November 15, 2013 at 4:00 PM - Superintendent's Weekly Update to the Board of Education

Description: 
Update on Progress Completed to Date

1.  Roger Worner received the schools data requested and he has evaluated it
a.  Teacher/student ratio
b.  Financial/audit information
c.  Programs offered
d.  Enrollment data
e.  Master schedule
f.  Activities/programs offered

2.  Interviewed administrative staff formally

3.  Informal interviews with random other staff

4.  Facility tours looking for educational adequacy and deferred maintenance

Preliminary Findings

1.  Elementary is over stressed
a.  Inadequate cafeteria
b.  Inadequate gym
c.  Inadequate special ed
d.  No art room
e.  No area to facilitate multiple staff planning/team teaching

2.  No separation of High School and Middle School

3.  Science area inadequate and design poses safety concern

4.  Middle School/High School also has inadequate instructional rooms or space

Follow up to occur

1.  Survey monkey all of staff

2.  Group meeting with staff to cover survey monkey results and any other concerns or advise staff may have

3.  Board has asked for a list of “Raw Data” from Roger Worner without any names of who said what from the interview stage.

4.  IF WE PROCEED to phase 2 they will perform a community phone survey to test water to see if decision is on track with community support and this process will also inform public of school needs.

Information will be compiled by Springsted/Kraus-Anderson/Worner and brought to group/school board

1.  Document similar to ESG results with recommendations grouped into priority codes 1-3

2.  Comparative data
a.  With other districts our size
b.  With state average
c.  Within our area
i.  Side note:  Royalton Dist spends $1.75 million per year less than districts of the same
    size in the state. (deferred maintenance)
ii.  Deferred maintenance issues at elementary came to 6.531M
iii.  Deferred maintenance issues at H/S came to $10.391M
iv.  Total $16.922 million. NO instructional improvements included.

Several options were presented but more investigative planning still needs to go into this phase.  It appeared the plans had not incorporated Roger Worners findings or OUR school vision.  Jon agreed to contact Kraus Anderson and verify that these two important pieces will be added before options are brought back for the Facility Management Committee to consider.

Next step for Royalton:
Options will be brought forward for the Facility Management Committee and the Royalton School Board on January 13th at 6:00 PM.  Following that work session the Facility Management Committee will meet to discuss the options make recommendation to Board.

Description: 
We continue to go back and visit with companies that have submitted us proposals in the past.  Please find attached a proposal that wasn't included in the board packet for Monday evening.  I have a meeting scheduled Monday morning with the principals, David and Bill.  I hope to have some recommendations ready for the board meeting. 

Description: 
I foresee in the near future years Royalton School District providing wireless access on school buses.  As more and more grade levels of students are provided with a personal learning device it only makes sense they should be able to use them on their bus rides to and from school, along with to extracurricular activities.  We have students that travel on a route school bus for more than one hour to or from school.

The cost to provide a handheld portable wireless hot spot on each bus is $34.99 monthly.  Multiplying $34.99 by 9 months is $314.91 per bus.  20 buses multiplied by $314.91 year is $6,298.  The School District receives a little under $10,000 annually from Verizon.  Verizon rents land to place their tower here at the MS/HS site.  

Becker School District is receiving 20 hot spots for their buses in exchange for rental land.  We could get the same 20 hot spots from Verizon and have a remaining $3,000+.  Two individuals who work for wireless companies (one involved in the Becker Schools project) told me our district is getting a heck of a deal on the annual rental fees.  Normally, it is in the range of $4,500 - $6,000.     

This is a link to Becker School District's plan communicated to parents and the public.  https://sites.google.com/a/isd726.org/becker-tech-department/home/bus-project

Description: 
If any of you have recently looked into wireless hot spots you already know it's very expensive and you have very little data allowance.  The cost at AT&T, Verizon or other cell providers is generally $10 a GB.  Downloading one movie in HD eats up a full GB.  It is not practical for families or individuals who do more than occasional web browsing.

The very good news is we have another option available to our employees.  The School District has provided all teachers and paraprofessionals with iPads.  In addition, the teachers no longer have desktops but instead lap tops.  Our employees use these devices during the regular school day, but it doesn't end here.  We know our teachers and employees use technology off site during the evenings and weekends too.

The State of MN has a negotiated contract with Verizon for school districts.  The cost is not $10 per GB.  It is a MUCH better $34.99 month for UNLIMITED data!  And we do not have to pay for the mobile device or activation (couple hundred dollar savings for each one).  There is no contract - waived termination fees.

My proposal is to begin on a smaller scale with offering board members, administrators and a few other salaried employees this opportunity.  It can be argued the School District should pay a portion of this monthly fee because administrators, teachers and others primarily use their home internet service for job-related work.  However, because the $34.99 monthly cost is so minimal I believe the employee can pay the full expense.  This is an OPTIONAL opportunity that all, few or no one has to sign-up for.  The $34.99 monthly service fee can come directly out of employees' paycheck.

I visited with Kevin Rupp (our school attorney) about any potential problems with offering employees hot spots.  Know that an employee's family members, and themselves too, will link up to the wireless for personal reasons also.  The employee should pay for the percentage of time/use not related to his/her job.  This is covered by the employee paying the full amount and there being NO COST to the School District.  

As I thought the beginning small group proposed is no problem.  The difficulty comes when it is offered to union employee groups.  It doesn't suggest that it cannot be done, but a policy is recommended when the time comes we offer this to teachers and paraprofessionals.

Please let me know if you're interested in us ordering a hot spot device for you.  I want to contact Matt Bates at Verizon with our number.  Call me with questions you have regarding how hot spot devices work, etc.  My thoughts/vision is to begin here, later offer to employees, and ideally some year down the road make it optional for students and their families (much more complicated).   

Description: 
See confidential attachment

Description:   
See confidential attachment

Description: 
Please find attached "The Kiplinger Letter" I received from Michelle Carlson.  It talks about the shortage of skilled workers here in this country and the heavy reliance on foreign workers (e.g., agriculture, hospitality, health care, engineering, accounting and others).  This is why our agriculture and business programs were brought back to full-time with high quality teachers.  And also why we have Project Lead The Way (PLTW) programs for engineering and bio-medicine.