Board of Education meeting summary for July 14

Posted Saturday, July 19, 2008

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Pittsboro, NC - The Chatham County Board of Education met at the central office on Monday. July 14.

Administration/Public Information
The Board approved the following fundraiser requests submitted by schools:
• Moncure – replacement of student calendar/agendas if lost
• Moncure – school pictures
• Virginia Cross Elementary – school pictures

Curriculum & Instruction
Dr. Robin McCoy, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, gave the Board an alternative school program update that included an expansion of the services at the school and the inclusion of eighth graders with a concentration on students in grades eight through ten.

McCoy shared the latest information about curriculum alignment guides. The Board received a brief synopsis of projects including those in the areas of science, English, mathematics, social studies and writing.

For the second year, the district has offered a Summer Institute with many staff development sessions throughout the summer for its staff. Sixty-three sessions were offered, but only nineteen were held because of low enrollment. A total of 431 staff registered to participate in the sessions.

Human Resources
Superintendent Robert Logan updated the Board on the search process for principals at North Chatham School and Northwood High School. Interviews will be conducted on July 22nd for both. A team that includes Northwood stakeholders will interview six candidates from which the top three will be presented to Logan for a second round of interviews and a final selection. For North Chatham School Logan will interview four candidates. Logan met with approximately ten North Chatham staff and parents earlier to discuss traits they desire in a new principal. He hopes to bring candidates for both schools to the Board at its July 28th meeting.

Facilities
David Moody, Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services, gave a capital project update. The Board received a project chart. Moody noted which projects were completed and which are still in progress. Approximately eighty percent of the projects are outsourced to allow the maintenance department to focus on other district needs.

The Board approved the CRZ (Corley Redfoot Zack, Inc.) architectural contract for the new high school in northeastern Chatham County.

Business & Finance
Chief Finance Officer Susan Little announced changes in IRS regulations for 403-B annuities.
Every employer is required to have a plan document in place to share information between companies as changes are made from company to company. The employer will now be liable for tax information shared with annuity companies. Currently, the district has 210 employees who voluntarily participate in annuity plans. The district will provide notice to these employees of the required federal changes. Little will also notify companies currently being used and given the goal of bringing their number of participants up to a minimum in order to remain on the Board-approved list of annuity companies. Board policy will need to be revised to reflect the minimum requirement. If a company is below the minimum number of participants, affected employees will be notified of the need to either pay into their annuity independently (not via payroll deduction) or change the company with which they have their annuity.

Little gave a Child Nutrition program update. An independent program review found that over-staffing was an issue. Little is proposing using the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and industry staffing standard. The district already has a hiring freeze in place to prepare for the necessary changes. Little noted that these changes will hopefully help the program at least break even financially. Jeff Squires, the newly hired Director of Child Nutrition, explained some of the menu plans he has for the program. The Board approved an increase in meal prices earlier in the year.

The Board also approved three Child Nutrition food bids: one for milk, one for bread, and one for the food and supplies.

Little also gave a 2008-09 budget update. The information is preliminary information following the approval of the budget by the Commissioners.