Background material for each agenda item is available online under the Board Meeting Materials link

Swearing in of Newly-Elected Board Members

The Honorable Catherine C. Eagles administered the oath of office to new Board of Education Members Jeff Belton and Garth Hébert, as well as re-elected Board Members Alan Duncan and Nancy Routh . Deena Hayes, who was absent from the meeting, will be sworn in at a later date.

Election of Board Chairman and Vice Chairman

The board re-elected Alan Duncan as chairman of the board and Amos Quick as vice chairman of the board.

Recognitions

Fall Sports Champions

The board recognized the Women's State 4A golf champion, the Women's State 4A tennis team champions and the Women's State 3A volleyball team champions.

Guilford County Schools' Employee of the Month for December 2006

The board recognized Bobby Sarteh, ESOL liaison at Mendenhall Middle School , as the district's December 2006 Employee of the Month.

2006 Perley A. Thomas Award - Jim Moen

The board recognized Jim Moen who was recently presented the Perley A. Thomas Award posthumously by the N.C. Transportation Hall of Fame. Dr. John Wright, chief auxiliary officer, who received the award on the Moen family's behalf, presented the award to Ms. Sharon Moen.

Consent Agenda

The Board approved the following items on the consent agenda:

- Meeting Minutes

- Personnel Action Reports

- Budget Amendments and Transfers

- Cash Management Plan

- Use of Yellow School Buses for 2007 ACC School Day Game

- SCALE School Improvement Plan for 2006-07

- Property Transfer with the City of High Point and Guilford County Schools

Staff Reports

Naming of Facilities and Construction Updates

1. Approval of Recommended Name for Mendenhall Middle School Athletic Stadium

The board approved to name the Mendenhall Middle School athletic stadium the Deebs Young Stadium , as presented by Kevin Lear, chief operations officer.

2. Approval of Recommended Name for a Section of the Lindley Elementary School Property

The board approved to use the name, Lindley Natural Area, for a portion of the Lindley Elementary School property, as presented by Kevin Lear, chief operations officer.

3. Approval of Recommended Name for GCS Transportation Facility

The board approved to use the name, Moen Transportation Center , for the GCS transportation facility, as presented by Kevin Lear, chief operations officer.

4. Request for Easement and Right-of-Way Agreements at the Southwest High School Property

The board requested that staff continue negotiations with the City of High Point to include:

• guardrails,
• sidewalks,
• stoplights and
• pedestrian crosswalks

in their easement and right-of-way request for property at Southwest High School , as presented by Kevin Lear, chief operations officer.

5. Request for Sewer Easement at McLeansville Elementary School Property

The board approved the acquisition of the needed easements from Landowner #1 at a price of $200.

In addition, the board approved to declare the parcel that contains the sewer sand filter bed as surplus property and to recommend to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners that GCS be allowed to exchange the fee simple title to the sewer sand filter bed described in Deed Book 1695, Page 103 for the temporary and permanent easements needed from landowner #2, with the understanding that the sewer sand filter parcel will not be deeded to landowner #2 until the new public sanitary sewer system is installed and operational for McLeansville Elementary, as presented by Kevin Lear, chief operations officer.

6. Request for Temporary Construction Easement Affecting McLeansville Elementary School Property

The board approved a temporary construction easement grant, requested by the City of Greensboro , affecting a small strip of the McLeansville property, as presented by Kevin Lear, chief operations officer.

Proposed 2007-08 Academic Calendar

The board approved the proposed 2007-08 academic calendar, presented as option 1, with the Friday, March 21 early release day being moved to Friday, March 14 (thus making March 21 a regular day of instruction), as presented by Sonya Conway, Chief District Relations Officer.

Copier Management Contract

The board approved to reject Toshiba Business Solution, Inc.'s bid submitted on July 27, 2006 and Toshiba Business Solutions, Inc.'s bid submitted on September 21, 2006 due to both bids being over budget. The board approved to enter into a contract with IKON Office Solutions, Inc. beginning January 1, 2007 and ending December 21, 2012 for copier services, as presented by Sharon Ozment, chief finance officer.

AYP and ABCs Update

Dr. Gongshu Zhang, executive accountability and research officer, presented to the board a brief update of AYP and ABC results. A more comprehensive report will be provided during the board's December 19 meeting.

Eastern High School Update

Superintendent Grier presented to the board an update on Eastern High School and addressed issues raised by parents, students, faculty and staff. The board approved to authorize $100,000 for staff members to improve the sound-proofing in eight classrooms at the Eastern High Millennial Campus, assuming that the Guilford County Commissioners approve GCS' request to release state lottery funding.

Proposed Bond Referendum Update

Discussion of this item was deferred until a separate special-called meeting can be scheduled.

Board Discussion

First Reading - Policy DK, Participation by Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses

The board approved for Policy DK, Participation by Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses, be presented for a period of public comment, as presented by Dr. Nancy Routh , board member and convenor of the governance committee.

Reports from the Chairman

2007 Legislative Agenda

Discussion of the 2007 Legislative Agenda was deferred until the December 19 regularly-scheduled board meeting.