Guthrie schools to redraw district boundaries; calls special meeting

The Guthrie Public Schools held their monthly school board meeting Monday evening and approved all agenda items unanimously.

As required by state law, Guthrie schools will redraw ward district boundary lines for school board positions 1 through 7. It is required to be done every 10 years.

In addition, the school board approved to call for a Board Member Election to be held on February 14, 2012 and a Runoff Election, if needed, on April 03, 2012 for Board Position #1, currently held by Mark Swartzbaugh, which has a 4-year term of office, Board Position #5, currently held by Tom Holtz, which has a 3-year term of office and Board Position #7, currently held by Jerry Welch, which has a 4-year term of office.

To be eligible to file a notification and declaration of candidacy, the prospective candidate must have been a registered voter in the election district, or ward, and a resident residing within said election district for at least six months immediately preceding the filing period. No person is eligible to be a candidate or to be elected to a board of education unless the person has been awarded a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency.

Assistant Superintendent Dennis Schulz addressed and fielded questions concerning the 2011-2012 school budget and notified the board the budget was on par, but that the economy could play a factor if it were to continue on a down slide.

High School Principal Chad Wilson along with Junior High Principal Tim Rawls each addressed remediation plans this school year along with the annual dropout report for last year.

Rawls reported their were two dropouts at the junior high level, but one of those was recovered. Wilson listed 48 students as dropouts on the high school level, but was able to recover 24 of those students.

Wilson explained how the administration and school personnel go and try find the students and their families in the community, whether it be at home, or parents work and talk to the family about the child returning back to the school system.

In other school board business that were approved:

– adopted the calendar of regularly scheduled School Board meetings for 2012

– renewed agreement with Discovery Education for web-based interactive learning program for students in grades 4-6 and 9-12

– approved Kathryn Frazer to provide tutoring for Title I students attending Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Guthrie

– acted upon new District Policies: Complaint Procedures Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Reading Sufficiency Act Testing and Procedures, use of Social Networks and Other Forms of Communication and Seclusion of Students with Disabilities.

– approved minutes of regular meeting held on October 10, 2011

– Treasurer’s Report

– Activity Fund Fundraisers and transfers

– Fuel bid as recommended by bid committee

– Out-of-State Trips: Bill Perring, Geoff Webb and students – American Classic Festival/Contest Dallas and Arlington, TX – March 16-18, 2012 and Robert Blackburn, Billy Richardson and students – American Classic Festival/Contest – Dallas and Arlington, TX – March 16-18, 2012

– Declare listed items as surplus

– Encumbrances for General Fund #’s 671-757, Building Fund #’s 93-98 and Child Nutrition Fund #’s 23-25 and listed change orders and Activity Fund Reports

Special Board Meeting on Friday

A special Board of Education meeting has been called for Friday, November 18th, at 7:00 a.m.

The board will consider the recommendation, consideration and action upon Insurance Loss and Recovery Fund Encumbrance #2 along with the recommendation, consideration and action to set a schedule of Special Board Meetings for the purpose of conducting the search for a Superintendent