Board Meeting Dates

Additional Details

Special Board Meeting

AGENDA

Friday, April 27, 2012

7:30 AM

DeLayo-Martin Community Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown NE

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Minutes of Special Board Meeting
The Board of Education, Albuquerque Public Schools 

A Special Board meeting of the Board of Education of Albuquerque Public Schools was held Friday, April 27, 2012, beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the DeLayo Martin Community Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE.

 I.        Call to Order – The meeting was called to order at 7:34 a.m.

1. A. Roll Call – Present: Analee Maestas, Kathy Korte, Lorenzo Garcia, Marty Esquivel, Paula Maes, David Peercy and David Robbins

B.       Adoption of the April 27, 2012, Special Meeting Agenda and Approval of the April 18, 2012, Board of Education Minutes (Discussion/Action)

David Peercy motioned for adoption of the agenda and approval of the minutes. Kathy Korte seconded the motion. Board members unanimously adopted of the April 27, 2012, Special Board of Education meeting agenda and approved the April 18, 2012, Board of Education minutes.

II.       Public Forum – There were no participants in the public forum at this meeting.

III.      Special Issues

A.       Goal 2- Financial Stewardship (Discussion)

Don Moya, chief financial officer, reviewed the action steps of Goal 2: Albuquerque Public Schools will maintain a transparent, sound and responsible financial plan that advances student achievement, supports family and community engagement and promotes a safe school environment.

The action plans for Goal 2 are as follows:

• 1.0: Develop a centralized, balanced budget while supporting the district's goal areas (Student Achievement, Parent Community Involvement and School Environment)
• 2.0: Provide a timely annual independent audit with minimal findings
• 3.0: Establish and maintain a treasury management program that prudently and strategically leverages district fund balances in accordance with Board Policy 0.02 Investments
• 4.0: Establish and maintain a system for position management
• 5.0: Continue to leverage and maintain a stable financial information management system
• 6.0: Maintain an aligned and reconciled Capital Master Plan
• 7.0: Complete a district wide capital maintenance-needs assessment plan (including Information Technology)
• 8.0: Pass February 2013 mill levy election
• 9.0: Ensure timely, appropriate and legal expenditures of district grant funds
• 10.0: Ensure timely and accurate payment of all district obligations
• 11.0: Track and reduce the procurement administrative lead (PALT; length of time between the issuance of a Lawson purchase order and approval by APS Procurement) to expedite the delivery of goods and services to schools and the departments that support schools
• 12.0: Identity unauthorized purchases in order to minimize the potential for audit findings
• 13.0: Provide improved asset management reporting to align with APS procedural directive, state code, state auditor’s rule and the needs of the district (Capital Fiscal Services Department)
• 14.0: Solve the calendar issue whereby nine-month employees receive a check too early in the year and are in an overpaid status for a period of time at the beginning of the year. (Payroll and Human Resources departments)
• 15.0: Centralize activity fund processing (General Ledger Department)
• 16.0: Activate electronic vendor payment processing in Lawson (Accounts Payable Department)

Board members discussed the following regarding this agenda item:

• Definition and importance of minimal findings
• Significance of treasury management
• Importance of leveraging fund balances to garner return of, yet maintain, safe investments
• Clarification of the maintenance needs assessments plan
• Clarification of activity funds processing
• Request regular recurring reports on grant funds
• Consideration for adding a professional grant writer/director to coordinate program efficiencies and consider administrative costs for each grant
• Effects of the number of different calendars on the new payroll module
• Effects of different pay schedules on employees

B. Presentation of NCLB Waiver: Priority and Focus Schools (Discussion)

Superintendent Winston Brooks, and Legislative Liaison and Policy Analyst Carrie Robin Menapace reviewed the significance of the preliminary release of school designations regarding the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) wavier, specifically how schools are designated, the expectations of those schools and how schools can work to exit the designation status.

Board members discussed the following regarding this agenda item:

• Clarification that the designations are based on 2011 SBA (Standards Based Assessments)results and preliminary information
• Request clear understanding of what is forthcoming
• Clarification of how academic growth will be determined compared to current methods
• Request clarification if this process affects all schools or just Title I schools
• Graduation rate as part of the calculations
• Training for principals, including charter schools

C. Redesign Initiatives (Discussion) – Superintendent Brooks explained the redesign initiatives for Emerson Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School/A. Montoya Elementary School for the 2012-13 school year.

D. Consideration for Submissions for New Mexico School Boards Association (NMSBA) 2012 Award Nominations (Discussion/Action) – Brenda Yager, executive director of Board Services, explained the information presented at the meeting and asked board members to consider and prepare their recommendations for award nominations for an upcoming board meeting.

IV. Superintendent Report – Superintendent Brooks remarked about the excitement of graduations and fun things to do at the school with the students celebrating the completion of the year.  He also expressed sympathy for the family and friends of the young man from Roosevelt Middle School.

V. Board Reports – Kathy Korte explained how she witnessed schools understanding the need for ambitious planning to improve student achievement.

VI. Announcement of Upcoming Board Meetings – President Maes announced that the next Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, at 5:00 p.m., in the John Milne Community Board room and the next Special Board of Education meeting will be held on Friday, May 11, 2012, at 7:30 a.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community room.

VII.     Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at 8:55 a.m.