Fayetteville Board of Education
Minutes of the July 24, 2003 Regular Meeting
The meeting convened at 5:00 PM in the Adams Leadership Center with President Steve Percival presiding. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by students from Vandergriff Elementary School.
The roll was called and board members Shannon McCuin, Laura Underwood, Howard Hamilton, Steve Percival, Susan Heil and Chris Bell were present.
Alan Wilbourn introduced Ginny Wiseman, assistant superintendent for administration, Dr. Randy Willison, principal at Fayetteville High School, and Kathy Spigarelli, interim director of adult education.
Laura Underwood made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Susan Heil seconded the motion, which passed by a 6-0 vote.
David Hartz, director of human resources, reported that the proposed student policies are in the format provided by the Arkansas School Boards Association. A copy of the new policies has been given to all principals. They have been asked to review them and notify Mr. Hartz of any changes or corrections. Mr. Hartz made the recommendation to vote on the new policies at the August board meeting after any recommended changes have been made. Christine Bell made a motion to accept the recommendation and vote on the policies at the August board meeting. Susan Heil seconded the motion, which passed by a 6-0 vote. Howard Hamilton added that the definition of a part-time employee needs to be referenced in the policy.
Dr. Lisa Morstad, chief financial officer, asked the Board to approve two bids related to bond refunding. This debt restructure brings the district into compliance with Amendment 74. The first bond is non-taxable issuance. The best bid was from UBS Financial Services, Inc. with an interest rate of 4.742032%. Howard Hamilton made a motion to approve a resolution authorizing the sale of bonds in the amount of $24,160,000. Laura Underwood seconded the motion, which passed by a 6-0 vote.
The second bond is a taxable issuance. The best bid was from Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. with an interest rate of 4.043607%. Howard Hamilton made a motion to approve a resolution authorizing the sale of bonds in the amount of $12,935,000. Shannon McCuin seconded the motion, which passed by a 6-0 vote.
Dr. Morstad also requested that Stephens, Inc. be allowed to bid on bonds issued by the district. Dennis Hunt of Stephens noted that this would result in more competition for bonds and a potential lower interest rate for the district. Christine Bell made a motion to allow Stephens, Inc. to bid on bonds issued by the district. Laura Underwood seconded the motion, which passed by a 6-0 vote.
Barbara Prichard, director of gifted and talented education, reported to the Board on the national recognition that Fayetteville High School recently received in Newsweek. The magazine ranked the top 700 high schools in the nation, according to the number of advanced placement exams taken by seniors. Fayetteville High School was ranked 584 out of 737 listed. Ms. Prichard noted that, while the recognition was a nice honor, a more accurate measurement would e to note how well the students actually did on the AP exams. She provided information from the 2002 AP exams that showed that FHS had more scores of 3, 4 or 5 than any other high school in the state.
The Board received a brief report from Michelle Boles, director of federal programs and assessment, who noted that 11th graders who took the Literacy End-of-Course Exam and the 4th, 6th, and 8th graders who took the Benchmark Exams in April posted higher scores than those students who took the same exams the previous year. Ms. Boles also noted that the district has hired a literacy specialist and a math specialist, which will enhance professional development. A more detailed report will be presented to the board at a later time.
Susan Cromwell, director of technology, reported on the CADIS program, which give high school students from Northwest Arkansas the opportunity to work in labs in high-end geospatial and 3D animation environment under the supervision of the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at the University of Arkansas. The program is sponsored by the district, the University of Arkansas, the City of Fayetteville, and the Bank of Fayetteville.
Howard Hamilton made a motion to adjourn. Susan Heil seconded the motion, which passed by a 6-0 vote. The meeting adjourned at 5:50 PM.
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Stephen M. Percival, President Christine Bell, Secretary