Mt. View board member resigns

BY STACI WILSON

A Mountain View school director announced his resignation from the board at the start of the Monday night work session.

Region 3 Lathrop Twp. representative Kevin Griffiths read aloud his letter of resignation, addressed to Board President James Zick.

Zick was not present at the meeting.

In the letter Griffiths said, “It is no longer my wish to carry out my duties (as a board member.)

Griffiths also said he had always served the district with honesty and integrity and challenged the person who will replace him on the board to do the same.

After he read his letter, Griffiths exited the meeting.

The board carried on with the work session agenda items, including a presentation on the district’s audit.

Mountain Viewwas given a clean opinion on its financial statement.

Auditors also said the district has about $3.8 million in its fund balance; about $1 million of which is unassigned and could be used to cover any unexpected expenditures for the district.

The auditors told the board the money in the fund balance puts the district in a position to sustain some of the expected education cuts in state funding.

Board members questioned a number of items listed for discussion by the finance committee.

Under finance, the board talked about the proposed 2012-13 special education contract between the district and the NEIU.

Board member Roy Twining said he was concerned the contract was vague. He advocated the agreement list the days per week the service would be provided and also spell out how the NEIU would plan to service the district in the event of a vacancy in the provider position.

Prompted by a discussion of club fundraising and district money used to fund student trips, the board talked about booster clubs that support district sports teams, band, chorus and other clubs.

Finance committee chair Dava Rinehart-Cowan said she would like to know what the booster club funds are used for.

Superintendent Andrew Chichura said the district receives no accounting from any of the booster clubs. He said there is no district policy that addresses the issue so booster clubs have control over their own funds.

Cowan said, “Everything should be coming back to the district,” because, she continued, the booster clubs use the district’s name to raise money. She said the board should revisit adopting a policy.

Board vice president Dr. Todd Adams said he thought, that like athletic teams that advanced through play-offs, the district should also be paying for band and chorus students who advance to regionals.

Board members also discussed district funding of upcoming educational conferences for teachers.

An upcoming national math conference, scheduled to be held inPhiladelphia, April 26-28, raised concern for some board members.

Karen Voight, director of curriculum, said Title II funds would be used to pay for the trip for six teachers. Voight and one of the teachers plan to attend only one day of the conference.

Estimated cost of the trip is $1,611 for lodging; $2,172 for registration; and $935 in substitute teacher pay.

Cowan said the teachers can afford to pay to go to the conference themselves.

“Do any (teachers) pay for their own national conferences?” Cowan asked. “Can I have a list of those?”

Voight explained that the Title II funds had to be used on either classroom reduction or on professional development. If the district does not use those funds in a set timeframe, the money would go back to the state.

Cowan said she tracked the number of days teachers were out in the month of January. She said the total added up to 241 days substitutes were needed costing the district about $22,000.

The board also reviewed the 2012-13 school calendar.

Chichura offered two drafts of it: one with two make-up days included within the school year and the rest at the end of the year; and the other with all make-up days at the end of the year.

Maintenance supervisor Robert Taylor told the board a contractors’ meeting will be held on Thursday to go over the specifications to repair storm damage to the high school office area.

The next board meeting, will be held Monday, Feb. 20 at7 p.m.