Orcas School Board Continues to Move Forward

State funding still being revised; teaching staff reinstated

At the Orcas Island School District (OISD) board meeting of June 23, the findings of the group of building contractors that came out of “A Way Forward,” the consensus group convened by Fred Klein in April. dominated most or the discussion.

Contractor Clyde Duke, architect David Kau and Klein presented the report to the school  board (Scott Lancaster was not present and Chris Sutton participated via teleconferencing).

Kau circulated a proposal submitted by Butch Reifert, principal of Mahlum architectural firm,  who worked with the group of Orcas builders to review and assess the existing studies and plans related to the ‘1980 buildings,’ also referred to generically as the middle school buildings, including the flat-roofed library, cafeteria, classrooms and vocational (shop) buildings.

The proposal calls for an analysis consisting of four scenarios:

1. Identify  upgrades so that the buildings would conform to current building codes and select improvements to address the Education Specification needs
2. “Provide (in addition to item 1) for additional new building space to improve food service and address program deficiencies identified in the Education Specifications”
3. Provide comparisons of complete modernization versus demlition and rebuilding on existing footprint versus complete replacement (“potentially on another location on campus”
4. Make recommendations as to “what makes the most sense to save (of the 1980 building only”

The proposal suggests University Mechanical, the company that is currently doing the energy repairs and upgrades to the elementary school), be engaged to provide ball park figures for mechanical systems upgrades and associated electrical work.

Fred Klein observed that the building contractors’ group felt that retaining Mahlum to complete the proposal was a good idea, and that the report of local construction experts would have the support of the community .

Klein added, “The team of finance people that have offered their advice fell that their work can’t proceed until the question is resolved as to re-using portions of 1980s buildings, more than was addressed in the bond issues [of February and August 2010, which failed to achieve the required 60 percent voter approval].”

Contractor Justin Paulsen, who participated in the building contractors’ group, pointed out “The Education Specifications drive the design of the buildings,” and Clyde Duke agreed, saying “The Ed Specs should be the basis of the buildings’ modification.”

The  School District Board President Janet Brownell said, ” I applaud your work, and the [proposed analysis] is worth every dime;” but added that the cost of paying for the analysis was an issue.

The board was unanimous in its appreciation of the contractor’s group and Seifert’s offer, but they were stumped as to how to pay for the bill. They were also concerned that the proposal may have set too conservative a price tag for the work involved.

In his financial report, Business Manager Keith Whitaker presented his calculations, showing that the general fund may be slightly under the board-set target of 5.75 percent growth. Whitaker said, with the state budget just coming to the Governor a week ago, on June 15, he’d been occupied reconciling the district’s budget projections with the  figures that had been announced  in Olympia.

In light of the uncertain figures, he felt it advisable to project the conservative enrollment figure of 624 full-time enrolled (FTE) students for 2011-2012.

Kline informed the board that the numbers coming out of the state budget were continuing to change; just that day, the district had heard new figures about the Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) program.

Board member Tony Ghazel then brought up district policy regarding the stipend allowed to ALE parents, which is now set at $1,800 and the board agreed to revisit the issue after Superintendent Kline had reviewed the policy.

Whitaker said that the district could pay for the study using contingency funds in the district’s capital projects budget rather than drawing from the general fund. However, he’d been focused on the General Budget in advance of the monthly board meeting on June 23; and would have the capital account presentation ready at the Budget Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for July 13.

Brownell advised moving ahead and agreeing to the 1980s proposal submitted by Reifert, rather than letting the momentum lag, but board members Jim Sullivan and Ghazel cautioned to wait until the July 13 meeting when the capital fund numbers were available from Whitaker and meeting protocol following Robert’s Rules of Orders could be observed.

Sutton suggested the board also consider, at its next meeting, whether to bring forward a levy in November to pay off  the $900,000 bond which finances the elementary school remodel.

In other business, the OISD board announced that they would hold an executive session to discuss their position in structuring a property agreement, prior to their July 28 joint meeting with the Orcas Park and Recreation District.

In its consent agenda, the board approved personnel actions to rehire teaching staff Gail Glass, Kristi Bilgren, Suzanne McClure, Kathryn Kier, Nancy Wrightsman, Kimberly Freeman, Philip Carter, Jill Cioilli, Caroline Huxtable, Martin Lund  and Natasha Meskew.

The board also agreed to approve employment of classified employees co-curricular staff,  and to renew Superintendent/High School Principal Kline’s annual contract, reflecting a one percent salary decrease. Further, the board approved the renewal of Elementary/Middle School Principal Kyle Freeman’s contract, which also shows a one percent salary decrease.

This decrease will be restored if the .67 percent decrease in salary of certificated staff, mandated by the state, is reinstated.