Members present: Julie Jenison, president; Gail LoPresto, vice-president; Sue Sullivan, Melinda Bookout, and Jerry Cramer, members; Superintendent Dr. Jim Capps; Debbie Baldwin, clerk; and others.

ITEM #1 - Inspirational Message, Moment of Silence, and Pledge of Allegiance – Dr. diane welker.

Dr. Diane Welker, Principal at Central Intermediate, led in the Inspirational Message, Moment of Silence, and Pledge of Allegiance.

ITEM  #2 – presentation and discussion on central elementary and central intermediate reorganization – sue kuntze, dr. diane welker, and sherri brown.

Sherri Brown, Central Elementary principal, Dr. Diane Welker, Central Intermediate principal, and Sue Kuntze, assistant superintendent for Elementary Education, presented plans for a two-year transition that would turn Central Elementary and Central Intermediate into schools that each serve students in a wider range of grades than they do now.

Currently, Central Elementary serves students in pre-k through grade 2, but plans call for changing it to a school that serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade 5. Central Intermediate now serves students in grades 3 through 5, but plans call for it to serve students in kindergarten through grade 5 within two years and possibly also host pre-k at some point in the future.

Changing the two schools so that each serves traditional elementary school grades means that students can stay in one building for most or all of their elementary school years, allowing staff, students, and parents to develop long-term relationships. Teachers will be able to monitor individual student development for a longer time. Students will experience more consistent guidelines and expectations and benefit from more consistent academic and behavioral intervention. Because parents will be connected with one school for more years, there is more chance for parent involvement and increased opportunity for PTA membership and leadership.

The first step the board will take in the transition will be at the January 22nd board meeting, when board members will consider future attendance boundaries for the two schools. Administrators suggested two options for a dividing line between the attendance boundaries for the two schools – either Grove Avenue or MacArthur Boulevard. Administrators also presented the possibility of changing boundaries so that Central students living south of NW 39th would instead attend either Windsor Hills Elementary or Overholser Elementary.

The transition plans for the 2008-2009 school year call for Central Elementary to serve pre-k through 4th grade students and Central Intermediate to serve students in grades 1 through 5. The plan allows 5th graders to stay at Central Intermediate for their final year of elementary school rather than shifting to a new building in August 2008 and then another new building in January 2009, when the new Central Elementary building is expected to be complete.

In the 2009-2010 school year, Central Elementary will serve all pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students in its attendance area, and Central Intermediate will serve all kindergarten through 5th grade students in its attendance area. Central Intermediate may at some point also hold pre-kindergarten classes if there is room in the building.

Because Central Intermediate will cease to be an intermediate school, a new name will be chosen for the school. At a future meeting, the board will consider what process to use to arrive at a new name.

ITEM #3 – PUBLIC participation.

There was none.

ITEM #4 – Consent Agenda: All of the following items, which concern reports and items of a routinE nature normally approved at board meetings, will be approved by one vote unless any board member desires to have a separate vote on any or all of these items. The CONSENT CONSISTS of the discussion, consideration, and approval of the following items:

Melinda Bookout made a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. Gail LoPresto seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

a. Minutes for regular board meeting December 3, 2007.

b. Financial report and bimonthly bills for purchase order numbers 805523530 through 809351705 inclusive for time period from November 13 – December 21, 2007 with the exception of purchase order numbers 807790705 and 807822125 for TriangleA & E inclusive for the 2007-2008 school year.

c. School Activity Fund Sub-account Request List for Putnam City North High School.

d. School Activity Fund Transfer List including Putnam City High School and Putnam City West High School.

e. Declaration of Obsolete and/or Surplus items.

f. Secondary contract between Putnam City North and Project Boys to Men for mentoring and staff consultation two days per week. (Maximum of $8,000 from 941)

g. Elementary and Secondary Fund-raisers.

JANUARY Fund-raisers
Board of Education Meeting
January 10, 2008

HILLDALE
Activity / Subaccount Book Fair / Media $ 1,000.00
Date: January (books, library supplies, library furnishings,Author visits, library field trips, etc.

WINDSOR HILLS
Activity / Subaccount Dinner tickets / General $ 200.00
Date: January (materials for classrooms)

CAPPS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Activity / Subaccount Candy sale / Athletics $2,016.00
Date: January (equipment, sweats, and T-shirts)
Activity / Subaccount Spirit Week / Leadership $ 500.00
Date: January (Cancer Carnival supplies)
Activity / Subaccount Popcorn, movie, & candy cane / General $ 200.00
Date: January (Lynx team honors trip to NASA)

h. Overnight Travel Requests.

i. Out of State Trips:

1. Hefner Middle School band students to perform at Six Flags Over Texas, May 17, 2008.

2. Putnam City North Pom Squad to Ft. Worth, Texas, January 11-13, 2008.

3. Cooper Middle School band students to perform at Six Flags Over Texas, May 10, 2008.

4. Putnam City Silver Strings to San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas, June 1-6, 2008.

5. Putnam City North Drama students to New York City, March 18-22, 2008.

j. Retirements and resignations as listed on Attachment A.

ITEM #5 - Consideration of and vote on recommendation of employment of new personnel as listed on Attachment A.

Sue Sullivan made a motion to approve employment of new personnel as listed on Attachment A. Gail LoPresto seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

ITEM #6 - Consideration of and vote on motion to approve purchase order numbers 807790705 and 807822125 for Triangle a & e.

Melinda Bookout made a motion to approve purchase order numbers 807790705 and 807822125 for Triangle A & E. Sue Sullivan seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, abstain; Jenison, aye.

ITEM #7 - Consideration of and vote on motion to approve the course description guide for 2008-09.

Jerry Cramer made a motion to approve the Course Description Guide for 2008-09. Gail LoPresto seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

ITEM #8 – CONSIDERATION OF AND vote on motion to approve the 2008-2009 school calendar.

2008-2009 Calendar                                              

Friday, July 4
Independence Day holiday

Monday, July 28
196-, 200- and 216-day employees return

Wednesday, Aug. 6
New teacher induction

Thursday, Aug. 7
Teachers report

Wednesday, Aug. 13
Classes begin

Monday, Sept. 1
Labor Day (no school)

Friday, Sept. 26
Elementary/Middle School conferences
(no elementary/middle school classes)

Wednesday, Oct. 15
End of 1st quarter (45 days taught)

Thursday, Oct. 16, and Friday, Oct. 17
Fall break (no school)

Wednesday, Nov. 26, through Friday, Nov. 28
Thanksgiving break (no school)

Friday, Dec. 19
End of 2nd quarter (42 days taught)

Monday, Dec. 22
Christmas break begins (no school)

Monday, Jan. 5
Professional Day (no classes)

Tuesday, Jan. 6
Classes resume

Monday, Jan. 19
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)

Friday, Feb. 27
Elementary, middle school and high school conferences and pre-enrollment
(no elementary, middle school or high school classes)

Friday, March 6
End of 3rd quarter (43 days taught)

Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 20
Spring break (no school)

Monday, May 18
Last day of classes
End of 4th quarter (46 days taught)

Tuesday, May 19
Snow day (if needed)

Wednesday, May 20
Snow day (if needed)

Thursday, May 21
Snow day (if needed)

Friday, May 22
Snow day (if needed)

Day after classes end
Professional day

Gail LoPresto made a motion to approve the 2008-2009 School Calendar. Sue Sullivan seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

ITEM #9 – CONSIDERATION OF AND VOTE ON MOTION TO REQUEST FUNDS FROM MAPS FOR SCOREBOARDS AT 24 VARIOUS SCHOOL SITES. ($172,000)

Gail LoPresto made a motion to request funds from MAPS for score boards at 24 various school sites. Sue Sullivan seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

Some of the elementary sites currently do not have scoreboards for their gyms, and due to the age of other score boards, parts are not available to maintain or repair.

ITEM #10 – CONSIDERATION OF AND VOTE ON MOTION TO APPROVE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BID FOR THE PUTNAM CITY WEST SOFTBALL PRESS BOX/CONCESSION/RESTROOM BUILDING.

Dr. Capps recommended that the Board reject all the bids. All the bids were significantly higher than the funds allocated for the job.

Gail LoPresto made a motion to reject all bids for the Putnam City West softball press box/concession/restroom building. Sue Sullivan seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

ITEM #11 – SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT.

· Congratulations to Putnam City West High School wrestlers on their sense of community pride. Many calls were received from a group of neighbors thanking the wrestlers for their help removing downed tree limbs from the storm. They went door to door asking if they could help, and if no one was home, they went ahead and removed whatever limbs were lying in the yards. Neighborhood residents wanted everyone to know how much they appreciated what the wrestlers did. We are so proud of them for their thoughtfulness.

· Congratulations to Putnam City West senior Chris Countryman, who has been selected as a Horatio Alger National Scholar, an honor that includes a $20,000 college scholarship and an expense-paid trip to a conference in Washington, D.C.

· Congratulations to the Hefner Middle School Knowledge Master Team for their fine performance in the Fall Competition on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Students gathered around a Smartboard and answered 200 questions as a team and placed 1st in the state.

· Central Elementary was among the first 75 schools in Oklahoma to enter 10 proposals on DonorsChoose.com, so they received $1,000 to be spent on those projects. Altogether 12 teachers posted proposals and 10 have been funded for a total of $4,536. Congratulations!

· Five Dennis Elementary students applied for and were accepted to a very prestigious program sponsored by the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. They will be part of a unique mentorship designed to introduce them to the many facets of the health sciences industry. They are part of a larger group of 50 students from across the OKC area that will begin their training in January and will continue through high school at absolutely no cost to their families.

· Congratulations to Cory Boggs, Technology Curriculum Integration Specialist. Cory was one of 24 national finalists for Technology Leader of the Year as chosen by Technology and Learning Magazine.

· The National Board for Professional Teachers Standards has announced that 12 Putnam City teachers have earned National Board Certification, one of the top distinctions for quality in teaching that a teacher may earn. National Board Certification is a voluntary process established by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. It is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes between one and three years to complete. Teachers earning certification were:

Donna Bergmann, Central Intermediate School
Janie Bowden, Western Oaks Middle School
Jeanne Fields, Hilldale Elementary School
Sue Goldfarb, Putnam City West High School
Angela Lee, Putnam City North High School
Ida Moore, Mayfield Middle School
Karen Morgan, Putnam City North High School
Margaret Purifoy, Hefner Middle School
Jill Scott, Putnam City North High School
Adria Smith, Putnam City North High School
Alex Terrazas, Kenneth Cooper Middle School
Christina Ulmer, Hefner Middle School
Lynne Vincent, Rollingwood Elementary School

· Congratulations to the teachers of the year from our 27 schools. They represent all Putnam City teachers who inspire students to achieve at increasingly higher levels and work to ensure that every child is successful in the classroom. These extraordinary teachers are creative, talented, dedicated people with caring hearts work every day to change lives for the better.

o Each school's Teacher of the Year is chosen by the school's teaching staff. The 2007-2008 Putnam City Teachers of the Year are:

Apollo Elementary School, Star Gomez

Central Elementary School, Sue Sanderson

Central Intermediate School, Amy Harmon

Coronado Heights Elementary School, Christine Carroll

James L. Dennis Elementary School, Shera Steinhoff

Ralph Downs Elementary School, Kaye Brogdon

Harvest Hills Elementary School, Michele Fields

Hilldale Elementary School, Joy Glenn

Kirkland Elementary School, Janet King

Lake Park Elementary School, Judy Daniel

Northridge Elementary School, Deborah West

Overholser Elementary School, Cynthia Cagle

Rollingwood Elementary School, Larissa Peters

Tulakes Elementary School, Sarah Jones

Western Oaks Elementary School, Megan O'Briant

Wiley Post Elementary School, Robin Shockey

Will Rogers Elementary School, Theresa Pingelton

Windsor Hills Elementary School, Kerry Rice

Capps Middle School, Eloise El Qacemi

Kenneth Cooper Middle School, Jill Folsom

Hefner Middle School, Margaret Purifoy

Mayfield Middle School, Gail Tillet

Western Oaks Middle School, Thea Lanier

Putnam City Academy, Nancy Ervin

Putnam City High School, Kathy Judge

Putnam City North High School, Karen Morgan

Putnam City West High School, Luccas McDonald

o Teachers of the year for each of Putnam City's 27 schools will be honored at the annual Teacher of the Year reception at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, at NEWCHURCH, 9201 N. Rockwell.

· Dr. Capps announced that he would retire from Superintendent and from the Putnam City School District effective June 30, 2008.

ITEM #12 – COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS.

Sue Sullivan said she really appreciated the service that Dr. Capps has given to Putnam City School District. She thanked Putnam City West wrestlers for helping their community during recent ice storms. Mrs. Sullivan thanked Sue Kuntze, Diane Welker, and Sherri Brown for the presentation on the Central Elementary and Central Intermediate reorganization.

Jerry Cramer thanked Dr. Diane Welker for her inspirational message. He also thanked Sue Kuntze, Diane Welker, and Sherri Brown for their presentation. Mr. Cramer said it was wonderful how the Putnam City West wrestlers helped out during the ice storm. He thanked Dr. Capps for his service to the district, and said he enjoyed working with Dr. Capps both as a principal and as a board member.

Melinda Bookout said she appreciated Dr. Capps’ years of service to the district. She said it was unfortunate that bad weather and roads forced the cancellation of the annual PTA Council brunch. She thanked the Council for providing the handmade ornaments traditionally given at the brunch.

Gail LoPresto said it was sad that Dr. Capps was leaving. She said she wanted to remind everyone about the basketball tournament at Putnam City West this weekend. She said she enjoyed watching the Putnam City High School game Tuesday night.

Julie Jenison told board members that a special meeting for selection of a Superintendent needed to be set for the following week.

ITEM #13 – Consideration of and vote on motion FOR NEW BUSINESS.

Sue Sullivan made a motion to set Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. for a special board meeting. Melinda Bookout seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

ITEM #14 – CONSIDERATION OF AND VOTE ON MOTION TO ADJOURN.

Melinda Bookout made a motion at 7:10 p.m. to adjourn. Sue Sullivan seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.

BOARD OF EDUCATION SPECIAL MEETING
Wednesday, January 16, 5:30 p.m.

The Putnam City Schools Board of Education of Independent School District No. One of Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma, met in special session Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the Administration Building, 5401 NW 40th, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The agenda and meeting notice were posted on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. in accordance with 25 O.S. § 311.

ITEM #1 – CALL TO ORDER AND RECORDING OF MEMBERS PRESENT AND ABSENT.

Julie Jenison called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.

Members present: Julie Jenison, president; Gail LoPresto, vice president; members, Sue Sullivan, Jerry Cramer, and Melinda Bookout; Superintendent Dr. Jim Capps; Debbra Baldwin, clerk, and others.

ITEM #2 – DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION IN REGARD TO CONDUCTING A NEW SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH.

Julie Jenison introduced June Ehinger from the Oklahoma State School Board Association (OSSBA) who gave information to the board regarding the superintendent search and how OSSBA could help with the process.

A search can be conducted on a national, regional, or state-wide basis. A basic fee is charged for each search, along with a charge for all expenses incurred such as mileage, meals, lodging, telephone calls, and postage. All searches will include listing the Putnam City superintendent vacancy on the Web Pages of the National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, and the Cooperative Council of Oklahoma School Administrators.

Board members discussed whether or not to use OSSBA’s services. They also discussed public forums at high schools and dates, superintendent search surveys, timelines, the superintendent job description, and who will be on the application screening committee. Steve Lindley was asked about possibly developing a "Superintendent Vacancy Announcement" flyer. Laura Holmes was in attendance to answer legal questions. Dr. Millerborg provided information on past superintendent searches. Board members will decide on these issues and vote at the January 22, 2008 board meeting.

ITEM #3 – CONSIDERATION OF AND VOTE ON MOTION TO ADJOURN.

Sue Sullivan made a motion to adjourn at 7:10 p.m. Melinda Bookout seconded the motion. Vote: Sullivan, aye; Cramer, aye; Bookout, aye; LoPresto, aye; Jenison, aye.