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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-06-18 RESOLUTION Whereas, an efficient transportation network is crucial to sustainable economic growth in the mmonwealth, a cleaner environment and enhanced public safety and quality of life; and Whereas, the Commonwealth faces a documented transportation funding shortfall including a re urring and inflating road maintenance funding shortfall resulting in the Commonwealth Transportation Bard eliminating and reducing programmed project spending totaling $1.1 billion in the new six-year tr nsportation program; and Whereas, the eliminated and stalled project monies include primary, urban, and secondary struction funding reductions to regions and localities of up to 44 percent for Fiscal Year 2009; and Whereas, the Virginia General Assembly will convene on June 23, 2008 for a special session to ress transportation; and Whereas, legislation, including HB 6001 and HB 6003, has been introduced to amend the Code irginia relating to the allocation of primary, urban, and secondary system highway construction funds; Whereas, the aforementioned legislation will significantly reduce the secondary road construction cation for the County of Albemarle, resulting in the continued delay of critical transportation rovements and projects; and Whereas, the aforementioned legislation does not address the greater need for the Virginia G neral Assembly to enact a transportation funding package to include dedicated, additional, significant an recurring annual revenues to address the Commonwealth's documented transportation infrastructure ne ds; Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved that the County of Albemarle, Virginia, hereby calls on the Go ern or of Virginia and the Virginia General Assembly to oppose legislation during the forthcoming tra sportation special session that amends the Code of Virginia relating to amending the allocation of fun s for primary, urban, and secondary system highway construction; and Be It Further Resolved, that the Governor of Virginia and the Virginia General Assembly are urg d to enact a transportation funding package to include dedicated, additional, significant and recurring an ual revenues to address the Commonwealth's documented transportation infrastructure needs. I, Ella W. Jordan, do hereby certify that the foregoing writing is a true, correct copy of a Re olution duly adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, by a vote of five to zer , as recorded below, at a regular meeting held n June 18, 2008. ttAdvzltf Clerk, Board of County Supervisors Mr. Boyd Mr. Dorrier Ms. Mallek Mr. Rooker Mr. lutzky Ms. Thomas Aye Nay y y y y y Absent FY 09/10 Budget Preparation Calendar - DRAFT September Thursday, Sep. 11 Division Level Advisory Committee Budget Input October Thursday, Oct. 9 TBD TBD TBD Thursday, Oct. 23 Regular School Board Meeting Joint Compensation meeting with BOS Joint Board Meeting Tele- Town Hall Meeting Regular School Board W orksession November TBD Thursday, Nov. 6 Preliminary Local Revenue Projections Budget Update to School Board Regular School Board Meeting December Thursday, Dec. 11 Wednesday, Dec 17 Regular School Board W orksession Special School Board Meeting - Superintendent's Budget Presentation Januarv Thursday, Jan. 8 Organizational Regular School Board Meeting Special Budget W orksession Special Budget W orksession Special Budget W orksession Tele- Town Hall Meeting Regular School Board W orksession - Special Budget W orksession Public Hearing on School Budget Special Budget Worksession - Finalize School Board Request Tuesday, Jan. 13 Thursday, Jan. 15 Tuesday, Jan. 20 Wednesday Jan. 21 Thursday, Jan. 22 Tuesday, Jan. 27 Thursday, Jan. 29 RECEIVED A,!B9S MEcma Date: ([ l'b O){ Agenda.em .: O1erk'llnltlals: l u rs FY 09/10 Budget Preparation Calendar - DRAFT Februarv TBD Tentative Special Budget Worksession (Finalize School Board Request) Tentative Special Budget Worksession (Finalize School Board Request) Deadline for Budget Information to BOS Regular School Board Meeting BOS Budget W orksession BOS Work Session - Local Government and School Division - Set Tax Ratefor Advertisement County Executive's Recommended Budget document finalized Advertise for March public hearing on the recommended budget Regular School Board W orksession County Executive's Recommended Budget to BOS Tuesday, Feb. 3 Thursday, Feb. 5 TBD Thursday, Feb 12 TBD TBD Thursday, Feb. 26 TBD March TBD TBD Advertise tax rate for April public hearing Public hearing on the County Executive's Recommended Budget BOS Budget Work Session BOS Budget Work Session - School Division Regular School Board Meeting BOS Budget WorkSession- CIP Regular School Board W orksession TBD TBD Thursday, Mar 12 TBD Thursday, Mar. 26 April TBD Public Hearing on the 2009 calendar year tax rate. Public Hearing on the FY 09/10 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets BOS adopts FY09/10 budget BOS adopts the 2009 calendar year tax rate Regular School Board Meeting Special Budget Worksession (s) - Adopt Budget TBD Thursday, Apr. 9 TBD I RECEIVE~AT ~8~ MEETtJG Date: ~ I <t) ,\lhclll,ll I,: ( 11Illl1 \ I'uhli, ~lh.,uls Board-to-Board June 2008 Agenda.em .: Clerk'alnltlals: ,+[ u5 S- A mOllth(r communicatiom' report/rom the Albemarle COlln(J' Sc.:Jwol Board to the Albemarle County Board 0/ Supen'isors New Standards Reference Exam Data: At its May 81h meeting, the School Board received data on the New Standards Reference Exam (NRSE) for Albemarle County students. The NSRE is based on the New Standards Performance Standards and assesses the students' mathematical knowledge in the different content strands of mathematics advocated by the NCTM. The exam assesses student performance in three areas: skills, concepts, and problem solving. The report provided looked at trends in NSRE scores for the last three years. Specifically it looked at trends in the Total Math score, as well as the three strand scores: Conceptual Understanding, Problem Solving and Skills. Historically. Albemarle County schools have performed best on the Skills section and struggled most with the Problem Solving section of the NSRE. Below are the key findings from the current year and the trend data: · In fourth grade, the Total Math and three subscale scores are at three-year highs. · In eighth grade, Problem Solving and Conceptual Understanding have increased to three-year highs, but skills are down slightly from last year. · Fourth grade achievement gap charts show increases for all group. however, the gap has not been closed by black or socioeconomically disadvantaged students. · Eighth grade achievement gap charts show similar increases for all subscale scores, but the gap is widening for both black and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Using Pareto charts, schools were compared based on their percent of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. These comparisons were intended to show which schools were the most etfective at reaching a struggling student population and help them be successful. Given the size and persistence of the achievement gap. it would be expected for there to be a correlation between schools with higher proportions of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and poorer performance on all four scales of the NSRE. · There was not a direct correlation between socioeconomically disadvantaged students and achievement on the NSRE, for either fourth or eighth graders. · Two of the top five elementary schools, on all measures, had more than 15% socioeconomically disadvantaged students taking the NSRE. · Jack Jouett Middle School had the second best scores on the Total Math measure; it also has the second highest level of socioeconomically disadvantaged students A copy of the full report and data can be found on the division website at~_\V\V.k 12albclllurlc.org: under Reports to the Board. Building Capacity: At its May 8th meeting, the School Board discussed building capacity. This discussion resulted from information that was provided in the Resource Utilization Study to the Board in December 2007. The Commonwealth Education Policy Institute (CEPI) provided capacity figures based on how classrooms were used in all schools at the time of the study. CEPI chose to use Virginia SOQ class size requirements where applicable providing a multiplier of 2] in grades K-3 and 25 in grades 4 -12. Albemarle County uses a class size multiplier that is smaller than the standard size multiplier used by CEPI. The smaller number is based upon the lower student to teacher ratios and varies according to fl.ee and reduced lunch percentages. In addition, the formula llsed by the Division counts regular classrooms toward a building's capacity; whereas, at the secondary level, CEPlused the number of teaching spaces including all specialty areas. Staff walked all schools to verif)' classroom space and its use to informlhe process of revising capacity formulas. Additionally, class size rep0l1s were reviewed to determine the mean si7e of elementary, middle and high school classes. Based on the information gathered, staffrecornmended to the Board that a multiplier of20 be used for grades K-12 when determining capacity. The recommended change allows for every school to have a capacity that is driven by a consistent formula across the Division, instead ofa random multiplier drive by free and reduced lunch percentages, and the new formulas maintain a strong commitment to the smaller class sizes valued in Albemarle County. Compensation and Benefits: At its May 22 Regular Work Session the Board discussed Teachers' Compensation and Retirement Programs with the following breakout sessions: 1. Differential compensation for teachers 2. Reti rement/retention strategies 3. Base compensation strategies Human Resources provided information to the Board framing the three areas to be discussed. (A copy of the information can be found on the Division website at ~\\\\~~L:;'i!tb~~!!<:!r'-eJ!.J:g under Reports to the Board.) Board members, staff, and community members worked in breakout sessions and the following information was gathered based on these areas: Board Self-Evaluation: At its May 22"d meeting, the School Board conducted its self-evaluation as individual Board Members and as a Collective Body. This review is done annually per Policy BBA to ensure proper discharge of its responsibilities to the community. The Community Public Charter School: In August. the Division's second charter school, The Community Public Charter School, will open its doors for Albemarle County students. Flyers have been distributed and students have been recruited. Attached are flyers for the school. Use of Pesticides: In the last couple of weeks, the Board of Supervisors and School Board have received emails regarding the use of pesticides in the School Division. Lindsay Check. Environmental Compliance Manager for the School Division, prepared the following information in response to the emails received. Background In June of 2007 the Board of Supervisors directed the County Executive, in consultation with the School Division Superintendent, to establish an internal County committee tasked with developing a policy regarding safer chemical management practices County-wide. The Safer Chemical Committee (SCC) has since held nine meetings to develop the Sater Chemical Management Administrative Policy and accompanying Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The Building Services, General Services and Parks and Recreation Departments have made signiticant strides toward implementing safer chemical management practices over the last several years. Beginning in 2005, these departments began testing and using safer alternatives to synthetic, traditional cleaning products. and pesticides and herbicides, as a result of implementing an Environmental Management Policy. and also due to an increasing stakeholder interest in the types of products routinely used by the County. The aforementioned departments have all been able to significantly reduce the volume of synthetic products used on grounds and in facilities, and have replaced many of these products with green certitied and organic alternatives. Status of the Safer Management Policy and Standard Operating Procedure The Safer Chemical Management Policy is currently a draft administrative policy that promotes the use of non-chemical methods and safer product alternatives in County operations and activities. in lieu of using traditional, synthetic products. The draft Policy requires that the County regularly conduct research in support of continual improvemem. The accompanying Procedure is a more detailed procedure that will be managed at the department level. In summary. the Procedure stipulates that: I) custodial products be certitied by Green SeaI™. Grei.:n Guard™ or Environmental Choice™. or meet outlined criteria; 2) high- touch surface areas (e.g. bathrooms, kitchens) be routinely sanitized or disinfected as deemed appropriate by the manager overseeing custodial operations, and that disinfection occur in response to a blood-borne pathogen event or viral outbreak, or as directed by the Department of Health; 3) chemical usage be eliminated when practicable and feasible in grounds management; if chemicals must be used, then organic or biological-based alternatives be used, with 5 outl ined exceptions; 4) the County implement a formal integrated pest management (I PM) program by August 2008 for management of indoor pests. The Safer Management Policy and Standard Operating Procedure will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on June 4, 2008. A tentative date for a presentation to the School Board has been set for July 10, 2008. General Comments Regarding F.A.C.T.S. Email: Integrated pest management sets thresholds for action levels at which chemical responses can be taken after physical controls have failed. Any pesticide used is applied by a registered technician or commercial applicator certitied by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and applied in accordance with the EPA-registered label. It is also important to note that after transitioning from scheduled monthly crack and crevice treatments at each school approximately 8 months ago, ACPS has only had five pesticide treatments since the monthly treatments have ceased (each listed by F.A.C.T.S. except for ground-dwelling bee treatment at Sutherland courtyard). Including all schools, the change from scheduled monthly treatments to I PM has resulted in approximately 200 less pesticide treatments over the course of 8 months. Most of the links presented by F.A.C.T.S. refer to the hazards of the active ingredient indicating that these active ingredients are used at a concentration of 100%. As shown in the following table, the active ingredient is listed as present in the product concentrate and then in the application solution. Table 1: Pesticides, Active Ingredients, and Usage Pesticide Product Active Ingredient Percentage of Active Percentage of Active Ingredient in Ingredient in Application Solution Product Suspend SC Deltamethrin 4.75% 0.25 ounces per gallon of application solution or 0.0] % of active ingredient in application solution Siege Gel Hydramethylnon 2.0% Application rate is 0.25 grams per square meter and is only used in spot locations. The application of this product is performed by placing little dots in cracks and crevices where the product is not within reach of any staff or students. Premise 2 Imidacloprid 21.4% 8 mL of product per gallon of water or I 0,05% of active ingredient in application solution I Product was used as a spot treatment of exterior where ants trailing at the exterior . of the building. Termidor Fipronil 80% 2.1 ounces of product per 25 gallons of . I water or 0.06% of active ingredient I I Application solution product is foamed ! , into the infested wall crevice and the I , wall is subsequently plugged. For I I i r:xt.:rior treatments, the product is introduced in trenches at the slab. i 'j Responses to the following statements by F.A.C,T.S. are listed below. J, F.A,C. T.S, Comment: I am deeply concerned that despite a moratorium on pesticides on school fields, Albemarle County public schools are still using toxic pesticides near children and teachers. Premise II .o!11ig~\~:J~~E!:i~1) is a neurotoxin l~l.I.)lll'd ill Francl;'l!.l-L~l..2 but used April 9. 200S at Agnor-Hurt Elementary on ant trails. Please do not use neurotoxins, deemed to toxic for another country's children almost a decade ago, near our children. A sweep with a broom, caulking entrance holes, boric acid, and if necessary pesticide baits in tamper-resistant containers, would solve an ant problem quickly and permanently. Using neurotoxins on ants is overkill; near children, it's irresponsible. Response: {Excerpted from the link listed by FA. C. T.S. referring to the lmidacloprid han in Francej Althollgh dedining honeybee population.\' are an area of concern, the referenced link indicates that France banned Imidac/oprid based Oil the health of their honeybees and not their children. Imidacloprid was banned in France in 1999 as a suspected cause of drastic and mysterious die-offs in hone,vbees. Diflerences o{opinion abound in bee circles. and a direct causal link between the chemical and bee mortality has not been made. ...Another possible culprit is a class afinsecticides known as neonicotinoids. which have been widely detected on pollen at low concentrations in other countries experiencing die-offs q{haneybees. Neonicotinoids are 5ystemic pesticides used on plant seeds. When the seeds mature. the pesticide maniFests itsel{throughollt the plant. When an insect ingests any part of the plant. it gets a dose of the neurotoxin that can cause a lJuick and lethal breakdown o{the insect's nervous and immune systems. As a result. a bee's ahility to learn can become impaired, leading some scientists to suggest that exposed bees may leave the hive and literally not he able to find their way back. One of the chemicals in this class. imidacloprid. is marketed in the United ,<;"tatesf(Jr use as an insecticide onfood crops, as well as to control termites andfleas. lmidacloprid was hanned in France in 1999 as a suspected cause q{drastic and mysterious die-oil" in honeyhees. Differences qf opinion abound in bee circles, and a direct causal link he tween the chemical and bee mortality has not been made. Before the IPM program was implemented at each school, Building Services minimized physical pest entries for each school. The Premise 2 treatment was only conducted as a spot treatment at exterior points of the building where ants were trailing and it was conducted with the application solution of 0.05% of active ingredient. The application was only performed after baits failed to eliminate the ant problem. 2. FA. C. T.S. Comment: Termidor ([iJ2.L().!)jl) was used April 2S, 200S at Red Hill Elementary and Sutherland MS and again on May 2, 200S at Murray Elementary School. Termidor (Fipronil) is a persistent suspected carcinogen and endocrine disruptor that this stuJv shows the smallest doses are more toxic than larger ones in mutating and killing human cells. "Fipronil is a relatively rl~~yjJl:'~(;Jici(I<:....a precautionary approach may be warranted. ... it would appear unwise to use tipronil-based insecticides without... human health monitoring... where use brings it into contact with people." Please, stop and use safer alternatives. Response: Prevention is the best focus and alternative for termite control. but once a problem has occurred, the following solution is recommended by the UC Davis lPM program for subterranean termites. Controlling Suhterranean Termites Subterranean termites in structures cannot be adequately controlled by fumigation, heat treatment, freezing, or termite electrocution devices because the reproductives and nymphs are concentrated in nests near or below ground level in 5t:uctures out of reach of these control methods. The primary methods of controlling these termites are the application of insectic;des or baiting programs. Use of insecticides or baits should be supplemented with the destruction of their access points or nests. To facilitate control of . subterranean termites, destroy their shelter tubes whenever possible to interrupt access to wooden substructures and to open colonies to attack from natural enemies such as ants. 3. F,A.C. T,S, Comment: It is distressing the following pesticides also remain on the pest control list for schools: - Suspend SC U2.l;.Ilal11ct[1I!Dl- a suspected neurotoxic and carcinogenic pennethrin that the EIlviro1111lcnlal Prollx'lion ':\0,ellcv reports causes "skin irritation, dizziness, twitching, potential autoimmune disease and nervous disorders...may also be neurotoxic during development.. .and likely to be carcinogenic in humans." -Siege Gel !.L!lslrdllldhvlnon) - a recognized developmental toxin, reproductive toxin, and suspected carcinogen that the EPA classifies as having "serious or irreversible" health effects in humans including cancer. Response: Please note that these links refer to the hazards of the active ingredient and not the application solutions of the pesticides. Please refer to Table I for accurate application solution information, These products are on the list of possible pesticides in the case that physical barriers and less toxic alternatives fail. 4. F.A.C. T.S. Commellt: Reserve pesticides ONL Y for a true pest emergency, if a pest endangers the health of children or teachers. In that case, post signs and send letters to teachers and parents as recommended by the Yirginia Pesticide COl}tToU~oard. Following the rules will help schools avoid near miss situations, like at Jack Jouett MS last year, where the neurotoxin 12eltnmcthriJ] was almost applied in the cafeteria less than 2 hours before the Sth Grade dance. Neither the teachers nor the parents or the children, not even the principal, was aware a pesticide application was about to take place. The Pesticide Control Board understands proper communication is essential to avoid dangerous, near miss situations with pesticides and children. Respollse: The "near miss" referred to by F.A.C.T.S. was a scheduled monthly crack and crevice treatment with Suspend SC. When the monthly treatments were conducted in the past (the scheduled crack and crevice treatments have been eliminated) only about a ~'2 gallon of Suspend SC application solution was used in cracks and crevices with an active ingredient concentration 01'0.01%. The F.A.C.T.S. comment leads one to believe that Deltamethrin at ] 00% concentration was scheduled for the "near-miss" application. Per the Suspend SC EPA-registered label, the reentry requirement is to "let surfaces dry before allowing children or pets to contact surfaces". Additionally, since the inception of the IPM program in the schools, any pesticide applications that are required after physical controls have failed are listed 24 hours in advance on the environmental website accessible at http://schoolcentcr.k ] 2albclllark.org{ellv i ronmental under the Integrated Pest Management page. The IPM binder at schools contain information about the gLle board monitors that are used to count any pests present in the kitchen areas each month and a floor plan for each school that is used to document any pest activity. The binder also contains label and MSDS information for any pesticide that may be used in the school. At the beginning of the new school year. all schools will be transitioned to the IPM program, and a notice will be sent to parents explaining the IPM program and describing ways to access the application notices. Even with an IPM program, pesticide use is not banned as requested by F.A.C.T.S. School Board Retreat: The School Board will hold its retreat on Monday. June 2nd at the City Space Meeting Room located in the Market Street Parking Garage. Th,~ purpose of the retreat is to review the Board's progress in meeting its Biennial Priorities and to discuss \V ith staff areas of focus that will help the Oi vi~ ion meet its vision, mission and goals. June Meetings: The School Board will hold its regular meetings on June 12 and 26, 200S. In addition a student conduct meeting is tentatively scheduled for .June 23rd. ALBEMARLE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD SUMMARY OF COMPENSATION WORK SESSION T liS SchoOl Board Compensation 'Nor~ Session provided c1n opportunltyto diSCUSS the'ljoslred slate' for teachers' C )Illpensatiorl and retirf',ment Drograms. The following tlm~e areas were Rxp10ed differential con1pensatlon for t aehers. retirement/retention strategies, and compensation strategies. T e following is a summary of the main themes and issues discussed in the break out sessions D fferential Teacher Compensation T Ie diSCUSSion on differential pay for teachers includoeJ A!bemarles histor/wlth variable pay (c3reer ladder); dl-flcultles in recrultrnent and retention at certain schools and In certain subjects relahve fairness of the current step s' aie. and elements needed for a sUCCEssful dlfferen!i;11 pay plan Themes that emerged were · More Information about the previous career 13dder s)Stern and why it was abandoned is needed. One of the downfalls of that system was thought to be inconSistent funding · A long-term finanCIal commltrnl'mt from the Boards would be paramount to the success of any new compensation !nlllatives · No clear consensus was reached regarding whether differential paywould neip alleviate recruitment and retention problems for some ~,ch!)ols (e g. Yanc.,y) and somo subject amas (maUl. scifmcp., foreign lanquage) or how such a pay syslt~m would be structured. · While the current step scale is perCEIved to be fair, it cJoes not alwa)S reward ~igh-performin~l teachers adequately. · A commitment to professional development would tB a necessary part of any differential pay system. · Other factors to consider in developing a differential pay model: value of pep.r-based teacher evaluation, need to maintain open communication and clear line-of-sight: involving teachers in the development process; and allowing some teachers to work 1? months If trley want. R tiremenURetention Strategies The discussion of retirement pointed to the generational differences, as seasoned teachms like the current VERIP pr gram and the new teachers indicated !ittlA interpstln these benf;fits. AddHicnally, new tf1adlflrs acknowlfldged that th y were not likely to stay In teaching as a career, so the focus should be [T1aximizing thflir effflctiveness while e ployed Business IAaders indicated that the VERIP benF~fitwas an exceptional benefit comparatively There was a bri .f diSCUSSion as to the desirability of offering a choice to teachers to p.lect the VERIP benefit or choose to have an e ployer contribution to a deferred cOl1'lpensallon plan (such as a 403 (h)). Most of the discussion occun-ed around te'. chp.r satisfaction an(j the following issues were llotAd: · Ment pay based on test scorflS would need to he designed carpfullynot to be a diSincentive for teachers at high risk schools. · There needs to be incentives 10 retain good teach~~rf, in classroom rather lhan promote to administration as the only available path for internal advancement · Stipends for additional responsibilit;ps s~'ould be reviewed as the amounts have not changed since 1995 · We stlould explore pOSSibility of "sabbaticals". pensation Strategies discussion IOQkf,d at the fact that raisIng the salar,es (mo\llllg from market median to 75' percentile) did not have an ppreciabJe effect on retention figures, although it rasslgnificantly increased ,he pool of applicants. It was felt that the younger generations will change Jobs no matter whatlllcentives might be put in place. and that a 3(}step scale was not closely aligned with Goal 2. The challenges of implementing a performance pay system were noted, Incuding the foil wing factors · If we have differential pay. It must be significant enouqh to effect performance changp · Step scale IS cultur3l1y ingrained and changing It woud p.ncourller f'esst,lIice · There may need to fJP. different strateqles developed for l~xlstlng vs [wwly hired teachers, Iher(~ would need to be discussion around tr'ie cmation of an entirely new comppnsation model or tweaking the existing s)Stem. · Any ment system needs to look at many dimensions of perforrnancA and corSIc!e( multiple souces of Information · There are factors outside of compensation that can a:fect performance, i.e. career path enhancement, ps)Zhic' rewards (If !each,ng stresses of mef~tlng standards, (jenNational differen(~e In motivational factors, links With 'omrnurlty. Rec mrnenddtlOn: Estat.1llsh a task force Nltr' members of the communlt\< [.1lJs!ne% leadus, te'JeflArS, adrnlrllstrators and .taff to continue discussions of these issues and develop options RECEIVED AT ~OS MEE'mG Date: lo'\~.(1~ Agenda lem .: O1erk'llnltlals" -- .- Lu)\