FOREST HILLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN ...

FOREST HILLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
Minutes of Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
Held on November 21, 2011
The Forest Hills Board of Education met in regular session on Monday,
November 21, 2011, at Pine Ridge Elementary School. President Fahner
called the regular meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. President Fahner appointed
Member Lenhardt as the Acting Secretary for tonight’s meeting.
Members Present: Atwater, Fahner, Fischer, Josephson, Lenhardt,
Perschbacher
Members Absent: Vonck
CALL TO ORDER
ATTENDANCE
Cub Scout Pack 3364 led the Pledge of Allegiance. PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE
Clark Udell, principal of Pine Ridge Elementary School, welcomed everyone
to tonight’s Board of Education meeting. He showed a short video of
students welcoming the Board in a number of different languages. There are
approximately 26 different languages spoken at Pine Ridge Elementary
School.
Terry Urquhart, principal of Central High School, recognized Donna Secor-
Pennington, social worker at Central High School, for receiving the Michigan
Association of School Social Workers Career Achievement Award at the
MASSW annual conference. Member Fischer presented Donna with a
certificate.
Carly Van Wyngarden, special education teacher at Eastern High School,
introduced the four Eastern and Northern High School students that placed
third in the state with the Special Olympics Soccer Team. Member Lenhardt
presented certificates to the students.
WELCOME
MICH. ASSOC. OF
SCHOOL SOCIAL
WORKERS CAREER
ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
SOCCER TEAM
There were no public comments. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Member Perschbacher, Finance Committee Chair, and Member Josephson,
Curriculum Committee Member, presented their respective committee
reports.
Motion by Member Fischer, second by Member Josephson, that the Forest
Hills Board of Education approve consent grouping items VI, A-C. Motion
carried 6-0.
AYES: Fischer, Perschbacher, Fahner, Josephson, Lenhardt, Atwater
NAYS: None
Per Board policy STUDENTS 7230, Gifts, Grants, and Bequests, the
following gifts were accepted:
o $1,500 toward transportation costs for field trips, 13 iPad covers, and
materials for bird sanctuary and the installation of the peace pole
donated to Ada Elementary from the Ada PTO;
o $7,500 donated to the girls’ tennis program at Eastern High School
APPROVAL OF
CONSENT
GROUPING ITEMS
GIFTS TO THE
DISTRICT

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING: 11/21/11 - PAGE 2
from Hurst Mechanical.
o Backboards for the old gym and scoreboards for the new gym to
Central High School from John Dykema and Michele Maly-Dykema.
o $500 donation for the purchase of tools for the wood shop at Central
Middle School from Brian and Patty Gerondale.
o $500 donation toward the Theatre Department at Central High School
from the Kendall Lovell Family.
o $2,500 donation toward the FHPS Mother/Son Beach Ball Bash and
$5,000 donation toward the Daddy/Daughter Dance from O’Grady
Orthodontics.
o Paper shredder for the office and $1,400 toward the purchase of a
kiln for the Art Department at Collins Elementary from Linda Kotarski.
o Video camera, tripod, video camera bag and SanDisk for the
volleyball program at Northern High School from Dan O’Connor.
o $1,406.12 donation toward the Eric Telman Scholarship Fund at
Central High School from Jeffrey Abraham.
o Stairmaster 4600 donated to Northern High School from Mary
Zandee.
Approved the minutes of the October 17, 2011 regular meeting, as
presented.
Approved expenditures for the payment of bills for September 2011, as
presented.
GENERAL FUND $ 8,436,899.89
DEBT FUND -
CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND 2007 -
CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND 2010 87.00
SCHOOL SERVICES FUND
1. Food Service Fund 7,400.14
2. Child Care Fund 8,126.89
TRUST AND AGENCY FUND
1. Activity Fund 137,670.05
TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 8,590,183.97
Adopt the attached resolution for summer tax collection, as presented.
(Note: The resolution, as adopted, may be found in the Board Reference
File, which is located in the Superintendent’s Office, and identified as Ref.
No. 11-11/21-A.)
Authorized reimbursement of $250,655.45 to Kent County for refunded
taxes.
Approved probationary contract for the following professional staff:
Jennifer L. Crampton Collins Elementary
APPROVAL OF
MINUTES
PAYMENT OF BILLS
CONTINUING
SUMMER TAX
COLLECTION
TAX
REIMBURSEMENT
EMPLOYMENT OF
NEW
PROFESSIONAL
STAFF

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING: 11/21/11 - PAGE 3
Approved unpaid leaves of absence per Article XII of the Master
Agreement for:
Wendy Hillary, teacher at Ada Vista Elementary, has requested a childcare
leave of absence from December 12, 2011 through March 23, 2012.
Marcia Olsen, teacher at Central Woodlands 5/6, has requested a leave of
absence from January 3, 2012 through January 27, 2012.
Jennifer Swift, teacher at Central High, has requested a childcare leave of
absence from January 30, 2012 through May 4, 2012.
Elizabeth Visser, teacher at Thornapple Elementary, has requested a leave
of absence from October 14, 2011 through November 21, 2011.
Thomas Wierenga, teacher at Eastern High, has requested a leave of
absence from October 26, 2011 through November 15, 2011.
The following educational trip requests have been approved by
Superintendent Behm:
90 students (approximately 45 per day) from Thornapple Elementary School
will visit Historic Charlton Park in Hastings, Michigan, on November 30 and
December 1, 2011.
20 students from Eastern High School will attend the Great Lakes
Invitational Model United Nations in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on November
30-December 3, 2011.
45 students from Central High School will attend the DECA District
Leadership Conference in Big Rapids, Michigan, on January 4, 2012.
30 students from Central High School will attend the DECA State Career
Development Conference in Dearborn, Michigan, on March 8-11, 2012.
70 students from Northern Hills Middle School will perform at Navy Pier and
attend a performance of Hairspray in Chicago, Illinois, on April 21, 2012.
10 students from Central High School will attend the DECA International
Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 27-May 2,
2012.
The following policies were submitted to the full Board, under separate cover,
for a first reading, following review by the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee and
administration. They include new policies, revised, and replacement drafts of
current policies, many due to changes in current law. All were presented for
Board review and discussion.
POLICY TOPIC STATUS
Bylaws 0160 Voting Revised Bylaw
Administration 1420 School Administrator Evaluation New Policy
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
REQUESTS
STUDENT TRIP
REQUESTS
FIRST READING OF
BOARD POLICIES

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING: 11/21/11 - PAGE 4
Administration 1613 Student Supervision and Welfare New Policy
Program 2260
Nondiscrimination and Access to
Equal Educational Opportunity
Replacement Policy
Professional 3120.06 Selecting Student Teachers Revised Policy
Professional 3122
Nondiscrimination and Equal
Employment Opportunity
Revised Policy
Professional 3213 Student Supervision and Welfare Revised Policy
Professional 3215
Use of Tobacco by Professional
Staff
Revised Policy
Professional 3220 Professional Staff Evaluation Revised Policy
Support Staff 4122
Nondiscrimination and Equal
Employment Opportunity
Revised Policy
Support Staff 4140 Termination and Resignation Revised Policy
Support Staff 4213 Student Supervision and Welfare Revised Policy
Support Staff 4215 Use of Tobacco by Support Staff Revised Policy
Students 5111
Eligibility of Resident/Non Resident
Students
Revised Policy
Students 5111.01 Homeless Students Revised Policy
Students 5111.02
Educational Opportunity for Military
Children
New Policy
Students 5460 Graduation Requirements Revised Policy
Students 5512 Use of Tobacco by Students Replacement Policy
Property 7434 Use of Tobacco on School Premises Replacement Policy
Property 7540
Computer Technology and
Networks
Revised Policy
Property 7540.03
Student Network and Internet
Acceptable Use and Safety
Revised Policy
Property 7540.04
Staff Network and Internet
Acceptable Use and Safety
Revised Policy
Operations 8450
Control of Casual-Contact
Communicable Diseases
Revised Policy
Operations 8470
Students-Sex Offender Registry-
Criminal Convictions
Revised Policy
Operations 8500 Food Services Revised Policy
Operations 8540 Vending Machines Revised Policy
Relations 9150 School Visitors Revised Policy
The official ballot was reviewed for the realignment proposal of the OK
Conference beginning the fall of 2012 through the spring of 2016. The ballot
will be presented at the December Board of Education meeting for approval.
Clark Udell presented a video of the implementation of “The Daily 5” at Pine
Ridge Elementary School. This is a series of literacy tasks that help students
develop the daily habits of reading, writing, and working with peers that will
lead them to independent literacy.
Superintendent Behm announced that there is a bill before the Governor to
change the school board elections to November of even-numbered calendar
years. This will put the school board elections on the same cycles as
presidential and gubernatorial elections.
REVIEW OF OK
CONFERENCE
BALLOT FOR
REALIGNMENT
INSTRUCTIONAL
HIGHLIGHT
SUPERINTENDENT’S
REPORT

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING: 11/21/11 - PAGE 5
Superintendent Behm said that the summer and winter tax collection would
remain at 50 percent. The Board is considering the possible conversion to a
100 percent summer tax collection.
Superintendent Behm shared the state announcement of the 2010-11
Schools “Beating the Odds.” Ada Elementary, Central Woodlands,
Goodwillie Environmental, Central Middle, and Eastern High Schools
performed better than a comparison group of schools with similar
demographics.
Superintendent Behm thanked:
The Pine Ridge staff for hosting tonight’s Board of Education
meeting.
Laura Gabbert and Shelly Ostrowski for their wonderful video on
literacy.
Donna Secor-Pennington for receiving the Michigan Association of
School Social Workers Career Achievement Award.
Carly Van Wyngarden for a very touching introduction of our amazing
Special Olympics Soccer Team winners.
President Fahner said he was thankful for grateful students and families and
wished everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Motion by Member Fischer, supported by Member Josephson, to adjourn the
regular meeting at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Lenhardt, Acting Secretary
Forest Hills Board of Education
(MINUTES APPROVED BY THE FOREST HILLS BOARD OF EDUCATION ON 12/12/11.)
BOARD COMMENTS
ADJOURNMENT