ZEELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
July 20, 2020
Administration Office
Immediately following the Organizational meeting
I. RECONVENE FROM ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING:
A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF VISITORS:
II. SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS
III. AGENDA MODIFICATIONS
IV. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Minutes of the June 15, 2020 Truth-in-Budget and June 17, 2019 Regular board meetings were approved.
B. Approved bills paid as of June 2020. Checks #131957-132159
Accounts Payable $1,032,137.90
Payroll: $4,137,042.07
TOTAL: $5,169,179.97
Rick Dernberger moved and Ron Scott supported the motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented.
VOTE: All Yes
V. DISCUSSION
A. Refunding of Bonds Resolution , as prepared by Thrun Law
The ZPS Board previously approved the refinancing of portions of the 2012 and 2015 bonds with the opportunity to save the taxpayers at minimum of $1,160,000. That process is now concluded. We have great news to share with our community - the former rate was 4.5%, the refinance rate was 2.2%. Total savings to taxpayers is $1.9 million. I congratulate and thank Lynn VanKampen, CFO of Zeeland Public Schools; Jeffrey J. Soles, Esq. of Thrun Law Firm, P.C.; Paul R. Stauder, Nathaniel A. Watson, Aaron Wright of PFM Financial Advisors LLC; Nicole Cinquegrana of Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp.; Jeffrey A. Zylstra, Brodie Killiank, Annette Jones, Bobby Jarosz of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated; Thomas D. Colis, Esq. of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.; Ellen M. Campbell, Patrick J. O'Donnell, Eric Meulenberg of The Huntington National Bank.
B. ZPS Preparedness Plan
As public officials, we all are bound, to the best of our abilities, to enact the Executive Orders that pertain to education. Zeeland Public Schools is mandated to build a Preparedness Plan in order to return to school this fall whether Our plan must match the bipartisan Michigan Safe Schools Roadmap to open schools. ZPS Plans to offer Face to Face and Remote Learning options.
This is an opportunity to brief the Board of Education on process to date. We expect a rollout Tuesday, July 21 or Wednesday, July 22. To discuss the details will
This is a good summary of the process to date:
Study the 63 pages of Governor Whitmer’s bipartisan Michigan Safe Schools Roadmap.
Participated in numerous legal, education based, and health based webinars, zoom sessions, regional and state-wide meetings. Studied more supporting documents that we can count.
Additionally, four ZPS Focus Groups met bi-weekly for the past month to consider local survey results, consider the Roadmap Phases 3,4,5 Requirements, Strong Recommendations, and Recommendations. Their work was forwarded to a ZPS team made up of the chairpersons of each Focus Group, ZEA leadership, and the Cabinet team with significant input from the Ottawa County Health Department. At the same time, all of us have been meeting with our local counterparts of most Ottawa County Districts and Schools. We did have an opportunity for discussion at the Policy and Goals Committee meeting.
ZPS Focus Groups
Curriculum, Instruction & Technology
Facilities & Operations
Wellness & Social Emotional Support
Community Connections, Communication & Extra Curricular
The Cabinet group is currently writing the ZPS COVID-19 Preparedness & Response Plan . This plan must be approved by the ZPS Board of Education by August 15th. I anticipate a special meeting.
We will be finalizing this afternoon, perhaps tomorrow morning, and I am planning to announce the plans tomorrow or Wednesday of this week.
VI. ACTION:
A. REFUNDING OF BONDS RESOLUTION
Mark Snyder moved and Todd Brennan supported the motion to approve the resolution presented by Thrun Law Firm ratifying the sale of the 2020 Refunding Bonds.
ROLL CALL: YEA: Brennan, Bush, Dernberger, DenHerder, Dewitt, Scott, Snyder
NAY:
VII. SUPERINTENDENT & REPORTS
The regular meeting of July 20, 2020 adjourned at 1:00 P.M.