o Next regular work session: 4 p.m. and meeting 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Bates Center for Educational Leadership, 2921 Falk Road.
o Proposed operating budget: $271 million.
o Deadline to approve operating budget: Aug. 31.
o Deadline to appoint fifth board member: Oct. 15.
o School starts: Sept. 2.
With only two weeks remaining until school starts, Vancouver Public Schools still does not have an operating budget and is no closer to having a fifth school board member. During a 2½-hour work session and special meeting Wednesday morning, the four school board members remained in gridlock.
“We do not have a budget or a fifth board member,” said Mark Stoker, board president, as he adjourned the meeting.
Stoker and Dale Rice voted to approve the budget. Kathy Gillespie voted to oppose the budget. Edri Geiger abstained. Without that fifth board member, the board is divided. Stoker and Rice are in one corner; Gillespie and Geiger are in the other.
o Next regular work session: 4 p.m. and meeting 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Bates Center for Educational Leadership, 2921 Falk Road.
o Proposed operating budget: $271 million.
o Deadline to approve operating budget: Aug. 31.
o Deadline to appoint fifth board member: Oct. 15.
o School starts: Sept. 2.
The last several board meetings and workshops have been heated and sometimes contentious. Wednesday’s meeting was no different. Both Stoker and Gillespie referred to the “tone and tenor” of the meeting more than once. Board members interrupted each other and raised their voices.
Usually, Vancouver’s school board meetings are attended by staff and perhaps a few community members. More than 40 people sat in the audience Wednesday, although some were district employees who were called upon by Superintendent Steve Webb to answer questions.
It is unusual for security personnel to be on duty at school board meetings, but two district security officers were present. One was stationed outside on the sidewalk near the door to the meeting and the other stood inside the meeting room. He was joined by Mick Hoffman, the district’s director of safety and security.
More counselors
At the Aug. 11 board meeting, both Gillespie and Geiger had requested that the budget be changed to increase the number of counselors, drug and alcohol specialists and mental health professionals in the district’s schools. Geiger, a retired middle school teacher, said she would like to see a full-time counselor in every elementary school.
Wednesday’s meeting began with Webb reading a three-page statement that said Webb and his staff had found $500,000 in the existing budget to hire an additional 6.6 elementary counselors, thus placing at least one full-time counselor at each elementary school. Some of that money could come from an increase of $244,000 in local effort assistance, also referred to as levy equalization.
Gillespie asked Webb to make a copy of what he’d just read for all board members. He did.
Geiger said she had requested that study materials be sent to board members before the meeting, but none were sent.
“I’m chagrined that we’re given material at the moment to make a quick decision,” Geiger said. “I take my responsibility seriously.”
Both Geiger and Gillespie said they applauded having at least one full-time counselor in the district’s elementary schools, but they said it still wasn’t enough for them to approve the budget. In a previous meeting, they had mentioned increasing counselors and drug and alcohol intervention specialists in the middle and high schools, too.
But Stoker suggested they wait and see the results of adding more counselors. With the additional 6.6 elementary counselors, the proposed budget adds 16.6 counselors over last year’s budget. It is a 40 percent increase in counselors over last year.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to see what difference that will make,” Stoker said.
“At the last meeting, Edri said she wanted one counselor per school. We’ve found more counselors,” Rice said. “We need to move this budget forward. We’ve got to get this ship sailing. We’ve got to get the schools open.”
The district is required by state law to have an operating budget approved by Aug. 31.
Geiger and Gillespie suggested that other expenses not directly affecting students be cut to find the money for the counselors. Geiger said the district is spending $109,000 to repurpose the Jim Parsley conference rooms into offices. Gillespie suggested decreasing the district’s communications budget, which is almost $1 million. Both suggested decreasing the school board’s travel budget, such as giving up the trip to the national convention, in order to find money to hire more counselors.
“I hope the board’s travel is not the issue holding up this budget,” Stoker said. “I disagree. The board needs to be trained.”
“I’m a little confused with this constant detail,” Rice said. “Maybe as the reserves are not consumed, maybe more funding will become available. I don’t want to delay this (approving the budget). I still don’t know specifics of what Edri and Kathy want. Put numbers on it.”
Although Geiger and Gillespie had requested that public comment be allowed at the meeting, their request was denied by Stoker.
The board also is deadlocked in appointing a replacement for Nada Wheelock, a board member who resigned last month due to a conflict of interest when she was appointed as interim director of the district’s foundation.
At an Aug. 4 work session, the board could not agree on the board recruitment procedure or timeline. After a heated discussion Wednesday, they seemed no closer to determining a timeline for appointing a fifth board member who could break the gridlock.
“I don’t want to be pushy. We can’t make a decision,” Rice said. “One thing that’s not going to change is that Michelle (Giovannozzi) is going to be on our board Nov. 3.”
Then Rice made a motion to appoint Giovannozzi, who is running unopposed in the Nov. 3 election for the position currently held by Edri Geiger. Geiger is not running for re-election.
“It’s an easy answer. Michelle will be our next elected board director,” Stoker said.
When the vote to appoint Giovannozzi was called, Stoker and Rice voted yes, but Gillespie and Geiger voted no.
If the board fails to appoint a fifth board member in time, state law dictates the decision can be made by Educational Service District 112.
The next school board meeting is 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.
