowman that vendor payments in the amount of $1,789,400.62 be approved for payment.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Activity of the General Fund was reviewed and accepted as presented.

Recognitions
The Benton Harbor Area Schools has received a Certificate of Acknowledgement from Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce that recognized the District for its Long-Standing Service to the Communities of Michigan’s Great Southwest.

Praise and recognition was extended to Benton Harbor High School senior Audrey Thomas for being named as the Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor 2005 Youth of the Year.

Secondary District Consultants Betty Bowman, Laura Richburg, Peggy Greer and Greg Rood were honored for their outstanding commitment to the District and students.  Each consultant received a letter of recognition, gift certificates and a flower.

Central Administration
Staff Report #1
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mrs. Fort:

THAT Board policies:

be hereby adopted as policies of the School District and that any previous policy as listed be hereby rescinded.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #2
A motion was made by Mr. Bowman and supported by Mr. Henry:

THAT the Board of Education, Benton Harbor Area Schools, meet in closed session on the following dates:

Tuesday, March 8, 2005 before, during or following
the regular meeting of the Board of Education on
that date, and

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 before, during or following
the work session of the Board of Education on that date,

at the Benton Harbor High School, Student Commons Area, 870 Colfax Avenue, Benton Harbor, Michigan, in said District for the purpose of discussing with legal counsel litigations, negotiations and possible expulsions.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

The Harbor Town Project Update with Mark Hesemann was pulled from the agenda.

Business/Finance
Staff Report #3
A motion was made by Mr. Bowman and supported by Mr. Henry:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education adopt the resolution authorizing issuance of the Installment Purchase Agreement, for the purchase of four 77-passenger buses and two 53-passenger buses, as prepared by Thrun Law Firm.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

As an informational item, the Finance Blue Ribbon Committee presented the findings of the financial plan review of the Benton Harbor Area Schools.  Committee members include Ken Glowacki-Auditor, Lakeland Regional Health Systems, Lana Greaves-HR Director, The Alliance for World Class Communities, Ron Griesinger-Chief Financial Officer, Cornerstone Alliance, Barbara Meeks-Franchisee Dominos Pizza, Benton Harbor and Donald Radde-President Southwest Michigan, Horizon Bank.  The Committee reviewed the financial plans of the Benton Harbor Area Schools and was asked to look at general business trends, share insights on the economic projections of the area and apply sound financial analysis to make recommendations to the financial plans.  The General Fund expenditures and revenues were the focus of the review.

The Finance Committee reviewed the following documents:

Benton Harbor Area Schools Audit Presentation – Year Ended June 30, 2004.

Benton Harbor Area Schools-Financial Report with Supplemental Information June 30, 2004.

The Herald-Palladium Editorial Board Review October 27, 2004.

“Prepared For Life” Benton Harbor Area Schools 2004 Strategic Plan Update & Report to the Community.

Benton Harbor Schools Fund Activity Forecast 2004-2005.

Facilities Blue Ribbon Committee Report February 4, 2005.

The Committee also reviewed the Administrations Fund Activity Forecast for 2004-2005 to gain a better understanding of the financial results.

A key point was that the Committee does not have a better insight into the revenue projection for the 2005-2006 school year than the Board of Education or the Administration.  The State and Federal economy will continue to be under pressure.  The US economy appears to be stable with modest growth expected.  The economy for the State of Michigan and Southwest Michigan is under pressure.  The Committee’s view on revenue is that any increase in State funding per student could very easily be offset by a reduction in students.

It was recommended that the District vigorously campaign to avoid losing students and prepare a multi-year plan that outlines additional expenditure reductions for 2006-2007 school years and beyond.  It was noted that any future plans should include only modest revenue increases.  The General Fund balance is low and needs to be increased over time.  Health insurance and retirement costs are concerns for most businesses and the school district is not immune for this issue.  The Board, community and the Administration need to work with elected representatives to address the cost increases for insurance and retirements.

The Committee recommended that the Administration take the steps required to replace the high school.  There is no provision for increased maintenance costs.  The cost of replacing the boiler for the existing high school exceeds $1 million.  The $1 million amount would replace the boiler, but would not replace the HVAC system.  This expenditure is not provided for in the model expenditures for the 2005-2006 school years or subsequent years.  Reallocating the 2005-2006 budget to provide for the boiler replacement would require additional reductions and this only addresses the financial aspect and does not consider the issue of closing the high school until the repairs could be completed.

Instruction
Staff Report #4
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mr. Henry:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approve the closing of Sterne Brunson Elementary School effective June 30, 2005, and relocate the HOSTS program to Morton Elementary School.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #5
A motion was made by Mr. Bowman and supported by Mr. Henry:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approve the reopening of Fair Plain Northeast Elementary School for the 2005-2006 school year.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #6
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mrs. Fort:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approve the Elementary Summer School program for the 2004-2005 school year.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #7
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mr. Bowman:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approve the resolution confirming the District’s commitment to the continuation of adolescent health services provided by the Berrien County Health Department on the campus of Benton Harbor High School for the period of October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #8
A motion was made by Mr. Bowman and supported by Mrs. Smith:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approve the purchase of the Credit Recovery Program from CompassLearning for a two-year period at a District cost of $77,571.04 for fees and licenses.  The student cost per class per semester is $75.00.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

As an informational item, Project Director Carole Fetke and Academic Achievement Chairperson Edith Woods presented the Benton Harbor High School Restructuring Project overview to the Board of Education.  In July of 2004, the District received a one-year $50,000 Smaller Learning Communities Planning Grant.  The District has an opportunity to apply for a $650,000 to $800,000 five-year Smaller Learning Communities Implementation Grant.  The Smaller Learning Communities Planning Grant goal was to develop a plan to implement smaller learning communities (SLC) to increase Benton Harbor High Schools’ graduation rate, improve daily attendance and address/narrow the academic achievement gaps that exist within gender and economically disadvantaged populations.  An objective is to develop a SLC implementation plan that will meet the SLC planning goal by employing research-based strategies in these target areas:  Student Achievement, Personal Accountability, School Climate, Parent/Community Involvement and Supportive Learning Environment.  Smaller Learning Communities are not just smaller schools.  Most SLCs have an advocacy/advising component and are focused on students’ needs and interests.  There are 10 components present in successful SLCs: 1) Personalization, 2) Continuous Relationships, 3) High Standards and Performance-Based Assessment, 4) Authentic Curriculum, 5) Adaptive Pedagogy, 6) Multicultural and Anti-racist Teaching, 7) Knowledgeable and Skilled Teaching, 8) Collaborative Planning & Professional Development, 9) Family and Community connections, and 10) Democratic Decision-making.  The Benton Harbor High School Restructuring Team believes that BHHS is a positive force for change in the community; where students, teachers and parents build strong relationships in a caring environment.  The focus is to create smaller learning communities of high academic in which students are prepared to compete in a global economy.

Human Resources/Labor Relations
Staff Report #9
A motion was made by Mr. Henry and supported by Mrs. Fort:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education employ Mr. Thomas Frame and Ms. Karen Berlin effective January 24, 2005, and Ms. Karen Berlin effective March 14, 2005.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #10
A motion was made by Mr. Henry and supported by Mr. Bowman:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education accept the retirement notices of Dr. Simon Honore, Ms. Carolyn Walton, Ms. Edwina McCree, Mrs. Mary E. Newcomb-Ealy and Mr. Timothy Bergan and that a letter is sent to them thanking them for their many years of service to the students and the District.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #11
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mr. Henry:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education accept the resignation notice of Mrs. Eula McKee and that a letter is sent thanking her for her years of service to the students of the District.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #12
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mr. Bowman:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education accept the resignation notice of Ms. Shellie Paskiet and that a letter is sent thanking her for her years of service to the students of the District.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Staff Report #13
A motion was made by Mrs. Smith and supported by Mr. Bowman:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education vote to consider the non-renewal of Assistant Principal Priscilla Scott’s contract.  This action is in compliance with State Law, Board Policy and the Administrator’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Consent
Staff Report #14
A motion was made by Mr. Henry and supported by Mrs. Fort:

THAT the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education gratefully acknowledges and accepts the generosity of Whirlpool Corporation's monetary donation of $35,406.34. The funding can be used in any combination chosen by the Superintendent for the following: 1) ChildNet Program, 2) Parenting Involvement Programs and, 3) Long Term Strategic Planning as deemed a priority by the Superintendent.

The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Other
Following the regular meeting the Board of Education will recess to closed session for the purpose of discussing with legal counsel personnel issues.

Superintendent's Update
The Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) is sponsoring a new Charter School scheduled to open next fall in the Mercy Center, Benton Harbor.

A superintendent’s meeting has been scheduled for March 10th to discuss reorganizing the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC or Big 16).

Public Participation
Mrs. Anne Knuth addressed the Board of Education expressing her concerns with the District’s priorities in the repair of school buildings citing the proposed refurbishing of the high school locker rooms and media centers when according to the Facilities Blue Ribbon Committee the high school boiler will be on blink soon.

The Board recessed to closed session at 8:00 p.m.

Present:  Mr. Ken Woltman, Mrs. J. Allene Smith, Mr. Anthony A. Henry, Mr. Robert L. Bowman and Mrs. Carolyn Fort

Absent:  Dr. Perry Davis and Mr. Dan McGinnis

Also Present:  Dr. Paula Dawning, Dr. J. Leonard Wright and Attorney K. Morris Gavin

Former Benton Harbor High School Assistant Principal Lynn Lang was present and requested an open hearing to express his side of the story regarding his recent resignation.  Mr. Lang discussed his tenure in Memphis, Tennessee, his work ethic and the mistake he had made while in Memphis.  He indicated that he had no intention of deceiving the District or producing negative publicity and asked for employment reconsideration.  Mrs. Lang, the principal of Flint Northern High School and several BHHS staff spoke highly of Mr. Lang and read letters of support for his rehiring.

Trustees Henry and Bowman each expressed their positive experiences encountered with Mr. Lang while he was employed as the Benton Harbor High School Assistant Principal.

President Woltman stated that he has torn emotions between Mr. Lang’s abilities and with the actual reason for his resignation.

Superintendent Dawning said that Mr. Lang was afforded this opportunity to speak with the Board of Education to allow the District to hear his side of the story surrounding his resignation.  Mr. Lang’s request for employment reinstatement is a very complex issue and must be investigated further.

There being no further business, the March regular meeting of the Board of Education was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.