North Kitsap School District Board of Directors – Special Meeting Minutes, February 20, 2013 Page 1 of 3

North Kitsap School District #400 Special Meeting of the Board of Directors

February 20, 2013 Student Support Center

18360 Caldart Avenue Northeast Poulsbo, WA

MINUTES Board Members Dan Weedin, President, excused Scott Henden, Vice President Ken Ames, Director, Legislative Representative Tom Anderson, Director Bill Webb, Director

Patty Page, Superintendent Therese Caldwell, Recording Secretary 1. Call to Order

Vice President Scott Henden called the meeting to order at 5:18 p.m. President Weedin was unable to attend due to illness.

3. Pledge of Allegiance Assistant Superintendent Chris Willits led meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Study Session The Board of Directors held a study session on school closure. Superintendent Page explained the process. If Wolfle were to close, most of those students would be attending Gordon and Breidablik elementary schools. No Title funds will be lost if Wolfle is closed, but the other schools might not qualify for some school-wide programs. Enrollment projections are based on weighted three-year averages of previous enrollment numbers. Housing developments are not factored in. That will be a consideration as new boundaries are developed. The relocation of special programs is being analyzed separately from the school closure process. No services will be lost, but they are all being reviewed for effectiveness and efficiency. For transportation, the goal is to have no more than one-hour bus rides for any student. Currently, some students do have rides that exceed one hour but work is being done to limit or eliminate that as much as possible. Director Anderson noted that even though some classrooms are empty, it takes instructors to relieve overloaded classes. He did an independent study of distances between communities and schools. The group discussed potential housing developments. Arborwood is apparently a number of years away from development and will begin with higher-end homes. The Hansville area is approximately 10 minutes farther away from Gordon than from Wolfle.

North Kitsap School District Board of Directors – Special Meeting Minutes, February 20, 2013 Page 2 of 3

Director Henden did an independent study of the cost of a commercial roof, feeling that the district could have a roof replacement done at Breidablik for less than $450,000. Looking at costs over time, it still appears that Breidablik has the most expenses. The Special Education program at Wolfle incurs greater travel costs. Since Options parents transport their own students, transportation costs for Gordon are reduced. The boundary realignment will impact out-of-boundary students. This will be addressed by the Boundary Committee currently being put together by the district. The McCleary decision directs that transportation be fully funded first. If this happens, transportation cost will no longer be an issue. Director Anderson discussed the variation in utility costs. Ms. Page noted that electricity savings are based on a three-year trend. Maintenance projects can be done at various times. A long-term plan must be developed. None of the maintenance projects will be funded with state matching funds. A complete remodel of a building can be done every 25 to 30 years. Wolfle and Breidablik are under a twenty-year program and have been eligible since 2009. The discussion moved to safety. Director Patrick Olsen has been overseeing the mapping of each school and this year the tactical squad will be going to all schools, evaluating them, updating emergency plans and providing additional safety information to each building. The group discussed portables and safety. Some district portables are not usable and have not been included in district capacity calculations. Zoning is another factor. Gordon is within the urban growth area but most of that property is not developable because of its proximity to water and wetlands. Wolfle and Breidablik are in rural zones and cannot have dense development. The District Office property is probably the most developable. The Island Lake property owned by the district is now urban light residential. It is surrounded by high growth areas and the district is working to get the zoning changed. Director Webb is trying to determine whether Wolfle or Breidablik is closer to potential development. Vice President Henden is going to work to have his priorities finalized and have a firmer idea of costs.

The special meeting reconvened at 6:07 p.m.

4. Public Hearing The Board of Directors conducted a public hearing on the potential closure of David Wolfle Elementary School. See Attachment A for the comments made to the Board by Ted George, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal (PGST) elder, Wolfle teachers Trang McGillivray, Nancy Meyer, Pat Bennett-Forman and Stephanie Pugh, Librarian Kathee McNeely-Mobley; Head Custodian Bill Humphries and Occupational Therapist Cindi Dudley; local real estate agent Catherine Arlen; PGST Executive Director Kelly Sullivan, PGST Chairman Jeromy Sullivan, PGST Career and Education Director Juanita Holtyn, PGST Family Assistance Program Manager Stacy Mills, PGST Lead Head Start Teacher Kyle Carpenter, PGST Family Preservation Specialist Dennis Jones; former Wolfe students and Eagle Scouts Jackson and Reed Rambough; Wolfle volunteer Bill Fite; and Wolfle parents Brad Rutherford and Veronica Fernandez.

North Kitsap School District Board of Directors – Special Meeting Minutes, February 20, 2013 Page 3 of 3

Kingston Citizens Advisory Committee member and Port Commissioner Walt Elliott addressed the Board about where development will take place in the Kingston area. An improving market will lead to development taking place more quickly. He also addressed the importance of the Boys and Girls Club to the community and the commitment of the community to area schools. Dick Osborn, former Citizens Budget Review Committee member and Wolfle volunteer, addressed the Board about the difficulty of the decision to be made. It is important for the public to understand why the decision is being made. Plans for future growth must be developed and will be essential for public support of future bond and levy elections. Cost and performance must be considered. Wolfle Elementary is a high-performance school.

The Public Hearing adjourned at 7:11 p.m. and the meeting recessed for 15 minutes to allow Board members to have informal individual conversations with those who had signed up and hadn’t had the opportunity to address the Board.

5. Study Session The Board continued its study session at 7:26 p.m. Ms. Page noted that the data presented by the district is the most accurate information available at this time. Gordon is 10,000 square feet larger than the other schools, leading to increased utility costs. Wolfle and Breidablik use heat pumps. Gordon has a combination of heat strips, heat pumps and HVAC. Ms. Page gave more information about Title I funding. Based on demographics determined by county census information, the district gets a lump sum of money. Districts have some autonomy in distribution of funds. Title I schools have more flexibility in the use of funds. It takes extensive paperwork to apply for Title I School status and takes one year. Schools with under 40% of students in poverty can only use the funds to serve those students who fall into the lower quartile utilizing test scores. There isn’t necessarily more money provided, but it can be used differently. Director Anderson noted the uncertainty as to where and when development will occur. If Breidablik closes, most students will go to Vinland and Wolfle, with some possibly going to Poulsbo. Director Webb thanked Ms. Page and district staff for the work done to provide information to the Board. Ms. Page thanked the district staff for their hard work to put together closure information. Director Ames thanked everyone for the informative presentation.

6. Adjournment

M/S (Bill Webb/Tom Anderson) to adjourn. The motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 7:34 p.m.

__________________________________ _____________________________________ Secretary to the Board of Directors Board President

Attachment A