MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
BENTON HARBOR AREA SCHOOLS
NOVEMBER 2, 2004

President Ken Woltman called the November Work Session of the Board of Education to order at 6:09 p.m. in the Benton Harbor High School, Student Commons Area.

Present:  Mr. Ken Woltman, Mrs. J. Allene Smith, Mr. Anthony Henry, Dr. Gladys Peeples-Burks and Mr. Dan McGinnis

Absent:  Dr. Perry Davis and Mr. Robert L. Bowman

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

Central Administration
Superintendent Dawning reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to approve District policy revisions/creations.  The Policy Committee has made a recommendation to revise/create the following policies:

• ABCDB - School Board Election Arrangements (revise)

• ABCDB-E - Pay For School Election Workers (rescind)

• BBFB - Parent/Guardian Involvement (new)

• DJD-R - Fiscal Management/Expense Reimbursements Rules and Regulations (revise)

• EGAA - Workmen's Compensation (revise)

• EGAA-R2 - Medical Treatment and Medical Control Procedures Workers' Compensation Act (On-The-Job Injuries) Rules and Regulations (revise)

• IHF - Academic Achievement/Graduation Requirements (revise)

• LB - Interorganizational Relations/School-Community Cooperation (rescind)

• LC - Interorganizational Relations/School-Community Cooperation (rescind)

Superintendent Paula Dawning reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to approve the readmission of students to school.  Petitions have been made to the Board of Education for readmittance to school.  According to Board Policy JBG, the Petition Review Committee met and recommended that seven students be allowed to return as students in the Benton Harbor Area Schools.

Business and Finance
Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance Sheletha Bobo reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to adopt the resolution Setting the Regular School Election Date, as prepared by Thrun Law Firm.  The proposed new regular school election date is the 2^nd Tuesday following the 1^st Monday in May.  A Public Hearing has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at the Benton Harbor High School, Student Commons for the purpose of setting the new regular school election date.

Assistant Superintendent Sheletha Bobo reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to approve a resolution appointing a Trustee and Risk Management Coordinator to the Middle Cities Risk Management Trust.  Ms. Sheletha Bobo is the proposed Trustee representative and Ms. Carol Burke is the proposed Risk Management Coordinator.

Operations & Facilities
As an informational item, Group Director for Operations & Facilities Stephen Mitchell reported that a public hearing has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at the Benton Harbor High School, Student Commons, for the purpose of declaring school owned property as surplus.  The Peace Temple United Methodist Church has requested to purchase a District owned lot at the corner of Jefferson and Lincoln streets.

Instruction
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Instruction Virginia Maxwell reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to approve the Michigan Coalition of Essential Schools resolution.  The Michigan Coalition of Essential Schools has been assisting Fair Plain Northeast Elementary School with its school improvement efforts.  The Coalition requires the Board of Education to adopt a formal resolution confirming its Operating Agreement with the District.  The cost for this program has been fully funded by the Michigan Department of Education.

Assistant Superintendent Virginia Maxwell reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to approve the resolution for the Michigan School Readiness Program grant.  The District is applying for a Michigan School Readiness Program grant to fund Early Childhood programs including the four-year-old preschool program.  The amount of the grant is $528,000.00 from the Michigan Department of Education to provide half-day preschool sessions for 160 students, and comprehensive parent involvement and education programs for all families of children 0-5.

Human Resources/Labor Relations
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources/Labor Relations Nora Jefferson reported that Board action would be requested at the regular meeting to approve the following:

Teachers Issued a Pink Slip

Consent
Board action will be requested at the regular meeting to accept the following donations/grants to the Benton Harbor Area Schools:

• $700 Dark Room Equipment Donation From Mr. Jim Gill

• $100 Donation from Battle of the Bands Competition to Benton Harbor High School Marching Band

Other
In light of recent difficult decisions being made, a letter of support for the superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools was written to the editor of The Herald-Palladium and published in the October 31^st issue.

Superintendent’s Update
The District's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) 2004 report card will be released soon from the Department of Education.  School Districts not making AYP will face significant consequences. The Benton Harbor High School and Middle Schools Hull and Fair Plain did not make AYP thus the District did not make AYP.  Like the individual schools, the District report card must be based on the elements of:

• Minimum size of 30 students for the District, in the grades tested, using the same rules as are applied to individual schools.

• Overall student achievement - whether all 4^th graders in the District, for instance, met or exceeded the state targets in English Language Arts and Mathematics (or qualified for the "safe harbor" provision.
•  Whether all subgroups in the District met or exceeded the state targets (or "safe harbor").
•  Whether a minimum 95% of the District's students were assessed, at each grade level tested, and within each student subgroup in the District.
• Whether the District's elementary and middle school students met or exceeded the State's target for attendance, and whether the District's high school(s) met the state's graduation target.

The State of Michigan received an award for the State Scholars Program and the Benton Harbor Area Schools will pilot the State Scholars Program this school year.

The Project Great Start grant was awarded to the Berrien County Intermediate School District to implement this early childhood program.

Current Benton Harbor Area Schools budget reduction proposals has not been a simple task and Superintendent Dawning has met with members of the Ministerial Alliance to discuss and understand the District's budget restraints.

The District's 2004-2005 strategic planning sessions will start in November and December.

The Board Public Relations Committee will establish a community dialog with the aid of Marketing Partners, Inc., to better understand what the community wants in their schools.

Site evaluations are underway for the Homeland Security grant proving to be very important for the assessment of safety for students and staff.

Public Participation
Mr. Greg Mauchmar addressed the Board of Education in support of Superintendent Dawning's request to close school for students due to election precincts being located in District buildings and due to high voter turnout the schools were filled with people that could have been unsafe for children.

Board Comments
Trustee Peeples-Burks stated that in a recent issue of the MailMax publication a Benton Harbor Area Schools student was featured as Athlete of the Week.

Trustee Henry stressed the importance of parental involvement in schools and questioned why some staff members do not send their children to Benton Harbor Area Schools.  The Board Public Relations Committee will be seeking to find solutions that would encourage parental involvement.

Trustee Smith encouraged the community to vote in today's presidential election citing a great voter turnout.

There being no further business, the November work session was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.