Tension remains over superintendent/principal evaluations
The Butterfield-Odin Public School (B-OPS) School Board took strides towards the start of a new school year at its Monday, July 20 meeting in the school’s large gymnasium, including setting the opening day – Tuesday, September 1 – when they approved this school year’s tentative school calendar.
While a start date was set, fees approved, milk bid accepted, snow removal bid agreed to and three staff positions filled – agenda items concerning the Keith Dixon principal evaluation of that portion of Superintendent Lisa Shellum’s position, along with the superintendent evaluation completed by school board members on Tuesday, June 30 – took up most of the oxygen in the gymnasium. The surrounding discussion by members of the school board demonstrated the amount of tension that still exists on the topic.
The tension surfaced during discussion on several agenda items.
Initially, questions were raised by Superintendent Shellum on the July bills, specifically the bill from Keith Dixon, who completed the principal evaluation of Shellum. Board Member and Treasurer Andy Pierson relayed that the bill had been presented to him following the board’s evaluation of Shellum on Tuesday, June 30.
Pierson shared that he had brought the bill into the school office that day (Monday, July 20), and, because Shellum was not in the office, presented it to Kathy Svalland, District Secretary, and it was placed on the evening meeting’s agenda. Shellum’s concerns were on why the bill was not routed the usual way, through the superintendent’s office.
A personal letter from Dianne Miller, the mother of Superintendent Shellum, directed to Board Chair Joel Penner, was added to the agenda by Penner as a point of information. Penner asked, “How do we (as a school board) address this?”
Board Member Kristy Haseman presented that the board’s purpose is governance, not sorting through letters. “This doesn’t need to be put on an agenda,” Haseman added.
Miller’s letter was written from her point of view questioning why Shellum was being bullied. Board Member Leon Wenner responded, “Board Members have been bullied, also.”
Board Member Diane Peterson commented that, “It is time to move on; start healing. I have been told worse. It is time to heal as a board.”
As far as the summary of the superintendent/principal evaluation, Board Chair Penner addressed that the summary had been put together by Dixon and Keith Rupp, the school’s attorney. The two also approved releasing the summary to the public, “as it is a public document,” relayed Board Chair Penner. He added that Rupp, as the school’s attorney, pointed out that when threatened with sex discrimination, it is important to protect the district and the board.
Board Member Haseman shared, “I bring strong concerns to the board about this document. I believe she (Shellum) has been wrongly evaluated, per the areas of needing improvement and does not meet expectations.” Haseman added, “Barry’s (Principal Schmidt’s) evaluations have never been made public. There should want equality; not have people treated differently.”
Board Member Peterson added that, as “strongly supported by the Minnesota School Boards Administration (MSBA), an evaluation summary is usually just several sentences. And this is much longer.” Board Member Renae Meyer agreed with Peterson’s statement.
Superintendent Shellum acknowledged that she recognized the school board as her employer; the authority. She added that she does not know, however, how to correct the relationship, divisions. “I feel that everything I do will be wrong. Who will give me these answers; some direction?”
The 2015 superintendent/principal evaluation summary – a public document released at the board meeting – is divided into five areas – the superintendent’s strengths, where the superintendent met expectations, where the board could not reach agreement on whether the superintendent met or did not meet expectations, where the superintendent did not meet expectations and areas in which the superintendent needs improvement.
Each of the five areas are divided into summary bullet points. In a quick review of the superintendent’s strengths and weaknesses, Superintendent Shellum gets high marks for her high care and compassion for all students; resourcefulness through grant writing, facilities improvements, increased technology and District solvency; a positive attitude for finding solutions and providing increased educational opportunities for studnets through partnerships with another district and state agency. In the opinion of those conducting the evaluation, Shellum needs improvement in correcting relationships with and minimizing division among the community, staff, student and board; putting the District’s interests before her own; delegating more work to staff and bringing test scores up to expectations.
The summary evaluation was approved on a 4-3 vote. Voting in favor were Board Members Andy Pierson, Tammy Wolle and Leon Wenner and Board Chair Joel Penner. Voting against the motion were Renae Meyer, Diane Peterson and Kristy Haseman.
The Open Forum time at the end of the meeting’s agenda also focused on the relationship of Superintendent Shellum and the majority of the board’s seven members. Five members of the public spoke during this time.
Brenda Meyer, of the group, “Save our School District,” stressed that statements at board meetings by board members on what they wanted the district to be like reflected on their past school experiences and their personal preferences, and not on what is reality. She went on to share that board members are to positively present, “accountability, advocacy and conduct.”
Khalil Garby interjected during his time at the microphone that “Lisa’s (Shellum) question – ‘What am I to do?’ is not being addressed. She wants answers and is not getting them. What are the things you (school board) want her to change? Points made in an evaluation should be measurable and achievable.”
Also speaking up during Open Forum was Lori Urevig, the sister of Superintendent Shellum, expressing her concerns for the conduct and ethics of the board; wondering if they were following MSBA standards. She also requested a copy of the tape of the evaluation, as well as the addresses for the attorney for Shellum and the school board.
The point of the message from Deb Style was, “It is all about the kids and staff.”
Barb Mathistad Warner was the final speaker during the Open Forum, her comments direct. “I have been here (at meetings) since February. This is garbage; this is splitting the whole town apart. What is splitting the board apart? It is time to do something to put the community back together,” she exclaimed. She also questioned Superintendent Shellum on why, if she wanted the evaluation open, it was closed. Shellum replied that she did want it open, but that her attorney had stated that she needed to keep it closed.
Board members offered no responses.
In other business
* Hired Matt Beckendorf as a sixth-grade teacher with a $38,080 salary at a Step 1, Lane MA.
* Hired Benjaimin Petzel as high school science teacher with a salary of $34,530, at Step 3, Lane BA.
* Hired Kathy Crissler at .6 time as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at a salary of $20,718, at Step 3, Lane BA.
* Superintendent Shellum noted that a high school English teacher has yet to be hired to the staff.
* Approved the milk bid from Dean’s of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The only other bid was from Kemp’s of St. Paul.
* Approved the snow removal bid of $60 an hour from Linscheid Pump Service of Butterfield. Linscheid Pump Service was the lone bidder.
* Approved 2015-2016 fees. These include:
1. Bus driver rate of $35 per route (two routes per day).
2. Sports pass fees – Student pass, $5; Adult pass, $7; 10-punch Student pass, $30; 10-punch Adult pass, $60 and Senior Citizen pass, $45.
3. Play ticket price – $5 for students K-12 and $7 for adults.
4. Prom (Grand March) entrance fee – $1 for all ages.
5. Band rental – $20 and $30 per year.
6. Noon Lunch fees – $2.40 for grades 1-6; $2.45 for grades 7-12; $3.40 for adults (at this time). Milk is $.40 for 1/2 pint.
7. Breakfast fee – Free to all kindergarten students and free and reduced students; $1.25 for K-12 students and $1.65 for adults. Milk is $.40 for 1/2 pint.
(Federal policy provides for free and reduced lunch payments, with State policy adding the difference to make reduced lunches free as well.
8. Sports Activity fees – $45 for grades 7 and 8; $70 for grades 9012 and $200 for family limit. Watonwan County Collaborative will assist in payment of Sports Activity fees, with those interested needing to apply.
* Approved the tentative 2015-2016 School Calendar, with an opening day of Tuesday, September 1, by a 6-1 vote. Voting for the measure were Tammy Wolle, Kristy Haseman, Leon Wenner, Joel Penner, Diane Peterson and Renae Penner. Opposed was Andy Pierson.
* Approved the Health and Safety Levy. New changes will be affecting the Health and Safety funding and subsequent levy. Fall levy approval must be in the full amount as this will be the last time the school district can access the dollars from underlevying in past years. Any dollars that have not been levied in the past for completed Health and Safety Projects that would not have been applied to the levy this fall would have ended up being lost dollars.
* Approved the second reading of the school’s Wellness Policy.
* Received the first reading of the 2015-2016 Elementary, Secondary and Faculty handbooks.
* Received updates on Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) mandatory polices – including bullying and wellness – approved by B-OPS School Boards.
* Agreed to begin the school board evaluation process at the earliest juncture.
* Agreed to review the school’s Open Forum policy at a board workshop, possibly using Springfield Public School’s policy as a beginning template.
* Learned that the school district has only one bus driver on staff at this time, with two needed. If no additional bus driver is hired, transportation would shift again to the use of vans and/or parents transporting their students to/from school.
* Board Member Renae Meyer reported for the B-OPS and St. James Public School Saints pairing committee, noting that representatives from both schools will meet in August prior to practice for fall sports. She also shared about the rise in athletic fees.
* Superintendent Shellum presented for the Building and Grounds Committee, focusing on asbestos removal concerns. She added that work on the tunnel repairs on pipes will be completed by fall. Additionally, Wi-Fi bandwidth throughout the school will be increaed. The final project, in the school’s kitchen, will start in mid-August following the close of Summer Kids Kafe. Estimates are that the project will take approximately two weeks.
* Reporting on the Business Manager Services Search Committee, Board Member Peterson released that the committee has received two proposals, and are setting up a date to hear the presentations. Proposals have been received from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP of Mankato and SMS (School Management Services) of Byron. Currently, the school has contracted the services of Region 5 after the services of former school business manager, Diana Busby Wenner, were not available. While the contract with Region 5 ends on Friday, July 31, Superintendent Shellum believes that a request for additional time until a school business manager was in place would be granted.
* Board Member Peterson also reported on the business of Riverbend ALC (Alternative Learning Center) and the Watonwan County Collaborative. She serves on boards for each.
* Butterfield-Odin Public High School Principal Barry Schmidt told board members that testing results for students have been received, students in grades 8-12 had completed English, math and reading summer studies, kindergarten-grade 6 summer school will be held August 3-15 and 7th-grade orientation will be held in the Media Center at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25.
* The school board’s next regular meeting will be Monday, August 17, at 6 p.m.
