MINUTES

Meeting of the Board of Trustees
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

February 9, 2001

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) was also held in Room 116 of the Administration Building, located at 1100 West 45^th Street, Austin, Texas on February 9, 2001.

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Kerry Goodwin, President, at 10:15 a.m. In addition to Kerry Goodwin, the following Board Members were in attendance: Barbara Cherry, Roseanna Davidson, Zena Pearcy, Frankie Swift, and Mary Sue Welch.

Public Comments/Open Forum: None.

Presentation of Certificate of Appreciation: Camella Rivers, head of Security for TSBVI, introduced Ron Gilbert, Security Guard. President Goodwin presented Mr. Gilbert with a certificate of appreciation for his dedication and commitment in fulfilling his duties at TSBVI. Mr. Gilbert expressed his appreciation for being honored in this manner and for the opportunity to work as a security guard here at TSBVI.

Presentation on Nursing Services at TSBVI: Brenda Benner-New, Director of Health Services, gave a brief overview of the services provided to the students on a 24 hour basis by the TSBVI Nursing Service and Health Center. Mr. Fain commented that the current nursing staff at TSBVI strive to be team members and do their utmost to cooperate with other staff members on campus as they care for the medical needs of the students.

Consideration of Approval of the Minutes of the December 1^st and 2nd, 2000 Board Meeting: Frankie Swift moved the acceptance of the minutes, with the correction of one minor error, as published in the Agenda, with Mary Sue Welch entering the second. The motion to pass was unanimous.

Consideration of Approval of Board Policies: Since the policies under consideration for this Board meeting deal with Personnel matters, Mary Sue Welch, Chair of the Personnel Committee, reported it was the recommendation of the Personnel Committee that the policies, as listed, be accepted as presented in the Agenda. Frankie Swift reporting for the Policy Committee, advised the Policy Committee concurred with the Personnel Committee.

BJ - School Superintendent (Reviewed)

BJB - Recruitment and Appointment (Amended)

BJC - Employment Relationship (Reviewed)

BJCE - Dismissal/Nonrenewal (Amended)

The motion to pass was unanimous.

Discussion of Board Members' Completion of Training Requirements During the Last Calendar Year: President Goodwin read the type and number of training hours required of Board Members and indicated the training hours which the respective Board members had accumulated from January 1^st through December 31^st, 2000. Board members were urged to write a letter to the Board Secretary, outlining the training they have accrued to insure that the credit appears on their tabulation at TASB. It was pointed out that 15 percent of the training required can be accrued at TSBVI, however, this training would have to be scheduled under a separately called meeting of the Board.

Ken Miller outlined that after each session of the Legislature the Board should receive training on what had transpired during the Session which would be relevant to their appointment to the Board. Staff will make arrangements and recommendations as to when this training can be scheduled.

Report from Board Finance and Audit Committee:

Use of Contingency Funds: Business Manager Barney Schulz gave the report for the Finance and Audit Committee since there was not a quorum of this Committee present. Mr. Schulz directed the Board to the report in the Finance and Audit Agenda dealing with Contingency Funds. He gave a brief outline of the various transactions relating to this Fund, as well as a balance available at this time.

Investment Report: Mr. Schulz directed the Board to the Investment Report which indicated the status of the investments currently held by TSBVI, and the amount of interest they had accrued since the last meeting of the Board.

Book Sales: Two reports were given in regard to the sale of curriculum books published by TSBVI. Since the last report to the Board 1,368 publications have been sold for a total of approximately $36,000. This amounts to an increase over the last quarter. The Low Vision Resource Guide continues to exceed the other publications in sales.

In canvassing the source of sales, 198 customers were situated in Texas, with California coming in second with 99. There continue to be sales to foreign countries, however, the amount of sales drops drastically when they are made to countries where the English language is not the primary language spoken.

Development of Guidelines for Board Expense Accounts: Malcolm Cleveland, Director of Accounting, along with School Attorney Carol Vaughan, gave some background on the research that went into gaining removal of the travel expense cap for Board Members of TSBVI. Mr. Cleveland distributed a form for the Board members to use in itemizing their actual expenses in regard to their Board service. Receipts are not required to substantiate the amount claimed.

Consideration of Adoption of a Resolution Regarding the Review of the Investment Policy and Strategies of TSBVI: No action was taken on this Agenda item and it will be brought forward for consideration at the March meeting.

Report by the Internal Auditor: Judy Schauer reported that the review portion of the Facilities Management Audit is complete and the Audit has progressed to the report writing stage. A draft report will be available to the Finance and Audit Committee for discussion at the March Board Meeting, with the final report being presented to the full Board at the May meeting. The Software Management Audit is underway and progressing well.

Board members and school administrators were reminded that they will be contacted soon by the peer review leader. When answering questions for the peer review, Ms. Schauer asked that they indicate whether they are answering questions based on experiences with herself, or with the prior Internal Audit Director.

Principal Fain has requested assistance from the Internal Auditor in a review of the attendance reporting process. Ms. Schauer informed the board that this review would have to take the place of a planned audit and suggested moving the Audit of Recreation/Leisure Activities to next year's audit plan. The Board will be asked to approve these changes to the Audit Plan at the March Board Meeting.

Consideration of Superintendent's Performance Appraisal Update: a. Progress on Goals for the Current Year: Discussion was held in regard to the timing of Dr. Hatlen's evaluation and when data pertinent to that evaluation was available. Mary Sue Welch made the motion that the Board table the discussion of the Superintendent's appraisal until the March, 2001 meeting of the Board, and at that time the appraisal be reviewed in order to effect any changes the Board feels are in order in conducting the appraisal in future years, and in particular year 2001. It was suggested that both the Personnel and Policy Committees work together on this issue. Both Human Resources Director and School Attorney Carol Vaughan advised as long as the appraisal is held annually the criteria will have been met. Barbara Cherry entered the second and the motion to pass was unanimous.

Discussion on Data Used for Determining Outcome Measures:

The Board recessed for lunch at 12:05 p.m. to reconvene at 1:20 p.m.

Report from the Superintendent: Legislative Update: Dr. Hatlen reported that both President Goodwin and Secretary Davidson were able to attend the meeting of the Senate Finance Committee. Dr. Davidson commended the staff for the materials that were presented to the Senate Committee for their clarity and completeness. Overall it was her feeling that the response from the members of this Committee was good and that they welcomed participation on the part of Board Members to these hearings.

Dr. Hatlen and Barney Schulz reported briefly on the hearing and indicated testimony was such that the Committee had very few questions.

Dr. Hatlen also reported on the House Finance Committee hearing, which entailed a longer session of testimony. The Chairman of this Committee, Scott Hochberg, has indicated support for TSBVI and the programs at hand. Further contact will be made with both the members of the Senate Committee and the House of Representatives as this session of the Legislature progresses.

Dr. Hatlen reported that he had attended meetings at the Texas Education Agency which involved both national Braille issues and DEC monitoring. He also traveled to Madison, Wisconsin in early February to attend a meeting of the National Agenda and the Council of Schools for the Blind.

Two other items of interest in regard to Legislation pending is a provision that the Sunset process for TSBVI be delayed for six more years. The other legislation has to do with accessibility. It basically requires textbook publishers to provide to TEA their books in an accessible format by ------.

Campus Visitors and Activities: The Southern Council of the Association of Schools for the Blind held their fine arts, cheerleading and wrestling tournaments on the campus of TSBVI January 18^th through the 21^st. Students from Oklahoma, New Mexico, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were involved in the competition. Letters have been received from the schools participating thanking TSBVI and the staff for the manner in which this meet was held. A large group of parents were in attendance at the meet

Dr. Hatlen read a letter congratulating Coach Woodward and one of the students who were in attendance at a recent wrestling competition for the quality of their participation in a recent wrestling meet.

Some 21 individuals attended a conference on Mentoring January 29^th and 30^th. The Texas Council for the Blind and the Regions IV and XIII held training sessions on campus. The Funding for Improving Post-Secondary Education meeting which involved Stephen F. Austin and Texas Tech University also held meetings on campus.

Enrollment Update: Ken Miller reported there are currently 29 students enrolled in Elementary, 29 in Middle School and 68 in Secondary, which makes a total of 126 students enrolled. Some 37 students have been involved in Dr. Newton's short term programs so far this school year.

Gifts and Donations over $500: There were no gifts and donations over $500, however, Roseanna Davidson moved that the donations under $500 which have been received since the last Board meeting be placed into the Legacy Fund and be used to complete the amenities in the newly remodeled dormitories. Mary Sue Welch entered the second and the motion to pass was unanimous.

There were no requests were made for the use of facilities by any outside groups.

James Lambert introduced Diane Vaughan, who has been employed as Facilities Planner for the School. Diane outlined briefly what her duties would be, and her plans for carrying out these duties.

Consideration of Amendment of Site-Based Decision Making Plan: This plan sets the direction, the organization and the process for TSBVI's instructional planning committee to work. The reorganization has been restructured into teams as opposed to the circular strands which have been in place. He outlined the changes being brought to the Board in regard to the staff and the terms of the plan. After considerable discussion, and at the suggestion of Dr. Hatlen, it was the consensus of the Board that this Agenda item be tabled and brought up again at the March, 2001 meeting.

Consideration of Approval of School Improvement Plan for 2000-2001: Principal Miles Fain asked if the Board had any questions in regard to the School Improvement Plan following the presentation of the material at the December meeting of the Board in Kerrville. Dr. Davidson asked for a general overview of the material that was presented in Kerrville, and Mr. Fain went over each section, giving a brief explanation of the items involved. Dr. Davidson made the motion that the School Improvement Plan for 2000-2001 be accepted as presented, with the stipulation that administrators get guidance from the Texas Education Agency as the plan is implemented. Frankie Swift stated that she felt the plan was good, but she felt there would be a problem with the evaluation and reporting of the plan was as it should be. After further discussion Dr. Davidson's motion passed with no dissenting votes.

Reports from Instructional Program Directors Miles Fain: Mr. Fain reported further on the South Central Association of Schools for the Blind conference that was held at TSBVI. Mr. Fain commended Nancy Voots and Coach Woodward for organizing and facilitating the events associated with the meet. Students from TSBVI placed well in the overall competition.

Dr. Davidson, along with the other Board members in attendance at this meeting, expressed their thanks to the staff for making events such as this meet possible and stressed how important events such as this are in the ongoing education of blind and visually impaired students.

Cyral Miller: Outreach Director Miller discussed the activities of the Mentor Program. The Outreach Department is sponsoring three centers at TSBVI this year. Plans are being made to expand this program further and to include not only the students, but also the mentors, some of which are not familiar with TSBVI.

The Outreach Department is planning three family/toddler workshops to be held here on the campus of TSBVI during April and May. These workshops are for infant and pre-school children, with enrollment being limited to nine per workshop.

The "every-other year" Deafblind Symposium will take place in Dallas next week. Dr. Davidson plans to attend the Symposium and she will be accompanied by her graduate students. This Symposium should offer outstanding training in deafblindness, and will feature speakers from around the country. The Deafblind team will host three experts who will review grant activities March 1^st and 2^nd.

The Outreach Staff have been helping out with Special Programs and are enjoying the collaboration.

Lauren Newton: Dr. Newton reported that their have been 39 first-time students at TSBVI participating in the short term programs. Some 72 have been prior students at the School.

The final date for accepting applications for enrollment in summer school is February 15^th. Unfortunately the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (formerly known as Texas Commision for the Blind) will not be able to supply funding at the level they have in the past for the SWEAT program, and for summer school as a whole this summer. Every effort is being made to enlist funds from other sources to keep this program in place. Mr. Schulz outlined some of the options that might be available.

At the present time some 400 applications have been received for summer school.

Report of Student Suspensions and Expulsions: None.

Report on TAAS Results: Mr. Fain reported for Jerry Ludlow. One eleventh grade student took the TAAS test using large print and a closed circuit TV and passed.

Consideration of Approval of Consultants' Contracts of $5,000 and Over: Dr. Hatlen directed the Board to the consultants' contract for Chris Strickling in the Agenda. Zena Pearcy moved the acceptance of this contract as submitted with Frankie Swift entering the second. The motion to pass was unanimous.

Summary of Student Incident Reports in 2000: Safety Director McKelvin Moses went over each phase of the Safety Report, giving a brief explanation on each chart included in his report. The current report was compared with the number of injuries reported for previous years. It was pointed out that many of the injuries reported were fairly minor in nature.

Dr. Hatlen expressed concern over the amount of collisions with stationery objects. He asked that information be given as to how many of these are repeats by the same student, or whether or not these are all for individual students. Also of concern is where these incidents occur, and can these incidents be reduced by further Orientation and Mobility instruction. It was pointed out that the environment not be modified, but that instruction be given to alleviate the incidents.

Mr. Moses gave the Board some background on his observation of conditions on campus in regard to Safety issues and concerns and the importance he places on the overall safety of the students.

Adjournment: Since both Mary Sue Welch and Barbara Cherry had to leave the meeting and there no longer a quorum in attendance, Barbara Cherry moved that the meeting adjourn at 3:45 p.m.. Dr. Davidson entered the second and the motion to pass was unanimous.

Kerry Goodwin Date
Board Chairman

Roseanna Davidson Date
Secretary

Marjorie L. Heaton Date
Recording Secretary

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