Board Meeting – September 4, 2013
Administrative Reports
Representatives from the Granite Education Foundation gave a report on the Foundation’s recent projects and initiatives to the board. Presentation
Donnette McNeill-Waters, director of Human Resources, gave a staffing report to the board. Presentation
Ben Horsley, director of Communications, presented results of the Community School Satisfaction Survey to the board. Presentation
The board convened into an executive session.
Board Meeting
Recognition
The board recognized Howard Driggs Elementary second grade teacher Anne Reese as the 2013 Teacher of the Year.
Purchases
- Fertilizing and weed control, Trugreen, $62,900.00, Maintenance and Operations budget
- Computer equipment for Information Systems Department, Hewlett-Packard Company, $75,750.40, Information Systems Department, Capital Outlay Equipment budget
- Learning management system licenses, Utah Education Network, $167,004.00, Information Systems Data Processing budget
- Destiny software licenses, Follett Software, $55,177.35, Elementary Media, Secondary Media, and Technical Services budgets
- Tableau data reporting tool, Tableau Software, Inc., $149,500.00, Information Systems, Capital Outlay budget
- New preschool classroom set up, Beecon Learning, LLC, $100,434.00, United Way Service agreement
- Hartvigsen fully accessible playground equipment, Sonntag & Associates, $75,000.00, November 2009 bond funds
- Tennis court resurfacing at Cyprus and Skyline high schools, Parkin Construction, $100,000.00, Capital Outlay budget
Contracts
- MyAccess online writing software licenses, Vantage Technologies, $88,200.00, Teaching and Learning budget
- District-wide calling system, Blackboard Connect, Inc., $98,472.00, Information Systems Department, Capital Outlay Equipment budget
Information Item
Bryce Holbrook, director of Planning and Boundaries, presented a boundary process report to the board.
First Reading
The board adopted the fiscal policies manual as it has been updated as required by the State. Changes to the Procurement Fiscal Policy at Adoption, Fiscal Policy Manual
Action Item
The board reviewed the Salt Lake County Magna Community Development Area and no action was taken.
The board approved a second reading of the School Community Council policy as presented by Ben Horsley, director of Communications.
Malavika says
I had a question to the Board. Do all volunteers in all granite school district need to have a background check done? Does the district pay for this background check.
Thank you.
Ben Horsley says
State law requires that any individual who has “significant unsupervised access to students,” must have a background check…including volunteers. As a matter of practice, we instruct principals to ensure proper supervision of all volunteers and students. There are circumstances which would warrant a background check for a volunteer and in some instances, the fee may be covered by the district. Great question.
Adam Harmstead says
I have a question for the board: How will the teacher surplus affect newly-hired Granite secondary teachers in non-priority subjects like English Language Arts? Will Granite retain those teachers on probationary status, or could there be budget-driven cuts to staffing? Thank you.
Ben Horsley says
No RIF’s are currently planned. We anticipate all teachers being placed.
Sam Eubanks says
I would like to see a lot less money spent on sports in the Granite School District, and more spent on intellectual education. It is true that exercise can enhance learning, but you don’t have to build and maintain expensive stadiums, basketball arenas, baseball diamonds and tennis courts to exercise. I say just get those kids running laps, and doing basic exercises. I feel the money saved needs to go into textbooks, technological improvements, physical facilities and rewards to teachers who can prove their results by the kid’s test scores.
Ben Horsley says
Outside of capital funding, sports programs are funded through fees and gate receipts from participants, not from the school district. M&O funding only goes to support curriculum and state mandated educational requirements.