OFFICIAL MINUTES FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE
ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
The Board of Trustees for the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the Blind met for their monthly meeting on November 17, 2009.
Present: Beth Gray, Chairperson; Andrew Tolbert, Secretary (via telephone conference); Dr. Doug Watson, Board Member; Dr. Henrietta Williams, Board Member; Khayyam Eddings, Board Member; Jeanne Tribett, A.S.B. Parent Representative; Jim Hill, A.S.B. Superintendent; Mike Phillips, A.S.D. Interim Superintendent; Katie Becker, Zania Musteen, Interpreters; Christopher Hart, Office of the Attorney General; Members of the Deaf Community; Members of the Blind Community
Absent: Janice Vaughn
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.
Discussion
Ms. Gray: Okay reminder of the next meeting, December 15. Is that good for everybody?
Dr. Williams: Actually, no. I’m not sure if everyone is aware, but the hearing has been postponed because there’s a conflict with the attorney and her client and myself. So, I’m sorry, I ran in, the date that we are looking at is December 10 and we would have the board meeting at the end of the hearing, if everyone can meet. That’s on a Thursday. Okay, Khayyam said it’s a bad day for him. Well, we also would have to choose a new hearing officer. So Khayyam you were initially… so what day is good for you! The reason the 15th wouldn’t work is that Sandra was hoping to leave town on the 12th, going to California and she really needed to be here. Sandra Lunestad.
Mr. Eddings: How about the 8th?
Dr. Williams: The 8th?
Mr. Eddings: December 8th.
Ms. Gray: That would work for me.
Mr. Tolbert: That won’t work for me.
Dr. Williams: Well, is the 15th good for everyone?
Dr. Watson: Yes.
Dr. Williams: Okay. Let me um…
Mr. Eddings: Does it have to be on a Tuesday or Thursday?
Dr. Williams: No.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
Arkansas School for the Deaf
November 17, 2009
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Mr. Eddings: What about the 9th?
Dr. Williams: The 9th? Would the 9th work for everyone?
Mr. Tolbert: Ummm
Dr. Williams: That’s a Wednesday.
Ms. Gray: As long as it’s after 5, I’m okay.
Dr. Watson: The Arkansas School Board Meeting 9th, 10th.
Mr. Tolbert: Yes, the 8th is okay for me. It’s the 9th that I have a problem with. That’s the School Board Association Meeting.
Dr. Williams: Okay. Khayyam, can you do the 8th?
Mr. Eddings: Yes, that’s the date that I originally (inaudible).
Dr. Williams: Okay. Okay. Well, I will have to get back with the Chris the attorney and make sure that will be agreeable with everyone, but we’ll go on and pencil in the 8th.
Mr. Tolbert: So Katie will get notification out definitely. Okay, I’ll just wait on that then. Okay.
Ms. Gray: Yes, that sounds good to me. Okay, oh were you going to say something?
Dr. Williams: I was just going to say then, we are appointing Khayyam then to be the hearing officer.
Mr. Tolbert: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Gray: I agree.
Dr. Williams: Then I can give him this packet now.
09-J-038 Motion to Approve Consent Items
Mr. Eddings made a motion to approve the October board minutes and Dr. Williams seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Action Items
09-J-039 Motion to Approve
Board Policy Manual – Section 1.14 - Meeting Agenda
Mr. Gray asked if anyone had anything to discuss regarding Section 1.14.
Dr. Williams: Section 1.14 on the Meeting Agenda, I didn’t have any problems with that.
Ms. Gray: I didn’t have any problems either.
Dr. Williams: Did anyone else?
Dr. Watson: Mine is all in red. I’m not sure if that’s the whole, total of rewrites. All reds. Because the second paragraph there they say the community member must submit their agenda items in writing, at least ten days prior to the meeting of the Board. We never did finish off our plan to look at how we could better encourage and structure community input. Remember it came up before when we were having a series of meetings?
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
Arkansas School for the Deaf
November 17, 2009
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Mr. Tolbert: Correct. Doug, I think what we were talking about, if a person attended the meeting and wanted to have some public input, we had a form for that that I think I gave you as an example. The policy speaks to someone who actually wants to be on the agenda to discuss an issue, and I think if ah, in most policies on agendas do give a time line so that if there is information that the Board or superintendents need to gather prior to the meeting, they’ll have time to do that. So if we were to adopt this meeting agenda policy and then look at the public input policy at a later time, I think we’ll have both of them covered, so we could have community input.
Dr. Watson: Yes, that’s good.
Ms. Gray: Okay, any more discussion? Okay, can I have a motion to approve 1.14?
Dr. Watson: So moved.
Mr. Tolbert: Second.
Ms. Gray: Alright, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
All board members voted in favor of the motion.
09-J-040 Motion to Approve
Board Policy Manual Section 1.15 – Tort Immunity
Mr. Eddings: I think 1.15 it says the portion there in the brackets is option, whereby it says the school board retains the right to settle claims (inaudible) and so on and so forth.
Interpreter: I can’t hear you. Can you repeat that please?
Mr. Eddings: In 1.15, the bottom paragraph is contained in brackets and has a star next to it at least on my draft.
Mr. Tolbert: That’s under letter B, C?
Mr. Eddings: It says that the school board…
Dr. Williams: What letter?
Mr. Eddings: 1.15
Mr. Tolbert: Yes, which letter, A, B, C?
Dr. Watson: We have A, B, C, D. You’re looking at a different page.
Mr. Eddings: I don’t have a comment because I’m not looking at the right document.
Laughter
Dr. Williams: Yes, this was the section that I really thought that the attorneys ought to look at, but you didn’t have the correct one then. Well, I didn’t have any comments on it.
Ms. Gray: I didn’t either. Then if nobody has any more comments, can I have a motion to approve?
Dr. Watson: So moved.
Ms. Gray: Second?
Dr. Williams: Well Khayyam isn’t finished reading it yet.
Dr. Watson: Hold it for now? I saw it as standard state language.
Dr. Williams: Andrew, did you have any comments on 1.15?
Mr. Tolbert: No, that’s standard for us. That’s what we follow.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
Arkansas School for the Deaf
November 17, 2009
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Mr. Eddings: I’m fine with this.
Ms. Gray: Okay. Well, Doug made the motion. Do we have a second?
Dr. Williams: Second.
Ms. Gray: Okay, all those in favor, signify by saying aye.
All board members voted in favor of the motion.
09-J-041 Motion to Approve
Board Policy Manual Section 1.16 –Nepotism
No discussion or comments for Section 1.16. Ms. Gray asked for a motion to approve. Dr. Watson made the motion and Mr. Tolbert seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Grievance (ASD)
Ms. Gray said that the grievance will be postponed until December 8. She asked if any one had received a copy of the grievance. Dr. Williams said that only the hearing officer will receive a copy of the grievance.
Mr. Hill mentioned that if the next meeting is held December 8, the financial statements will not be ready, but would be ready in January. Ms. Gray said that would be okay.
Interim Superintendent
Ms. Gray welcomed Mike Phillips as the new interim superintendent for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
Discussion Items
ASD Parent Representative – Janice Vaughn
Ms. Vaughn was absent but had relayed through Katie Hodge that she did not have any thing to report for this meeting.
ASB Parent Representative – Jeanne Tribett
Ms. Gray welcomed Jeanne Tribett as the new Arkansas School for the Blind parent representative. Mr. Hill had previously mailed a copy of Mrs. Tribett’s bio to the board and, with the board’s approval, he read the bio to them. Mr. Hill said Mrs. Tribett will be a great addition to the board.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
Arkansas School for the Deaf
November 17, 2009
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There being no further business of a Joint nature, the meeting moved to the Agenda for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
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Beth Gray, Chairperson
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Andrew Tolbert, Secretary
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
Arkansas School for the Deaf
November 17, 2009
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