Scattergood Friends School Committee

Approved Minutes – May 15, 1999

The Scattergood Friends School Committee met on Saturday, May 15, 1999 at 9:00 am at Scattergood Friends School.

The meeting opened with a period of silence. Members present included Bruce Rohwer, Alice Hampton, Ted Welch, George Welch, Deborah Fisch, Ron Knight, Burt Kisling, Jeff Kisling, Donnie Morehouse, Joe Davison, Kathy Standing-Cordero, Dan Treadway, Barclay Kuhn, Lucy Hansen, and Richard Johnson. Staff members present included Ken Hinshaw, Kara Hartzler, and Nancy Ryan.

The minutes from the March 13 meeting were reviewed. The section describing the parcels of land being swapped by Scattergood and John Black was revised to read “a strip of land north of the main campus in exchange for a strip of land on the east edge of the school farm.”

Enrollment Update: An updated list of newly-accepted and pending prospective students was distributed. Ken reported that five thousand brochures were recently sent out, and, while there has not been an overwhelming response, there will probably be a more gradual “trickle-down” effect. He also noted that, though many of the newly-accepted students are higher-paying, the admissions office is still hoping to attract some additional students to compensate for the normal attrition rates as well as the large senior class that is departing.

Subcommittee Evaluation: Burt stated that he would like to see the yearly subcommittee evaluations turned in no later than July 1 in order to facilitate discussion of them at the July 17 meeting.

Annual Report to Iowa Yearly Meeting: There was some discussion on what to include in this year’s annual report to Iowa Yearly Meeting. Ken listed some of the items he planned to include and mentioned the difficulty of striking a balance between being both positive and realistic about the school.

Staff and Student Handbooks: The School Committee discussed the approval of the staff and student handbooks. Concerning the student handbook, a major issue addressed was that of the new introduction and whether it adequately conveyed the school’s spiritual foundations in Quakerism. The School Committee expressed appreciation for the work done on the student handbook and approved its use for the 1999-2000 school year. It was decided that the student handbook would heretofore be reviewed on a yearly basis. The Instruction Committee will review the academic portion and bring it to the larger committee for review in March and approval in May. The Spiritual Life Committee will review the remaining parts of the handbook — particularly the introduction — and bring it to the larger committee for review in March and approval in May. Another concern was raised by a committee member who felt that the section regarding “Special Need Students” was written in a defensive manner and was not accommodating towards students with disabilities. This concern was shared by other members of the committee, and it was agreed to have further discussion on the matter. Burt encouraged each subcommittee to review the issue in light of its particular area.

The Committee adjourned for brunch at 10:30 AM. Upon their return, Maryellen Lamson introduced the graduating seniors, who shared their plans for further study.

There were several minor changes suggested in the staff handbook, followed by a discussion regarding the recently added clause stating that unmarried couples were not permitted to cohabitate on campus, which reflected the long-term unwritten policy of the school. It was pointed out that this could be a potentially discriminatory policy due to the fact that a same sex couple could technically cohabitate on campus. There was discussion on how the committee could go about changing this policy and how to present it to Iowa Yearly Meeting. It was decided that a committee, composed of Ken, Joe, Richard, Barclay, and Donnie, would be formed to write a recommendation that would be discussed at the July SC meeting and presented at Yearly Meeting. A final issue brought before the committee addressed whether it was the perogative of the committee to change or approve the amount of housing subsidy given to off-campus staff. This issue was turned over to the Human Resources Committee for further study. The School Committee approved the staff handbook with the changes minuted to be approved and reviewed annually.

Director’s Report: Ken read the Director’s report and noted several issues of import. The four-plex will not be able to be completed for next fall due to some delays in receiving bids from the contractors. The land swap is proceeding as planned, and the trustees have recently discussed the moving of the meetinghouse. The current state of the campus is excellent; however, there are problems with the school’s cash flow due to low revenues. The recent marketing emphasis will hopefully be attracting higher-paying students, but it remains to be seen whether the inherent financial cash flow issues can be reconciled in the long run. Ken also requested the approval of an additional $4,000 to complete the safety requirements in the kitchen. The School Committee approved $4,000 in additional funds for the kitchen.

Ken discussed a staffing issue concerning Don Harris and Ardith Tjossem’s request to cut back on some of their duties, effectively moving into semi-retirement. Because the matter involved a possible conflict of interest for Ken, as well as held the potential to set an employment precedent, he asked for feedback from the Committee. The Committee approved and supported the reduction in employment time for Don and Ardith and also committed themselves to an ongoing effort to maintain diversity in age. The School Committee requested that Ken explain this decision to the staff so as to encourage openness and understanding regarding the situation.

Deb reported to the Committee that she has asked not to be reappointed to the committee next year due to a heavy schedule and the need to maintain some detachment from the School Committee as the new Clerk of Iowa Yearly Meeting.

Technology Report: Jeff distributed a copy of the Technology Report, which discussed the results of the staff technology survey and the recommendations for continuing work on the school’s computer system. There was also an update on the Quakernet site. The School Committee received and appreciated the report on Technology.

Ken reviewed the five-year budget and pointed out minor changes that have been made since it was last presented. The School Committee received the five-year budget and will discuss it in detail at the July meeting.

Long Range Planning: Nancy gave a lengthy presentation outlining the major goals of each Long Range Planning chapter and summarizing the overall direction of the Long Range Plan; she also distributed a written copy of her presentation. School Committee members offered questions and suggestions for the outline and generally agreed with her summary. Burt asked members to make sure their subcommittees come to the July meeting having discussed the issue of Long Range Planning.

Nominating Committee report: A report was given by the Nominating Committee which stated that they will soon be sending out a note to the eleven monthly meetings asking for nominees to the School Committee; current School Committee members were also asked to suggest names of potential members and co-opted members. The Nominating Committee reminded members to submit their preferences for next year’s subcommittees. The decision was made to no longer make the Nominating Committee a standing committee and instead delegate their responsibilities to the Consultation Committee.

The issue was raised about how much money Scattergood should request in annual support from Iowa Yearly Meeting this summer. Last year, an extra $5,000 was given for technology, bringing the total to $30,000. However, Ken suggested that it may not be wise to push them financially; he proposed the idea of writing a note acknowledging last year’s extra money and request $26,000 for next year (an increase of $1,000 from the normal amount).

The SFSC went into Executive Committee Meeting at about 3:30 pm to review progress on the Director Evaluation. A Committee was named to conduct exit interviews and forward their reports to the Clerk of the Human Resources Committee.

The SFSC adjourned at 3:55 pm with a period of silence.

Kara Hartzler, Recording Clerk