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Eatonville School Board Meeting Sept. 9, 2002by
Penny Chambers
The first order of business brought by Chairperson
Robert Bass at the Sept. 9 school board meeting was
to declare the vacancy of Director District 2, as
Mark Ashcraft has resigned, and to determine the
process of filling the vacant director’s position.
Superintendent Arment advised the board of
procedures and how the process would transpire.
The superintendent pointed out that the
position must be filled within 90 days. He also
called attention to the fact that the screening and
selection of the candidates is a public screening,
anyone can sit in and listen. The board set Sept. 30
as the deadline to receive candidate’s statements
and Oct. 9, at the regular school board meeting, for
the screening and selection. The length of the
appointee’s term will be through Nov. 2003, at
which time the position will appear on the general
election ballot.
The next order of business was
approval of the Consent Agenda. Chairperson
Robert Bass withheld his approval of the minutes
from the Aug. 28 school board meeting, asking that
the minutes be removed from the agenda. Referring to
the discussion of the district/superintendent goals
he said, “We certainly don’t want a play by play
in there (the minutes), but as we know we talked
about some relatively important concepts that
weren’t mentioned”. Business and personnel
director, Linda Ames, said that traditionally the
minutes summarize the official actions of the board.
Vice-Chair Donna Mettler suggested the draft of the
minutes (transcribed directly from the taped
minutes), be attached to the final version. Bass
complied. Rick Thompson seconded and the following
items were approved: · To employ Renee Ofsthus as elementary counselor for Eatonville Elementary, Columbia Crest and Weyerhaeuser. · To employ Jill Bruun as third grade teacher at Weyerhaeuser. · To accept the resignation of Sonjia Ford, Eatonville Elementary library assistant. · To employ Sheila Hoyer as assistant custodian for Support Services. · Approve extra curricular/co curricular (EC4) personnel action: Eric
Danielson, EMS, Assistant Football Coach,
09/03/02-10/30/02 Dan
Fountain, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Dave
Andersen, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 George
Fairhart, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Tira
Hancock, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Davina
Serdahl, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Jason
Hunter, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Janna
Rush, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Laura
Christian, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Katie
Lund, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Lewis
Reese, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Dawn
Warnaca, Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular Committee,
08/27/02-08/31/03 Tira
Hancock, EHS, EHS ASB Advisor, 09/2002-06/2003 Jason
Hunter, EHS, Choir, 09/2002-06/2003 Susan
Danielson, EHS, Band (Concert & Marching),
09/2002-6/2003 Airica
Lister, EHS, Drama, 09/2002-06/2003 Susan
Danielson, EHS, Pep Band, 09/2002-06/2003 Jeff
Ames, EHS, Annual, 09/2002-06/2003 Sara McMillion, EHS, Newspaper, 09/2002-06/2003 Tira Hancock, EHS, Honor Society, 09/2003-06/2003 Tira Hancock, EHS, Concession (Student Store), 09/2002-06/2003 Lewis Reese, EHS, Athletic Activities Supervisor, 09/2002-06/2003 Connie Beyers, EHS, Dept. Head Chair, 09/2002-06/2003 Rick Haughee, EHS, Math & Science, 09/2002-06/2003 Jack Headlee, EHS, Language, 09/2002-06/2003 Davina Serdahl, EHS, PE, Health, Arts, 09/2002-06/2003 Mike Moeller, EHS, Social Studies, 09/2002-06/2003 Steve Edwards, EHS, Student Support & Services, 09/2002-06/2003 Billie
Needham, EHS, ISC, 09/2002-06/2003 The
first matter
of unfinished business discussed by the board
was the “Communication Plan,” which is still
very much in the planning and research stage. Robert
Bass reported he contacted Washington State Schools
Directors’ Association (WSSDA) who would provide a
one-day seminar costing $850 to assist the board in
preparing a communications plan. Donna Mettler
talked with the Puget Sound Educational Service
District (PSESD), who suggested organizations that
could assist and will send sample plans from other
school districts. The board decided Vice-Chair Mettler would contact PSESD and schedule a facilitator to meet with the board and assist in developing a plan. Arment mentioned that most big districts have a communications staff. And later said a “constant level of communication would be absolutely superb and is needed and we’ve got hope.” He likened the current level of communication to a chessboard saying, “There are red squares and there are black squares. We’ve got a lot of red squares, but we really don’t have a grip on the black squares”. The district feels one of the main problems is communicating to those who don’t have children in the schools. Karlene
Hayward, new
EHS assistant principal, asked if the
district had any idea in which area communications
were poor. The assistant principal asked if the
WSSDA and PSESD had a questionnaire or form used to
determine the quality of the district’s current
communications saying, “You pretty much have to
know where those areas are lacking.” Additionally
she confirmed the board is planning to bring a bond
before the public this Feb., “So this is very
critical to find these various [problem] areas in
the district and how you can best service them.”
Superintendent Arment introduced the new high
school assistant principal, Karlene Hayward, and new
middle school assistant principal, Mike Auton, to
the board. Hayward, who comes to Eatonville from
eastern Washington, addressed the board, “I was
looking for a little bit larger community than a
“B” school and a team of administrators. And I
think I found a great team in Eatonville. I’m just
really excited. I love the community; everybody has
welcomed me with open arms. I think your kids are
great and your staff is wonderful.” Hayward also
declared her commitment to enforcing the new dress
code. This is her 12th year as an administrator, and
she has taught from kindergarten to high school.
Mike Auton comes to Eatonville from
Prosser, Washington, where he served as athletic
director and assistant principal of their middle
school. Prior to that he taught at a middle school
in the Franklin/Pierce School District. He has
taught at the high school and middle school levels
and says, “I always feel like there’s a special
connection going on with those middle school
students that I have, so I’m really fortunate to
be able to do that again. The community in Prosser
has a lot of similarities with Eatonville. I like
the idea of the kids wanting to come to school to
participate in all the activities. I can feel, in
talking to them during recess, before and after
school, that they really want their after school
program to be an exceptional program.
“Lastly, I’ve done my research and that
is telling me that the educational system in
Eatonville is one that’s going be successful, has
been successful, and I’m always looking for a
place that’s headed in the right direction and I,
too, think I’ve found it”. When asked if he’d
identified any problems at the middle school, he
responded, “There are so many good things going on
that the little things I see are things I would
expect to see anywhere”.
The second order of unfinished business was the district/superintendent goals. A draft consisting of eight main goals, each containing numerous “sub-goals,” was presented to the board. From that draft the board and the superintendent proceeded to narrow the list to four or five goals by determining which of the goals had to be adhered to legally and which were already in effect as board policy.
Under one of the main goals, “Exercise
prudent stewardship over Eatonville School District
resources (human, time, talent and monetary)” was
a sub-goal, “Develop and implement a productive
and stable administrator district personnel
relations program consistent with law.” Early in
the discussion Ron Springer objected to the use of
the phrase “consistent with law.” Later in the
discussion Rick Thompson asked that this sub-goal be
removed in its entirety from the list. Springer was
adamant, and unwavering, that this not be removed,
and said he, “doesn’t think it’s right that
the superintendent be evaluated on goals that he (Arment)
agrees on and that he should be evaluated on
leadership.” A few minutes later a heated
discussion ensued between Thompson and Bass. Chair
Bass called for a fifteen-minute executive session.
Upon resuming the open meeting, Donna
Mettler made a motion to adopt the 2002-2003
district goals: 1.
Improve
Student Achievement 2.
Maintain,
implement (as funding allows) and update the
long-range facilities study and survey plan. 3.
Evaluate
facilities, grounds and maintenance activities. 4.
Manage
transportation program according to state
regulations and guidelines. 5.
Provide
a healthy environment that is safe for students,
staff and community. 6.
Exercise
prudent stewardship over Eatonville School District
resources (human, time, talent and monetary). 7.
Exercise
prudent stewardship over Eatonville School District
Programs. 8.
Increase
community involvement in our schools.
In addition, five “extra” goals were
adopted: 1.
Communications
Plan 2.
Strategic
Plan 3.
Extra
Curricular, Co-Curricular Committee 4.
Facilities
Committee 5.
Committee
for Advanced Academic Achievement.
Springer made a sub-motion, which died for lack of a second, to include:
“Develop and implement a productive and
stable administrator-district personnel relations
program consistent with law.” The
next scheduled meeting of the school board is
Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in the district
conference room at 208 Lynch Street.
Topics scheduled on the agenda include budget
details:
1.August, 2002 Payroll $878,180.19
2.September, 2002 General Fund $
3. September, 2002 ASB Fund $
4.August, 2002 Financial Report EHS Volleyball Trip to Everett, Resolution
Reorganizing the Associated Student Body Program
Fund, First reviews of Policy 1110 (election) and
Policy 3415 (accommodating students with diabetes),
the superintendent’s comments on the WSSDA
conference, EC4 Committee, Facilities committee,
Committee for Advanced Academic Achievement and an
executive session discussing contract update.
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"Pity
the poor kids who grow up in a big city. They miss the little things that
made growing up in a small town, ah, so wonderful." |
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