Chinook School Board Official February Minutes
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The following are excerpts from the official Chinook School Board Meeting held on February 14, 2017. For a complete transcript of the meeting please stop by the High School office.
Old Business:
1. Updating Required School Board Policies (2nd Reading): Mr. Hannum having made revisions to the policies as pointed out at the January meeting, noted on the Policy Updates 2nd Reading attachment, recommends the Full board that they approve the policies 1310, 1521, 1610, 1700, 2105, 2171, 2310, 2311, 2333, 3123, 4310, 5222, 6210, 7330, 7515, 8205, 8420, 8421 on second reading. Motion: Joel Pruttis. Seconded: Scott DePriest.Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. None given. Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion. No Discussion. Motion passed unanimously.
2. Transportation Updates with Bear Paw: The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) recommends leaving bus routes as they are since Bear Paw School district will pay the Individual Transportation contracts to their students all the way to the Pomeroy bus stop. Information only. No action.
D. New Business
1. Coaching Contracts and Handbook Material: Mr. Hannum had provided each Trustee tonight with a copy of the Chinook Public Schools Coaches, Advisors, and Volunteers Guidelines 2016-2017 and with a copy of the Extra-Curricular Employment Contract for a Specified Term that is currently used by the District. Discussion ensued outlining the testing coaches are required to take, fall parent meeting coverage of the chain of command, and Mrs. Molyneaux’s tracking of certifications. Trustees expressed concern about the coaches knowing the chain of command and how to proceed when an issue arises. Trustees wonder if there could be a more specific document outlining these matters that coaches could use. A planned fall training, put on by Henry Chaff, from OPI, will cover these areas more in depth. Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. No comments given. Information only. No action.
2.FFA Community Garden: FFA members, Sierra Swank, Mike Warburton and Allyssa Gruszie, presented a request for permission to use the vacate lot behind the High School on Illinois Street and install a water hydrant on that lot in order to open a Community Garden. A Helping Hands Grant in the amount of $4500.00 was awarded to the Chinook FFA from the Montana FFA Foundation for construction of the community garden. Raised boxes will be built so the school can remove the garden if a different purpose for the lot arises. A shed, with a keypad lock will be installed, to house gardening tools and may be the used to house the water hydrant. Pictures of the shed were passed around. Rent would be charged to the users to cover the water cost and John Pike is donating the top soil. Hoping to benefit the community. Motion made to allow FFA to investigate the installation of the water hydrant then return to the board for final approval to move forward. Motion: Joel Pruttis. Second: Mike Copenhaver. Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. No comment given. Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion. Scott DePriest asked about security and the need for a fence. Mike Warburton confirmed that in the first year there would be no fence. Joel Pruttis reported that Havre’s community garden did not have a fence. Mr. Hannum commented that the school insurance company would cover the project. Motion passed unanimously.
4. Consider Head High School Football Coach: Mr. Hannum recommended the High School Board offer a contract to Cristian Lehnert for the 2017 Head Football Coach.
Motion made to table this agenda item. Motion: Viki Tilleman. Seconded: Scott DePriest. Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion.
Discussion questioning the offering of the fall football coaching contract in February instead of when the other fall coaching contracts are offered occurred. Per Mr. Hannum, that practice occurred last year to accommodate the football coach’s retirement. Public and trustee comments were made regarding the benefits and disadvantages of this practice. A second area of concern raised by the Trustees centered on “in house” hiring. Trustee Tilleman ask for an explanation of what “in house” means. Superintendent Hannum defined “in house” as anyone that works for the District not just teachers. Julie Terry asked why jobs are offered “in house” first, and Mr. Hannum responded that the collective bargaining agreement, of which coaching staff is a part, dictates that practice. Trustee Pruttis also stated that it has been the school practice to hire “in house” first and so the precedent has been in place over the years, but he wondered if we had a policy regarding that issue. Emily Scofield asked for a definition of “qualified applicant” since the discussion about hiring has also been defined as a “qualified in house” applicant.
Motion passed with Joel Pruttis and Mark Harshman opposing.
5. Consider Cooperative Swimming Agreement with Havre: Mr. Hannum recommended the board approve the Cooperative Sponsorship of Activities agreement with Havre High School for girls and boys swimming. Motion made by the full board to approve the Cooperative Sponsorship of Activities agreement with Havre High School.
Motion: Viki Tilleman. Seconded: Joel Pruttis.
Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion. No discussion. Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. No comment given. Motion passed unanimously.
6. Consider Principal Contract High School and Elementary: Mr. Hannum recommends the High School Board of Trustees offer an Administrative Contract for High School 7-12 Principal/Teacher to Matt Molyneaux, for the 2017/2018 school year.
High School board of Trustees moved to renew the 2017-2018 Jr High and High School Principal contract to Matt Molyneaux.
Motion: Scott Gunderson. Seconded: Viki Tilleman. Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion. No discussion.
Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. Laura Kellam stated that she has worked in seven schools over her career, 10 years in Chinook, and Mr. Molyneaux has the best working relationship with the staff that she has encountered.
Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Hannum recommends the Elementary Board of Trustees offer an Administrative Contract for Elementary K-6 Principal/Teacher to Jonathan Martin, for the 2017/2018 school year.
Elementary board of Trustees moved to renew the 2017-2018 Elementary Principal contract to Jonathan Martin.
Motion: Joel Pruttis. Seconded: Scott DePriest
Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion. No discussion.
Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. No public comment given.
Motion passed unanimously.
7. Elementary Fence: Mr. Hannum recommended the building of a fence around the Meadowlark playground. He presented a quote from Rock Bottom Fencing (Cody Kissner) for $7790.85 which would be paid out of deferred maintenance dollars. Mr. Martin presented the board trustees with two letters from the undersheriff and Chief of Police supporting the need for a fence. Dogs on the playground are an issue with kids getting knocked over and one student got bit this last month. Also encountering people on the playground during school hours that should not be there. Hope to complete the fence on the west side of the playground.
Motion: Joel Pruttis. Second: Mark Harshman.
Chairwoman Miller asked for public comment. No comment given.
Chairwoman Miller asked for discussion. Trustee Pruttis asked if we had discussed this issued before and was told the issue had been discussed at a previous meeting.
Motion passed unanimously.
Chinook Jr. / Sr. High School: Principal Molyneaux gave a hand out reporting the following items:
5. A local donor has provided the school with a $3000.00 to purchase an automated live streaming system for the gym. This eliminates the need for volunteers to run the live streaming cameras. The new system will consist of four cameras and be tied into the score board so that time and score will also be shown.
6. B.J. Schellin donated approximately $12,000.00 with monies specifically allotted for k-12 classrooms to help purchase supplies for teachers, as well as for various district activity accounts.
11. Provision International is looking for desks to use in El Salvador. Chinook has a shed full of desks that we are not using. Lance Lanning is the local contact for Provision International.
12. He attended a two hour webinar on an all-County alert system called AlertSense. Alert Sense can be used to notify all district employee emergency notifications via emails or phone. The County is inviting us to join in this endeavor that may have an initial cost of about $500.00.
H. Adjournment: Motion: Scott Gunderson. Second: Joel Pruttis. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourn at 9:50 p.m.
