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Recognitions

Northwest High We the People Recognition
The board recognized Northwest High’s We the People team for its state and regional championship. For the 13th consecutive year, the team won the North Carolina championship. After winning the state title, the team traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent the state and compete nationally. Led by social studies teacher Ray Parrish, the team was first place in the Southeast Region. The We the People program teaches students about the U.S. Constitution while giving them hands-on experience answering tough questions from national legal and judicial leaders.

Outgoing GCAE President Mark Jewell Recognized
The board recognized Mark Jewell, the outgoing president of the Guilford County Association of Educators. The 22-year veteran teacher served as president for five years, tirelessly advocating for the advancement of public education. Tijuana Hayes, the current vice president, will take his place on July 1.

Consent Agenda
The board approved the following items on the consent agenda:

• Meeting Minutes
• Personnel Reports
• 2008-09 Budget Amendments/Transfers Report
• Approval of Produce Contract for 2009-10 School Year
• Approval of Milk and Dairy Products Contract for 2009-10 School Year
• Extension of Bread Contract for 2009-10
• Approval of Food Alliance Bid
• 2009-10 Insurance Coverage
• Approval to Submit Application for National Science Foundation Graduate Stem Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Grant
• Contractual Agreement with Turner Construction Company/ Miles-McClellan, for Pre-Construction Services at Southwest High

Staff Reports

Consideration for the Naming of the Special Education Center West
Nora Carr, chief of staff, presented to the board the proposed names for the naming of the Special Education Center West. The following four names were nominated:

• Bennie Lee Inman Education Center – named for Mrs. Bennie Lee, the director of the Greensboro Cerebral Palsy School from 1950 until 1993
• Christopher Reeve Education Center – named for actor Christopher Reeve
• Keller-Sullivan Education Center – named for Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan
• Meredith Leigh Haynes Education Center – named for the late daughter of the family from whom the land was purchased. Haynes attended Gateway Education Center.

At the July 23 meeting, a public hearing will be held to review the nominations. After 30 days of public comment, the board will vote to select the school name on Aug. 11.

Update on Oak Ridge Elementary
Leo Bobadilla, chief operations officer, presented to the board an update regarding Oak Ridge Elementary. The district’s work at the school will be ongoing throughout the summer. In order for school administrators to work without interruptions from the ongoing work, their offices have been moved to Northwest High until work is completed. The maintenance staff has repaired a leaking downspout on a gymnasium wall, removed furniture and computers from the building in preparation of floor replacements and cleaned the HVAC. The district has responded to a request from the Department of Labor requesting a description of all the steps taken to remedy the facility concerns at the school. Additional updates are available on the GCS Web site at http://www.gcsnc.com/oakridge/oak_ridge.html.

Activity Bus Replacement Fee
The board approved reserving a $366,115 general fund balance at the end of the current fiscal year for the purchase of replacement activity buses. In 2005, the board approved an increase of 25 cents to the activity bus mileage fee to use for the replacement of buses. Thursday’s vote approves the designation of these funds for use. North Carolina’s school bus replacement schedule sets the standard at 20 years old or 200,000 miles, but 26 of the district’s 86 buses are older than 20 and an additional 47 are 10 to 19 years old.

Construction Update
Andy LaRowe, director of facilities and construction management, presented to the board an update on the district’s construction projects, including an update on the Vandalia Elementary paving and resurfacing project. The projects are funded by the 2008 School Bond. The construction allows GCS to add more than 6,500 new student seats and five new schools. Additionally, upgrades are being made to outdated heating and air conditioning systems across the district.

2009-10 Budget Update
The board approved an interim budget resolution in accordance with NCGS 115C-434 until such time as a continuing resolution or final budget is adopted by the State of North Carolina. Under the resolution, all budget amendments/transfers will be reported to the board on a monthly basis and entered into the board minutes.

The board also approved an increase in the price of school lunches for the 2009-10 school year. The price of school lunches will increase 50 cents for elementary schools and 30 cents for middle and high schools. The price change is needed in order for GCS to keep the School Nutrition Services Fund out of debt and cover costs associated with preparing meals. The increase in prices, only the third in the history of GCS, does not affect students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it does not change the a la carte price per food item for adult meals. Despite the increase, the price for school lunches in GCS will still be below prices charged by some school districts in North Carolina.

Sharon Ozment, chief financial officer, led the board in a continued budget discussion. The North Carolina state legislature is considering significant budget cuts to K-12 education. For GCS, these proposals could result in a $40 million cut in state funding. As a result, the district continues to monitor the budget outlook for 2009-10. During the July 7 board meeting, district staff will provide a set of proposed cuts and schedule a work session with board members. In the meantime, GCS continues to fill open positions with displaced employees. Also, interim employee contract renewals will be brought before the board for approval during upcoming board meetings. Earlier in June, these employees were informed that their contract renewals were delayed due to the economic outlook. As the budget process continues, GCS will maintain its frequent updates for employees and the community.

Board Discussion

Architect Selection Committee Update
The board approved for staff to enter into negotiations with architects for 2008 bond projects. The board ranked the firms and approved for staff to negotiate with firms that were ranked number one first and with the second and/or third ranked firms, if necessary. For High Point Central gymnasium renovations, the board approved

1. HH Architecture, PA
2. Robbins Architecture, PA
3. Clinton E. Gravely Architect & Associates

For the Dudley High English building, football stadium and track renovations, the board approved

1. Obsidian Group
2. Efird Sutphin Pearce & Associates, PA
3. MacRae-Joyce Associates

Governance Review Committee Update
The board approved for first reading the policies and procedures JI – Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics, JI-P – Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics, GBDBA – Interscholastic Athletics Coaches and GBDBA-P – Interscholastic Athletics Coaches. They will be posted on the GCS Web site and in district schools and offices for a 30-day public comment period. Comments should be submitted by July 16 through e-mail to policies@gcsnc.com or through U.S. Mail to Policy Development, Guilford County Schools, 712 N. Eugene St., Greensboro, NC  27401.

Guilford County Board of Education meetings are broadcast live on GCSTV 2 (cable channel 2) and also online at http://www.gcsnc.com/depts/gcstv2/gcstv2live.htm. The meetings re-air the day after the meeting at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and the Saturday following the meeting at 1 p.m.