Principal’s Report to the Board of Education



OUR LADY OF VICTORY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING7:00 P.M. Tuesday, August 1, 2017 @ Gathering Space Meeting RoomAGENDA OF REGULAR MEETINGOPENING PRAYERROLL CALL: Pat Archer, Fr. Jake, Fr. Dan, Chad Steimle, Evan Brankin, Jennifer Wemhoff, Korby Jackson, Sara Langhehr, Luke Roth, Lisa Snider, Julaine Edwards, Tom PostonTeachers / Staff: Julie Bauer, Rachael WhelchelParish Council Rep:Visitors:ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDAREADING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF June 6, 2017COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE and OPEN FORUMUNFINISHED BUSINESSCommittee appointments and other representative appointments (see assignment with names below)NEW BUSINESS:Items for Board Action:Strategic plan discussion and assignmentsApproval of the “working” budgetMotion made by Fr. Jake to approve the working budget as written; Motion seconded by Julaine; Motion unanimously approved by the Board.ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Written reports pre-submitted)Principal of JFK (Chad)Ethical Leadership:We are preparing to proceed with a social-emotional-behavioral (SEB) screener that will be expanded to possibly kindergarten, 2nd, and 7th grade. Fourth grade has been piloting an SEB screener for two years already. Fourth grade uses a modified Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, which is paid for by Scott County Kids. Access to this screener may be expanded by Scott County Kids, but the final decision may come to us until after August 8th. The other screener option we are considering for the other grades is the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener. Regardless of these screeners we are also looking at our other data to more formally implement an MTSS system for SEB that utilizes attendance, tardies, disciplinary infractions, counselor or office referrals, and statements students might make that indicate they are a danger to themselves or others. Leadership of School Culture and Instruction:Professional Development:The PDT will have a day-long retreat on August 7th. This retreat will contain several working sessions aimed at the following:Improving our twice per month ELA and math “teacher talks.” We will also be renaming these meetings to reflect their work as Professional Learning Communities and Data Teams.Supporting efforts to maintain or increase student engagement.Incorporating peer-to-peer walkthroughs and observations as a standard practice.Developing an evaluation tool related to our What Does It Mean to Work at JFK document for teachers and all other staff. See attached.The kindergarten expectations poster is finished and has gone to the printers. A .pdf is attached.Our proposal to use Title I funds was revised twice after meeting with DCSD representatives.Initial proposal:Two temporary-at-will (TAW) employees to do after school tutoring in reading/ELA twice a week for an hour after school (CART).TAW teachers are considered DCSD employees and paid $20 per hour.These roles should be filled by JFK 5th grade teachers Sasha Lundquist and Jodi Weiser.A 2/3 FTE teacher who is a DCSD employee and is paid on the salary/benefits package of the DCSD to provide reading services throughout the day. (JFK’s budget was to pay for a 1/3 position using our salary/benefits package.)An approximately ? instructional coach.Revised proposal:The original proposal had to be revised as Title I funds could not be used for the instructional coach, and the DCSD salary/benefits package was even more than we had originally thought because full benefits go to any employee working more than half time.We changed the proposal to a ? FTE contract employee using the DCSD salary/benefits package to provide reading services throughout the day. JFK’s budget was revised to reflect, then, a ? position on our own scale. The instructional coach idea was transferred to Title IIA.Interviews for the position will be conducted by the DCSD with Kitty and me in attendance on August 2nd. Kathy Neuberger, who worked as a TAW employee for JFK during the day last year, has applied.Second revision:The DCSD then informed us that the calculations were now showing additional funds available to us.After rejecting the idea of changing the Title I positon from ? to 1.0 FTE because we couldn’t guarantee that we had enough students eligible for Title I services to make the job full-time, we added a TAW employee to provide about six hours per week of math services. A retired teacher who is a member of OLV and volunteered to work with students last year has applied.Title IIA professional development funds will be used for the following:Sending three teachers to the NCEA annual convention in Cincinnati.Contracting with a recently retired AEA consultant to provide professional development for our four interventionists. This person’s work at JFK this past year has been well received and is highly respected by the teachers.We are working on placing an order for new social studies materials. With such a late start in switching from a county wide adoption of science materials to social studies, it is unlikely that all of the new materials will be here by the beginning of the school year. However, the social studies materials are much cheaper than science materials.Managerial Leadership:State reporting was completed. We will have 1,180 minutes this school year. The minimum required is 1,080. A budget was submitted to Finance Council in June that was slightly different than what the board of education approved. It is attached with the changes highlighted in yellow.After the board approved the budget at the beginning of June, two situations arose that required adjustments:The diocese required a couple of accounting practice changes, mostly affecting how fundraisers are recorded.The OLV Foundation decided to support the boiler project rather than technology as they had the year prior. Revenue Changes: Reduced by $12,610.Gifts and Donations: reduced by about $9,000 due to the Foundation’s support of the boiler project.Fundraisers-Gala receipts-JFK as the account was eliminated. The diocese had all fundraising moved to 42007 Fundraisers, which will appear as a net. It now contains the JFK portion of the Gala’s net and the 8th grade field trip fundraising net.Yearbook is now just a net profit as all sales were online, and we had no revenue or expenses other than our profit. Revenue was lowered then by about $2,600. All of the yearbook expenses were eliminated in the expense section of the budget.Expenses were, thus, reduced by $12,610 as well:Total Salary Expense was reduced by about $8,000:One of our interventionist positions changed from 43% to 25%. See the above section in my report regarding Title I funding.One fewer teachers’ children will be going to AHS than had been anticipated.Technology was reduced by $1,000. Yearbook expenses were reduced by about $3,600.The name used for account number 52999 was changed from Gala Disbursements to Grant Seed Money to accommodate diocesan changes without affecting the amount or how the line item is used.Federal lunch program reporting has been completed. By our understanding of the formulas and guidance, we should be charging $2.86 per meal, but we can only raise our price $0.10 per year. Hot lunch will, thus, be $2.55 next year. Even at this rate and after trying to spend down accumulated surpluses, the lunch program’s surplus should still be significant.Heating system project:Pipe work is being done in the boiler room to connect the new boiler, water heater, and water storage tank. Units in the northwest stairwell and cafeteria are being replaced. We will need to do some floor work as the new units don’t exactly match the footprint of the old units.Gas pressure is inadequate in the building. It was discovered that the solution of the past had been to not supply two burners of the boiler with gas; the boiler was running without all of its burners functioning. A new solution will have to be determined as the high efficiency furnace will not allow for that option. We will have to tap further into our contingency and could possibly have to use what we might have saved through rebates and the SCRA grant.The HVAC Funding committee met and decided that before more work can be done the campus facilities review really needs to be completed. This review could lead to a needs assessment and an examination of long-term funding models. Shorthand discussion about HVAC is leading to misconceptions. In shorthand form, it is being discussed as boiler replacement and air conditioning. The boiler replacement is seen as essential, and, once completed this summer, heating issues can be checked off the list. Air conditioning is seen as not quite as essential, and, even if conceded that it should be done, it seems that many people believe that the cheapest short-term method possible, window air conditioning units, should be utilized. Anything other than WACs is believed to be a waste of money. The HVAC committee, however, laid out a comprehensive long-term HVAC solution. Replacing the boiler, for example, does not resolve all of the heating issues. Black iron pipes in the 1964 section are past their life expectancy. Many joints show exterior deterioration, and interior corrosion may be more extensive than we know. The corrosion discovered within two pipes when the boiler was removed, for example, revealed that safety features would not have worked to prevent a catastrophic failure. The VRF system and other recommendations of the HVAC committee would resolve all the remaining heating issues and provide both heating and air conditioning at a low cost, high comfort level. Building code ventilation would also be added. Ryan & Associates is attempting to provide us with an estimate of what it would cost to replace the heating pipes in the 1964 section of the building as this cost should be added into the cost of what it would be to replace the boiler and add WACs as the heating/air conditioning solution. The two year process of converting our Student Information Sheet to something that only has to be verified rather than filled in each year was completed.Kerri Nykoluk has been hired for the shared office assistant position. She will be at JFK two days per week and the parish office one day per week.Noelle Myers has been hired as the assistant manager for the lunch program. Noelle is our former lunch program manager.A $12,625 donation was received for the purchase of a router and 45 Chromebooks. With the donation, some budgeted funds that were still available at the end of the fiscal year, and quantity discounts, we were able to purchase a total of 68 Chromebooks and 13 laptops. The anonymous donor may be able to make future donations as well.The technology plan was updated as per the strategic plan. In its PowerPoint version, it is attached, and I will go through various sections of it at the board meeting. Drawing most interest is always the device ratios and replacement cycles, which received extensive attention this summer. Ratios for tablets are highlighted on slide 14 for preschool through 2nd grade, and ratios for computing devices (which could possibly be tablets with keyboards now for 3rd – 5th grade) are highlighted on slide 15.On a five year replacement cycle we will need to replace about 21 tablets per year in the future. Machines for 3rd – 8th graders, also likely on a five year replacement cycle, need to be replaced at a rate of about 51 per year except for 2018-19 and 2019-20 when about 72 are needed each year so we can replace all machines operating Windows 7 replaced before support and security updates cease for Windows 7 in January 2020.Other equipment includes projectors, document cameras, the server and router, switches, and printers. There are also systems like the telephones and wireless network that must be replaced at the end of their life cycles. Periodic redoing of the website and replacement of batteries, interactive whiteboard pens, etc. must also take place. Annual software licensing and Internet access are approximately $32,000.Our annual technology needs are about $78,560, based upon prices when we last purchased various items in our plan or renewed subscriptions. Our technology budget, however, has averaged just under $62,000, for the last three years, a shortfall of about $16,560 per year.Enrollment as of 7/27/17:GradeContractsProjectionBudgeted in JuneDifferenceContract vs. BudgetOfficial Enrollment Count 2016Official Enrollment Count 2015 – Records in All Categories3 yr old PS T/Th only993 yr old PS MWF only553 yr old PS and ECLC443 yr old PS (Total of TTh, MWF, and M-F)191918+118204/5 yr old PS697272-38080ECLC212020+12424K39401414124646341414333355151644457474785051Total K-8392395400-8409418Total PS-8480486490-10507518Based upon actual enrollment and projections and the timing needed to hire staff, inform support staff of their assignments, create multiple schedules, and plan for in-services, a “working” budget was created. This working budget is attached. Changes from what was submitted to Finance Council are highlighted in blue. Board approval is sought, particularly due to the change in staffing.Revenue:Overall, revenue was reduced by nearly $19,000.Increases:$3,600: Preschool revenue increased due to the number of three and five year olds. (Remember: state funding for four year olds is based upon last year’s enrollment.)Decreases:$16,400: Tuition and fees were reduced due to lowering K-8 enrollment by five students, adjusting for Catholic/non-Catholic families, and staff members’ tuition benefits.$4,300: ECLC was reduced due to discounts for siblings in and staff members’ children actually enrolled. I have budgeted for 20 rather than the 21 currently under contract as we have often had someone withdraw from ECLC as we approach the beginning of the school year when they find cheaper childcare through a relative or neighbor.$2,000: Aftercare was reduced due to lower actual revenue experienced in 2016-17.Expenses:Overall, expenses were reduced by the matching $19,000. Figures below are rounded.Increases:$830: Technology Expense was increased primarily because an amount was added for preschool as the preschool salary reduction (below) was actually more than the deficit had been, and we need the SWVPP to net zero for the DCSD. Technology is also the account being used to make the final adjustments to balance the budget.$5,000: Other Expense was increased to contribute toward strategic planning for Scott County Catholic schools.$4,480: Instructional Supplies-Preschool was increased as the preschool salary reduction (below) was actually more than the deficit had been, and we need it to net zero for the DCSD.$30: ECLC Expenses were adjusted based upon lunch and snack expenses.Decreases:$20,900: Total Salary ExpenseIncreases:$2,300: Instructional-Substitute was increased due to year end data available.$800: Retirement Benefits were increased due to year end dataDecreases:$20,700: Instructional/Other Associates and SWVPP-4 Wages were reduced. One FT 4/5 year old preschool aide position was eliminated, and one PT instructional aide position for grades 2-5 was reduced. No staff member will lose a position, however. When Jodi Weiser took the 5th grade position, her aide position, which had duties in a variety of areas, was open. For 2017-18, it is proposed that we move Julie Brownell from preschool to cover some of Jodi’s duties and the lunchroom. Some of Jodi’s previous duties will be dropped.Rationale: When PS and K-8 enrollments were increasing, we added staff. The opposite needs to occur when enrollment declines.Even if four year old preschool enrollment were to be the same as last year, we were starting to experience deficits due to state funding not keeping up with inflation and salary/benefit increases. (See the preschool-ECLC analysis spreadsheet.) Registration funds that had previously been available for K-8 were being diverted to 4/5 year old preschool. By eliminating an aide position, this situation should not occur in 2017-18.If 4 year old preschool enrollment does not closely match last year’s figure, we may have to again look at preschool staff for 2018-19.$1,400: Employer Tax Expense decreased due to lower total salaries.$1,900: Other Ben (AHS): Change in the accounting of staff members’ benefits rather than the actual benefits.$900: Furnishings were reduced because no chairs or desks were needed for K-8, but an amount was added for preschool furnishings as the salary reduction was actually more than the deficit had been, and we need it to net zero for the DCSD.$7,210: Educational Materials were reduced because the social studies materials will be significantly less than science materials.With the changes submitted to Finance Council and changes reflected in this “working” budget, budgeted revenue and expenses were reduced by about $32,000 since the beginning of June. Salary and benefits expenses are at 85.9% of the budget, a little high. Typically, schools are in the 80% - 85% range. (Other businesses and organizations are between about 35% - 40%.) Public Relations Leadership:A few 8th grade parents have begun to lobby for a different field trip for 8th graders than in the past. Due to liability issues, all school sponsored field trips must have some educational value, which is why, for example, our bands must perform at Adventureland. Big trips, like those to Washington, D.C., are often not school sponsored but rather operated by third party companies that are allowed to use the school for meetings and recruitment. Probably the biggest factor for any school sponsored field trip is that staff must be willing to undertake it.JFK will not be hosting the fundraiser for the Scott County Catholic Schools and SAU 8th Grade Career Fair. We’ve hosted a “snow ball” dance since we began the career fair. As the other schools have lobbied to eliminate the “8th grade formal” for several years, it is unlikely that it will be held this year.Leadership in Diocesan/Parish Context:The executive group of the finance committee for the diocesan strategic plan for education met in June and on July 31st to discuss the presentation to be made to Bishop Zinkula and to pastors, business managers, and other school/parish leaders. The next steps are to determine how to disseminate the information and guide conversations that need to take place across the diocese.Fr. Jake, Dave Mattke, and I renewed OLV/JFK’s request that KwikTrip, Inc. donate the two parcels of land that are landlocked between the houses and dumpster at the south end of our parking lot. The company agreed and will do so once various legal matters are handled.Scott County principals will meet on 7/31 to discuss several strategic planning proposals for Scott County Catholic schools. While the cost range is about a $20,000 difference between the highest and lowest, most estimates are in the neighborhood of $30,000 - $40,000, not including food, travel, and lodging for the consultant(s). JFK’s “working” budget now contains $5,000 toward this cost.Respectfully submitted by Chad C. SteimleFaith Formation-Religious Education Director (Jennifer)Providing faith formation, religious education and sacramental preparation for K-8 students (including RCIA for children) and their parents. Preparing Generations of Faith events and communications for Family Faith Formation suitable for K-8.I have contacted several families of students that are no longer enrolled in JFK but are still OLV members about enrolling their students in Faith Formation. Faith Formation students will also be crowning Mary this year at the 9AM Mass on May 6. Directing and supervising K-8 sacramental preparation: Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation in collaboration with Coordinator. Dates have been set for parent and child meetings for reconciliation, first communion, and confirmation. First Reconciliation parent & child meeting: Tuesday September 19 at 6PM.Confirmation parent meeting: Thursday September 28 at 6PMFirst Reconciliation: Tuesday December 5 at 6:15PMConfirmation sponsor and student service day: January 21 at 10:00AM-NoonFirst Communion parent & child meeting: Sunday February 25 at 1PMFirst Communion practice: Thursday April 19 at 6PMFirst Communion: Sunday April 22 at 1:30PMConfirmation practice: Thursday April 26 at 6PMConfirmation—Friday April 27 at 7PMDates for the NET Retreats for 7th & 8th graders have been confirmedWednesday October 4 will be the retreat for 7th graders from 3-7PMThursday October 5 will be the retreat for 8th graders from 3:30-7:30PMWe will need to provide housing for the members of the NET team from Oct. 4-6, usually about 12 young adults (ages 18-25).On-going support and collaboration with Youth Minister for the development of the calendar and intergenerational events. Participated in pastoral staff meetings Continue to update the calendar with added eventsHelped with the parish Mission by supervising the younger family service opportunity on Saturday morning. Recruiting, enabling, and supervising catechists and other volunteer personnel for Faith Formation. K- 8?Met with a potential 3rd grade catechistSpoke with possible substitutes for our Wednesday night classes as well. Youth Ministry (Evan)The three goals for youth ministry as described by Renewing the Vision are:Goal 1: To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.Goal 2: To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community.Goal 3: To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.?What are we doing to accomplish these goals?Work continues on a strategic plan on how to take our youth ministry from a first generation model to a third generation model. This year has largely consisted (to this point), of re-establishing our youth ministry here at OLV. It takes time to develop new relationships, a new vision, and new strategies, whenever a new coordinator for youth ministry begins at a parish. I’m pleased to report that this first stage has largely been effective. We have grown both HS and MS ministries in terms of their numbers, and are seeing teens grow in their faith and encounter God. This summer, we began moving towards that 3rd generational model. We’ve been using the Fuller Youth Institute assessment as a tool to influence parish culture (in addition to helping us identify areas for growth, and strategize ministry development), developing new structures for ministry, and in particular developing opportunities for the parish to come together in mission with the youth. I’m working on the Fuller Youth Institute’s book, “Growing Young” for strategic ideas on how to proceed next, and will be presenting our data to the Generations of Faith committee members as we move forward to that stage.We continue to grow as a community, having community focused events and activities in addition to catechetical ones for JHS and HS teens. This summer we salvaged the diocesan waffle ball tournament and hosted an inter-parish game between OLV/JFK and St. Ann’s of Long Grove, and also hosted open lunches and practices. In August we are looking at having a volleyball tournament and a camping trip, as well as some end of summer blowouts for teens before or as they head back to school. The purpose of these community events is becoming more broadly evangelistic. This community must become (even more than it is now) a place of encounter with Jesus Christ in terms of His most basic message, and a place of welcome and belonging.I am pleased to report that our parish mission was a fantastic experience and a huge success. While there were some small hiccups along the way, in the main feedback shows that the experience was positive and powerful for everyone who participated. The material difference effected in the lives of the men living at the house is dramatic, parishioners made new friends, teens developed a deeper sense of their parish community, had powerful moments of prayer, and the community was inspired to go above and beyond! Pictures and video to come soon on facebook and the parish website!We are looking at more fundraising opportunities for the Summer/Fall in order to reduce everyone’s total costs for NCYC by as large an amount as possible. We have several families with multiple people attending, so the more we can accomplish for this the better off we will be. Kwik-star cards have been available through the YM office and after masses one weekend this month. Some teens have already brought all their sales back, some have asked for more, and some are nearly complete with their first sales. The Knights of Columbus Trivia night will be September 29th, at the Knights Hall! You’re invited, so mark your calendars. Tables will seat 8, seats will b $10 per person, so a team is $80.00. We’ll also have mulligans for sale and a silent auction, and 50/50 raffle! We also sold tickets to the Knights of Columbus steak dinner over the last two weekends, helping a few more teens raise some money for NCYC.This summer flew by, and some things we wanted to accomplish we haven’t been able to do yet, while other things have been smash successes. Highest priority for the start of the school year is prepping for NCYC and firmly establishing our initial small discipleship MITTEE REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS:Generations of Faith Committee (Patrick, John, Julaine)June 28th – Met to discuss the results of the Fuller Youth AssessmentFinance Committee (Chad, Pat, Lisa, Luke) - no reportNominating Committee (All board members) – no reportPolicy Committee (Chad, Tom, Luke) – no reportStrategic Planning Committee (Chad, Korby, Sara) – reviewed with Chad’s updateSchool Improvement Advisory Committee (Chad, Lisa, John) – will meet in AugustMarket/Public Relations Committee (Chad, Sara, Julaine, Tom) - no reportGrant Writing Committee (Chad, Peter) – no reportParish Council (rotating per schedule) 4th Tuesday of each month 7:00 pmAugust – TomFebruary – Pat September – Julaine March – JulaineOctober – PatApril – KorbyNovember – LisaMay – JohnJanuary – LukeJune – SarahParish Council Meeting for July (Sara):Elected officersAdded Fr. Dan to the councilWould like to add a young adult to councilApproved parish budgetNew property ready for rental Oct 1$6800 made from rummage sale which is going to ADA Made our ADA goal700 pictures in directory; ready by ChristmasConstruction is going on with hail damage on roofFinance Council Rep. (Peter)No meeting in July; rest covered in with Parish Council updateAssumption High School Rep. (Matt Henning)Home & School Rep. – JFK Band Boosters – first meeting in Sept; host ice cream social / unpack backpackScott County Catholic School Advisory Board Rep. 2nd Monday every other month (September, November, January, March, May) @ St. Vincent (Chad, Pat) Hoc Committees:HVAC Funding Committee – in chad’s report; Campus facilities review needs to be completedSuspending the committee for the time beingPASTOR’S NOTES (Fr. Jake G.) Closed Session(Out of closed session): MOTION to pre-authorize Chad Steimle to release a teacher from a 0.43 FTE contract and be re-issued a 0.25 FTE contract contingent on the teacher being hired by Davenport SchoolsMotion made by: Pat ArcherMotion seconded by: Korby JacksonMotion unanimously approved by the Board.CLOSING PRAYERNext Regular Meeting: September 5, 2017BOE’s Rep to Parish Council in August, 2017 (Tom) ................
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