Board Highlights: April 18, 2017

Batavia High junior Isabel Walker and senior Kylie Tevonian were both celebrated by their teachers, BHS Art Teacher Dawn Zalkus and BHS English Teacher Amy Biancheri, for earning the highest Gold Medal honor in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Isabel earned gold for her 2016 Rock the Runway wearable art titled, “ghost,” and Kylie earned gold for her essay/memoir, “Nine Lives.” Alumni of the Scholastic Awards have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Philip Pearlstein, and Sylvia Plath. More recently, Stephen King, Richard Linklater, Zac Posen, and Lena Dunham received Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as teens. Both Isabel and Kylie have been invited to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national ceremony, which will be held at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 8, 2017.

Celebration: Batavia CANDO Exemplary Award Recipients

Batavia CANDO Chair Deb Grizzell presented CANDO’s 2017 Exemplary Educator Awards to the following BPS101 educators:

• East Side Elementary Educator: Rhonda Gamlin, PE teacher at J.B. Nelson School.

• West Side Elementary Educator, co-recipients: Karen Nellis, Early Childhood teacher; and Kari McQuillan, 4^th grade teacher, both at Alice Gustafson School.

• Middle School 6^th grade Educator: Amanda Marinko, math teacher

• Middle School 7^th grade Educator: Marybeth LaClair, social studies teacher

• Middle School 8^th grade Educator: Keith Ozsvath, band director

• High School Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Educator: Phillip Salisbury, social studies teacher

•  High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Educator, co-recipients: Christopher Ozarka, math teacher and Kirk Tanka, science teacher

• Administrator: Kristen Stern, instructional technologist/AP coordinator

CANDO sponsors the Exemplary Educator Award to “honor teachers and administrators who go above and beyond to nurture creativity, curiosity, and ingenuity in gifted learners, while supporting and encouraging these students in their development as a whole person.”

Celebration: Jason Stoops

BPS101 Superintendent Dr. Lisa Hichens presented outgoing Board Member/Vice President Jason Stoops with a plaque to celebrate his four years of dedicated service on the Board of Education. Mr. Stoops’ trademark sign-off at Board Meetings, “Go Bulldogs,” has been officially retired … and will be missed!

Report: Options for Lighting Upgrade

The FY18 Capital Projects Plan allocated $1M for lighting efficiency upgrades to replace outdated fixtures and save on electrical and operational costs. While the BPS101 Capital Projects Committee recommended this project as a priority, it could not reach consensus on whether to let the work through a standard bid process or utilize a performance contract. BPS101 Director of Operations Mark Anderson and Chief Financial Officer Tony Inglese led a Board discussion about the key considerations and comparison of both approaches. At the end of the discussion, the Board agreed on a performance contract to know the full project cost before entering into an agreement, to avoid change orders, and to keep the contractor accountable for the entire project.

Action: FY18 Insurance Renewal

In a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the medical and dental insurance benefit plans and changes as presented by Chief Financial Officer Tony Inglese on behalf of the District Insurance Committee. Mr. Inglese pointed out that insurance benefits for BPS101 employees have not changed in over a decade. The approved changes should save the District over $600,000 next year and save employees approximately 5.5% on annual premiums.

Action: Policy and Procedures

The Board adopted revisions to the following policies and procedures: 4:110 Transportation, 4:110-AP3 Paid Busing, and 4:110-AP4 Pupil Transportation Eligibility.

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