May 2012 Board of Directors Meeting Recap

The regular meeting of the Heartland AEA Board of Directors was held on May 8, 2012.

Public Forum and Correspondence
Dr. Vincent noted that this week was school board recognition week in Iowa. Board members were presented with certificates of appreciation and flowers for their volunteer service to the Agency.

The Board acknowledged receipt of director district resolutions for the Adair-Casey and Ballard school districts. As part of the 2010 census, some districts have had to reconfigure their director district boundaries due to shifts in population.

Appointment of Secretary Pro-Tem
Ms. Terri Barnes, a Heartland executive assistant, was given the oath of office as secretary pro-tem.

Discussion Items
Board Committee Reports and Activities
AEA Boards of Directors Conference – The annual AEA Boards of Directors conference was held in April. Board members commented on the presentations and that all of the breakout sessions were well done. Dr. Bridgewater expressed his thanks to the AEA PR Committee for its hard work in scheduling the conference.
National School Board Association (NSBA) Conference – Ms. Borgen attended the NSBA conference in May. She attended many sessions on technology and virtual learning. There was a large mix of workshops offered.
Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) Law Conference – Dr. Rose shared information about the IASB School Board Law Conference held this month. He was pleased to note that the Agency was already doing many of the things that were recommended during the conference.

AEA 11 Director District Assignments
Dr. Vincent updated board members on the status of the Agency’s director district assignments. Iowa Code guidance for AEA director district assignments is different than that of school districts. When the University of Iowa prepared the first draft of maps and assignments, many of the nuances were not attended to. The University is relooking at the maps and will present a second option sometime within the next month.

2012-13 Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) Membership Dues
The Agency received its renewal notice for the 2012-13 IASB membership dues. The dues increased nine percent from 2011-12. Board members discussed the benefits of membership, including participation in the insurance pool/safety group.

Action Items
2012-13 Iowa Association of School Boards Membership Dues
A MOTION was made by Dr. Rose and seconded by Ms. Borgen to approve payment of the 2012-13 IASB membership dues. Motion passed 6 to 1. (Halliburton, nay)

Board members spoke briefly about two new positions on the personnel report. Kurt Subra, the successor to the Chief Financial Officer, will begin employment with the Agency on July 1. Kevin Fangman has been hired as the Director of District Services and will also begin July 1.

Closed Session
The Board then entered into closed session to evaluate the professional competency of individuals whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation and the individual requests a closed session. The Board entered into closed session at 6:21 p.m. and returned to public session at 7:16 p.m.

A MOTION was made by Dr. Rose and seconded by Mr. Christensen to extend the chief administrator’s contract one year and to increase her salary $6,000. Motion passed.

Chief Administrator Comments
• Dr. Vincent forwarded board members an update on federal legislation.
• The Agency is in the process of closing the school year with districts. Staffing needs for next year is progressing and that work has gone very well.