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|  | | | SITE COUNCIL MEETING April 11, 2005
HUMBOLDT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
SITE COUNCIL MEETING
April 11, 2005
MINUTES
The meeting was held at Humboldt Senior High School at 6:00 pm.
Attendance: Becki Hamilton (Parent, Co-Chair), Valerie Atkinson (Staff, Co-Chair), Bonnie Bellows (Staff-Treasurer), John Bianchi (Principal) Pat Murphy (Vice Principal), Preston McMillan (Staff, Union Steward), John Hines (Parent), David Mergens (Staff), Carol Hugely (Parent), Marilyn Mauritz (Staff), Gilbert De la O (Community Member), Kita Her (Staff), Jim Swich (Staff), Ann Gangl (Parent), Saul Castillo (Student).
1. Approval of Agenda -
Motion to approve agenda motioned by Dave Mergens, and seconded by Gilbert De la O.
2. Approval of March 14, 2005 minutes.
Changes submitted prior to meeting.
Motion to approve minutes as amended so moved by Dave Mergens., seconded by Bonnie Bellows.
3. New Business
Open Forum -
No new business.
4. Parent Engagement -
- No new business
- John Hines as member of the parent engagement initiative requested volunteers
for the phone bank. Directed volunteers to contact Kari Denison for details.
5. Principal's Report -
Principal John Bianchi reported the following:
- March 29th was Julian Mancho day. Mayor Randy Kelly attended ceremony and
presented Julian with an award. The Humboldt High School band played at the ceremony.
- The school responded to the Red Lake shooting tragedy. The entire school exercised a lock-down. Staff discussed the shootings with the students, and some fall-out was experienced. Some students displayed bizarre behavior, and one student was terminated for inappropriate behavior. The school administration and staff will continue to be vigilante with regards to student safety, and student threats.
- Principal Bianchi reported on the recent standardized test scores. Writing scores were down 20 percent. He presented the following reasons why there are lower test scores than expected:
a. Groups of students score differently depending on which classes they attend.
b. Higher mobility of the student population. Students from outside of the school district and state skew the testing results.
c. Student transcripts not accurately placing them in the correct grade when transferring in from outside the school district.
d. New student enrollments after the start of the school year go to the school with the least population.
Principal Bianchi would like to see the school district leave 5% of the enrollment available at all the St. Paul public schools to offset the student mobility situation for students starting after the beginning of the school year. He also noted that the largest percentage of the students attending Humboldt High School is from the Frogtown area of St. Paul.
- The Principal presented the 2005/2006 budget, and reported the following information:
a. The school district will face $24.3 million deficit.
b. On January 25th Governor Pawlenty signed a bill providing $5 million, thus reducing the deficit to $19 million.
c. Schools are allowed 65% for fund balancing.
d. Board of Education will fund the balance down to $15 million with 4% due to declining enrollment.
e. 40 % or $4.5 million will be the responsibility of the school with cuts being greater than $4 million.
f. Title I federal funding is defined, and every dollar must be spent on Title I programs.
g. Resources for Title I budgeted at $3.85 million equaling a $250,000 reduction in funds. ($3.9 / $2483=$147,054). There was a loss of 88 students, thus resulting in the $250,000 reduction in funds.
h. The resulting deficit, and reduction of Title I funds may result in the elimination of one teaching position at an FTE of $70,000.
i. On October 1 there will be a budget adjustment up to $2500 per student leaving an over-all reduction of $90,000.
Principal Bianchi strongly urged that the school board reassess the schools charter based on the declining enrollment and budgeting concerns.
6. SCIP-
Patricia Murphy presented the following:
- Hand-out defining SCIP goals including the following;
a. Goal 1 - Improve MCA assessment.
b. Goal 2 - Improve BST by 10%
c. Goal 3 - Raise 9th grade retention from 68% to 75%.
- The Site Council reviewed the presented SCIP, and amended allowing provision for Pat Murphy to make minor changes.
Motion to approve SCIP made by Dave Mergens, and seconded by Becky Hamilton.
- Preston McMillian expressed concerns regarding the budgeted reduction in staff.
Principal Bianchi assured him that all measures would be taken to maintain existing staffing levels.
The chair then called the vote. Vote taken with 10 for, 1 against, 1 abstain.
Motion to approve the budget before May 6, 2005 made by Dave Mergens.
A counter motion to meet on May 2, 2005 was adopted, and voted on unanimously.
Motion to adjourn by Dave Mergens, seconded by Becky Hamilton.
Meeting adjourned.
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