Full board in attendance. Sparse crowd.

Staff items:

  • Audit report – Dixon Hughes and Goodman; auditor representative presenting. Complimentary of work; first audit of the district. Highlights:
    -student activity funds audit – total $1M; state regulated, controlled at the schools
    -board of education audit – all of its budget, including pension funds (CS has pension asset due to good funding); $2.5M in grants
    -clean audit, no compliance issues, no material weaknesses and findings to report
    -some minor issues around deposit timings for student activity fund
  • Rezoning presentation; presented by Ms Nedra Jones
    -rezoning information was online – will hopefully be restored and linked here…
    -new incoming 6th graders will be attending at the newly zoned school. Existing students and siblings can transfer outside of the rezoning timings.
    -one additional bus will be needed at CMS – $42k
    -two teachers would shift from SFMS to CMS
    -in order to not split feeder pattern from Bailey Station, a small section of the BSE zone will be reallocated to Sycamore (37 students impacted immediately – no phasing). This will also balance Sycamore attendance. 2 BSE will shift to Sycamore, and one additional teacher is likely needed at Sycamore
    -these rezoned areas are most likely not impacted by possible future rezoning (for 3rd middle school)
  • Policy updates – will be brought to next regular business meeting – April:
    -Family and Medical leave – minor wording changes based on legal advice
    -Whistleblower protection – result of audit that just completed; standard policy for school systems
    -Discipline procedures – recommended changes from TSBA; including vaping in tobacco use
    -Fees and Fines – lots of progress on this policy; work left to do with booster clubs. Need to balance sensitivity to parents and their ability to pay and the need to have some parental financial support for quality programming. Policy draft is borrowed from Williamson county. Fine line between required and requested fees. Extracurricular payments are not fees by definition. By July the school board will be presented with the full list of fees to be asked from the parents.
    Fees for for-credit classes = requested
    Fines for items = required
    Extracurricular = special category
    Need to look at this district wide; what does district want (and can) to pay for vs request from parents.
    Need to make the fees more consistent across schools.
    “Everyone gets a scoop of icecream, but if you want sprinkles or whipped cream, the boosters will have to pay for that” Mike Marshall.
    Still to be worked through: what does a requested fee cover (budget)?
  • January 2016 financial statements; tracking along expected figures.
    Shelby County capital $ information expected fairly soon, based on average attendance.
    BEP funding initiative from governor being watched closely.
    Digital Learning Initiative will incur cost this year.
    Cost of Living adjustment being targeted in next budget.
    Nutrition sales are up – close to breaking even for the year. Progress over last year.
  • TNReady update by Ms Robbins:
    -3 changes in testing for this year – New standards; new assessment types; new testing platform (online)
    -lot of preparation by staff at all levels; technology purchases; teaching, etc.
    -(only) 18,000 students statewide were testing on Feb 8 when the state raised alarms and halted testing – new issue not previously experienced.
    -State reverted all testing to paper and pencil a few days later; new testing schedule developed by Collierville Schools
    -Teachers can now opt out of test results being part of evaluations
    -Each school had testing coordinator (Assistant Principal) on point – recognized in meeting.
    -Paper testing expected this week; printing cost/responsibility lies with Measurement, Inc (test vendor).

Chairman update:
-Trust update
-Reading week next week – school board and staff will be reading to kids

Superintendent update:
- Next Thursday (3/3) is CHS presentation at town planning commission
- Also family literacy night at CMS same night
- March meeting 3/16 1pm in CS conference room
- Non-resident enrollment process has been opened
- Chamber of Commerce gala – Mr A providing Elvis tribute entertainment
- Crosswind Elementary principal opening
- Monday 5/2 teacher employment fair
- Digital learning; depending on funds – recommendation of iPads 4th through 7th grades in January 2017. In preparation, teachers K-8 will receive equipment this year to start their learning process. Full implementation by 2019 with MacBook Pro in High Schools. Public meetings will be scheduled soon on this.

Meeting Adjourned.