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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-2026 Minutes Board Work MeetingDr. Scott Woolstenhulme, Superintendent 3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401  (208) 525-4400  Fax (208) 557-6800  www.d93schools.org Board of Trustees  Carissa Coats  Richard Hess  Paul Jenkins  Randy Smith  Mindy Clayton Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer Amended Work Meeting Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 11:30 AM PLC Building 3442 E Iona Rd Idaho Falls, ID 83401 Paul Jenkins: Present Randy Smith: Present Mindy Clayton: Present Richard Hess: Present Carissa Coats: Present I. Call to Order Board Chair Carissa Coats called the meeting to order at 11:32 a.m. II. Roll Call III. Opening Board Business III.A. Amend the Agenda (Action Item) A Board Member MOVES THAT THE BOARD PURSUANT TO IDAHO CODE §74- 204(4)(a) AMEND THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING AS FOLLOWS: To add: Select Health Insurance Contract as an Action Item under Planning and Personnel Reports and Recommendations. To add: Lincoln High School FY27 Calendar as an action item under Superintendent Reports and Recommendations. To add: TRHS Football Equipment Request as an action item under Learning and Instruction Reports and Recommendations. To add: Bonneville Online Eligible Education Expenses Resolution under Superintendent Reports and Recommendations as a discussion item. To remove: FY27 Master Agreement These items were received today and are time sensitive. Motion: To amend the agenda. This motion, made by Mindy Clayton and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. III.B. Approve the Amended Agenda (Action Item) Motion: To approve the amended agenda. This motion, made by Mindy Clayton and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. III.C. Welcome Visitors and Delegations Board Chair Coats welcomed everyone in attendance at the meeting. IV. Public Input: Pursuant to Board Policy #4105 Public Participation in Board Meetings, Public Input shall be held to a maximum of one (1) hour and will provide an opportunity for any Board Member, administrator, staff member, student, or patron to raise issues of interest. The Board will receive such input without comment, except to ask germane questions of those speaking. Comments should be limited to three (3) minutes. The Board will take no action relative to any items during the meeting unless on the agenda but may direct the Superintendent to report such items at a subsequent meeting. No public comments were received, and the public hearing was closed. V. Superintendent Reports and Recommendations V.A. 2026-2027 District Calendar (Action Item) Superintendent Woolstenhulme requested a revision to the Board meeting calendar by moving the scheduled August 26, 2026, work session to September 2, 2026. He explained that August 26 date falls during the district's teacher professional development week, making it difficult for district administrators to participate. Additionally, recent changes in state law require the district to receive valuation data from the State Department of Education before setting the annual L-2 tax levy, and that information is not available until August 31. Moving the work session to September 2 would allow the district sufficient time to receive the required data and prepare the necessary tax levy information for Board consideration. Motion: To approve the updated 2026-2027 District Calendar as presented. This motion, made by Paul Jenkins and seconded by Randy Smith, Passed. V.B. Lincoln High School FY27 Calendar (Action Item) Motion: To approve the Lincoln High School FY27 School Calendar. This motion, made by Richard Hess and seconded by Mindy Clayton, Passed. V.C. Bonneville Online Elementary Eligible Education Expenses Resolution Superintendent Woolstenhulme led a detailed discussion regarding the implementation of new state legislation governing virtual schools and educational service providers. He explained that the legislation requires greater district oversight and transparency regarding educational expenses for online students and shifts responsibility for approving and paying eligible expenses from third-party providers to the school district. The discussion focused on how the changes would affect Bonneville Online Elementary, Bonneville Online High School, and partnerships with providers such as Overture Learning and Williamsburg. Board members reviewed how educational resources, technology, internet access, curriculum materials, music instruction, and other supplemental learning opportunities could be funded under the new requirements. Considerable discussion centered on maintaining equitable opportunities for online students while ensuring appropriate oversight of public funds. Superintendent Woolstenhulme noted that many implementation details remain unresolved and recommended using the proposed resolution as a one-year framework to gather experience and feedback before developing a formal policy. Discussion also included extending certain provisions to eligible full-time online secondary students, establishing spending priorities and limits, and ensuring consistency between online and traditional educational programs. The Board generally supported continuing the resolution process while allowing additional time to evaluate the financial and operational impacts of the new law. V.D. Board Retreat Agenda and Itinerary Superintendent Woolstenhulme led a discussion regarding the upcoming Board retreat at Harriman State Park. The Board reviewed the proposed schedule, including a social activity and dinner on Tuesday evening, a Board meeting on Wednesday, and retreat sessions through Thursday morning. Discussion included inviting local legislators to meet with the Board prior to the retreat to discuss legislative priorities and potential Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) resolutions, followed by a tour of Willow Creek Elementary.The Board also reviewed potential retreat topics, including strategic planning, district key performance indicators, literacy initiatives, response to intervention (RTI), legislative priorities, resource allocation and budgeting, and Board self-evaluation. Board members emphasized the importance of aligning district resources with strategic goals and continuing discussions about long-term planning and governance. Superintendent Woolstenhulme indicated that a more detailed retreat agenda would be developed and shared with the Board prior to the retreat. VI. Planning and Personnel Reports and Recommendations VI.A. Update on Willow Creek Elementary Cody Jackson, Director of Facilities and Maintenance, provided an update on the Willow Creek Elementary construction project. He reported that the building interior is substantially complete, furniture delivery is scheduled for late June, and teachers are expected to be able to begin moving into classrooms around August 1. Mr. Jackson explained that the remaining primary challenge involves the installation of sewer and water lines associated with the 49th North road project. Coordination with the county, utility providers, and contractors is ongoing, but delays related to relocating power lines could impact the timeline for connecting utilities and obtaining the building's Certificate of Occupancy. If work proceeds as planned, the district anticipates receiving occupancy approval and opening the school on schedule for the start of the school year. However, contingency plans are being considered should utility delays extend into August or September. Board members discussed potential alternatives if occupancy is delayed, including adjustments to the school calendar and seeking relief from the Idaho State Board of Education if necessary. Despite the utility concerns, district staff expressed confidence in the overall progress of the project and optimism that the school will be ready for students as planned. VI.A.1. Bonneville County Reimbursement Agreement (Action Item) Cody Jackson, Director of Facilities and Maintenance, presented the development agreement with Bonneville County related to the 49th North improvements serving Willow Creek Elementary. He explained that the agreement establishes the district's share of the costs for roadway, water, and sewer infrastructure improvements necessary to provide access to the new school. Mr. Jackson reported that the district's portion of the project is $1,063,131, based on approximately 1,041 linear feet of frontage along the roadway. He noted that the cost was included in the project's budget and that Board approval was needed so the county could proceed with the improvements and utility work associated with the Willow Creek Elementary project. Motion: To approve the Bonneville County reimbursement agreement as recommended. This motion, made by Randy Smith and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. VI.B. Board Hearing: Complaint 26-03 Complaint Appeal Hearing Scheduling Discussion Superintendent Woolstenhulme informed the Board that the district had received a request to appeal against a complaint decision previously discussed in executive session. He explained that the appeal hearing would require the participation of Board members, the hearing officer, legal counsel/investigator Abby French, district administrators, involved coaches, complainants, and potentially Thunder Ridge administration. Due to the number of participants and scheduling challenges during the summer, the third week of June was identified as the most feasible timeframe for the hearing. The Board discussed holding the hearing on the evening of June 15, with the expectation that the hearing could last several hours depending on the number of witnesses, questions from the Board, and the amount of deliberation required. Superintendent Woolstenhulme also reminded the Board that district policy requires a decision to be issued within five days of the hearing, which could require the Board to reconvene following the hearing to finalize its decision. VI.C. Select Health Insurance Contract (Action Item) Superintendent Woolstenhulme reviewed the Select Health insurance contract that had previously been authorized for execution pending review by district administration. He explained that several contract provisions identified by Guy Wangsgard raised concerns and were submitted to Select Health for clarification. Select Health responded by email, addressing the district's concerns and indicating that the district's current practices were acceptable, but explained that the contract language itself could not be revised without additional approval from the Idaho Department of Insurance. The primary concern involved contract language prohibiting incentives for employees to opt out of district health insurance coverage, while the district currently provides a payment-in-lieu option for eligible employees who decline coverage. Although Select Health confirmed by email that the district's practice would be permitted, the contract language remained unchanged. To ensure the district had a clear record of the clarification, Superintendent Woolstenhulme recommended that the Board formally approve the contract based on the explanations provided in the email correspondence. The Board discussed including the email as part of the official record and approved moving forward with the Select Health insurance contract subject to those documented clarifications. Motion: To approve the Select Health Insurance contract on the conditions email as presented. This motion, made by Paul Jenkins and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. VII. Finance and Operations Reports and Recommendations VII.A. Supplemental Levy Recap Superintendent Woolstenhulme expressed appreciation to the Board, district staff, community supporters, and patrons for their efforts in the successful passage of the district's supplemental levy. Board members discussed the broad community support that contributed to the outcome and recognized the work of individuals and groups who helped educate voters and encourage participation. While celebrating the positive result, Superintendent Woolstenhulme emphasized that the district's financial challenges have not been fully resolved. He noted that even with the levy approval and previously approved budget reductions, the district still anticipates drawing from its fund balance and must continue implementing planned budget cuts and cost-saving measures. He cautioned that some programs and positions previously identified for reductions may still be affected despite the passage of the levy. The discussion also focused on the importance of ensuring levy funds are used as promised by voters and remain aligned with the purposes presented during the election. Board members emphasized the need for careful financial planning, transparency, and long-term budgeting to address enrollment declines, future facility needs, and the district’s ongoing financial sustainability. VIII. Learning and Instruction Reports and Recommendations VIII.A. HHS - Student Council to Leadership Conference - Logan, UT - 6/01/2026 - 06-03- 2026 (Action Item) Jason Lords, Executive Director of Learning and Instruction, presented a student travel request for Hillcrest High School students to attend a student leadership conference in Logan, Utah. The request was brought forward because it had not been included with the previously approved travel requests. Mr. Lords recommended approval of the trip. Motion: To approve the Hillcrest High School student travel request for student council to attend a leadership conference in Logan, Utah. This motion, made by Richard Hess and seconded by Mindy Clayton, Passed. VIII.B. TRHS Football Equipment (Action Item) Motion: To approve the Thunder Ridge High School equipment, request for summer camps as presented. This motion, made by Mindy Clayton and seconded by Randy Smith, Passed. IX. Closing Board Business IX.A. Request for Agenda Items for Upcoming Meetings (Action Item) Not needed. IX.B. Adjournment (Action Item) Motion: To adjourn the meeting. This motion, made by Mindy Clayton and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. The meeting adjourned at 1:02 p.m. APPROVED: ______________________________________ Chairman ATTESTED: _______________________________________ Clerk DATE: ___________________________________