As a new communications service Board Briefs will be added to the website the day after each regular school board meeting in an effort to communicate with staff and the commmunity on activities and actions by the school board. For more information, please call 386-3010. |
Board Briefs for April 23, 2013 Recognition of Sodexo’s 3rd Annual Future Chefs Competition Winner The Board recognized Del Valle Elementary 5th grader, Maria Serrano who made it to the regional level in Sodexo’s 3rd annual Future Chefs national culinary competition! The theme for this year’s competition was “Healthy Salad Recipes.” Finalists prepared and presented their creations to a panel of judges who assessed the recipes on the following criteria: originality, taste, presentation, kid friendliness and use of healthy ingredients. Maria’s winning recipe “Barley Black Bean and Avocado Salad” was one of 27 regional winners, selected from a pool of 107 winning recipes from school districts all around the country. Her prize is a 7” engraved Kindle Fire HD with assorted accessories and a $100 Amazon gift card! Del Valle students joined more than 1,750 other students at 943 Sodexo-served school sites in 28 states nationally in this fun and educational challenge. AustinChamber of Commerce 2012 Education Progress Report The Austin Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with area districts, creates a yearly progress report to share with members of the greater Austin community. The Austin Chamber of Commerce has been providing this annual report for DVISD for four consecutive years beginning in 2009. The Chamber of Commerce mailed the 2012 DVISD Progress Report to households with children in DVISD schools. The data sets used in the creation of the progress report come from the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and Academic Excellence Indicator System—State databases-- and the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin. The report is available online at the Austin Chamber website. Consider and Act on Award of Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) for the District-Wide Renovation Project The board approved Baird Williams Construction as the Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) for the 2013-2014 project priority list for facilities. On March 19, 2013, the Board approved the plans and advertising for Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the Critical Projects List of repairs for Del Valle ISD. The district prepared the Request For Qualification (RFQ) documents for this project. The project was advertised in accordance with Texas Education Code Chapter 44 and Board Policy. RFQ’s were received and opened on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Consider and Act on Employment of Personnel The board approved the hiring of:
Consider and Act on Creation of and District Contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA) Contribution for all Eligible Employees The board approved the creation of and District contribution to a Health Savings Account (HAS) for all employees. Due to the district’s move to the TRS ActiveCare Plans, the district’s employee contribution will cover the full cost for the ActiveCare 1-HD Plan. This is the high deductible plan (HD) and allows employees the opportunity to contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA). Because of the savings the District will experience, the district will contribute $25 per employee, per month to each employee who elects the High Deductible Plan (Active Care 1). Please note that only employees who select Active Care 1-HD are eligible to open and receive contributions to an HSA. Employees who choose lower deductible plans are still eligible to open medical reimbursement/cafeteria plans. Consider and Act on Resolution Extending Depository Contract for Funds of Del Valle ISD with Wells Fargo The board approved the resolution extending the depository contract for funds of Del Valle ISD with Wells Fargo for an additional two-year period. Wells Fargo is the District’s current bank depository and we have a good working relationship with them. Two years ago (July 18, 2011), the district went out for bid on the depository contract and Wells Fargo was awarded. The contract was for two years with an option to extend the contract for two additional two-year terms. This is the first of the two extensions and would span from July 18, 2013-July 17, 2015. Consider and Act on Additional Positions for the 2013-2014 School Year The board approved additional positions for the 2013-2014 school year. Projected growth based upon the district’s roll forward enrollment figures and demographer projections indicate a need to hire additional staff to comply with elementary class size requirements and district staffing guidelines. Approval of the identified growth positions allows the district to: 1) move forward with posting, recruiting and hiring highly qualified individuals. 2) implement the new transfer procedure which gives current employees priority consideration over external applicants for 13-14 growth positions. Budget Update With the 83rd Legislature still in session, appropriations remain unknown for the 2013-2014 budget year. Final impact on school districts will most likely be unavailable until July-August 2013. The district will continue to update figures to the board for the proposed 2013-2014 budget as information becomes available. Consider and Act on Purchasing Furniture for Campuses from Excess Bond Funds The board approved the budget request for campus furniture from excess bond funds. In order to ensure all students have a seat in the classroom on the first day of school, the District has taken proactive steps to account for the number of desks, tables and chairs needed for the upcoming school year. We have received furniture requests from each campus. The requests account for student enrollment growth for 2013-2014 as well as replacing any furniture that is not usable or repairable. The requests also account for new teacher (new to the district) desks as well. Furniture companies have a long lead time and with all the growth in area districts it is important that to get the order in for the 2013-2014 school year by early May. Review/Re-approve Del Valle Independent School District Investment Policies The board reviewed and re-approved the Del Valle Independent School District investment policies. Section 2256.005 of the Public Funds Investment Act requires that the Board of Trustees annually review the investment policies of the district and approve any changes. No changes to the District’s investment policies have been made for 2012-2013. Consider and Act on Board Operating Procedures Te board approved board operating procedures that were discussed during their Tier 2 training. Discussion of Board Planning and Activities The board discussed board planning and activities regarding board operations. -xxx- |
Board Briefs for March 19, 2013
Recognition of Boys Basketball Head Coach Marvin Hall for 500 Career Victories On December 14th, 2012 Coach Marvin Hall won his 500th career basketball game with a 74 to 69 victory over the Travis Rebels. Coach Hall began his career in 1981 as an 8th grade basketball coach at Bastrop ISD and was named the head coach 2 years later. Coach Hall assumed the head position at Del Valle in 1991. Along with his 500th win another highlight of his career was his 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 teams reached the regional finals. Many of Coach Hall’s former players have had the opportunity to continue their careers at the collegiate level. Congratulations Coach Hall!
Recognition of Mrs. Molly Garcia, DVISD Health Services Director, for her selection to participate in the 2013 Johnson and Johnson School Health Leadership Program The Johnson and Johnson School Health Leadership program is a fellowship program designed to facilitate the empowerment and further development of school nurses. The program includes an intensive six-day leadership training Institute, online learning, enduring change plans and the development of community-based health promotion initiatives. Topics covered include: school leadership, advocacy, diversity, school nurse leadership, community empowerment model, effective written communication, grant writing and team building. The district’s Health Services Director Mrs. Molly Garcia is one of four school nurses representing the Austin Region Team selected for participation. The application process was lengthy and the selection process was highly competitive. The Austin Region Team is one of the 40% of applicants awarded the fellowship. Congratulations Mrs. Garcia!
Recognition of Del Valle Middle School students for competing at the Austin Regional Science Fest and receiving the Superintendent’s Award The top contenders at Del Valle Middle School’s science fair advanced to the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival, one of Texas’ largest regional science fairs with almost 3,000 students from 3rd through 12th grade. Del Valle Middle School had 27 projects and 40 students represented at the festival. Set on providing positive and rigorous learning environments, Del Valle Middle School held its first school-wide science fair competition in the fall of 2012. As part of project development, students worked to identify a problem, form a hypothesis, and test their hypothesis using evidence-based data and observations. Science fairs involve project-based learning, which promotes higher level thinking skills, active inquiry, ownership of learning, and the application of conceptual, scientific knowledge. Science fairs also support development of skills essential in a 21st century world. Excited about future fairs, Del Valle Middle School has set as its goal the advancement of students to the State level competition in San Antonio. The board recognized Kiara Valenzuela and Katherine Gomez for receiving the Superintendent’s Award at the Regional Science Festival competition. The topic of their project was determining the impact of multitasking on performance. The Board also recognized their teacher, Mrs. Rebecca Miller, for her support and guidance throughout the project development as well as Principal Ruth Vail and Assistant Principals Jennifer Garcia and James Cruz. Congratulations all!
Consider and Act on Amendment of Sodexo’s Contract for the 2013-2014 School Year The board approved the amendment of Sodexo’s Contract for the 2013-2014 school year. In 2011, the USDA issued new regulations concerning Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) requiring school districts to renew contracts with its child nutrition programs. Sodexo is the current vendor for Food Service Management of our Child Nutrition program. As required by the new guidelines, DVISD bid for a food service management contract during March-April, 2011. Sodexo’s proposal incorporated all of the new USDA requirements. The contract approved for 2013-2017 was for one year, with four (4) one-year renewal options. This is the first of our four 4-year renewals. The amendment shows fees for the Fixed Price Per Meal/Meal Equivalent increasing $0.0429 from $1.533 to $1.576 to reflect a Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 2.8%.
Consider and Act on Project Priority List for Facilities The board approved the project priority list for facilities. As part of the strategic planning process SHW Group conducted a comprehensive assessment of district facilities. The results of the facilities assessment were reviewed by district personnel and a project priority list was developed for 2013-2014 projects. The list consists of renovations and/or upgrades to ten campuses and the administration building. Funds for the projects will be allocated from excess bond funds and the proceeds from the issuance of the remaining $6.4M in February 2013. Total project costs will not exceed $12,708,660 without prior Board approval.
Consider and Act on Using the Construction Manager at Risk Method of Construction Delivery for Specified District-wide Renovations and Projects The board approved using a Construction Manager at Risk Method for the construction delivery contract and authorized advertising of Construction Manager At Risk for renovations and projects. District personnel and engineers and architects of the SHW Group have reviewed the scope of work for projects identified on the priority project list. Several factors have been discussed including potential cost, value of services, quality of services, and complexity of the projects. Due to the scope and complexity of the projects being discussed, the Administration recommended the Construction Manager At Risk delivery method. This method provides the contractor participation early in the architectural process and provides the opportunity for the District to complete projects more efficiently and economically. Once hired, the Construction Manager At Risk is able to advise the architects on current material costs and assist in designs and specifications. Also, the Construction Manager At Risk signs the contracts with all sub-contractors. Funds for the projects will be allocated from excess bond funds and the proceeds from the issuance of the remaining $6.4M in February 2013. Total project costs will not exceed $12,708,660 without prior Board approval.
Consider and Act on Architect Contract for SHW for Construction Manager at Risk The board approved SHW as Architect for Construction Manager at Risk. As part of the Strategic Planning process, SHW Group conducted a comprehensive facilities assessment. The results of the assessment were reviewed by district personnel and a project priority list was developed. Based on SHW’s knowledge of our facility needs, foundational work already commenced (facility assessment) and experience working in our district, the Administration recommended SHW Group as the architect for the Construction Manager at Risk portion of our priority project list.
Consider and Act on Resolution for Participation in TRS ActiveCare Group Health Program The board approved a resolution for participation in the TRS ActiveCare Group Health Program. Due to high district claims and rising premium costs the administration recommended moving the district’s health insurance coverage to the state plan, TRS ActiveCare.Currently a six-month notification rule is in effect for all entities (TRS Rule 41.30) wishing to join TRS ActiveCare Group Health Program. Normally an entity would make a request to the Director of TRS ActiveCare for requesting membership. However, because we are not inside the six-month notification window we must send a letter to the Executive Director of TRS requesting an exception to the six month notification rule and a resolution from the Board attesting the same. The new coverage year would begin September 1, 2013 and we will recommend continuing to provide fully paid employee-only coverage. This will cost the district $325 per month per employee and will be factored into the 2013-2014 district budget. The District is also reviewing the possibility of offering HSA accounts with an additional district contribution for employees. District Administration will bring this recommendation to the Board as soon as it is finalized.
Consider and Act on Resolution Supporting Application for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Allocation to States Grant The board approved a resolution supporting an application for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Allocation to States Grant. The district has applied for a Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Allocation to States Grant through the Office of the Governor, for the 2013-2014 school year only. This grant, entitled Empowering Positive Decisions through PreventionProject at DVISD, will allow the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Program to provide funds for one School Resource Officer (SRO) at the Discipline Alternative Education Program (DAEP) campus to provide safety and education support for students primarily in 7th through 10th grades. A SRO at the DAEP would support program goals relative to empowering students with world knowledge and soft skills necessary for sound decision making. The SRO would work with students, parents, administrators, teachers, and staff to develop their knowledge of the legal system, penal code, student code of conduct, and substance abuse, as well as to reinforce the benefits of self-respect, self-discipline, responsibility, and positive decision making in school and the real world. As part of the application process, a resolution needed to be approved by the Board of Trustees. If the grant is awarded to DVISD, a formal work agreement and memorandum of understanding will be in place prior to the project beginning date.
Consider and Act of Budget Amendment #7 for 2012-2013 General Fund Budget The board approved Budget Amendment #7 for the 2012-2013 General Fund Budget. This amendment includes the following:
The total allocation from fund balance is $230,130.
Consider and Act on Board Budget Priorities for 2013-2014 The board approved the following Budget Priorities for 2013-2014:
Consider and Act on New Beliefs, Mission, Parameters, Objectives and Strategies for Del Valle ISD The board approved the new Beliefs, Mission, Parameters, Objectives and Strategies for Del Valle ISD. Since November of 2012 the District has been working together with Cambridge and Associates on a District Strategic Plan. The Strategic Planning Team was composed of community members, parents, and DVISD teachers, staff and administrators. Together they developed new Beliefs, Mission, Objectives, Parameters and Strategies.
Appointment of Board Members to Committees- Board President No action was taken on this item;board members noted their desire to serve on certain committees.
Consider and Act on Items Discussed in Closed Session The board approved contract renewals and proposed non-renewals for professional staff with term contracts. The board approved the employment, resignations and terminations of professional staff as presented. -xxx-
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Board Briefs for February 12, 2013
Recognition of DVISD Special Olympics Team The Board of Trustees recognized Samantha Gutierrez and Ryan Garcia for earning Silver Medals at the Area competition. The Board also recognized Samantha Gutierrez for winning the Gold Medal at the State competition. Their coaches are Megan Morley, Maria “Lupe” Garcia, Ginger Navarro, and James Shuler. The mission of Special Olympics Texas is to provide year round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for children and adults giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Congratulations!
Bond Sale Update The District received a rating upgrade from Standard and Poor’s Rating Service. The rating went from AA- to AA. Jennifer Douglas from Specialized Public Finance provided an update to the board on the bond sale. The final True Interest Cost on the issue was 2.397% for the Thursday, January 31, 2012 Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds, Series 2013. This was a discussion item and no action was taken.
STAAR Update December 2012 STAAR EOC Testing District Results According to Education Code 39.030(b) the Superintendent shall accurately report all test results with appropriate interpretations to the Board according to the schedule in the applicable test administration materials. December re-testing took place for STAAR EOCs during the weeks of December 3-14, 2012, at Del Valle High School and Del Valle Opportunity Center. Students retested in ELA (Reading and Writing), Biology, Algebra and World Geography. Targeted interventions have been identified for students who have not scored a passing (Level 2) score. The table below delineates the number of students who tested in Spring 2012 and the percent passing for the All student group in Spring 2012—the first administration of STAAR EOC for incoming 9th graders. The table also notes the number and percent passing at a Level 2 for the students groups in the federal accountability system. Spring 2012 STAAR EOC information was shared at the June 2012 Board meeting. The next STAAR EOC retakes are scheduled for April and May 2013.
STAAR Grades 3-8 Results The Texas Education Agency released the scaled scores for STAAR Grades 3-8 administered in Spring 2012. Below is a chart with the passing (Level II) rate of the state compared to the passing rate of Del Valle. With the raw scores released in June, the District Advisory used that information as part of the district improvement planning process, including the development of beginning-of-year and ongoing professional development and support. As evidenced by the district-wide professional development day, targeted interventions and support continue to be provided for all campus personnel. Additionally, revised District Assessments aligned to the TEKS are continuously used throughout the year as formative assessments to support instruction ensuring progress for all students.
Legislative Update The 83rd Legislative Session is in full swing and the Superintendent gave an update on the ruling in the school finance lawsuit that declared the current system for financing public schools inequitable, inadequate and unconstitutional. Dr. Crook also updated the board on what is known and how it will affect budget planning for 2013-2014. This was a discussion item and no action was taken.
Consider and Act on 21:1 Student/Teacher Budget Ratio for Grades K-4 for 2013-2014 The Board approved a 24:1 Student/Teacher Ratio for Grades K-4 to enable staff to move forward for staffing elementary campuses for the 2013-2014 school year. The current law is 22:1 for K-4; however, as was approved for 2012-2013, DVISD plans to submit a waiver to the Texas Education Agency, as necessary, for any sections that exceed 22 to 1 by October 2013. The approval of this ratio is for budgeting purposes only. After true enrollment numbers are received in August 2013 the board can change actual staffing ratios based on available funds and campus recommendations.
Consider and Act on TASB Policy Update 96, affecting LOCAL Policies The Board approved revisions on the following local policies:
1. DEC (LOCAL): Compensation and Benefits- Leaves and Absences- Changes on Leaves and absences recommended based on recent Commissioner decision which affects how state leave is accrued and the calculation of pay deduction for unearned leave.
2. EFAA (LOCAL): Instructional Materials- Selection and Adoption- Revised to reflect the new instruction materials allotment system put in place by SB 6 during the 82nd Legislative Session (2011).
3. FEB (LOCAL): Attendance- Attendance Accounting- Revision to this policy on attendance accounting reflects the flexibility included in recently amended State Board of Education rules.
Consider and Act on Items Discussed in Closed Session The board approved the Superintendent’ Recommendations for Administrative Contracts for School Year 2013-1014. The board approved the employment, resignations and terminations of professional staff as presented. Ray Prentice is the new Director of Human Resources. The board approved allowing the Superintendent to accept compensation for serving as an adjunct professor with the University of Texas at Austin.
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Board Briefs for January 22, 2013
Public Hearing on 2011-2012 Academic Excellence Indicator System The Board held a public hearing on the 20122-2012 Academic Excellence Indicator System.
Recognition of Smith and Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary Cafeterias for National Food Safety Audits The board recognized two Del Valle ISD cafeterias for their excellence in our NSF Food and Physical Safety Audits. NSF is an independent, not-for-profit organization which certifies products and standards of food, water, and consumer goods. Sodexo has contracted with NSF to ensure the quality of facilities and products. Each year NSF conducts random audits of Del Valle’s kitchen facilities. This year they choose 5 campuses to conduct both Food Safety and Physical safety audits. Scoring a 100% on an NSF is a great accomplishment. This accomplishment gives the kitchen a Gold Rating. The two campuses that scored a 100% are: Child Nutrition Safety Coordinator: Chef Marianne Desiderio Smith Elementary – 100% Food Safety Manager: Nancy Garza Employees: Maria Apodaca, Alesia Rodriguez, Victoria de la Cruz, Lorena Gutierrez Jesus Ramirez Hornsby Elementary – 100% Food Safety, 100% Physical Safety Manager: Gracie Tijerina Employees: Julia Melchor, Celia Torres, Rosalinda Alvarado, Santiago Gaytan, Andrea Ramos, Anna Duenez Congratulations to all of these staff members and campuses for their dedication and commitment to serving Del Valle ISD students.
Recognition of Board Members Governor Rick Perry declared January as School Board Recognition Month. The board was recognized for their dedication to Del Valle ISD students and the DV community. Each campus presented board members with either an individual gift or poster/banner. The 2013 theme was Rising to New Heights.
Consider and Act of Elementary and Middle School Attendance Zones 2013-2014 The board approved Plan 1 for Elementary and Middle School Attendance Zones for 2013-2014 to provide consistency and allow the district additional time and data about projected growth. Plan 1 retains the current attendance zones.
Consider and Act of 2013-2014 School Calendar The board approved Calendar option #3 for the 2013-2014 school year. Calendar #3 has 177 instructional days, a week off at Thanksgiving, allows for a day off for the Formula 1 event, two weeks off during Christmas, and has Spring Break on the second week of March. It also allows for a staff development day after the Christmas break and has Martin Luther King day as a holiday in January. School will begin on August 26, 2013 and end on June 6, 2014. The first prep day for teachers is on August 16th. The approved calendar with all details will be posted on the District website tomorrow.
Consider and Act on Resolution to Suspend End of Course (EOC) 155 of Final Grade Implementation Policy for 2012-2013 School Year The board approved a Resolution to defer the 15% requirement of STAAR EOC on a student’s course grade for the 2012-13 academic school year.
Consider and Act on Policy DFBB (LOCAL) Term Contracts: Non Renewal The board approved to modify DFBB (LOCAL) to include the original timeline of “no later than the 45th day before the last day of instruction” for notification to term contract employees whose contract is about to expire.
Discussion of Evaluation and Contract Negotiations for Superintendent The board approved to amend the contract of the Superintendent till June 30, 2018, placing Superintendent Dr. Kelly K. Crook on a 5 year term contract with an increase in annual salary to $200,000.
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Board Briefs for December 18, 2012 Recognition of Retirees Recognition of Gloria Ruiz for CTSBS Certification Recognition of Pre-K Center of Excellence Designation- Kindergarten Readiness System- Creedmoor Elementary, Del Valle Elementary and Popham Elementary The Texas Education Agency (TEA), in partnership with Regional Education Service Center (ESC) 17, provides a Kindergarten Readiness System (KRS). The KRS is the state’s school readiness certification system authorized by TEC §29.161 that evaluates the effectiveness of prekindergarten, Head Start, and licensed child care programs in preparing children for kindergarten. Providers participating in the 2010-2011 Prekindergarten Early Start (PKES) grant and Texas School Ready! programs were required to report data to the school readiness certification system. The KRS used this data and public school data resulting from each student’s reading diagnostic instrument administered at the beginning of the child’s 2011 kindergarten year. The analysis determined the impact each preschool program had on improving student learning regardless of the characteristics of its student population or the specific literacy instrument used in kindergarten. Consider and act with respect to issuing new money bonds and/or refunding bonds and an "ORDER AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF UNLIMITED TAX BONDS, ESTABLISHING SALE PARAMETERS, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A BOND PURCHASE CONTRACT AND AN ESCROW AGREEMENT; APPROVING AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT; AND ENACTING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT." The board approved an order authorizing the issuance of unlimited tax bonds as listed above. Representatives from Specialized Public Finance, the district’s financial advisors, and McCall, Pankhurst & Horton, the district’s bond attorneys, presented the completed resolution/order with pricing information for the board’s approval. The District will be issuing final $6.4 million available from the May 2007 bond authorization. The proceeds will be used for renovations and upgrades to existing district facilities as identified in the facilities study conducted by SHW. If interest rates remain at low levels, the District will also refinance a portion of the District’s 2005 Bonds to lock-in lower interest rates. The 2005 Bonds carry interest rates between 4-4.2%. The new bonds could carry a rate closer to 1.5%. By selling the refunding bonds in conjunction with the new money bonds, the District will save on issuance costs. If interest rates rise prior to the anticipated pricing, they will not sell the refunding portion of the bonds, but will still sell the final $6.4 million from the 2007 bond authorization. Consider and Act on Purchase of Portables from Excess Bond Funds Based on the information provided in the demographer’s report, and the anticipated increase in enrollment across the district, the need has arisen to add eleven new portable classroom buildings that will assist with student growth for the 2013-2014 school year. The District will add four portable classroom buildings to Del Valle High School, six portable classroom buildings to Del Valle Elementary and one portable classroom building to Baty Elementary. Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #5 for General Fund 2012-2013 Consider and Act on Mid Year Probationary Contracts for Certified Elementary Bilingual Teachers Administration sought board approval for posting a maximum of five teaching positions in the designated hard to fill area of Bilingual Elementary Education. These mid-year hires would be employed on a probationary contract for the remainder of the 2012-13 school year at a cost of approximately $25,000 per teacher. The initiative would not require a budget amendment since there are available funds in the current budget due to unfilled positions. The total budget impact would not exceed $125,000. The institution of a mid-year hiring process for the “high need” Elementary Bilingual teaching area would be advantageous for the district in several ways:
Consider and Act to Approve Resolution Moving Del Valle ISD General Trustee Elections to the November Uniform Election Date of Even-Numbered Years. Consider and Act Approve Transition Plan for Trustee Term Adjustments Necessary to Accomplish a Move to Biennial Elections on November Uniform Elections. Policy DFBB (LOCAL) Term Contracts: Non Renewal- First Reading Report of Board Training Hours Received to Date Consider and Act on Sanctions for Abandonment of Contract -xxx- |
Recognition of the Child Development Center
The DVISD CDC was recently awarded the distinguished National Association of Child-Care (NAC) Accreditation status by the NAC Professionals Association for Early Learning Leaders. Childcare centers are judged based on six criteria: administration support, family engagement, health and safety standards, curriculum, staff-student interactions, and classroom health and safety procedures. The DVISD CDC worked with the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas to earn this prestigious award. The CDC will maintain NAC Accreditation until 2014. Congratulations!
Discussion of Freeport Exemption for Del Valle ISD The board discussed a Freeport Exemption for Del Valle ISD. This exemption would waive taxes on goods-in-transit and could possibly stimulate economic development in the area. An impact study by Moak Casey & Associates was done at no cost to the district to determine whether or not the exemption would be specifically beneficial to Del Valle ISD. The completed study was shared with the board and a representative from Moak Casey was in attendance to review the results of the study and explain options for the board. This was a discussion item and no action was taken.
Discussion of Del Valle ISD Election Information Regarding November Elections Texas Education Code Section 11.059(a) provides that school trustees serve terms of either three or four years, at the local option of the District. In school districts with three year terms, elections must be held annually, while in districts with four year terms, the elections must be held biennially. In 2010, the Attorney General again interpreted the provisions of Education Code sections 11.059 and 11.0581, and confirmed his interpretation that the legislative intent in requiring certain school districts to change the trustee election date to November and comply with the joint election requirement of 11.0581 was to address the rising costs of multiple elections and the confusion among voter precincts An independent school district whose trustees serve three-year terms will be able to hold all trustee elections as a joint election if a city located in its boundaries holds elections for its governing body annually. If there is no such city in the school district, however, the district will be unable to find an election partner for each year…Under these circumstances, school districts with three-year terms of office will be unable to ensure that every election is a joint election as contemplated by section 11.0581(b). In October 2011, the Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees voted to remain with the May election date and 3-year terms for trustees with annual elections. This November (2012) the City of Austin passed an election to move from May to a November election date. As a result, Del Valle ISD costs to Travis County to conduct the election for the May election could increase substantially and the possibility of having an entity to partner with for a May joint election agreement is slim. The board discussed a number of issues. An attorney with the firm Walsh Anderson was in attendance and discussed the following items. 1. Change of election date from May to November. 2. Trustee terms 3. Joint Election Requirements 4. Costs to run an election The decision about whether or not to move election dates and/or terms of office must be made by December 31, 2012. This was a discussion item and no action was taken. Review Draft Plan for Elementary and Middle School Attendance Zones for 2013-2014 At the October board meeting, the board approved the guiding principles for attendance zones. The Attendance Zones Committee has since drafted three plans for Board review and input. These plans address three different options: 1. Leave current zones intact 2. Adjust specific zones 3. Address prior zoning issues At the board meeting, maps of the three options were presented and the positive and negative impact of each plan was discussed. This information will be posted on the website by Thursday, November 15th. Three community meetings will be held in December for feedback on the three plans. These dates have yet to be decided and will be posted on the website and sent out through various district and campus communication tools. The board will receive the information on the feedback received from the meetings at the December board meeting. This was a discussion item and no action was taken. Review of Program Based Monitoring Accountability System (PBMAS) Results The Program Based Monitoring Accountability System (PBMAS) fulfills a federal requirement that the State of Texas establish an evaluation system for educational programs. It is an automated data system that reports annually on the performance of districts in the selected program areas. PBMAS allows for the review of sub-population performance data to determine if the district is closing gaps when compared to similar State performance. The following programs are covered by PBMAS, and each has a specific number of indicators reviewed in comparison to the State standard: Bilingual & English as a Second Language (BE/ESL) 21 indicators Career & Technology Education (CTE) 21 indicators No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 14 indicators Special Education (SPED) 24 indicators These 80 indicators generate Performance Level (PL) assignments for State standards relative to the tested academic core areas for the reported school year and relative to several non-academic areas, such as dropouts, participation, and graduation rate, for the previous school year. Last year there were 101 indicators, but writing was left off from the data set this year. Receiving a PL of zero “0” indicates that the district is on target for the program area for a subpopulation. Each PL above zero indicates the percentage points performance is below the State standard for the subject. For 2012, the PLs were reviewed, and the district received a stage level for each program based on the number of “3’s” and “2’s” in any given program area. Bilingual & English as a Second Language- Stage 0 (BE/ESL) Career & Technology Education (CTE)- Stage 2 (same as 2011) No Child Left Behind (NCLB)- Stage 0 Special Education (SPED)- Stage 0 The goal is to achieve a Stage 0 for all four program areas. This was an informational item and no action was taken. -xxx- |
Public Hearing - Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) Recognition of the Del Valle ISD Human Resources Department Recognition of DVISD Principals for Texas Principals Month Consider and Act on 2011-2012 Annual Financial Report Consider and Act on Resolution for Retention of Eminent Domain Authority Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #4 General Fund for 2012-2013
Consider and Act on Guiding Principles for Attendance Zones
These principles are simply district guidelines and should not be considered as policy. Going forward these principles will serve as considerations when redrawing attendance zones. Consider and Act on TASB Policy Update 95, affecting LOCAL policies: Local Policies for Addition:
Consider and Act on Sanctions for Abandonment of Contract
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Consent Agenda- Communities in Schools Contract Awarded The board approved a contract with Communities in Schools for $65,000. Communities in Schools of Central Texas will render certain social services within DVISD during the term of the contract as follows: CIS will provide a full-time social service professional to be housed full-time at DVHS. CIS may provide, as available, additional staff, such as, AmeriCorps members, caseworkers, university interns, and volunteer tutors and mentors. CIS will assign a Program Manager chosen with the input of the school principal. More specifically, the CIS social service professional assigned to DVHS will deliver services, such as but not limited to:
The CIS social service professional will carry a caseload of approximately 100 students and would be paid solely from high school allotment funds. Curriculum and Instruction Update- Enrollment and Staffing Update The current district enrollment is 11,266. Enrollment reflects an increase of 200 students over last year’s enrollment at the same time. The additional teachers approved by the Board of Trustees as part of the original budget in June 2012 are needed and the positions have been posted. These enrollment increases are the reason the administration is recommending a budget amendment below to include approval to hire up to 20 additional teachers, if needed, to address increasing enrollment and meet adopted district staffing guidelines. Technology Update- Data Warehouse The district, administration and staff will benefit from an easy to use, accurate and current database warehouse. The Skyward solution is reasonably priced and will be quickly implemented by Skyward and district personnel. The estimated initial cost of the installation and license is $77,140 which includes an early adopter discount of $9,694. The annual license fee will be $19k per year with an estimated 3.8% yearly increase. No additional hardware is required-all servers involved will be virtual servers added to our existing virtual server pool. Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #3 General Fund for 2012-2013 The board approved Budget Amendment #3 General Fund for 2012-2013 school year. This amendment includes the following:
Total allocation from fund balance is $1,342,140. Consider and Act on Submitting Texas Education Agency Request for Maximum Class Size Exception Waivers
The board approved the submittal of 27 class waivers for the Texas Education Agency Request for Maximum Class Size Exception Waivers. Staffing allocations for the 2012-2013 school year were made at the 24:1 student-teacher ratio as originally approved by the Board of Trustees on February 15, 2012. A waiver must be submitted to the TexasEducation Agency (TEA) for every kindergarten through fourth grade classroom in which the student-teacher class ratio is greater than 22. Districts that are incompliance at the beginning of the school year but that subsequently exceed class size limitations must apply for an exception no later than the 30th day after the district exceeds the 22:1 limit. Consider and Act on Ordinance Adopting Maintenance and Operations Tax Rate for 2012-2013 The board approved the adoption of the 2012 tax rate of $1.04 per $100 assessed valuation for maintenance and operations. Consider and Act on Ordinance Adopting Interest and Sinking Tax Rate for 2012-2013 The board approved the adoption of the 2012 interest and sinking tax rate of $0.4900 per $100 assessed valuation. Consider and Act on District High Stakes Testing Resolution The board approved a resolution concerning high stakes and standardized testing. It resolved that the Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees calls on the Texas Legislature to re-examine the public school accountability system in Texas and to develop a system that encompasses multiple assessments; reflects greater validity; uses more cost efficient sampling techniques and other external evaluation arrangements; more accurately reflects what students know, appreciate and can do in terms of the rigorous standards essential to their success; enhances the role of teachers as designers, guides to instruction and leaders; embraces an environment of collaboration between parents and school personnel; and nurtures the sense of inquiry and love of learning in all students. (The entire resolution will be posted on the board of trustee member website.) Consider and Act on the Request to the Austin City Council for Consent to Hold Incorporation Election for the Proposed City of Hornsby Bend The board did not approve a request to the Austin City Council for a resolution for the City of Hornsby Bend. -xxx-
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Board Briefs for August 21, 2012
District Demographic Report As part of the District’s strategic planning process, Templeton Demographics is conducting a demographics study for the district. Bob Templeton attended the meeting and gave his preliminary report that will be used during the District’s strategic planning process. District Accountability Report: State and Adequate Yearly Progress To facilitate the evaluation of AYP in 2012, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) utilized a federally approved Bridge Study to identify the existing TAKS Met Standard performance used for AYP evaluations on the STAAR assessments. Since STAAR performance standards will not be available for the majority of the tests until late fall 2012, performance standards used with the TAKS assessments were carried over to the STAAR program for the 2012 AYP evaluations to be released in early August 2012. TEA used separate formulas for Reading and Math to convert the STAAR data into something comparable to TAKS in the Bridge Study. The Bridge Study results are not to be correlated with the expected standards to be set by January 2013. They are independent of each other at this time. The Reading Met Standard for this year was 87%. The Math Met Standard for this year was 83%. The Bridge Study results are for the satisfaction of federal AYP calculations for 2012 only. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2011-2012 school year was based on Bridge Study data. Both Reading and Math have seven different cells that are evaluated for a campus. The cells count for the campus if the campus has 50 or more students that count for that cell based on a snapshot of data taken on the last Friday in October every year. If one cell is missed either Reading or Math, the campus or district misses AYP period. Del Valle ISD will miss AYP for the 2012 school year, resulting in a Stage 3 for the district. The district will be in the No Child Left Behind School Improvement Program (SIP) for the 2012-2013 school year, with required mandates. Letters will go home to parents on the first day of school notifying them that the district is in Stage 3 for Reading and Math. Parent School Choice letters were sent out to parents of students at Stage 1 campuses on August 13, 2012. The next steps for Stage 3 require the completion of a formal Snapshot by the Education Service Center which will review district data. This formal Snapshot will be used to determine mandates and deadlines for our district. Possible mandates for our district are noted on the attachment. The district is already addressing some of the items noted. AYP standards for next year are 93% for Reading and 92% for Math. By the year 2013-2014, all campuses and districts in the United States of America must achieve 100% for both Reading and Math. Superintendent’s Report- Discussion of Tax Rates for 2012-2013 The district budget was adopted using the certified estimate of $3,025,939,143 received on April 30th. The final certified values decreased to $2,962,404,641. Based on preliminary state aid templates, additional EDA/IFA funds should allow the District to maintain the $.49 I&S tax rate for an additional year. The District received more than projected state aid in FY 2012, which made up the deficit we had in FY 2011. This restored our debt service fund balance which should allow the District to maintain at $.49. The District M&O tax rate will remain at $1.04 as published. Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #1 General Fund for 2012-2013 The board approved Budget Amendment #1 General Fund for 2012-2013 school year. This amendment includes the following:
The district is transferring existing funds to the proper function for new teachers and technologists, who have a need for furniture, technology and other essential resources.
These uniforms were authorized in the previous fiscal year but the invoice was not received until after July 1. Therefore, the District is re-authorizing funds.
In an effort to provide after-school athletic opportunities for the children of Del Valle ISD, we are forming athletic leagues. The teams will be coordinated by our coaches and utilize district facilities. Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #2 Food Service Fund for 2012-2013 The board approved Budget Amendment #2 General Fund for 2012-2013 school year. The amendment includes:
These improvements will help ensure our compliance with the federal mandates of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act. Consider and Act on DVISD 2012-2013 Calendar Waivers- TEA The board approved the DVISD 2012-2013 Calendar Waivers to TEA. Texas Education Code §25.082 (a) states that a school day must be at least seven hours each day. District school calendars that have early release days must submit a waiver to TEA. Texas Education Code §25.082 (a) permits school districts to modify the schedule of classes on State assessment testing days during the school year to reduce interruptions during the testing period. Districts choosing to modify the schedule of classes on State assessment days must also submit a waiver. Three waivers will be submitted to TEA. The staff development and early release days were approved by the Board of Trustees on Tuesday, January 27, 2012 as part of the 2012-2013 calendar. Staff Development Two (2) Days: Monday, January 21, 2013 and Monday, February 18, 2013 This waiver allows districts to train staff on various educational strategies to improve student performance in lieu of two (2) days of student instruction. Early Release Three (3) Days: Friday, December 21, 2012, Wednesday, April 10, 2013 (Senior Projects), and Friday, June 7, 2013 This waiver allows the district to conduct school for less than seven (7) hours for a total of six (6) days of student instruction to provide additional training in educational methodologies and to provide time to meet the needs of students and local communities. Modified Schedule State Assessment Testing Days Waiver This waiver allows the District to modify the schedule of classes on State assessment testing days during the school year to reduce interruptions during testing. Preliminary discussions for exercising this wavier involve our high school. The intent of the waiver is to promote a supportive high-stakes testing environment and to allow for the availability of more certified teachers to serve as test administrators. New to current administration, this waiver will be used on an as need basis. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction will collaborate with campus administrators and department heads to determine needs and develop plans before exercising this waiver. Consider and Act on District Improvement Plan for 2012-2013 The board approved the District Improvement Plan for 2012-2013. 2012-2013 District Improvement Plan (DIP) developed by the District Advisory Team (DAT) Developed by the DAT after a comprehensive and extensive needs assessment process during the 2011-2012 academic school year, the DIP aligns with goals previously set by the Board of Trustees and includes strategies for meeting those goals. The DIP serves as the foundation for district-wide initiatives and strategies. Summer and beginning-of-year staff development topics for administrators, teachers, and all educators, focused on identified needs, initiatives, and strategies. DAT members met at least nine times this academic school year after work hours to create the 2012-2013 DIP. Members served on one of eight sub-committees for this purpose. The eight committees were: 1) Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, 2) Demographics, 3) Health and Safety, 4) Parental Involvement, 5) Personnel, 6) School Organization, 7) Student Achievement, and 8) Technology A living document, the DIP will continue to be revised throughout the academic school year based on performance and other data still pending from the State. Board Committee Appointments: Strategic Planning Team and TASB School Board Advocacy Network The board will be turning in their requests to serve on the team and network in the upcoming weeks. Discussion of Central Texas School Board Association Trustees Rebecca Birch and Debbie Russell attended meetings of the Central Texas School Board Association and gave an update to the Board. Designate a Delegate and Alternate for the TASA/TASB Annual Convention The board designated Rebecca Birch as the Delegate and Susanna Woody as the Alternate for the TASA/TASB Annual Convention. -xxx-
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Board Briefs for July 17, 2012
Consider and Act on Superintendent’s Recommendation for Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary Principal, Baty Elementary Principal and Creedmoor Elementary Principal The board approved the hire of the following: Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary Principal: Mary Bashara, PhD Mary Bashara, PhD comes to DVISD from Bay City ISD where she most recently served as the High School Principal. She brings with her 38 years of service in education and received a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration from the University of Texas in Austin. Baty Elementary Principal: Mary Patterson
Creedmoor Elementary Principal: TJ Moreno TJ Moreno is the former Assistant Principal at Ojeda Middle School and is returning to the elementary educational environment. He brings 11 years of service in education and received his Master’s Degree in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Consider and Act on Student Meal Price Increases for 2012-1013 The board approved the following student meal prices for the 2012-2013 school year: Elementary: $1.90 Middle School: $2.15 High School: $2.25 Breakfast will continue to be free for all students at Del Valle ISD. These prices reflect an increase of $0.15 for Elementary and Middle Schools and $0.25 for High Schools in order to move toward federal requirements. Consider and Act on TASB Board of Director Nominations The board endorsed Vernagene Mott of Pflugerville ISD for the TASB Region 13 Position C Board of Directors position for a three-year term. Consider and Act on Elvis Williams as Investment Officer for Del Valle ISD The board approved the designation of Elvis Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, as an additional investment officer for Del Valle ISD. Communications Update- Strategic Planning and Back to School Newsletter The next step in the District’s Strategic Planning is the community forums. Below are the dates and times. This information is being mailed out via the District Newsletter as the front page article to parents in the District as well as to every taxpayer in DVISD. Community forum dates are: Thursday, August 9th 6 p.m. DVISD Admin. Building 5301 Ross Road Friday, August 10th 6 p.m. Hillcrest Elementary 6910 East William Cannon Saturday, August 11th 10 a.m. Dailey Middle School 1400 Westall Street The Back-to-School newsletter is sent every summer and includes registration information, immunization information, school calendar, district dress-code, a district map, attendance zones and much more information. It is a new school year welcome informational piece for parents and the community. They will be in mailboxes as early as July 25th which is a full month before school starts. Consider and Act on the Hazardous Routes for 2012-2013 The board approved the Hazardous Routes for 2012-2013. Routes must have some of the following conditions to be named a Hazardous Route: High traffic roads with no crossing guards
Consider and Act on Policy Update 94, affecting Policy FFAF (LOCAL) Wellness and Health Services Care Plans The Board approved to add Board Policy FFAF (LOCAL) Wellness and Health Services Care Plans. Senate Bill 27 from the 82nd Legislative Session requires districts to adopt a local policy by August 1, 2012, addressing students with food allergies who are at risk of anaphylaxis. The administrative guidelines will be developed and posted prior to the start of the 2012-2013 school-year. -xxx- |
Board Briefs for June 5, 2012
Election of Board Officers The Board voted for David Mellenbruch as President. Presentation and Discussion of Proposal from Circuit of the Americas to Rent Campus Parking Lots for F1 event November 16-18, 2012 Steve Sexton, President of Circuit of the Americas, spoke on a proposal to rent campus parking lots west of the river to provide employee/volunteer parking for the Formula 1 race event the weekend of November 16-18, 2012. While the Superintendent is authorized to approve the use of all district facilities (GKD LOCAL), the scope of the rental is so large that Dr. Crook solicited board feedback and input before making her decision. Discussion on Potential Refunding and Opportunity to Borrow Remaining $6,400,000 Voter-Authorized Bonds Jennifer Douglas of Specialized Public Finance discussed the possibility of refunding the District’s 2005 Series bonds and issuing the remaining $6,400,000 of voter-authorized bonds from the 2007 bond election. The board can adopt an order authorizing the issuance of Refunding Bonds and directing Superintendent Crook to serve as the pricing agent at the June 19th regular board meeting. Review and Discussion of Strategic Planning Timeline with SHW-Cambridge Walter Estay from SHW and John Messelt from Cambridge Strategic Services reviewed the timeline and roles/responsibilities for the District’s long-range facility planning and visioning project and solicited board feedback and input. Consider and Act on Proposed Tax Rate to be Published in Truth and Taxation The board approved to publish the proposed maintenance and operations maximum tax rate of $1.04 and interest and sinking maximum tax rate of $0.49 for a total maximum tax rate of $1.53.
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Board Briefs for June 19, 2012
Consider and Act on Order Authorizing the Issuance of Del Valle ISD Unlimited Tax Refunding Bonds The Board approved the order and issuance of Del Valle ISD Unlimited Tax Refunding Bonds. The board notes that the climate in the bond market is now right for refinancing some of the 2005 unlimited tax school building bonds at a lower interest rate to achieve an interest cost savings. These savings will also allow the district to issue the remaining approximately $6.4 million from the 2007 bond authorization and stay below the Attorney General’s $0.50 limit.
Consider and Act on District Health Insurance for 2012-2013 The board approved Aetna as the district’s health insurance provider for the 2012-2013 school year.
Consider and Act on Bond Project List for Summer 2012 The board took no action on this item because there were no recommendations for the use of any bond funds.
Consider and Act on Letter for Proposed County Roadway Connecting Hwy 71 The board approved a letter from Dr. Crook regarding a proposed road connecting Hwy 71 and Pearce Lane.
Consider and Act on Revisions to 2012-2013 School Calendar The board approved a revision to the 2012-2013 school calendar which includes a district holiday for Friday, November 16, 2012 due to safety issues regarding the Formula 1 Race scheduled that weekend. Monday, January 21, 2013 will continue to be a holiday for students but will be a staff development day for staff. This puts the District at 178 instructional days.
Update on STAAR/EOC Results: Last week, the Texas Education Agency released the results of the first administration of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests. The following are the results of all DVISD students taking the end of course (EOC) assessments at the middle schools, DVHS, OC and DAEP:
Continued and newly implemented support for the upcoming school year include:
All students who did not make the minimum score on the Biology, World Geography and Algebra I EOC assessments will be contacted by their school to receive accelerated instruction for the next three weeks leading up to the retest in July. These classes will target student’s individual weakness by combining direct teach and use of OnTrack, the Texas Education Agency web-based courses aligned to the curriculum. Additionally, accelerated instruction, using direct teach and TEA resources, will be provided in the fall semester through extended learning opportunities, such as before- and after- school tutorials and Saturday school. The high school instructional leadership team and campus advisory team will be working in collaboration with curriculum and instruction to finalize and communicate a comprehensive student support plan to students and parents.
Consider and Act on Local Board Policies The board approved the following Local Board Policies that updated only name changes:
Review Proposed Policy Update 94, affecting Policy FFAF (LOCAL) Wellness and Health Services Care Plans The board reviewed a local policy to add: FFAF (LOCAL) which requires districts to adopt a local policy by August 1, 2012, addressing students with food allergies who are at risk of anaphylaxis. This was a first reading and will be brought again to the next board meeting.
Consider and Act on Final Budget Amendments for 2011-2012 The board approved final budget amendments for 2011-2012.
Consider and Act on Budget for 2012-2013 The board approved the Budget for 2012-2013 which includes administrative recommendations for insurance increases, staffing and employee raises for a total budget of $86,500,747, Debt Service fund budget of $15,478,717, and Food Service fund budget of $7,212,615.
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Board Briefs for May 22, 2012 Report on Election Results The following board members were elected during the May 12, 2012 election to one term of three years and took their Oath of Office at the board meeting: Debbie Russell: Single Member District 2 Richard Rendon: Single Member District 4 Rebecca A. Birch: Single Member District 6 Superintendent Dr. Crook recognized outgoing board member Richard Franklin, III for his three years of service to the district as a trustee for Single Member District 6. The naming of President was tabled to the June 5, 2012 meeting and the Board voted for Susanna Woody as Vice President and Darla Wegner as Secretary. Recognition of Retirees The following retirees were honored for their years of service to the students and community of Del Valle ISD: Barbara Bakonyi 27 years of service Lucia Davila 19 years of service Dianne Diaz-Miranda 33 years of service Margie Gaitan 16 years of service Rebecca Hoffman 21 years of service Vertie Jackson 27 years of service Karin Kasper 20 years of service Dale Merlo 36 years of service Janie Pingleton 21 years of service Carlos Polanco 6 years of service Rebecca Rabel 34 years of service Irasema Reyes 11 years of service Carolyn Reveile 26 years of service Joyce Smith 37 years of service Francella Wyndham 26 years of service
Recognition of DAT Team The board recognized the District Advisory Team (DAT) Team members. Members of the team have worked diligently on the identification of needs and best practices for inclusion in the District Improvement Plan. DAT members met at least nine times this academic school year after work hours to create our District Improvement Plan for 2012-2013. Leading the DAT as an elected co-chair was Mr. Modesto Robles, District Attendance/Dropout Officer. Ms. Phyllis Dyer, Administrative Assistant of Curriculum Instruction, served as secretary of record. DAT members served on one of eight sub-committees. The following individuals served as subcommittee chairs/facilitators: 1) Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Ms. Kelli Lopez, Del Valle High School Assistant Principal 2) Demographic, Ms. Brenda Dominguez, Teacher at Creedmoor Elementary 3) Health and Safety, Ms. Molly Garcia, Director of Health Services 4) Parental Involvement, Mr. David Williams, Principal of Ojeda Middle School 5) Personnel, Ms. Ann Weitzman , Teacher at Smith Elementary 6) School Organization, Ms. Leslie Forbes, Teacher at Del Valle High School 7) Student Achievement, Ms. Sara Guerra, Principal of Baty Elementary 8) Technology, Ms. Kathy Edgar, Director of Instructional Technology The district applauds all members for their unwavering commitment to advancing the lives of students through quality educational opportunities. All spent many hours after a typical work day on a Monday to serve the Del Valle ISD children, staff, and community. Consider and Act on Food Service Contract with Sodexo The board approved a new contract with Sodexo for the 2012-2013 school year. Sodexo is the District’s current vendor for Food Service Management of the Child Nutrition program. As required by the new guidelines, DVISD bid out our food service management contract during March-April, 2009. Sodexo’s proposal incorporated all new USDA requirements and offered a better deal through a reduction in costs for the district than the previous contract. The contract approved for 2009-2010 was for one year, with four (4) one-year renewal options. In 2012 new regulations were issued as part of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act that required the district to re-bid our food service contract again.
Discussion of Proposed Road Connecting Hwy 71 to Pearce Lane The District has been contacted by a property owner who is pursuing getting a road built connecting Hwy 71 thru to Pearce Lane. The proposed road would connect Pearce Lane to Hwy 71 behind Del Valle High School. The property owner presented his plan and solicited feedback from the board. He will bring the item back to the board at a future board meeting.
Discussion of District Health Insurance Program Last year – after three years with Blue Cross Blue Shield – the Board voted to move the District’s health insurance program to Aetna. Under the terms of the contract, Aetna agreed to preserve the previous year’s rates with no increase for 2011-2012 and guarantee a renewal of no more than 13% for 2012-2013. In exchange the district moved the ancillary health products to Aetna and had employees fill out an online health risk assessment survey. While the district has budgeted for the 13% increase to cover employee-only premium increases for 2012-2013, the premium amounts for all other categories are still in negotiations. Representatives from MHBT were on hand to discuss the negotiations with Aetna and the district program for 2012-2013. Approval of the district health insurance plan will not occur until the June 19th regular board meeting.
Superintendent’s Report Dr. Crook reviewed the latest estimated of Revenue/Expenditures for 2011-2012 and projections for 2012-2013 as well as projected 2012-2013 function budgets for General Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Child Nutrition Fund. She also noted that the District will be adopting the proposed Maintenance &Operations and Interest &Sinking (debt service) tax rates for the public notice at the June 5th special board meeting.
Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #10 The board approved Budget Amendment #10 for the 2011-2012 General Fund. This amendment includes the following: $98,858 to order band uniforms for DVHS, $4,508 to order replacement cribs for the Child Development Center due to a safety recall and the transfer of funds from various campuses/departments between functions. (Transfers simply move funds between functions and are not a request for additional funds.)
Consider and Act on Employment of Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Del Valle High School Principal and Dailey Middle School Principal for 2012-2013. The board approved the hire of the following staff members: Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations:Mr. Elvis Williams, current Deputy Superintendent of Huntsville ISD, brings many talents to DVISD including experience in central office administration monitoring DAEP and supervising Child Nutrition, Maintenance and Facilities and overseeing School Safety. His campus administrative experience includes middle school principal and assistant principal. He’s a former elementary and middle school special education teacher and served in the Marine Corps. DVHS Principal: Mr. Scott Lipton, who most recently served as the Principal Intern at Crockett High School and Interim Principal at LASA High School in Austin ISD, joins the leadership team with 18 years of experience in education. Mr. Lipton has worked as the Administrative Supervisor for High School Curriculum Programs for Austin ISD, Academic Director and Assistant Principal at Crockett High School, Academy Director at A.S. Johnston High School, and Associate Director and teacher at The Griffin School in Austin. Dailey Middle School Principal:Dr. Thomas (“TJ”) Dilworth is a Del Valle alumnus, Class of 1979. His career path includes 9 years of secondary teaching and coaching and his administrative experience includes 7 years as a secondary assistant principal in Round Rock ISD and 5 years as a high school principal at Stony Point High School. During the last six years while completing his doctoral studies at the University of Texas in Austin, he has worked as a lecturer at Concordia University and as an educational consultant for Texas Military Forces, Region XIII Service Center and for a superintendent search firm.
Approve Action on Items Discussed in Closed Session- Personnel The board approved the hire of Pilar Westbrook as the new Director of Student Support. -xxx- |
Board Briefs for April 17, 2012 Recognition of Sodexo Awards Sodexo recognized the recipients of three of Sodexo’s grant programs with Del Valle ISD. These incentives are part of the District’s management contract with Sodexo:
2. Healthy High School Challenge: Sodexo presented a $500 award in recognition of Del Valle High School’s achievement in the company’s first-ever Healthy High School Challenge. Del Valle High School finished the six-week program as a Consolation Award Winner out of 201 participating schools across the country. Sodexo created the Healthy High School Challenge as a fun and interactive way to get high school students thinking about making healthy food choices. Through this program, students earned points for their school every time they selected healthy foods in the cafeteria. Students also earned double points for purchasing the featured healthy item of the week. Each school’s points were totaled and the top 56 nationally earned between $500 and $5,000 for student organized activities. 3. Sodexho presented a check to the Del Valle Adopt-A-School Teacher of the Year program in the amount of $1040.00 to support the recognition of the campus Teachers of the Year. Congratulations to these campus staff, students and programs for these awards!
Chamber of Commerce Progress Report The Austin Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with area districts, creates a yearly progress report to share with members of the greater Austin community. The Austin Chamber of Commerce has provided this annual report for DVISD for three (consecutive) years beginning in 2009. The 2011 DVISD Progress Report has already been mailed to parents with children attending DVISD schools. Approximately 5,427 reports were mailed out on March 30, 2012. The data sets used in the creation of the progress report come from state databases—Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) Academic Excellence Indicator System and the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resource at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin. The Chamber Task Force has recommended that DVISD continue to:
DVISD’s District Advisory Team (DAT) will be reviewing the report and using the information to continue strategic, needs-based planning for 2012-2013.
Consider and Act on 15% Deferral for End-of-Course Exams The board approved the 15% Deferral for End-of-Course Exams. Based on TEC §39.023(c), which states “A school district . . . shall adopt a policy that requires a student’s performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for fifteen percent of the student’s final grade for the course,” the central and high school administration collected input for recommendations to policy changes. On February 21, 2012, the Board approved the recommendation to amend policies EI (local), EIA (local) and EIC (local). These changes addressed: · Using a student’s score on the STAAR EOC to count for fifteen percent of a final course grade that is associated with a STAAR assessment; and, · Using a student’s score on the STAAR EOC when he/she initially earns credit for a course to impact class rank and grade point average (GPA) On February 17, 2012, Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Scott announced that public school districts and charter schools have the ability to defer a one-year (2011-12) implementation of the statutory provision that requires performance on an end-of-course assessment to count as fifteen percent of a student’s final course grade. The law still requires students that are first entering the ninth grade in the 2011-2012 school year to achieve a cumulative score on the end-of-course assessments to complete their graduation requirements. Ms. Westbrook, Acting Principal of DVHS, solicited feedback from the District Advisory Team (DAT) on Monday, February 27, 2012, on the deferment. The DAT recommended a deferment for one-year. She also solicited feedback from the Campus Advisory Team (CAT) on April 2, 2012. CAT members also recommended a one-year deferment of the requirement. At the March 20, 2012, Board meeting, a discussion was held on the subject after presentations by two ninth grade students and teachers in favor of the deferment. The consensus among the CAT members, the DAT members, the teachers representing 9th grade, and high school administration is that although students have been prepared well it is in their best interest to proceed with a one-year deferral.
Consider and Act on Boys and Girls Club Agreement- Dailey Middle School The board approved an agreement with the Boys and Girls Club at Dailey Middle School for the 2012-2013 school year. The Boys and Girls Club of Austin was approached by community members in the fall of 2011 with the request to open a site in Del Valle. Upon meeting with Del Valle ISD staff it was noted that Dailey Middle School would be the best location to pilot a club as it does not receive 21st Century After-School grant funding. A current club at Webb Middle School in Austin ISD has been visited by Dailey Staff and Director of Communications Celina Bley. Dailey Middle School has been toured by club staff and all agree that Dailey Middle School would be physically able to house a club. Dailey parents were surveyed by the Boys and Girls Club and 332 surveys were returned. It was determined that a sliding scale in $5 increments would best meet the needs of our families. The sliding scale would range from $0 to $15 a month for parents to enroll a child in the program. There are many partnership opportunities with the Boys and Girls Club and Del Valle ISD such as Sodexho providing afternoon snacks and possibly dinner for club attendees. There are no current after-school facilities for our Dailey students to attend in the area and this program with a reputable organization will be able to assist parents in quality after-school care for their children.
Discussion on Funding the Traffic Signal at Ross Road and St. Thomas Travis County is now in the process of putting together the FY 2013 traffic signal construction budget. They would like to know if the district would like to participate in a project to install a traffic signal on Ross Road at its intersection with St. Thomas Drive and Del Valle High School’s south driveway. In 2009 Travis County conducted a traffic study of the intersection. They found that it did not meet their normal criteria for installing a signal. However, because of traffic peaks immediately before and after school, they felt they could proceed with the project if the district considered it to be sufficiently important to contribute 50% of the cost of the signal. The cost of designing and constructing the signal was estimated at $142,400 in April, 2010. If the district is interested in participating in this project, it would need to be included in next year’s county budget. With inflation, the current estimated cost of the signal is approximately $156,600 – bringing Del Valle ISD’s share of the cost to around $78,000. The district is required to pay half of the cost as the intersection does not meet the county’s usual evaluation criteria: High traffic volume in all four intersection approaches for at least four and preferably eight hours per day. Joe Hall from the Travis County Traffic Engineering Program was at the meeting to answer questions.
Consider and Act on Identified Additional Positions for the 2012-2013 School Year The board approved identified additional positions for the 2012-2013 school year. Projected growth based upon the district’s roll forward enrollment figures indicates a need to hire additional staff to comply with elementary class size requirements and district staffing guidelines. This allows the district to move forward with posting, recruiting and hiring highly qualified individuals.
Consider and Act on Superintendent’s Recommendations for 2012-2013 Employee Compensation Plan The board approved the Superintendent’s Recommendations for 2012-2013 Employee Compensation Plan. Each year the Superintendent carefully looks at the budget and creates a compensation plan to address salaries for all individuals employed by the school district. The Superintendent shall recommend to the Board an amount for employee pay increases as part of the annual budget.
Title 1 Funding Update In collaboration with W. Paul Mettke, Senior Consultant Texas Educational Consultative Services, Inc. (TECS), the Title One budget and guidelines were reviewed. Based on current and future needs, funding allocations were evaluated and re-allocated into appropriate categories. In addition to professional development, the most significant budgeted appropriation is for the upcoming Summer School Program, which includes both an instructional, curricular, and parent education component. After completing an extensive comprehensive needs assessment, the district advisory team (DAT) made recommendations to support district-wide initiatives. One of these recommendations was to provide a secondary mathematics coach to support on-going professional development focused on the implementation of effective instructional strategies. A math curriculum coordinator position, funded with Title One funds, is in the process of being staffed. The district is allocating future Title I funds for a full-time secondary mathematics coordinator to provide significantly more access and support in the areas of mentoring, modeling, data analysis, curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Summer School Update for Summer 2012 In addition to the required summer school for limited English proficiency children who will be eligible for admission to kindergarten or first grade at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year (§89.1250), the District is committed to providing support to students identified at-risk in literacy and/or numeracy. The goal is to develop literacy and numeracy gaps in students in a way that promotes self-confidence and commitment to lifelong learning and in a way that inspires and demonstrates to students and parents that with strategic practice at home word per minute goals can be met. Summer Program Planning Highlights Cost estimate: $350,000 (projection for C&I component and staffing based on current student numbers) Funding source: Title I and local (if needed) Elementary sites: Hillcrest and Gilbert Secondary site: Del Valle High School (middle school students in 9th grade academy) Staffing allocations: Principal, assistant principal, librarian, counselor, nurse, community liaison, secretary, attendance/registrar clerk, and teachers—regular, bilingual, and special education Foci: Literacy for K-5, literacy and numeracy for 6-8; credit recovery, credit acceleration, and Exit Level TAKS/STAAR for 9-12 Curriculum: Aligned with literacy, numeracy, and course standards Training: Design and delivery by C&I staff · Literacy development for teachers selected to serve students in grades PK-5; · Math and reading basic and higher-order thinking skills for teachers serving middle school students; and · Research-based instructional delivery for teachers hired to serve high school students. Expectations: Implementation with fidelity Monitoring: Daily by administrators using walk-through form and weekly by C&I Evaluation: Monitoring reports, student performance data—words per minute, automaticity in numeracy, number of credits earned, and Exit TAKS data Parental involvement component: Workshops on how to use simple, time-conscious, pre-packaged literacy kits to further increase literacy and/or numeracy development during the summer months.
Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) Report 2011-2012 TEC § 28.004 states that a school district’s School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) shall annually submit to the Board of Trustees a written report including any council recommendations concerning the school district’s health education curriculum and instruction or related matters. It also states that the council shall submit a detailed explanation of the council’s activities during the 12-month period preceding the report’s submission date. The SHAC report for school year 2011-2012 consisted of one recommendation, to restore the ½ high school credit for physical education that has been eliminated for the last two years. This would return the total number of P.E. credits needed to 1 ½. The remainder of the report consists of minutes from SHAC meetings that occurred over the last 12 months.
Special Education Department Update A comprehensive needs assessment of the special education program is underway at both the campus and district levels. The process includes collecting and reviewing student data, visiting schools, speaking to special education teachers and support staff, observing classrooms, and talking to school administrators and district staff. Data and information collected to date indicate four priority areas of need for the remainder of the 2011-2012 academic school year: 1. Strategic professional development for special education teachers and district staff as well as general education teachers and campus administrators 2. Re-organization of roles and responsibilities of special education staff 3. Curricular, instructional, and organizational support for structured learning classrooms 4. Revamping procedures and processes for placement of students who receive special services in behavior programs and DAEP In the next few months, the comprehensive needs assessment will continue and plans will be developed to address other areas of need.
Retiree Reception- May 22, 2012 The District retirement celebration will be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 22, 2012 at the Edward A. Neal Administration Building.
Child Nutrition Update The department presented an update with a current program overview of key events from the 2011-2012 school year, including:
Budget Update The Board reviewed actual and proposed budgets for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 by object. They also had their first look at the function budgets for General Fund, Debt Service, and Food Service that will be adopted June 19th.
Consider and Act of Budget Amendment #9 General Fund The board approved Budget Amendment #9- General Fund. This amendment includes the following:
Consider and Act on Staffing Guidelines for 2012-2013 The board approved the staffing guidelines for 2012-2013. The development, adoption and implementation of district staffing guidelines establishes parameters which clearly communicate district standards, ensures consistency and control personnel costs. A comprehensive process involving multiple district stakeholders was utilized to formulate the final product. It reflects a common understanding of three key points: 1. Elementary Staffing is driven by Class Size 2. Secondary Staffing is driven by the Master Schedule Model. 3. Protecting academic CORE class size is more important than overall class size averages for Secondary Staffing
Review/Re-approve Del Valle ISD Investment Policies The board reapproved the Del Valle ISD Investment Policies. Trustees annually review the investment policies of the district and approve any changes. Changes were made to CDA(LOCAL) in October 2011 and approved by the Board with Update 91 in December 2011. These changes were the addition of one section on Monitoring Rating Changes: In accordance with Government Code 2256.005(b), the investment officer shall develop a procedure to monitor changes in investment ratings and to liquidate investments that do not maintain satisfactory ratings. No other changes have been made to investment policies for 2011-2012.
Consider and Act on TASB Update 93, Local Policies: The board approved the adoption/revise/repeal of the following local policies: Local Policies to Adopt: DAC(LOCAL): EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVES - OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR PERSONNEL DECISIONS Local Policies to Revise: DH(LOCAL): EMPLOYEE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT EFA(LOCAL): INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES - INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FDB(LOCAL): ADMISSIONS - INTRADISTRICT TRANSFERS AND CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENTS FFH(LOCAL): STUDENT WELFARE - FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT, AND RETALIATION FFI(LOCAL): STUDENT WELFARE - FREEDOM FROM BULLYING Local Policies to Repeal: DAB(LOCAL): EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVES - GENETIC NONDISCRIMINATION
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Board Briefs for March 20, 2012
Recognition of Del Valle High School for Exceptional Use of 2009-2010 High School Allotment Funds The Texas Education Agency recognized DVHS for the implementation of programs that advance student success in post-secondary education. The high schools across Texas that received this recognition used their Allotment in a manner worthy of commendation in one of the following categories: · Preparing students for college readiness; · Increasing graduation rates; · Improving curriculum alignment or preparing students for successful transition from middle school to high school or from high school to college; or · Implementing innovative high school completion and success programs or strategies. DVHS was recognized for initiatives designed to support successful transitions from secondary school to college for a student population that is 70 percent economically disadvantaged and at-risk of dropping out of school. The number of graduating seniors who began college in fall increased nearly 16 percent from the Class of 2007 to the Class of 2008. This increase earned special recognition from the Austin Chamber of Commerce for demonstrating the greatest improvement in the rate of students enrolling directly in college out of any high school in the Central Texas area. Use of the HS Allotment included: · Senior Project Ø This project is a year-long rigorous research and writing project on a topic selected by each high school senior, culminating in a final presentation. Ø DVHS employed a counselor whose job responsibilities are focused solely on assisting students in identifying college opportunities and taking the steps necessary to make successful transitions to college. · Path to Success (PTS) Initiative for the Ninth Grade Academy Ø PTS is a multi-tiered system of academic and behavioral support that is based on the principles of response-to-intervention. Ø PTS has resulted in continued performance gains for ninth graders Congratulations to the staff and students of Del Valle High School for this award! Consider and Act on Architect Contract for Long-Range Planning The Board approved the architect contract with SHW Group, Templeton Demographics and Cambridge Strategies to guide the long range facility planning process. In accordance with Board Policy, the district shall select professional services of a most highly qualified architect on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications, and negotiate a contract with that provider at a fair and reasonable price. The district may not use a competitive bid (using pricing) as a method to select professional services. At the February 21st regular board meeting the board selected SHW Group to guide the long range facility planning process for Del Valle ISD. SHW’s proposal outlined a partnership between three entities: SHW for facility usage and planning, Templeton Demographics for forecasts, zoning, and demographic analysis, and Cambridge Strategies for educational planning and visioning services. The board adopted a contract for a maximum, not-to-exceed amount of $139,000 and will be paid from excess bond funds and will not affect the General Fund budget for the district. This allows the District to get started on the process yet still reserve the option of denying some future services if the board feels they are unnecessary. Consider and Accept Certification of Unopposed Candidates The board accepted the certificate of unopposed candidates for Single Member District 2. Incumbent Debbie Russell ran unopposed. Consider and Approve Order to Cancel General Trustee Election on May 12, 2012 for Single Member District 2 A motion to not approve the order of cancellation failed 4-3. The board approved 4-3 the order to cancel the General Trustee election set for May 12, 2012 Single Member District 2. The oath of office will be given on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 to Incumbent Russell along with the trustees from Single Member Districts 4 and 6 who will have been elected on May 12, 2012. Superintendent’s Report- Budget Summaries by Object and Adoption Timeline Dr. Crook reviewed the latest 2012-2013 budget projections which include above allocation requests, staffing requests and employee compensation increases. She also discussed the timelines for approval of an employee compensation plan for 2012-2013 and approval of additional positions for 2012-2013 at the April board meeting. Discussion on End-of-Course 15% Grading Policy The board was presented with information regarding the End-of-Course 15% Grading Policy. Based on TEC §39.023(c), which states “A school district . . . shall adopt a policy that requires a student’s performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for fifteen percent of the student’s final grade for the course,” the central and high school administration collected input for recommendations to policy changes. On January 17, 2012, the Board approved the recommendation to amend policies EI (local), EIA (local) and EIC (local). These changes addressed: Using a student’s score on the STAAR EOC to count for fifteen percent of a final course grade that is associated with a STAAR assessment; and, Using a student’s score on the STAAR EOC when he/she initially earns credit for a course to impact class rank and grade point average (GPA) On February 17, 2012, Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Scott announced that public school districts and charter schools have the ability to defer a one-year (2011-12) implementation of the statutory provision that requires performance on an end-of-course assessment to count as fifteen percent of a student’s final course grade. The law still requires students that are first entering the ninth grade in the 2011-2012 school year to achieve a cumulative score on the end-of-course assessments to complete their graduation requirements. School districts must provide notification to the TEA to defer implementation of the fifteen percent requirement no later than May 1, 2012. Consider and Act on TASA Resolution- High Stakes Testing The board took no action on this item. Discussion of School District Boundary Issue for Milestone Housing Development on Riverside Drive The board was updated on the development under construction on Riverside Drive in front of Baty Elementary which has a split boundary with some houses in Austin ISD and the majority in Del Valle ISD. The board’s options include: 1. Deannexation/Annexation – Austin ISD would deannex the property and Del Valle ISD would annex. 2. Land swap – Austin ISD would give the property to Del Valle ISD in exchange for another parcel of equal size. 3. Do nothing – Austin ISD educates the students within their boundary and Del Valle ISD educates those with our boundary. Any recommendations for action will be brought to a future board meeting for approval. -xxx-
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Recognition of Regional LEGO Robotics Team Awards The Board recognized two of the eight teams from Del Valle ISD that competed at the Central Texas FIRST® LEGO® League (CTFLL) Invitational Tournament competition held at Westlake High School. The teams were judged on robot design, core values, research presentation, and the robot game. Two of the teams came home with awards: Team 1894 | Dailey Trackers 2 | Dailey Middle School | “Teamwork” Award Team 551 | Panda Explorers | Popham Elementary | “Special Recognition” Award Congratulations to these teams!!!! Circuit of the Americas Update with Steve Sexton, President Circuit of the Americas is a multi-purpose facility and racetrack currently under construction on a 1,000 acre tract in Elroy, Texas. Steve Sexton, President of COTA, came to the board meeting to introduce himself to the board and give an update on their progress. The first Forumla 1 race is scheduled for the weekend of November 16-18, 2012. Consider and Act on Architect to Lead District Long-Range Facility Planning In order to be prepared to move forward with a long range facility planning process for DVISD, the Board selected SHW Group as the architectural firm to guide the process. In accordance with Board Policy, the district shall select professional services of a most highly qualified architect on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications, and negotiate a contract with that provider at a fair and reasonable price. The district may not use a competitive bid (using pricing) as a method to select professional services. A “short list” of architects the district had successfully worked with previously was invited to submit qualifications (RFQ) for the long range facility planning process. The firms the District recommended were BLGY, Inc., Pfluger and Associates, and SHW Group. References were checked and a committee comprised of Dr. Crook, Phil Williams, David Mellenbruch, Richard Rendon, and Debbie Russell met on Thursday, January 26th to interview the firms and view presentations of their work. The committee then evaluated and ranked each firm based on the selection criteria. The committee scored and ranked SHW Groupas the most qualified to lead the long range facility planning process for the district. Consider and Act on Interlocal Agreement with Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services The board approved an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Austin and Travis County Health and Human Services division (COA) on a partnership program for our families. Inclusive of this agreement is the district providing the facilities for COA to organize and provide a Career Fair for our families, parenting classes, health screenings and many other activities. Consider and Act on 24:1 Student/Teacher Budget Ratio for Grades K-2 for 2012-2013 The board approved a 24:1 Student/Teacher Ratio for Grades K-4 to enable staff to move forward for staffing elementary campuses for the 2012-2013 school year. The current law is 22:1 for K-4; however, as was approved for 2011-2012, DVISD plans to submit a waiver to the Texas Education Agency, as necessary, for any sections that exceed 22 to 1 by October 2012.
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Board Briefs for January 17, 2012
Recognition of Board Members Rick Perry declared January as School Board Appreciation Month and during the board meeting trustees received gifts and banners from the campuses that went along with the theme of "Helping our Kids Shine." Recognition of Del Valle ISD Special Olympics This fall three Del Valle ISD athletes were awarded medals in the Special Olympics Volleyball Competition held in San Antonio, Texas. Students from Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary, Smith Elementary and Del Valle High School took home medals in the Volleyball competition. The team is coached by Megan Morley. Order Election to be held on Saturday, May 12, 2012 for Election of Trustees under the 9-0 Single Member Districts (SMD) Plan. The board ordered an election from each of the following districts: SMD 2 for a three-year term, SMD 4 for a three-year term and SMD 6 for a three year term. Consider and Act on Award of the Construction Contract for the Replacement of Mechanical Equipment at Del Valle High School and for the Replacement of Mechanical Equipment at Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary School. The board approved contracts with Porter Company for the work at DVHS and Air Craft for the Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary project. May Board Meeting Date Change The board meeting for May will change to May 22, 2012 in order to meet canvassing timeframe from Travis County. Consider and Act on 2012-2013 School Calendar The board approved School Calendar Option #3 which was the option of having a week off for Thanksgiving and the school year ending on Friday, June 7, 2013. Consider and Act on Local Policies The board approved changes to the following local policies: EI (LOCAL) Academic Achievement EIA (LOCAL) Academic Achievement: Grading/Progress Reports to Parents EIC (LOCAL) Academic Achievement: Class Ranking DEC (LOCAL) Leaves and Catastrophic Absences Consider and Act on Policy Update 92, Affecting Local Policies The board approved the following local policies for addition: DFFA (LOCAL) Reduction in Force- Financial Exigency DFFB (LOCAL) Reduction in Force- Program Change The board approved the following local policy for deletion: DFF (LOCAL)- Termination of Employment- Reduction in Force
The board discussed the topic of a forensic audit and nofurther information was requested. ### |
Board Briefs for December 13, 2011
The Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees has named Dr. Kelly K. Crook as its first Female Superintendent in District history Tuesday night. Dr. Crook has been an educator for seventeen years. She has served for the past six months as the Interim Superintendent while continuing to serve in her position as the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations at Del Valle ISD, a district that serves over 11,000 students on fourteen campuses in southeast Travis County. Dr. Crook has experience as an ESL teacher in Dallas ISD and Frisco ISD, middle school assistant principal in Leander ISD, program specialist at the Texas Education Agency and Director of Accountability for Del Valle ISD. She has been with the district for the past nine years, the last six as the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations. Board President David Mellenbruch stated, “The Board looks forward to working with Dr. Crook as she continues our tradition of preparing students for an effective and successful post-secondary career. We were impressed with her performance as Interim Superintendent and are confident Dr. Crook can maintain our forward momentum in doing what is best for kids and our community.” Dr. Crook, an Austin native, received her Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the Cooperative Superintendency Program at the University of Texas at Austin and is a proud product of public schools.
The following Retirees were recognized at the Board meeting and their years of service are listed after their name: Connie Acosta 30 Diana Contreras 30 Frederick Cooksey 34 Simona Gutierrez 34 Isidora Paredes 28 Mary Patterson 12 Alfredo Rodriguez 19 Daniel Santellana 17 ILA Jean MacInnis 34 Louisa Velasquez 22 Phil D. Williams 20 Artrelle Cross 21 Recognition of Karem Castillo from Del Valle High School Karem Castillo, a senior at Del Valle High School, placed 1st at the Second Annual High School Cupcake Battle. The competition was founded last year by the culinary instructor from Del Valle and surrounding area schools. The competition went so well last year that it was endorsed by the Hospitality Educators Association of Texas and is being held regionally in 7 locations across Texas. Karem has advanced and will be competing in the state level competition in the spring. This year, Karem took a pineapple cupcake with coconut frosting, topped with toasted coconut and a cherry. Her cupcake won 1st place out of approximately 70 other entries from 8 other Central Texas culinary programs. Placements are awarded based on taste, consistency, visual appeal, presentation and conceptual merit. Karem is a manager in the Culinary Arts program at Del Valle and their student run restaurant, Carmelo’s at Del Valle. Recognition of Gold Performance Awards (GPA) Ten (10) campuses received GPAs in twenty-one (21) areas for 2011 performance. This compares to six (6) campuses that received seventeen (17) GPAs in 2010. GPA Summary: Del Valle High School: Commended on Social Studies, Recommended High School Program, and Texas Success Initiative English Language Arts Del Valle Middle School: Comparable Improvement in Reading and Comparable Improvement in Mathematics Ojeda Middle School: Comparable Improvement in Reading and Comparable Improvement in Mathematics Dailey Middle School: Comparable Improvement in Reading Baty: Comparable Improvement in Reading Del Valle Elementary: Commended in Mathematics, Comparable Improvement in Reading and Comparable Improvement in Mathematics Hillcrest: Commended in Science and Outstanding Attendance Hornsby-Dunlap: Commended in Science Popham: Commended in Math, Commended in Science, and Outstanding Attendance Smith: Commended in Math, Commended in Science, and Comparable Improvement in Math January is School Board Recognition Month and Coats for Kids January is School Board Recognition Month and the HS Culinary Arts students will be preparing a special meal for board members before the January board meeting. The Junior League of Austin and Coats for Kids distributed 3,023 coats this past Saturday at Del Valle Elementary to the students. The distribution went smoothly thanks to the help of over 250 volunteers! End of Course Policies-First Reading The Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Del Valle High School sought input from the Board of Trustees relative to policy changes regarding End of Course Policies. The concept of final exams is not new to Del Valle High School. Students have taken final exams at the end of the first and second semesters for several years with the exam scores counting for 20% of the semester grade. The committee submits for first reading changes to policies EI (LOCAL), EIA (LOCAL), and EIC (LOCAL). State Law—TEC §39.023(c). "A school district . . . shall adopt a policy that requires a student’s performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for 15% of the student’s final grade for the course." Courses impacted by TEC §39.023 Algebra I, II, Geometry English I, II, III Biology, Chemistry, Physics World Geography, World History, US History Policy DEC (LOCAL): Leaves and Catastrophic Absences- 1st Reading The proposed revisions to Board Policy DEC (LOCAL) reflect the district's effort to promote a better understanding of the District's leave administration for all employees. After input at tonight's meeting, final changes to DEC (LOCAL) will be submitted for approval in January 2012. Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #6- General Fund The board approved budget amendment #6 which includes $17,883 which includes a transfer of funds from Function 11 in the Superintendent's budget to Function 36 in the DVHS budget for the DVHS cheerleader national competition trip.
The board approved a submission of the waiver to the TEA as approved by the DAT on November 28, 2011 for the 2011-2012 calendar. Board Budget Workshop/Team Building The board discussed various dates for an upcoming board budget workshop and team building activity. Consider and Act on Local Policy Update 91, Affecting Local Policies The board approved the following board policies: CDA (LOCAL): Other Revenues- Investments CV (LOCAL): Facilities Construction DFBB (LOCAL): Term Contracts- Nonrenewal EFAA (LOCAL): Instructional Materials- Selection and Adoption FFH (LOCAL): Student Welfare- Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation FO (LOCAL): Student Discipline Approve Action on Items Discussed in Closed Session- Personnel The board approved the hire of Jonathan Harris as the new Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. ### |
Board Briefs for October 18, 2011
School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (School FIRST Rating)
Recognition of Human Resources Department for Texas Education Human Resources Awareness Month
Recognition of Jean MacInnis Jean MacInnis, High School Principal, received the 2011 School District Employee of the Year from the Central Texas Afterschool Network (CTAN) at the Breakfast of Champions on October 18, 2011. Ms. MacInnis was nominated by College Forward, a primary partner in the Del Valle High School ACE/21st CCLC program. CTAN is an active membership organization established as a collaborative effort between private and non-profit organizations in the Central Texas area. Committed to supporting providers that serve school-age children and their families during out-of-school time, CTAN’s mission is to expand out-of-school time opportunities for children, youth, and families that are diverse, accessible, balanced, and of the highest quality. The Del Valle ISD ACE/21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) afterschool program is a CTAN member organization. Congratulations Mrs. MacInnis! Review of Travis County Expansion of Westall Street by Dailey Middle School Consider and Act on 2010-2011 Annual Financial Audit Consider and Act on Board Resolution of Taxation of Goods-In-Transit Consider and Act on Adopting Resolution for Del Valle ISD Cafeteria Plan Performance Based Monitoring Accountability System (PBMAS)
Consider and Act on Employee Retention Bonus Plan for 2011-2012. The board approved an employee retention bonus plan for 2011-2012! Full time Del Valle ISD employees of the District, who are employed on, or before September 15, 2011 who complete their assigned employee work calendar in its entirety shall be paid a one-time incentive payment for years of experience in Del Valle Independent School District in an amount as follows:
Salaried Employees 0-5 years of Experience in the District $900.00 6-10 years of Experience in the District $1,000.00 11-15 years of Experience in the District $1,100.00 16+ years of Experience in the District $1,200.00
0-5 years of Experience in the District $600.00 6-10 years of Experience in the District $700.00 11-15 years of Experience in the District $800.00 16+ years of Experience in the District $900.00
Employees shall receive their payment for the retention compensation as scheduled: One-half of the payment to be released in December of 2011 One-half of the payment to be released in May of 2012
Consider and Act on Providing DAEP Transportation The board approved providing transportation for DAEP via six cluster stop sites for students attending DAEP commencing on January 3, 2012.
Consider and Act on Budget Amendment #4- General Fund The board approved budget amendment #4 which includes $1,216,100 for the DVISD Employee Retention Bonus, $19,360 to pay for the completion of HR records transferred to an electronic format and $56,423 for the cost, salaries and cameras to implement DAEP transportation.
Consider and Act on Joining the Equity Center School Finance Lawsuit The board had no action regarding joining the Equity Center School Finance Lawsuit.
Consider and Act on a General Election Date for Del Valle ISD The board voted unanimously to keep May as the general election date for 2012.
The board approved the hire of Ruth Vail as the new Principal of Del Valle Middle School. ###
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Board Briefs for Special Board Meeting on November 3, 2011
Action on Retaining a Consulting Firm to Assist the District’s Search for a New Superintendent of Schools The board did not approve retaining a consulting firm to assist the District’s search for a new Superintendent of Schools.
Naming Kelly K. Crook, Ph.D. as Lone Finalist for the Position of Superintendent of Schools The board approved naming Dr. Kelly K. Crook as the Lone Finalist for the position of Superintendent of Schools. She has been serving in the post since June 2011 while continuing to serve in her position as the District’s Assistant Superintendent of Finance. The board must wait 21 days, per Texas law, before they can finalize the hire. ### |
Board Briefs for September 20, 2011
Resolution Adopting Single Member Districts The board approved a resolution adopting single member districts that will be used for submission to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for approval for new single member districts for school board members. District Counsel will continue to move forward with the DOJ submission as other entities make their decisions on upcoming election dates.
TravisCounty 4H Adjunct Faculty Agreement Enrollment and Staffing Updat STAAR/End of Course (EOC) Policy Update Model Classroom Project (MCP) Budget Workshop · Budget priorities/cuts for 2012-2013 · Purchase of school buses · Facility repairs with bond funds · Long range facility planning EduJobs Funds Budget Amendment #3-A · Additional state revenue for student enrollment growth · Reclassification of general fund salaries from General Fund to Federal EduJobs funds · Transfer of existing funds between functions for campuses/departments · Allocation of $75,000 for an additional position for Technology: Instructional Technology Coordinator · Allocation of $81,829 for additional Maintenance positions and reclassification of existing Maintenance employees: two General Maintenance Building Operators and one Administrative Assistant/Schooldude Coordinator. · Four additional teachers for K-4 classes to level classrooms below the 24:1 ratio. Discussion of Employee Retention Bonus Plan for 2011-2012 Consider and Act on Submitting Texas Education Agency Request for Maximum Class Size Exception Waivers The board approved the Maximum Class Size Exception Waivers for each section exceeding 22 students at each elementary campus for grades kindergarten through 4th to be submitted to the Texas Education Agency.
Consider and Act on Tax Rate for 2011 The board approved a total tax rate of $1.53 for 2011, the same total tax rate for 2010. The tax rate for maintenance and operations is $1.04 per $100 assessed valuation and $0.49 for the interest and sinking tax rate per $199 assessed valuation.
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Board Briefs for August 16, 2011
Plan for Reapportionment of Single Member Districts The board approved Map A-1 to be used for submission to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for approval for new single member districts for school board members. District Counsel will bring the complete submission package that includes polling locations and other data to the board for final approval at the September board meeting. District Accountability Report Leadership TASB Delegate for TASA/TASB Annual Convention Budget Amendment # Policy Update The board approved the following additions and deletions to local policies as noted below: A. Affecting (LOCAL) Policies for Addition: B. Affecting Local Policies for Revision: C. Affecting Local Policies for Deletion: 1. EFE (LOCAL): Instructional Resources - Copyrighted Material
Reorganization of Central Office Staff ### |
Board Briefs for July 26, 2011
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Congratulations to Dr. Priscilla Canales who was named the new Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. She comes to the district from San Antonio ISD where she served for a decade, most recently as the Executive Director of School Leadership responsible for 15 middle schools. Dr. Canales received her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration from Texas A& M University. She brings with her diverse experiences in the areas of systems thinking, school improvement, action planning and program development, implementation and evaluation. Interim superintendent Dr. Kelly K. Crook notes, “We are excited to have Dr. Canales join our team and help move the District forward- both in student achievement and community involvement.” 2011-2012 Course Catalog Course Additions The board approved three Career Technology Education courses based on Texas Workforce Commision. They are Professional Comunication, Advanced Biotechnology (11th grade) and World Health Research (12th grade). Translation Services for Board Meetings The board approved the purchase of a translation system in an effort to improve communication with District parents and taxpayers. The system will assist the district in providing Spanish translation services at all school board meetings with bilingual district employees providing translations on a rotating basis. Hazardous Routes for 2011-2012 The Board approved the Hazardous Routes for 2011-2012. Budget Amendment #1 The Board approved Budget Amendment #1 which allocates funds for the High School Allotment, the Gilbert Elementary Community Liaison and Nurse and a Title II Teacher at Hornsby Elementary. Employee Stipends for 2011-2012. The board approved employee stipends for 2011-2012 that allows them to be compensated for job duties identified in extracurricuar, co-curricular and areas of academic need. Preliminary FIRST Rating of Superior Del Valle ISD has earned a preliminary Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or F.I.R.S.T. rating of SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT for the 2009-2010 school year. This is the highest rating a school district can earn. Preliminary ratings, unless appealed by the district, should become final in August 2011. The district earned 74 points out of a possible 80 points. ### |
Board Briefs for June 28, 2011 Recognitions Congratulations to Business Office employees Elvia Guadian and Irma Lira. Elvia has earned her CTSBS certification for Payroll and Irma is the first staff member to have achieved the second level of TASBO certification – CTSBO – in the areas of Risk Management, Payroll, and Accounting. Applicants are required to complete a set number of training classes to earn certification and will also be required to complete continuing profession education credits in order to maintain their certification. Way to go Elvia and Irma! Student Meal Prices One of the requirements of the recently passed Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (also known as the re-authorization of the National School Lunch Program) is that effective July 1, 2011, school nutrition programs will be required to move towards charging paid meal category students at a price that is on average equal to the difference between free meal reimbursement and paid meal reimbursement. Schools that charge less than this amount are required to gradually increase their prices over time until they meet the requirement. The board approved new lunch rates for next year. The new lunch prices were increased by $0.25 and are as follows: Elementary- $1.75 Commitment of Fund Balances for Campus Activity Funds The board approved a statement that allows the Campus Activity Fund balances to be reported as special revenues separate from the General Fund in order for them not be rolled into the General Fund balance at the end of each fiscal year. Board Meeting Date Change The date of the next board meeting has been changed to July 26, 2011. Calendar for Redistricting The Board approved two calendar dates that would allow for public review on sample redistricting plans for the Board of Trustee Single Member Districts. These meetings will allow for public input for the board to take into consideration before a plan is placed on the agenda for the September Board Meeting. The meetings will be held on Tuesday, August 2nd at Baty Elementary and Thursday, August 4th at Dailey Middle School with the review of sample plans from 6:00 to 6:30 pm and a special board meeting to discuss the plans at 6:30 pm. The sample plans and all other redistricting information will be posted on the website accessable from the front page. Budget for 2011-2012. The board approved the 2011-2012 General Fund budget of $78,190,762, Debt Service fund budget of $15,459,655, and Food Service fund budget of $7,044,151. The tax rate that would be required to fund the budget would be $1.04 for maintenance and operations and $0.50 for the debt service rate. Rates will not be adopted until August or September 2011. This adopted General Fund budget includes the administrative recommendations for budget cuts and no salary increases for any DVISD job classifications. Procedures to Fill Del Valle ISD Single Member District 2 The board approved procedures for filling the Del Valle ISD Single Member District 2 spot vacated by Claudia Yanez who resigned. The procedures are: Potential appointees must: Applications must be received in the Superintendent’s office no later than Wednesday, July 20th so that they may be distributed to all board members for review prior to the August 2nd board meeting. An agenda item to appoint a member from the received applications will be placed on that meeting's agenda. # # # |