03-30-1998 Joint Meetingi~
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MINUTES: JOINT MEETING OF
ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND
ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
..Continued Meeting -Monday -March 30,1998
Call to Order
Board of Supervisors: The Board of Supervisors and School .Board met at 1:00 p.m. in the
Conference Room of Carrollton Elementary School, Carrollton, VA. The
Board of Supervisors Meeting was called to order by Mr. Robert' C.
Claud, Sr., Chairman. Chairman Claud thanked the School Board for
consenting to meet with them and for providing the meeting place and
light lunch.
Bs11Slll: In addition to Mr. Claud, the following members of the Board of
Supervisors were present: Mr. O. A. Spady, Vice-Chairman; Mr. Henry
H. Bradby; Mr. Phillip A. Bradshaw; and Mr. Malcolm T. Cofer. Also
present were Mr. W. Douglas Caskey, County Administrator; Mr.
Donald T. Robertson, Assistant to the County Administrator; and Mrs.
Anne F. Seward, Finance Director.
AstioII; On the recommendation of Mr. H. Woodrow Crook, Jr., County and
School Board Attorney, Mr. Bradshaw made a motion to appoint Mrs.
Carolyn W. Harrup, School Board .Clerk, as Acting Secretary for the
Board of Supervisors for this meeting The motion was unanimously
carried.
Call to Order
School Board• Mr. James B. Brown, Jr., Chairman, called the School. Board meeting to
order.
8Q11 0111: In addition to Mr. Brown, the following members were present: Mr.
George A. Bradby, Vice Chairman; Mr. Herbert W. DeGroft (arrived at
1:18 p.m.); Mrs. Pamela J. Edwards; and Dr. Richard L. Peerey. Also
present were Dr. Jane T. York, Superintendent; Mrs. Melinda J. Boone,
Assistant Superintendent for. Educational Services; Dr. Alexander H.
Decker, Assistant Superintendent. for Administrative Services; Mrs.
Hilda W. Harmon, Budget and Finance Director; and Mrs. Carolyn W.
Harrup, Clerk.
Dr. Peerey from the School Board and Vlr. Bradshaw from the Board of
Supervisors indicated that due to a funeral in their church and/or
family they would have to leave the meeting at 2:00. They requested
that the Capital Improvement Program presentation be either
postponed for another meeting or moved to the beginning to this agenda.
It was decided to set a subsequent meeting for that purpose.
Mr. Brown announced that members of the School Administration would
present information of the requested agenda items.
1. Mrs. Boone distributed and presented information on the following
areas of student achievement:
• 1998 Outcome Accountability Project (OAP)
• Literacy Passport Test Scores: 1990-1997 (LPT)
• Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores: 1992-1997 (SA't)
• Honors and Scholarships.
Following Mrs. Boone's presentation Mr. Claud and Mr. Brown
called for questions-andJor comments. There were none.
2. Mrs. Harmon distributed and presented additional 1998-99
Operating Fund Budget information. She stated that the School
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Board had voted on March 26, 1998, to reduce the 1998-99 School
Board Operating Budget request by $209,705 following receipt of
final information regarding action by the General Assembly. This
reduction changes the grand total amount requested from
$35,327,996 to $35,118,291..
Questions/Comments following Mrs. Harmon's presentation
included:
Mr. Henry Bradby asked for the percent increase being proposed for
teachers this year. Answer: An average 3.4%. (4% for those on the
scale and a 2.5% for those at the career step).
Mr. Claud requested information on the 10 new teachers listed in
the original budget request,
Dr. Decker and Dr. York responded that of the 10 new teaching
positions included in the budget, four (4) are based on projected
enrollment increase (4,910 students/79 student increase). The 10
positions include
• 2 Smithfield Middle School pupil/teacher ratio
in .language arts
• 4 .Windsor Middle School pupil/teacher ratio
• 1 Smithfield High School mathematics
• 3 Special education to meet state/federal
mandates.
Mr. Claud asked about the need/use of the 6 new part-time
classroom assistants. Dr. York responded that the need was to help
meet student demands in the classroom.
Mr. Claud asked about the newly proposed Saturday School
Program for the middle and high schools.. Dr. York explained that
the purpose was to give an alternative punishment for minor
infractions instead of missing classroom instruction time.
Mc Spady asked about the pupil teacher ratio. Dr. York responded
that the proposal would bring grades.4 and 5 to 20:1. The state
mandate is already 20:1 in grades K-3.
Mr. Cofer asked if the requested part-time teacher assistants would
truly be part-time without benefits. Dr. York responded that they
would be part-time without benefits.
Mr. Cofer asked what overall salary increase is projected.
Mrs. Harmon gave the following information
• Teachers -1 step + 2% (4% total) for those on scale. 2.5%
for those on career step.
• Support Staff - 1 step + 2% {4.5% total) for those on scale.
2% for those at top of scale.
• Administrators - 1 step + 1.5% (4% total) for those on scale.
1.5% for those at top of scale.
It was pointed out that all. salary .increases are based on a
satisfactory or better evaluation. Salaries are frozen with an
improvement plan initiated and/or contracts are not renewed for
those. with less than a satisfactory evaluation.
Mr. Spady inquired about the percentage of teachers with
unsatisfactory evaluations.
Mrs. Edwards responded with the following information:
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• 1996 6.7%
• 1997 5.5%
• 1998 3.1% Being considered fordismissal. Final
evaluations for salary freezes are not
due until May 1.
Mr. Bradshaw questioned the reason (economic conditions) used for
the general 4% projected salary increases. Dr. York, Mrs. Harmon,
and Mr. Brown gave the following responses:
• Cost of living
• Area/state survey of other school divisions
• To keep salaries as competitive as passible in order to
keep/hire the best employees possible.
Mr. Claud asked if the debt service figures in the proposed budget
reflected the principal and interest payments for the $5,000,000
bond issue for the new Windsor Elementary School Mrs. Seward
responded that it did not because it is not known at this time what
those amounts will be since they have not been issued.
Mr. Cofer noted that the local .increase requested including. a
projected payment estimate for the $5,000,000 bonds will be close to
$2,000,000 if funded in full. That would translate ~o an
approximate 89¢ tax- rate without considering growth, or
additional fees or taxes.
Mr. Spady noted that revenues are projected on an average daily
membership of 4825 while expenditures are figured on a higher
average daily membership. He indicated that. this is projecting.
conservatively and is probably a wise decision.
3. It was agreed that the Capital Improvements Program Projects
would be deferred until a subsequent meeting.
4. Mrs. Seward distributed information and reviewed the county's
legal debt margin as of March 30, 1998. The information included
the following:
• Debt limit based on 10% of current total assessed value -
$131,467,575.
• Current debt as of March 30,1998 73,087,922.
• -Legal debt margin 58,379,653.
• Anticipated issue for FY 1999 for Windsor Elem. 5,000,000.
5. Mr. Claud and Mr. Robertson addressed the Emeegency Sheltering '
Plan Proposal for the county. To date the .Social Services r•
Department has manned the emer~~ency shelters when needed but
have indicated that they need help. Smithfield High School,.
Windsor Middle/High School, and Carrsville Elementary School
are designated as shelters. School principals or a school
administrator, food service employees, and the custodial staffs at
the designated schools have been involved when shelters were
open.
Mr. Claud indicated that the new plan addresses using county
employees. Dr. York indicated that the school system is certainly
willing to cooperate. A meeting with school personnel was
suggested as-well as training for potential workers.
Mr. Henry Bradby suggested that the public needs tote educated on
what to do in case of a real emergency.
6. Both Mr. Claud and Mr. Brown asked. for other issues or concerns for
thin meeting. None were mentioned. Dr. York and Mr. Caskey were
asked to schedule a subsequent meeting of the two boards.
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~journment; .There being no further business to mme before the Board of Supervisors
at this time, a motion was made by Mr. Cofer to continue the. Board of
Supervisors meeting until 12:30 p.m., on Thursday, April 2, 1998. The
motion was unanimously carried..
Mr. Claud thanked the School Board and Administration again for
hosting the meeting.
Mr. George Bradby made a motion, which was seconded by Mr. DeGroft
and unanimously carried, for the School Board to adjourn at 2:25 p.m.
' Chairman
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