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Recognitions
GCS Employee of the Month for August 2009
The board recognized Mayra Hayes, director of the English as a Second
Language (ESL) department, as the August 2009 Employee of the Month.
Consent Agenda
The board approved the following items on the consent agenda: - Meeting Minutes
- Personnel Action Reports
Staff Reports
Public Hearing and Approval for the Naming of the Special Education Center West
The board voted to name the new special education
facility the “Meredith Leigh Haynes – Bennie Lee Inman Education
Center.” The school, located in Jamestown, will serve exceptional
children in the western part of the district. Meredith Leigh Haynes attended Gateway Education Center
in Greensboro, although her family lived in Jamestown. Diagnosed with
tuberous sclerosis as a toddler, she needed specialized programs to
meet her needs, even if it meant being transported across the county. Bennie Lee Inman served as the director of the
Greensboro Cerebral Palsy School for more than 30 years and has
dedicated her life to ensuring the education, training and success of
special needs children. Inman also played an integral role opening the
Gateway Education Center. The Meredith Leigh Haynes – Bennie Lee Inman Education
Center, a project of the 2003 and 2008 School Bonds, is now under
construction and is expected to open in the fall of 2010. A
groundbreaking ceremony for the new school will be held at 3 p.m. on
Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Update on Oak Ridge Elementary School
Leo Bobadilla, chief operations officer, presented to the
board an update on Oak Ridge Elementary. The packing and moving of
materials from Oak Ridge Elementary into the alternate facilities is
almost completed. The mobile units at Northwest Middle and Colfax
Elementary are ready for teachers to move in. Oak Ridge Military
Academy should be ready for teachers in the next few days.
In order to update parents and provide them with an
opportunity to ask any questions, two parent meetings have been
scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17 (for parents of kindergarten –
second-graders) and Tuesday, Aug. 18 (for parents of third –
fifth-graders). Both meetings will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Northwest
High School.
Update on Advanced Placement (AP)
The board approved a plan to share the cost with parents
and Businesses for Excellence in Education (BEE). With the partnership,
GCS and BEE will pay for 75 percent of the exam, while parents will
pay the remaining $21.50. Students who are on free and reduced lunch
will continue to take the exam for free.
With this change, while students will not be required to
take the AP tests, the expectation to test remains. All students will
be granted the AP quality point as earned in the course and a
teacher-created final exam will be administered and be weighted 25
percent of the final average. The district will operate under open enrollment in AP
courses and will strengthen efforts to encourage and schedule all
students in at least one AP course during their high school years. The
district will determine students’ potential in AP courses using data
from 10th grade PSAT scores and EOG scores.
Update on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)/ABCs
Dr. Gongshu Zhang, chief accountability and research
officer, presented to the board an update on AYP/ABC results.
Continued 2009-10 Budget Discussion
The board approved to return more than $5.7 million to
schools through Weighted Student Formula (WSF) dollars. This approval
is based on the state budget approved by the General Assembly and staff
members’ initial estimation of funding the district will receive from
the state.
Only about 95 percent of the funding will be allocated
immediately. The remaining 5 percent will be allocated after the 20th
day of school, once student enrollments are stabilized. Principals use
the discretionary WSF dollars to purchase a variety of items, including
classroom materials, software, professional development and some
positions. The board also approved reinstating the Home Field
Advantage program for the 2009-10 school year. Home Field Advantage
provides more stability for highly mobile students by giving them the
option of remaining at certain schools with district transportation
provided even if their families move. The program involves 10
elementary schools and one middle school. After the 2009-10 school
year, parents will be responsible for providing transportation.
Board Discussion
Governance Review Committee Update – Report on Policy JI, Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics
Nancy Routh, convenor of the Governance Review Committee,
presented to the board a report on policy JI, Student Participation in
Interscholastic Athletics. After making revisions to the policy, the
board voted to place the policy back out for a 10-day public comment
period.
Guilford County Board of Education meetings are
broadcast live on GCSTV 2 (cable channel 2). The meetings re-air the day after the meeting at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and the Saturday following the meeting at 1 p.m.
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