RIVERVIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 407
CARNATION, WA 98014
Minutes of Board of Directors’ Meeting
November 30, 2010
District Office – Conference Room A/B
CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Bawden, Board President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM, followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Mr. Bawden, Ms. Oviatt, Mrs. Van Noy, Mr. Pflugrath, Mr. Edwards
Student Representatives: Ms. Bawden, Mr. Koons
COMMUNICATIONS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS AND HEARING OF PUBLIC
Mr. Bawden thanked the maintenance and transportation staff and all others who dealt so well
with the weather last week. He also congratulated Danny Edwards who was elected to be the
new Region 2 representative to the Washington State School Directors’ Association.
Mr. Bawden announced the Board would hold a Breakfast Work Study at 7:00 AM at the Raging
River Café in Fall City on December 3rd on Board initiatives.
Ms. Oviatt mentioned the League of Education Voters was holding an advocacy skills training
on January 8th in case any one was interested in attending.
Mrs. Van Noy noted she would attend the School of Distinction Award Ceremony for Carnation
Elementary School on Thursday, December 2nd, at the Seattle School District.
Mr. Edwards reported the first annual powder puff football game took place with the Cedarcrest
senior girls beating the freshman in the final game.
Agenda Adjustment
Motion 10-88: To amend the November 30, 2010 Consent Agenda by revising Item C.
Approval of Personnel Actions and Item D. Approval of Service Contracts to reflect current
changes. (Bawden and Van Noy) Unanimous.
Student Representative Report
Ms. Bawden reported on the following:
ASB:
 ASB is planning a pep assembly for December 17th to recognize winter sports. This day
will also most likely be made into a spirit day as “Ugly Sweater Day.”
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Student Representative Report, Cont.
ORGANIZATIONS:
 FFA: The annual wreath sale has begun! Members will be at all upcoming major events
to take orders. Members are also preparing for an upcoming job interview competition,
and Mrs. Thomas will soon be going to the National Agricultural Teachers Convention to
receive Teacher of the Year.
 FBLA: Ms. Bielstein and seven officers returned Monday from the National Fall
Leadership Conference in Washington DC, where they participated in business and
leadership workshops. Twenty-five members attended the regional fall conference at
Marysville-Pilchuck. Selling food after school from the Pack Shack is still in the works.
 NHS: New members attended their first meeting on November 16th. A road clean up is
scheduled for Saturday, December 4th. Members are helping with the REF phonathon,
and busy organizing Food Ball, arranging to make boxes and signs for the food drive and
delivering food to Hopelink.
Mr. Koons addressed the following:
 RAK: Due to the lack of advisory periods the club hasn’t met in a while but most recently
the personal products drive was a big success. The club is also starting to brainstorm
ways to fundraise money to have a water well built in Africa in February.
 VSMA: Sports medicine club plans on attending the December VSMA conference.
SPORTS:
 Wrestling: Hydration and weight assessment will be done on Wednesday to determine
wrestler weight classes. The first event is the White River tournament this Saturday.
 Boys Basketball: There are three games this week, the first being this Wednesday at CHS
against Woodinville. Friday there is another at Cedarcrest against WF West and Saturday
the team is traveling to Leavenworth.
 Girls Basketball: The girls have a fairly young team this year. Their first game is on
Thursday at CHS.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion 10-89: To approve the November 30, 2010 Consent Agenda as amended. (Van Noy and
Edwards) Unanimous.
Approval of Regular School Board Meeting Minutes for November 9, 2010 and Board Work
Study Minutes for November 5, 2010
Approval of Warrants
General Fund Warrant No. 178613 through 178721 in the amount of $131,437.79, and direct
deposits of $6,534.56; Capital Projects Fund Warrant No. 178605 through 178608 in the amount
of $1,908,445.21, No. 178722 through 178736 in the amount of $73,317.75, and direct deposits
of $713.89; ASB Fund Warrant No. 178737 through 178762 in the amount of $14,800.94, and
direct deposits of $202.43; and Private Purpose Trust Fund Warrant No. 178763 through 178764
in the amount of $182.30, direct deposits of $1,573.08, and Void Warrant No. 178597 in the
amount of $700.00. Total payroll for November 15, 2010 was $40,024.61 which includes
General Fund Warrant No. 178609 through 178612 in the amount of $2,240.06, and direct
deposits of $33,128.72.
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CONSENT AGENDA, Cont.
Approval of Personnel Actions, as amended
Approval of Service Contracts, as amended
Approval of Budget Status Reports
Approval of Resolution No. 10-17, Final Acceptance of Commissioning of HVAC System at
Tolt Middle School
OLD BUSINESS
Construction Update
Tim Ausink, Heery International, updated the Board on Construction projects.
Riverview Learning Center
Framing of the building is in progress.
Off-site curb locations have been saw-cut, curb installation and sidewalk patching repair
is expected to be complete in the coming month (weather permitting).
Base course paving of the new parking lot and fire loop has been completed.
Installation of on-site curbs and sidewalks has been completed.
Installation of island irrigation in the parking lot has been completed.
The project is currently on schedule and forecasting to be within budget.
Carnation Elementary Modernization
Interior remodeling of the 1980’s wing classrooms, faculty lounge and restrooms is
nearing completion. Casework and ceiling tile installation are nearly complete, as well as
the plumbing and electrical installations.
Replacement of casework at the administration office has been completed with the
exception of the health room which will be completed within the next two weeks.
Replacement of new shelving that was cut too short in classrooms and the Learning
Resource Center will be competed in the next week.
Northwestern Construction has demolished portions of the kitchen to upgrade the
structure and install new kitchen equipment. Framing improvements have been
completed and a new roof has been installed. Pending inspection by the City of
Carnation, we can then move into insulation, drywall, and interior finishes, including
kitchen equipment by the end of December.
The 1980’s wing should be ready to move back into over winter break.
Cherry Valley Elementary Additions and Modernization
Grading of the east access road to Third Avenue NE is ongoing. The retaining wall on
the west side of the road has been poured and ninety percent of the curbs on the east side
of the road have been poured. Remaining curbs will be poured as weather permits.
New outside parking lot lighting has been installed and is now functional at the east
entrance, east parking lot and east access road.
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Cherry Valley Elementary Additions and Modernization, Cont.
Framing for the cafeteria addition is nearing completion. Roofing of the addition is
underway. HVAC, electrical and plumbing installations are in progress.
Classroom remodeling of the 1980 wing (classrooms 15-21) is ongoing. Enlargement of
existing window openings is complete and new windows have been installed. HVAC and
electrical system upgrades are ongoing, drywall installation and interior painting is
complete; and casework installation is in progress. Plumbing fixtures installation will
begin following casework installation.
With the problem of frozen pipes, certain areas will need to be enclosed in the future.
The extra efforts of the job superintendent are to be commended during the Thanksgiving
weekend.
The project is currently on schedule and on budget.
Cedarcrest High School New Baseball Field and Miscellaneous Improvements
Construction of the concrete block walls for the softball field dugouts has been
completed.
Installation of the irrigation lines has been completed at the crib block wall.
Installation of the sub-drainage lines at the baseball field is ongoing (weather permitting).
Construction of baseball bleacher footings/piers is nearly complete.
Fire line installation has been completed.
Landscaping enhancements are in progress; installation of light pole bases and layout for
curbs have been completed at the west parking lot/property line.
Fencing installation at baseball field ramp/stair/retaining wall is in progress.
Sod installation is complete at restored areas of the softball fields and softball infield soil
has been graded and covered for protection from wet weather conditions.
CDK is monitoring and maintaining erosion control measures throughout wet weather
months to improve stability of on-site soils and quality of storm water runoff. Erosion
control measures including covering the baseball field and other areas of exposed soil in
plastic, hydroseeding slopes for stabilization, laying down straw to lessen the flow of
runoff, utilizing installed storm water systems to control storm water discharge, and
maintaining silt fencing.
Excavation, forming, reinforcing, and pouring of the roof and bleacher footings/piers is
ongoing at the football field.
Due to ongoing wet weather conditions, the project is currently tracking behind schedule.
Strategic Plan Status
Goal 3: Provide Human Resources and Communication practices to improve student
learning.
Objective 3A: Continue to implement a five-year Human Resources (HR) plan.
Task 2: Research appropriate national turnover data to determine employee retention
success. Sandy Bechtel, HR Coordinator, reported the difficulty in finding up-to-date
national teacher turnover data. The most recent information found was for the end of the
2003-04 school year from the National Center for Education Statistics. According to
their data, 16.9% of the teacher workforce left the public and private schools where they
had been teaching. Our district data shows that we had a 10.4% reduction during that
same year.
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Strategic Plan Status, Cont.
Goal 3, Objective 3A, Task 2, Cont.
The Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) completed a Reduction
in Force study in 2009 for Washington K-12 teachers. New hires in all endorsement
areas, transfers and retirements all reflected economic pressures. While districts were
reducing their workforce, there were also fewer teachers leaving their positions than in
past years. An overall reduction in numbers, along with a tendency to stay in current
positions, put pressure on the districts’ ability to hire beginning teachers. There were
1,265 fewer beginning teachers hired in 2009-10 than in 2002-03. In addition, retirement
age in the work force is increasing.
Task 3: Analyze staff turnover data, survey data, and hiring data. Sandy Bechtel
compiled Riverview staff turnover data and presented a matrix for the last five years. She
reported certificated employees’ turnover decreased from 6.59% in 2008-09 to 5.38% in
2009-10. Classified staff turnover increased from 4.57% in 2008-09 to 8.28% in 200910. The majority of classified staff left due to moving, going back to school or had
family/personal reasons. Certificated administrator turnover has remained steady at 0%
for the past three years, while classified administrator turnover has decreased from 20%
over the past two years to 0% in 2009-10. Classified exempt turnover has remained
steady at 0% for the past four years.
The district continues to recruit new teachers by attending the Washington State Career
Fair in Tacoma each year, and Dr. Heikkila also attends Western Washington
University’s CSD Special and Rehabilitation Services Career Fair. In 2008-09 we hired
13 new certificated staff. In 2009-10 we hired 20 new certificated staff. We didn’t
experience a significant reduction in hiring until 2010-11 when we only hired three new
certificated staff. Riverview offers a wide-range of staff development opportunities to all
employees at no charge, which is an important program in retaining quality staff.
WSSDA Conference Report
The Board shared information about their recent Washington School Directors’ Association
(WSSDA) Conference in Spokane.
Mr. Bawden noted some interesting sessions he attended: Eastmont School District on
Teacher/Student Boundaries; Computers and Cell Phones, presented by several attorneys;
Consolidation of School Districts in Washington State; and School Board Leadership, a panel
discussion with education leaders, including author and education historian Diane Ravitch via
videoconference.
Ms. Oviatt mentioned the following sessions of interest: Civil Rights in Schools, by Linda
Mangel, JD, Director of Education Equity, ACLU-WA; Social Media: Is it the New Way to
Connect with the Community?; and Engaging and Representing the Community’s Values and
Expectations, which brainstormed a lot of different ideas on ways to engage the community.
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WSSDA Conference Report, Cont.
Mrs. Van Noy said she attended some of the same sessions but truly enjoyed the inspirational
speaker, Dr. Joe Martin. A session on policies showed how important Board policies are and
that the Board must review them. She was one of the presenters in the Discussion of “Waiting
for Superman” that shared parts of the movie with discussion on the pros and cons, noting all
participants agreed that education is now being discussed at all levels.
Mr. Pflugrath also felt Dr. Martin’s speech was very impressive; he was disappointed in the
Social Media session, hoping to get more direction for administrators; and he was really
impressed with the Eastmont District presentation on teacher/student boundaries.
Mr. Edwards mentioned he was at the Conference a day earlier as he graduated from Leadership
WSSDA. Several of his favorite sessions were Making a Difference: Education Advocacy Starts
With You! about being on a first name basis with your legislators and having a louder
community voice; and also Conflict of Interest: What Every School Director Needs to Know by
the Washington State Auditor’s Office and WSSDA’s Director of Policy and Legal Services. He
congratulated the student representatives for their great job representing Riverview in the Student
Representatives to the Board session. Mr. Edwards also attended his first Legislative Committee
meeting, noting WSSDA added District Consolidation to their top standard issues.
Ms. Bawden was interested in the Civil Rights session about cyberbullying and sexting; the
session called Since Time Immemorial about Native American curriculum included in history
class; How Healthy are Your Classrooms? on environmental quality in classrooms; and enjoyed
the trip to the Skills Center, learning more about Riverview’s opportunities.
Mr. Koons also enjoyed the Skills Center visit. He attended a session with Dr. Joe Martin who
continued the discussion of his keynote speech; a session on sexual awareness classes focused on
teen pregnancies in districts and felt Cedarcrest was very lucky to have Ms. Filer for the Health
teacher; and a session called What Districts Can Do to Award World Languages Competencybased Credit, about bilingual students and how districts can assess their skills to receive a
competency-based credit for World Languages.
Mr. Robertson enjoyed the Closing Speaker, Jim Bearden, who spoke with humor and many
practical examples on leadership. One session that stood out was CORE-24: One District’s
Career and College Ready Effort, presented by La Center School District and the State Board of
Education Policy Director. This small school district shared insight about transitioning from old
graduation requirements to CORE-24.
Mr. Robertson also brought up the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS) in
which 120 groups are members, 55 of them are school districts. Their goal is to preserve the
McCleary ruling by the State Supreme Court, and they are asking all school districts in
Washington to consider a resolution of support and pay a one-time fee of $1.95 per student. The
School Board agreed to add this item to the next Board meeting.
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First Reading: New Policy 2032, Copyright Compliance; Revised Policy 4020, Use of Tobacco
on School Property; Revised Policy 4055, Release of Information Concerning Sexual and
Kidnapping Offenders; and Revised Policy 5085, Leave Sharing
Motion 10-90: To approve Policies 2032, 4020, 4055, and 5085 for First Reading (Oviatt and
Pflugrath) Discussion followed on Policy 4020 and 4055 with concerns expressed on certain
language. The Board asked for further clarification before approving these two policies.
Ms. Oviatt and Mr. Pflugrath withdrew their motion and second.
Motion 10-91: To approve Policies 2032 and 5085 for First Reading. (Van Noy and Oviatt)
Unanimous.
REPORTS
Superintendent Report
1. Mr. Robertson thanked the school board for the opportunity to join the school board and
student representatives in attending the Washington State School Directors’ Association
Conference in Spokane last week.
2. He congratulated the following board members:
Danny Edwards who was selected to represent this region on the WSSDA Legislative
Committee and also graduated from Leadership WSSDA.
Carol Van Noy who will continue to serve on the WSSDA Board of Directors.
Dan Pflugrath who won one of the grand prizes at the WSSDA Conference – the Ludia
eBeam edge and the eBeam capture pack which will be used to enhance technology in
the school room.
3. Thank you to Glynis Bawden and Greg Bawden for representing the Riverview School
District in the WSSDA presentation on Student Representatives to the School Board. We
received positive comments from various school boards throughout the state following the
presentation and throughout the conference. He thanked Mrs. Van Noy for also presenting
on the Waiting for Superman discussion session.
4. We received word that the Duvall City Council approved our Six-Year Capital Facilities
Plan.
5. The Riverview School District is again fortunate to have teachers receive national board
certification. Once we receive official notification, the recipients will be acknowledged at a
January school board meeting.
6. The make up days for the November 22 and 23 school cancellations are Thursday, June 16
and Friday, June 17 as listed on the school calendar. If we miss any more school, the
calendar committee will convene to make a recommendation to the school board. The
calendar committee consists of parents, community member, classified staff, certified staff
and administrators.
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Superintendent Report, Cont.
7. We are currently developing a plan to make up Parent Teacher Conferences which were
cancelled due the snow storm last week.
8. Carnation Elementary School will receive their School of Distinction Award on Thursday,
December 2nd at 5:00 PM at the John Sanford Center in Seattle. Carol Van Noy will
represent the School Board.
9. Enclosed is a letter from the Tolt High School Graduation Class of 1960 announcing a $650
annual donation to the Tolt Middle School Saul Haas Fund in memory of their classmates
who have passed away. This donation permits Tolt Middle School to qualify for a matching
$650 grant from the Saul Haas Fund to assist student needs at TMS.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mr. Bawden adjourned the November 30, 2010 School Board
meeting at 8:45 PM.
_________________________________
Board President
__________________________________
Board Secretary
MINUTES RECORDED BY
Cheryl B. Layman, Recording Secretary to the Board of Directors.
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