Notes

From Kim

Kim Zaiman provided the following notes on the 622 board meeting of 19 February 2008.

BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of Independent School District No. 622 that the School District will not provide desegregation transportation for District 622 students attending EMID schools beginning July 1, 2009.

After discussion along with the requisite blaming of EMID and MDE, they decided to amend the resolution in include “will not provide desegregation transportation unless reimbursed by EMID”. The resolution was then passed unanimously.

The most puzzling/disturbing comment made during discussion was regarding the agenda item that was removed. You know the one where they were trying to pass a resolution that was clearly contrary to MN Statutes? Marc Cove stated at 8:03pm “None of us wanted it (the resolution) on there. We were glad that it was removed.”

If they didn’t want it on the agenda, why was it there? Hmmmm. One of the many mysteries that seem to surround the ISD622 School Board. I suppose this means we’ll never understand the reason the resolution was written in the first place too.

We’ll see you at the EMID board meeting Wednesday night, 7pm, Harambee MLC.

From Jessica

Jessica Morgan provided the following notes.

Let me start off by saying thank you to all of you who were able to make time to attend tonight. Again, we had very little notice and we still put a noticeable crowd in the room. Way to go!

I have close to a blow by blow of the entire meeting, but I won’t bore you with all of those details. If you are particularly interested in other parts of the meeting, please feel free to request additional notation. For those of you who don’t know me – I probably should have taken shorthand in high school, but I’m young enough to not have had that option (and it’s not often I get to claim youth!) I just write like crazy and hope I can read my notes in the end.

So – not related to the EMID transportation issue, let me say that I heard audible gasps in the room when Troy Miller spoke on the American Indian Parent Committee Progress Report. Troy began by indicating that 622 has a community member that is acting as a consultant. One of this consultant’s responsibilities is identifying American Indian students and “one reason for that is dollars.” Troy continued to say that with those dollars, they can do more education. They are also accessing title VII dollars and they’ll be hosting the Native drum and pride dance at the middle schools. A parent consultant has also been brought on to help with attendance. And I believe that Troy was referring to the drum and pride dance when he said that it’s scheduled in May to honor American Indian Heritage Month.

I believe the gasps I heard were people in shock that Troy said out loud and in public that they were identifying students from a particular racial group in order to get money. People’s shock continued (I believe again) when Troy said that they were waiting for three months to have this event because they were waiting for American Indian Heritage Month to come.

Concerning the transportation issue – Kim has already given you the short version, so I will go ahead and give you the long version:

Denny Sullivan (ISD622 business manager) was presenting the agenda item. The resolution to not provide transportation needed some clarifying….he indicated that 622 had gotten some guidance from a transportation specialist at MDE that said starting July 1, 2009, ISD622 is no longer eligible to receive desegregation transportation aide (since 622 officially has withdrawn from the EMID collaborative effective July 1, 2009. He went on to state that he believed that it was the final month of school in the EMID 2008-09 school year that is in question. Denny said that 622 can’t pay for transportation. Denny’s concern is and has been that 622 transportation will already have the routes established. If EMID will reimburse, 622 is willing to continue the transportation for that last month of school. Denny told the board that he has had several conversations with Shari Thompson and that Shari had asked if 622 was willing to provide transportation and he said that he has told her yes, if EMID is willing to provide the funding.

To this day, Denny says that he has no “official” word that EMID will pay the reimbursement of their projected $10,000-$15,000 for that month. He anticipated that the eventual outcome is that EMID will receive the transportation and that 622 will receive the reimbursement. He said that he thinks the resolution is good and that it only means that 622 will provide transportation with official word that EMID will provide reimbursement.

Our own 622 board representative then spoke up (without speaking into her microphone, which was a pattern throughout the meeting) and asked if “we” were stuck on the term “desegregation”? [this next part is a guess of what she said because I couldn’t hear her very well…] She then said something about Dr. Wahlstrom has pledged the reimbursement, but that the EMID board has not given any official word.

It was then decided that they would soften the wording – it was also suggested that an amendment could be made to the resolution in the future. The wording then became …”will not provide desegregation transportation for 622 students unless reimbursed by EMID for students attending EMID schools.”

Next came some “editorializing” from Marc Cove… He referred to a letter that Shari Thompson sent to Denny Sullivan, he proceeded to read it aloud to everyone. He said that 622 is being asked to put themselves in a double jeopardy position. He indicated that he was fine with not setting precedent with busing and that he supported the friendly wording change regarding “desegregation busing.” He added that the request needs to come from EMID and he assumed it would be discussed at the EMID board meeting. (Could anybody else feel Patty watching us at this point?)

It was mentioned that Carl Wahlstrom can’t make that decision without approval from the EMID board. Denny Sullivan then mentioned that transportation will continue with the costs reimbursed, that 622 wasn’t looking for a profit.

The Superintendent, Patty Phillips then added that she and Denny can’t tell the parents a decision regarding the issue – they don’t have the authority to do that without board input. At this point, the school board decided to add “during the last month of the EMID 08-09 school year” to the resolution.

Ms. Auge’ then piped in saying that the EMID board has taken no action on transportation.

Patty said that this resolution was her interest.

Some more things were said, but I really couldn’t hear them well enough to confidently relay them.

Announcement

622 Board meeting TONIGHT

Please come Tuesday February 19th
7pm at 622 Education Center, 2520 East 12th Avenue
North St. Paul, MN 55109

The 622 board has a resolution on the agenda to forbid EMID transportation for 622 families who want to take advantage of open enrollment in EMID schools.