By Jacquie Rath
The first item on the agenda was a progress report by Assistant Superintendent Robert Bartelson on projects set in motion as a result of the $15 million bond issue approved in December 2004. He painted a glowing picture of the progress being made on various construction projects under way. "We've gotten good contractors and terrific project managers," Bartels said. "The majority of the scheduled cement work [on curbs and walkways] has been completed."
He went on to say that fencing at the Hewitt School is being replaced, and the school's tennis courts have been repainted. A new playground surface has been installed at Riverside, along with new swings.
Next, Bartels detailed the plan for repaving the parking area at South Side High School, which is scheduled to begin in this month. It was suggested that all parking access to the school be blocked off during the grinding and paving in order for the project to be completed quickly. The alternative would be to repave the parking lot in stages, which would take more time.
Questions were asked about where employees, visitors and students needing access to school grounds would park during the repaving process. Suggestions included parking on local streets and parking at the Wilson School and walking between the facilities. Superintendent Dr. William Johnson stated he "would ensure security would be provided" for the alternate parking areas.
Next on the agenda was the issuance of blanket purchase orders used by the district to obtain products and services authorized in the budget. Concerns were expressed about the number of blanket orders being used. The orders are issued in large dollar amounts to vendors who are utilized frequently for inexpensive items such as office supplies and repairs of musical instruments. As purchases are made, the amounts are deducted from the P.O.
"Blanket purchase orders were created because they are easier [to manage] and mean less paperwork," Johnson said. But he said he understood that there was a need for more tracking ability.
It was determined that random audits would be performed on blanket P.O.s and related documentation. This will provide verification of prices, quantities and services. In addition, the board agreed to consider reducing the amounts of blanket purchase orders and reviewing them on a quarterly basis rather than annually. "P.O.s are closed at the end of the year, and the money goes back to the taxpayer," Johnson said, referring to the applied fund balance maintained on accounting documentation.
A discussion of document storage and maintenance followed. Board members expressed interest in receiving and maintaining all board meeting information electronically. Future possibilities include a separate secure server or a password-protected Web site for board access only. This would reduce the mammoth job of filing and document maintenance, which is currently done manually. The board decided to readdress the issue later.
On July 1, a new School Accountability Law was passed, requiring districts to take steps to ensure financial responsibility. The law requires the training of all school board members, creation of an audit committee, compliance with annual independent audits, and development of internal audit functions. During the board's discussion, it was determined that a survey of other districts would be done in order to determine what "best practices" are being used to conform to the law's requirements.
Finally, the resolution setting the tax levy for the 2005-06 school year was formally adopted.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 29, when the board will take its annual tour of district schools to ensure that they are ready for students next month.
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