Guilford County Board of Education
Board Meeting
December 4, 2007

GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

The Guilford County Board of Education met in a regular meeting on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 712 North Eugene Street, Greensboro, North Carolina. The following board members were present: Jeff Belton, Walter Childs (arrived at 6:14 p.m.), Kris Cooke, Alan Duncan, Darlene Garrett, Deena Hayes, Garth Hébert, Dot Kearns, Amos Quick, Nancy Routh and Anita Sharpe. Also present were Superintendent Terry Grier and Attorney Jill Wilson.

Call to Order
Chairman Duncan called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence
Boy Scout Troop 101 led the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.

Recognitions
Chairman Duncan led the board in recognition of Superintendent Terry Grier as the 2008 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

GCS Volunteer of the Month for November 2007
The board recognized Keven Cockrell, a volunteer at Southeast High, as the district’s November Volunteer of the Month. Board member Anita Sharpe presented Keven with a certificate of appreciation. Ms. Cockrell received a $25 gift card from American Express, which has partnered with GCS to support the volunteer recognition program.

GCS Employee of the Month for November 2007
The board recognized Catherine Bakoulas, office support at Andrews High, as the district’s November Employee of the Month. Board member Walter Childs presented Catherine with a certificate of recognition. In a prior ceremony, Ms. Bakoulas received a $50 gift card from Sam’s Club, which has partnered with GCS to support the employee recognition program.

Recognition of GCS as a Global Communications School District
The board was recognized for its K-12 language immersion pipeline and commitment to world language instructional programs. Al Rubio, director of the Global Communicators Program, presented a plaque of recognition. The Global Communicators Program is a project of Governor Mike Easley’s North Carolina in the World initiative, which aims to make public education more internationally relevant and competitive in order to better prepare students for a global economy.

American Education Week 
The board, along with the Guilford County Association of Educators, presented a proclamation in support of American Education Week (November 12-16, 2007.) A copy of the proclamation is included with the minutes.

Public Comments
Chairman Duncan called on members of the public who requested an opportunity to address the board.

Kelli Rush, 6108 Stockbridge Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410
Debbie Lumpkins, 305 North Main St., High Point, NC 27260
Anthony Griffey, 4271 Lunsden Lane, High Point, NC 27265
Lou Anne Gaffney, 5201 Rose Hill Court, Greensboro, NC 27407
Marc Barnes, 1102 Lamp Post Lane, Greensboro, NC 27410
Rev. George Brooks, 1301 Alamance Church Road, Greensboro, NC 27406
Sandy Bowden, 4906D Tower Road, Greensboro, NC 27410
Nathan Street, 1036 Iron Mountain Road, Asheboro, NC 27205
Donald Moore, 408 Bellemeade St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Joe Stafford, 4604 Forest Village Drive, Greensboro, NC 27406

Chairman Duncan recognized the speakers who expressed their interest and concerns regarding the arts and electives and stated that a study group is working diligently on these issues. A report is expected to be brought before the board in December for review and discussion.

Approval of Agenda
Chairman Duncan asked board members to review the meeting agenda and called for a motion to approve or amend it. Motion was made by Walter Childs, seconded by Amos Quick, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion passed upon unanimous voice vote.

Consent Agenda
Superintendent Grier presented the following consent agenda items:

A.  October 2007 Meeting Minutes
The minutes of the October 9 Regular Meeting, October 17 Special Called Meeting and October 25 Regular Meeting were presented for approval.

B. Personnel Action Reports
The consent agenda included personnel actions as noted in the monthly Personnel Action Report requiring board approval.

C. Approval of Character Education Contract
The consent agenda included a recommendation to approve a contract with Dr. Philip Vincent of the Character Development Group to continue services as Project Director of the Middle School Character Education Grant for the second year for a total amount of $173,799. In July 2006, the U.S. Department of Education/Partnerships in Character Education Programs (PCEP) awarded nearly $1.5 million to GCS and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in a four-year grant to study the impact of character education on the social, ethical and academic achievement of middle school students. Six GCS middle schools were randomly selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in this study. The middle schools are Ferndale, Jamestown, Kernodle, Northeast, Northwest and Welborn. This is the second year of the grant.

The 2007-08 contract for renewal reflects the budget for contractual services rendered by Dr. Vincent which were components of the grant. This amount reflects the same as last year with no increase.

It was requested that an update on the Middle School Character Education Program be presented to the board at an upcoming board meeting.

D. Use of Yellow School Buses for 2008 Greensboro Grasshoppers School Day Game      
The consent agenda included a recommendation to approve the use of yellow school buses for the 2008 Greensboro Grasshoppers School Day Games to transport K-8 students of those schools choosing to participate in this educational opportunity. The days designated for the school day games are Thursday, April 24, 2008 for middle schools and Wednesday, May 14, 2008 for elementary schools.

In conjunction with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, GCS teachers have developed a school day game curriculum which follows the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. This curriculum will be put into place this year and will be updated for future use.

In addition to changing the game time to accommodate students’ schedules, the Greensboro Grasshoppers have donated all tickets for the games to minimize the cost for students. The Grasshoppers organization also allows schools to bring their own lunches into the stadium. In past years, the only limitation to our students’ involvement has been activity bus availability. All available activity buses will be used, but the current activity bus fleet is not large enough to cover the requests for transportation.

Motion was made by Kris Cooke, seconded by Jeff Belton, to approve the consent agenda as presented. Items A and B passed upon unanimous roll call vote. Item C passed upon majority roll call vote of 10-to-1 as follows: Ayes – Jeff Belton, Walter Childs, Kris Cooke, Alan Duncan, Darlene Garrett, Deena Hayes, Dot Kearns, Amos Quick, Nancy Routh and Anita Sharpe; Nays – Garth Hébert. Item D passed upon majority roll call vote of 10-to-1 as follows: Ayes – Jeff Belton, Walter Childs, Kris Cooke, Alan Duncan, Darlene Garrett, Deena Hayes, Garth Hébert, Dot Kearns, Amos Quick and Anita Sharpe; Nays – Nancy Routh.

Staff Reports

Sheriff’s Report on the Eastern Guilford High School Fire (November 1, 2006)
Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes presented to the board an update on the investigation regarding the November 1, 2006 fire at Eastern.

Sheriff Barnes stated that although there is not a lot of information that can be shared since this is an ongoing investigation, he did read the prepared statement which follows:

The Guilford County Sheriff’s office and the Guilford County Fire Marshall’s office continue the investigation into the tragic loss of Eastern Guilford. Our investigation has involved many interviews as it collects the numerous pieces of evidence. We have a short list of suspects, and our investigation remains active. We are not prepared to make an arrest at this time. We want to make sure that the case is solid. We are still reviewing statements and evidence and welcome any additional information. We recognize and understand the community has an interest in seeing this case solved. A substantial reward is being offered, and we hope to bring a conclusion to this case in the near future. We have had subsequent fires in the system that have resulted in arrests, and many may ask the question, “Why is this case taking so long?” The answer is the size of this fire brings a multitude of problems that a smaller fire does not … more evidence to review, more witnesses to interview and more leads to follow. These things take time and, as I said before, we do not want to lose this case. The easiest thing in the world would be for the guilty to step forward and confess. And while such confession would go better for the guilty party, we don’t count on such an occurrence. We continue to work diligently on this fire and on any and all fire occurrences. We ask the school personnel and students to be watchful and to help us provide you a safe environment for our schools. With us, as with you, the safety of our schools and the students is foremost in our minds. I finish with this thought as it relates to the Eastern Guilford fire. We welcome any additional information and ask for your continued patience and support as we seek to find answers.

Chairman Duncan provided an opportunity for board members to ask questions. In response to a question from board member Kris Cooke regarding the amount of award money available, Sheriff Barnes said the award can be up to $20,000. The amount is dependent on how substantial the information is in regard to arrest and conviction. The state does not want to commit to exactly how much award money is available, but they say up to $20,000 would not be a problem.

Some additional questions regarding specifics of the case were raised by board members with Sheriff Barnes stating that he could not provide additional information so as not to jeopardize the investigation.

Vice Chairman Amos Quick expressed concern in the community about other small fires which have been set at schools. He said that it may be helpful for the Sheriff’s Department to share information with teachers, school staff or community members on ways to recognize the profile of someone who may try to set a fire. Sheriff Barnes stated he has met with Guilford County Emergency Management Director Alan Purdue. In relation to this particular case, they are continuing their attempt to narrow down and gather information. As far as a particular profile, he stated that there is no particular profile being looked at. He asked that the schools and the community continue to remain vigilant.

Board member Anita Sharpe asked Sheriff Barnes what his department is doing to protect the school against a repeat occurrence. He said that the School Resource Officers (SROs) know what the Sheriff’s Department knows, so they are able to provide protection from possible offenders should they in fact be members of the Eastern community. The investigation continues to be an active one with the state; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and others still involved.

Board member Walter Childs asked about workshops for teachers and students in regard to fire safety. Sheriff Barnes said that the Fire Marshall’s office and the local fire departments are in charge of coordinating these programs with the schools.

Deena Hayes suggested the Sheriff’s office and the Fire Marshall’s office be present for a student assembly to be held at Eastern to explain the dangers of fire, the concerns for safety and the potential consequences. Chairman Duncan asked Attorney Jill Wilson to work with Sheriff Barnes to put this in place.

Update on Dudley, Eastern, High Point Central and Smith High Schools’ Dropout Rates
Dr. Gongshu Zhang, chief accountability and research officer, presented to the board an update on the dropout rates at Dudley, Eastern, High Point Central and Smith High schools. This report is in response to an Associated Press article on “Dropout Factories” written by Nancy Zuckerbrod on October 30, 2007. The writer quoted information from Bob Balfanz, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, who named specific schools as being “dropout factories.” Dr. Balfanz stated that, “While some transferred, most dropped out, according to the researchers.” Dr. Zhang said that for GCS high schools, this statement is wrong. Most of the students who left the freshmen cohort were transferring students and not dropouts.

It is unknown which data the writer used. Based on GCS data, among 458 freshmen in Dudley in 2004, 188 were not in the Dudley senior class of 2007. According to the writer’s definition, the retention rate is 59.0 percent. However, only 38 (20.2 percent of 188) were dropouts. So we cannot say all 188 students were dropouts. Comparing the number of dropouts (38) to the original freshmen (458), the percent of students who were dropouts from the freshman cohort is 8.3 percent.

Eastern, High Point Central and Smith have a situation similar to Dudley’s. The percentage of students who were dropouts from the freshman cohort are 12.8 percent for Eastern, 11.9 percent for High Point Central and 14.1 percent for Smith.

The writer also talked about general education development (GED) certificate, diploma and graduation rate but did not give the definition of graduation rate. It might mislead readers. The readers may conclude that the graduation rate must be smaller than the writer’s retention rate. Since there are many definitions of graduation rate, the conclusion is not always true. North Carolina’s definition of graduation rate and the writer’s definition of retention rate are totally different.

The state of North Carolina is going to raise the graduation standard in 2010. The first cohort to be affected by this change is the current tenth grade. In order to face the new challenge as well as help all students graduating from high school, GCS has a lot of work to do and a long way to go. In regard to the article, Dr. Zhang said that much can be learned from the Baltimore Talent Development High School.

Vice Chairman Quick commented on the importance of having initiatives to decrease dropout rates. The public must receive accurate information on our high schools so that certain schools are not perceived as having problems that do not actually exist.

Superintendent Grier stated that last year the GCS district-wide dropout rate was 3.27 percent; the year prior to that that it was 3 percent; and two years prior it was 2.97 percent. This means that the annual rate average is about 3 percent for the district. If you multiply that by 4, you have the 12 percent rate. According to the information Dr. Zhang shared, the numbers for Dudley, Eastern, Smith and Andrews are all very much in the range of the district-wide average. Dr. Grier said that one dropout is too many, but it is disheartening to see a writer take liberty like that in a national article and list our schools’ information inaccurately.

Board member Dot Kearns discussed the mobility of students and families in some of the schools, specifically at High Point Central, and questioned whether students are tracked by numbers only or by actual students’ data. Dr. Grier stated information is tracked on exact students, taking into account if students move in and out of the district. Moving does not count against a school’s numbers.

Bond Referendum
Leo Bobadilla, chief operations officer, and Joe Hill, facilities, presented to the board the recommended changes to the bond projects as requested at the October 25 meeting.

One of the options on the revised list is downsizing the proposed Jamestown Middle School. It was suggested that staff work with the principal at Jamestown Middle to have a community meeting with parents and other interested citizens to talk about why a smaller school is being proposed and to get their feedback. Additionally, if the proposed Jamestown Middle School is downsized, staff would recommend that the board move the Allen Jay Middle renovation project up on the list of priorities so that the work will coincide with Jamestown Middle, thus enabling students to move close to the same time.

Mr. Hill said the only change made to the bond project list is the cost for the autism wing. As discussed at a prior board meeting, moving the wing to Jamestown Middle from Ragsdale would require utilization of some of the space currently designed for middle school students. Approximately nine classrooms would be converted for use by the autism program. An addition to the building would be needed because there are many specialized spaces required for autism students as well as the need for an additional drop-off area. Mr. Bobadilla talked about assignment of children to autism wings. Betty Ann Chandler, executive director, exceptional children, said assignments are done by regulation based on proximity to the school. Board member Dot Kearns asked for further clarification asking why the past way of doing things would be pertinent going forward since we have not had autism centers before. Attorney Wilson stated that autism classes currently are mixed in with general education. In the future both these wings and the classrooms at other places will be used to serve these children. Ms. Kearns asked for information on how many autistic children are served and the specific breakdown for high, middle and elementary schools.

There were questions raised about the need to look at projected growth in the Jamestown area to get an estimate of the number of children who will feed into the middle school. Donna Bell, director of planning, is gathering this information and will report back to the board. Board member Walter Childs asked that Welborne be looked at as a possibility for students since there is space available. Superintendent Grier said staff will look to the board for direction on this.

Chairman Duncan asked that community public forums be scheduled to invite parent and community participation regarding the proposal for decreasing the size of the middle school and inclusion of the autism wing. Mr. Bobadilla will meet with PTA leaders and principals to explain the purpose of the forums and to enlist their help in informing the community.

Board discussion followed in regard to the cost of new schools in the district with comparisons made to other districts in the state.

Reports from the Chairman
Chairman Duncan called on board member Dot Kearns to report on the board’s Legislative Committee. At its meeting on November 7, a tentative schedule was created for January through September of 2008. All meetings will be held on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. All board members are welcome to attend. The meeting schedule is as follows: January 14, February 11, March 10, April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11 and September 8. This calendar will be made available to commissioners and legislators, who are also welcome to attend these committee meetings.

Ms. Kearns distributed position papers and the bills for three issues the North Carolina School Boards Association believes are extremely important, those being the school calendar legislation, the school accountability (taxing authority) bill and the state sales tax exemption.

The committee reviewed the 2007 Legislative Agenda to identify what has passed and how GCS has gained from it. It will also review the agenda to decide on what should be changed for the 2008 agenda and will report back to the board with its recommendation. The short session begins May 13, 2008, and therefore the committee plans to develop the agenda to have it ready for board approval by early February. Ms. Kearns stated that the Guilford Education Alliance has asked if the board’s Legislative Committee would be willing to meet with its legislative committee as well as the two chambers and the Piedmont Triad Partnership legislative committees in an attempt to get some of the K-12 issues on all of their respective legislative agendas. This will mean that the committee will have to come to some agreement and acceptance of what should be pressed forward.

Chairman Duncan called on Vice Chairman Amos Quick to present information on the School Climate Task Force. The task force is seeking input from community members on what measures can be implemented to improve the overall climate in our schools. Several meetings have been scheduled throughout the county to allow members the opportunity to share their thoughts. The meeting schedule is posted on the GCS Web site. Mr. Quick stated that this is an excellent opportunity for community members to come out and speak to a body that has been charged by the Board of Education with improving school climate with the community’s ideas and suggestions.

Board Comments
Board members were each allowed two minutes to make remarks, as they deemed appropriate.

Closed Session
At 9:27 p.m., motion was made by Deena Hayes, seconded by Darlene Garrett, to go into closed session to preserve the attorney client privilege, to give advice to our staff and attorneys regarding the price or other material term to be included in a contract for real property and to discuss personnel matters as protected by state law.

Adjournment
With no further business, at 10:16 p.m., motion was made by Kris Cooke, seconded by Anita Sharpe, to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed upon unanimous voice vote.