Moved to approve the minutes of March 23, 1999, as presented.

The question was called.          Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Moved to adopt the agenda for the meeting of April 6, 1999, as presented.

Add Action item 1.c. (3) Student Case No. 99-24-X. Under Consent Agenda, Attachment D - Page 4, item O., change Food Service Equipment – Large Wares (BID #99-43), from the General Fund to the Food Service Fund for R.W. Beaty Restaurant Equipment, in the amount of $15,457.98.

The question was called on the agenda as amended.

                                                Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Mrs. Brashear requested information on the total number of students zoned to Idylwild who elected to attend Elementary School ‘E.’ She also requested that staff advertise the meeting to discuss interagency collaboration for use of recreational facilities scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 1999, 8:30 a.m. in Conference Room E.

Superintendent Marazza announced that Mrs. Sharpe was recently elected as Vice-President of the Florida School Boards Association.

Motion by Mrs. Sharpe            Seconded by Mrs. Brashear

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to name the new elementary school Lawton M. Chiles Elementary School.

Mrs. Brashear noted that the community also nominated former educators and community leaders

Mrs. Sharpe thanked everyone for their suggestions and commended the committee for appropriately naming the new school after the late governor.

Dr. Leathers stated he would support the recommendation, but preferred naming schools after local educators and citizens.

Superintendent Marazza noted that a dedication ceremony will be scheduled in August.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

A citizen expressed support of the Expression Learning Arts Academy and its administrator.

Mrs. Brashear stated that this district is on record as being very supportive of charter schools and the Board wants to support these schools in every way. She noted that the district does include arts and has always supported keeping the arts programs, even at times when it was difficult.

She presented her concerns and requested the following assurances from the proposed charter schools:

• Explain to the Board how they would measure their success with the different kinds of education they plan to administer, in addition to the requirements of the state.
• How they would do a better job with a certain group of kids than public schools do.
• How they would be held accountable by the School Board and parents and how they would hold themselves accountable.

Mrs. Brashear requested additional information on the current private religious school on the farm in Alachua prior to voting on the contract for the Alachua Learning Center, Inc., Charter School.

• Will the current school close down or will the charter be a second school on the same property?
• The history of the school.
• The names of the Board of Directors.
• The names of the teachers.
• The names of the students (based on research the charter school would be filled by approximately 90% of the students from the private religious school).

She requested additional information on the proposed Alachua Learning Center, Inc., Charter School.

• How the racial/ethnic makeup of the school would be recruited from the larger Alachua community that it serves.
• Transportation plan of getting students from the larger Alachua community, to what looks to be a little bit of a remote farm setting from the main center of the City of Alachua which it is serving.
• How the school would do a better job of teaching the things that it wants to teach than is currently being taught.
• How the school would hold itself accountable.
• Assurance, based on what was learned at the workshop, that there is a detailed plan for an actual open enrollment plan for the service area of the City of Alachua.
• Assurance the school would not be a restricted or closed school that would serve mainly the children who are now in the private parochial school.

• How the school would assure the Board that it is nonsectarian, nonreligious, that the enrollment is open, that the employment situations are open, that the people who are serving as teachers and Board members are not, in fact, elected or appointed representatives of the church community.

• Requested the administration plan a drive out to the school to view the property that it sits on and how easy it would be for large numbers of people from all parts of Alachua to get to it and how the transportation plan would be handled.

• Are any of the Board of Directors church officials, farm officials, or school officials?
• Assurance that this charter school would not be a sectarian nor a supplanting school.

She pointed out that the community defined in the The Alachua Learning Center, Inc., charter proposal is the students served by Alachua Elementary, which is all 3^rd-5^th graders in the City of Alachua and the larger environs of Alachua. The district currently provides K-8 schooling in the City of Alachua and the Alachua Learning Center is proposing to serve this same group of students. To her knowledge the schools in the Alachua area are not overcrowded and there is no curriculum that is going to be done in the new school that is not at least being addressed in the current schools.

She requested staff contact the Department of Education for guidance to see if there are other similar cases around the state and what has happened to those charters that were either approved or rejected.

She stated for the record that there is no particular item or legal technicality she finds to be amiss, but the intent of the charter school law is that a private or parochial school cannot become a charter. She also expressed serious concerns with the cost of monitoring this school to make sure they meet all requirements.

Dr. Leathers expressed concern with the tremendous amount of staff time currently being needed to monitor charter schools.

Mrs. Sharpe expressed that she has the same concerns as noted with the Alachua Learning Center, Inc., proposal and requested additional information dealing with the agricultural curriculum. She also requires assurances that this school is going to be nonsectarian and until her concerns are addressed, she will not support this charter school proposal.

Mrs. Carroll stated that the Board supports charter schools, and she will be looking at charter schools that exhibit innovation, energy, and forms of accountability that this district has not yet used. The Alachua Learning Center, Inc., must address all the concerns expressed by the Board, specifically in the area of student achievement.

Mrs. Sharpe requested a full report of the audit of the Chance Charter School, what is currently being done to correct the problem and a plan of action of what steps will be taken to resolve the problem.

A supporter of charter schools commended the Board and expressed their support of the Expressions Learning Arts Academy.

Mrs. Sharpe stated she could not support earlier starting times for elementary school students due to safety concerns. She can support what is equal for all students, but not one group if it penalizes others.

Mrs. Brashear suggested the school improvement liaison assist in disseminating research information on sleep and later starting times for high school students to all school advisory council members and encourage a dialogue and innovation among school advisory councils on this topic.

Dr. Leathers stated that he is open-minded about this issue.

Mrs. Carroll stated that rural schools have the advantage, and she would like to see every school begin between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. She noted that this issue impacts all students and requires additional research and community discussion. She encouraged school advisory councils to take a look at their schools and present a pilot program to the Board.

Chairman Cake stated he cannot support switching elementary and high school starting times, however, he would be interested in seeing elementary schools continue on the same schedule and no school open prior to that time. High schools take the middle school slot and middle schoolers move back to 9:30 a.m., which would put middle schoolers home closer to when parents get home, which would solve problems for parents; high schools could help with athletes and student workers. He referred to the request by Prairie View to change its beginning time.

Mrs. Brashear suggested Prairie View work with the school advisory council to change the school hours through its school improvement plan.

Mrs. Brashear requested the superintendent and school advisory council liaison to facilitate change through the school improvement process and allow the variables to be discussed among school advisory councils and encourage them to present the Board with innovations it can support.

Superintendent Marazza pointed out that school hours are closely tied to transportation, and the district works hard to utilize bus routes and get the maximum out of each route. He informed the Board that the district is looking at improving its bus route system by computerizing routes.

Mr. Terry Tougaw, assistant superintendent, Facilities/Transportation, stated that the three city high schools are the ones affected by the 7:25 a.m. starting times and suggested a 10:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. starting time for the three city high schools.

Mrs. Brashear suggested a letter be sent to the three city high schools encouraging their school advisory councils to review the research and present a pilot project to the Board.

Moved to reappoint Mrs. Carroll and Mrs. Sharpe to the Value Adjustment Board, with Mrs. Brashear serving as alternate.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Motion by Mrs. Sharpe            Seconded by Mrs. Brashear

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to expel the student through the first semester of the 1999-2000 school year.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Motion by Mrs. Sharpe            Seconded by Dr. Leathers

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to extend the student’s suspension through April 20, 1999.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Motion by Mrs. Sharpe            Seconded by Mrs. Carroll

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to extend the student’s suspension through April 20, 1999.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

On January 22, 1997, the Board contracted with Educational Management Consultant Services (EMCS) for a comprehensive review and revision. The Board held two public workshops with EMCS June 24, 1997, and September 9, 1997. EMCS completed its work in January 1998. The Board also held a workshop on proposed policy changes on January 12, 1999. The proposed policies represent a complete overhaul of the existing policy manual.

Motion by Mrs. Sharpe            Seconded by Mrs. Brashear

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to approve the proposed revisions to the policies for advertising and schedule a public hearing for 7:30 p.m., May 4, 1999.

The Board commended Mr. Wittmer for all his efforts.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Motion by Mrs. Brashear          Seconded by Mrs. Carroll

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to adopt Policy BCFC, School Advisory Councils, as revised.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Motion by Mrs. Sharpe             Seconded by Mrs. Brashear

Moved the superintendent’s recommendation to approve the new/revised job descriptions as presented.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Mrs. Brashear noted a minor change under the overall evaluation section of the form to include three blanks for an overall evaluation.

Motion by Mrs. Brashear          Seconded by Mrs. Carroll

Moved to approve the criteria for Board Members’ Annual Evaluation of Superintendent.

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0

Moved to approve the Consent Agenda as described in items 1-23. (See Supplementary Minutes Book.)

The question was called.            Upon Vote: Motion passed 5-0