ScattergoodFriends School Committee

ApprovedMinutes

10September 2011

Mission Statement

Scattergood FriendsSchool challenges students with a college-preparatory curriculum, farmexperience, a shared work program, and community living in the spirit of Quakerfaith.

Present: GeorgeBergus, Rebecca Bergus, Claire Cumbie-Drake, Ruth Dawson, Debbie Galusha(clerk), Karen Greenler, Lucy Hansen, Phil Henderson, Russ Leckband, LoreneLudy, Callie Marsh, Sylvia Sanford, Doyle Wilson, Bob Winchell, Allan Winder

Absent: Dan Schlitt

Guests: Bob Yeats, Jim Olson

Staff Present:Christine Ashley, Carrie Ann Bowen, Rachel Butler, Rebekah Devino, JaneEdwards, Mark Edwards, MargieFiggins, Dana Foster, Catherine From, Joey Giffen-Hunter, Beth Goodvin, ShelleyHughes, Hans Niehus, Margie Özemet, Amanda Paul, Rüdiger Ruckmann, Mark Quee,Mike Severino Patterson, Mark Shanahan, Stephanie Sheikholeslami, Sam Taylor

Staff who stayedafter introductions: Christine Ashley, Margie Figgins, Joey Giffen-Hunter,Shelley Hughes, Margie Özemet, Amanda Paul, Mark Quee, Rüdiger Ruckmann

The clerk openedthe meeting at the appointed time with a time of worship. She then read thefollowing passage:

Itisn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enoughto believe in it. One must work at it.

EleanorRoosevelt

We welcomed new and returning staff, and enjoyedintroductions.

Minute: We approvethe following dates for School Committee meetings:

 November 12, 2011

 January 14, 2012

 March 3, 2012 (at the Des Moines ValleyMeetinghouse)

 May 12, 2012

 July 31,2012

Minute: We approve the minutes of our meeting held on July26, both open and closed.

Minute:We give final approval to the followingchanges in the Handbook:

1) schedule our review of the preliminarybudget in the March meeting, rather than in July as has been done until now. Atour May meeting we will approve the budget.

            2)On the occasion of an Interim Head, the clerk and School Committee members maybe called to be temporarily more involved in the day-to-day operations of theSchool. This change will be inserted into the list, “Responsibility” of theSchool Committee.

Minute: We approve the appointments to the subcommitteessuggested by the Consultation and Finance Committee.

Minute: We approve the Consultation and Finance Committee’srecommendation to increase tuition for the year 2012-2013 to $27,300 for fullboarding, $25,600 for 5-day boarders, $16,750 for day students.

Minute: We approve the financial statements with the understandingthat there may be a reallocation in the payroll and that the title of thereport be changed to 2011-2012 Budget.

Minute: We affirm that the Human Resources Committee willconduct the head evaluation.

Minute: We approve the grievance policy as presented by theHuman Resources Committee with much appreciation for their work.

Minute: We affirmthe mission statement as it stands.

Minute: We affirm the School’s non-discrimination policy.

Minute: We approve an Ad Hoc Committee to advise onprotocols and procedures for the health office. George Bergus and Bob Winchellagree to serve in this capacity.

Minute: We give initial approval to the following changesin the Handbook:

1) Travelreimbursement: Replace the current paragraph on the page following the Table ofContents with this one:

On theday of the School Committee meeting, if a member is seeking travelreimbursement, the committee member is asked to complete a travel reimbursementform. Mileage will be reimbursed at the current IRS rate and hotelaccommodations (in the event the Berquist House is full) will be reimbursed upto $50.

2) ScattergoodFriends School Committee—Job Description will read:

ScattergoodFriends School Committee is appointed to oversee the property and operation ofthe school, fulfilling the desire of the yearly meeting to provide a highschool education in a supportive, Quakerly community. It employs, supervises,and nurtures the Head of School, sets policy, and is accountable for thefinancial well-being of the School. Each School Committee member isexpected to actively support the school’s mission and encouraged to make othercontributions at their level of comfort and ability. Members are asked tocontribute financially to the School in order to achieve 100% financial participationin giving, though it is not required. The Committee holds six regular meetingseach year, and each member is expected to serve on one or two subcommittees,which meet as needed. Appointments are normally for three-year terms. TheSchool Committee requests that the Nominating Committee communicate theseexpectations to prospective School Committee members.

3) Insertthe following sentence in a new paragraph after the job description of theSchool Committee:

Indocuments that have in the past included the term "Director", thetitle "Head" or "Head of School" replaces the older term.

4)  We agree to change anyreferences to the “Director” in the Handbook to “Head” or “Head of School.”

5) The following sentence is to be added to the end of thefirst paragraph beneath the heading “Rules of the School Committee havingcharge of Scattergood Friends School:”

This taskincludes the employment of the Head, fiscal oversight, and the setting of majorpolicy.

6) Section1.3 insert this sentence at the end:

A term for a School Committee member begins in August and ends in July.

7) InsertSection 1.5 on Membership to be entitled, "Parents and Guardians on theSchool Committee" to read as follows:

Thepreference is to not have parents of current SFS students on the SchoolCommittee. In the event of a parent of a SFS student being named to the SchoolCommittee, the clerk will discuss the potential difficulty this may present atmeetings with the parents at their orientation to the Committee.

8) Section1.6 will follow section 1.5. It will be entitled “Staff on the SchoolCommittee,” and will read as follows:

Theremust be at least one year between a person's tenure as a Scattergood FriendsSchool staff before the person can be considered for membership on the SchoolCommittee.

9) We agree to create a positionof “Archivist”. The description of the position will be inserted in section 5as 5.6.

10) We agree to move #2 underRecording Clerk to section 5.6, the description of the position of archivist.

See that School Committee minutes and records (refer to section 7.4) arekept in good order at the school and audit these records annually.

11)Replace Section 4.2 as follows:

TheSchool Committee shall meet as needed to conduct its business. The annualcalendar shall include six meetings that occur every other month as fits thecalendars of the school, the Head, and the School Committee members. Thefollowing will be standard items of business at these meetings [Insert orremove the following]:

· Beforethe September meeting - nominations for subcommittees will be approved bythe School Committee.

· January- “State of the School”discussion Friday evening with staff.

· March- Propose and review budget draft.

· May- Approve budget.

· July– Remove “Review preliminary budget for coming year.”

12) Change all references in theHandbook to the “Consultation Committee” to the “Consultation and FinanceCommittee.”

13)Section 5.0 will be entitled, “Subcommittees and Other Responsibilities.”

14) In the job description for theConsultation & Finance Committee (Section 5.5.a) the third sentence willread as follows:

Thiscommittee shall monitor financial statements from the school, make arecommendation for the selection of the school’s auditor for School Committeeapproval, and advise the Head at the Head’s request when emergency mattersarise between School Committee meetings.

15) Insection 5.5.g the end of the paragraph will read as follows:

It isrecommended the subcommittee meet prior to each full School Committee Meetingwith the Dean of Students. Others, such as the Head, Friends in Residence, andstaff and student representatives can be invited to attend. Occasional informalstudent meetings may occur.

16) InsertSection 5.7, entitled “Search Committee,” to read:

TheSearch Committee shall be composed of two staff, two students, tworepresentatives from Iowa Yearly Meeting, Conservative, three School Committeemembers, and the School Committee Clerk. The School Committee Clerk is to communicateto all interested and prospective parties that this is a significant time andtravel commitment, which spans many months. Committee meetings are to beminuted so they can be uploaded to the School Committee's portion of theschool's website. Written and oral reports are expected of the Committee clerkto the School Committee at its regular meeting times. Final candidates are tobe presented to the full School Committee for their evaluation anddetermination of best fit for the position of Head of School.

The following changes pertain tothe Appendix of the Handbook.

17) Section B.4 will read:

Gatheragenda items and background materials from the Head so they can be sent tocommittee members well in advance of meetings.

18)Section E.4 will read:

With the Recording Clerk and Archivist,ensure that original, signed copies of minutes of the School Committeeregarding agreements and legal contracts are filed in good order and availableto school staff.

19)Section II B will read as follows:

1. Theclerk and recording clerk will assist the archivist by assembling approvedminutes of all scheduled or called School Committee meetings and subcommitteemeetings and copies of all legal and financial documents.

2. If ascheduled School Committee meeting is not held, a note to that effect should befiled in place of the approved minutes and should be signed by the recordingclerk and clerk.

3. Seethat these minutes are given to the archivist so they can be filed in anorderly and secure manner in a designated location at the school.

4. [Deleteand move this section to the duties of the archivist.]

20)Section II C will read:

Keep up-to-datelists (names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and committee andsubcommittee assignments) of members of the School Committee, the ScattergoodFriends School Foundation trustees, and the Iowa Yearly Meeting trustees.Distribute this list annually in September to the Head and all those on thelist.

21) InSection II A 5 the last sentence will read:

Assist the Clerk and archivist to archive minutes.

22) InSection III insert F to read as follows:

Memberswill support and promote the school with their individual

talents,gifts, and resources.

23)Replace the Note of Agreement with the most current one.

24) Scattergood Friends SchoolCapital Expenditure Policy, (directly following the Note of Agreement) # 5 willread:

The Head has ongoing authority tospend up to $2,000 of contingency funds for emergency capital items/projectsbetween school committee meetings. The clerk of the School Committee and theconvener of the Facilities Committee should be informed about the particularsof the emergency. The emergency purchases and, if necessary, a revised planshould be submitted for approval at the next school committee meeting.

The recording clerk will notifyNorthern and Illinois Yearly Meetings of the addition of section 1.5 to theSchool Committee Handbook. decision.

We appreciate the effort the staffmakes to give us thorough and timely reports about their work.

We acknowledge the resignations ofFrank Griffith and Megan Knight with appreciation for their work with us. Wewelcome new members, Rebecca Bergus and Karen Greenler.

We are satisfied that weaccomplished a lot today. The clerk will ask Beth Goodvin to provide name tagsfor the September and November meetings each year. The recording clerk alsoreminded Friends to keep an eye on the clock near the starting time of themeeting, and gather in worship at that point.

We look forward to meeting again,God willing, on 12 November 2011.

Callie Marsh, recording clerk