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Board will take action on $2 million deficiency in Aug.

Dale Thompson, Of the Record staff

Business Administrator for the Park City School District, Patty Murphy told the board they need make a decision soon about how to raise taxes or reduce expenditures to compensate for the reported $2 million deficiency in the budget for fiscal year 2006-07.

"I think we need to come back in August and determine what we need to do about," board member Kathryn Adair said.

She added the board should spend the month of July considering solutions and talking with constituents about the problem.

Board member Vern Christensen said he would like to thoroughly examine the budget.

"I think we need to step back and look at it across the board," he said, noting that by increasing class sizes by one student would save the district $1 million.

The budget hearing concluded with the board voting unanimously, with member Kim Carson being absent, to approve the revised budget for 2005-06 and adopt the proposed budget for 2006-07 with the understanding that the $2 million deficiency will be addressed in August.

The proposed 2006-07 budget calls for a maintenance and operation budget, also known as the general fund, of $34,415,523 and $19,488,450 in capital expenses and is not based on a property tax increase.

Alternative language plan and school improvement plans approved

Tom VanGorder, Director of Student Services, presented the board with a proposal to adopt the Alternative Language Plan, one mandated by the state but the district decides what is included in the program. Much of it encompasses funding for English Language Learners.

Christensen asked what the program cost, and said in light of the $2 million deficiency all programs should be examined thoroughly.

VanGorder said the cost was approximately $800,000 and noted the staff for the English Language Learner’s program had not increased in a number of years and neither have the costs of materials and supplies. He added that Title I funding had recently been significantly reduced.

The board voted to adopt the Alternative Language Plan with Christensen voting in opposition to it.

The board also voted unanimously to approve the consolidated school improvement plans for 2006-2007. Curriculum Director, Merry Haugen, noted the majority of the money for the projects is coming from Utah Trust Land funds.

Monthly Reports

Bob Burns, co-President of the Park City Education Association, reported that they recently awarded over $3,000 in scholarships to the children of PCEA members.

Superintendent Dave Adamson noted that renderings of the completed Park City High School are now available online at http://www.pcschools.us . A frequently-asked-questions section was also added to the construction page.

A theme committee will be formed in late August for determining the interior themes and will be made up of parents, teachers and students, Adamson said.

International School Year End Report

Haugen, said next year the administration involved with the International Baccalaureate program will try to clearly convey the expectations and purpose of the program to parents and students.

Beth Hoburg, International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Implementation Consultant, gave a brief presentation on the personal projects recently completed by ninth-graders at Treasure Mountain International Middle School. Fifty-seven students completed projects and earned their international certificates.

Hoburg said additional information about the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program can be found on the homepage for Treasure Mountain International Middle School: http://tmis.pcschools.us/

Kathryn Adair said she was concerned because she had spoken with parents who were troubled because children had earned poor marks for their community service projects, another component of the IB program.

Hoburg responded that she would be happy to address the concerns of parents and students if they contact her.

She said the community service project grades covered the spectrum, but some students did not follow the provided rubric which might have resulted in low score.

Abdul Rasool said next year the goal of the IB program is to communicate their intentions in a simple manner, and to convey the idea that the program caters to all students at both middle schools. He added that the success of the IB program should be a collaborative effort that helps students reach their high expectations.

High school score board

Support Services Director, Steve Oliver, said a recent meeting was held regarding the new scoreboard for Dozier Field. All the athletic groups attended, or were invited.

No selection has been made, while Adamson noted that the funds would have to be raised by the athletic groups because the cost was in the $32 – $40,000 range.

There has also been talk of upgrading the field’s sound system, Oliver said, but added it was probably beyond the group’s financial means.

Board member Lisa Kirchenheiter expressed some concern about noise, and said it was important to be considerate of the people with property near the school.

Oliver said the construction team was trying to adhere to the City Planning Department’s height and decibel-level restrictions.

"We’re trying to be good neighbors," he said.

School Calendar Report

Nancy Scott, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, reported the Calendar Committee recently reviewed the results of the online calendar survey conducted last night. While the majority of respondents would like the calendar to remain what it is, there is still some question about how long of a break to schedule in the month of February.

Board member Vern Christensen made a motion that the board wait until November to make a decision about the school calendar for 2007-2008, which will be effective for the following five years. This would allow the board to collect additional feedback on the February break and also consider building in time at the end of the school year teachers to get the school ready for closing.

Christensen’s motion passed unanimously.

Policies Adopted

The following policies were adopted by the board: Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited, Drug Testing of Bus Drivers, Promotion, Retention and Remediation of Students 7-12 and the new Wellness Policy. They can be viewed online at: http://www.parkcity.k12.ut.us/


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