Bryant PTSA Board Meeting Minutes – May 2019

Kathy Austin

May 22nd at 7 pm

Welcome and Introductions,Kim Love & Whitney Griesbach

Approve April Board Meeting Minutes (to be approved next meeting)

Officer/Standing Committee Reports

  1. Treasurer’s Recap Report (7:10-7:15) Brita Willis & Lorraine Sawicki
    • 12k from Blast
    • PTSA staffing grants = 72K
    • Budget Committee Meetings came up with preliminary budget
    • Fiscal sponsor for other clubs, total we hold for others = 109k
    • Lorraine is leaving to move to San Francisco, in need of co-treasurer for next year
  2. Legislative Chairs Report,Jean Charette, Yvonne  Roberts & Diana Fryc    
    • Levy lifted end of last legislative session=collect additional 3k per student
    • List of bills WA State/PTSA supported provided: 28 total passed
    • Feedback from leg that they were hearing from Bryant specifically!
  3. Bryant Leadership Team, Kim Love
    • Wrapping up school improvement plan
    • Trying to determine whether or not to have math goals, decided to leave it up to grade levels to make goals that are grade appropriate
    • 5th grade curriculum night held in spring, positive feedback and great turnout
    • Information sent out to second language parents, coordinated with ELL teacher
    • ELL dinner being held on May 23rd for ELL parents/teachers/ELL teacher
  4. Principal’s Report, Charmaine Marshall
    • Restoration of Anne (librarian) to full time
    • Assistant Principal restored to full time
    • Census numbers looking better for next year than they currently are-this will help restore PCP- should be able to be back to 2 PE teachers, 1 FTE Art, .5 Music
    • This isn’t set in stone until census numbers are set
    • No counselor still, Bryant has not been ever designated a counselor, these are designated for high ACES schools, and free and reduced lunch
    • Student and teacher surveys have come back- reviewed in meeting
      • Student Report:
        • Areas of concern: adults care about me/students in my class are focused on learning/
        • Focusing on more support for students that originally anticipated, drilling down to provide those supports based on what this report indicates
        • Increased incidents of bullying/defiance from students
        • Working to equip teachers with tools to work with kids in the midst of bullying
        • Also looking to train playground staff as this is an area where bullying occurs
        • Encouraging kids to report incidents immediately
        • Increase communication to parents around incidents and how to provide more support
        • Looking to increase SEL books in library and in collaboration with other schools
        • Anne is creating an SEL library, first focus on 3rd grade, working to make this available to all grade levels along with SEL lessons during library time
        • Staff climate survey: overall very positive!
        • Principal had very positive remarks about the culture at Bryant and how fantastic it is!
  5. LASER Report, Eric Noble
    • Summer camp opens, starting to fill up!
    • Fall registration opened in early May
    • Working to shift room usage at LASER to provide more space for more kids
    • LASER is having a family event on June 6th! 5:30-7pm
    • LASER Board positions are open soon
    • Board meetings are open to all, 2nd Thursday of every month usually at Bryant

New Business

  1. Drafted PTSA Budget for Approva, Brita Willis
    • (Please see Prelim Budget document)
    • Highlights:
      • Annual Campaign increased by 26k, however expenses also increased by basically same amount
      • Will not use reserve to pay for staff positions
      • Discussion around affording to pay for a counselor, determined that PTSA does not have current funds for that position
      • Anne Sonnen made motion/Motion passed
      • 68% of budget is for staffing positions already, determined we did not have capacity at this time for another fundraising effort to fund additional staff (including counselor)
      • 68% of staff funding for next years budget includes:
        • Artist in Residence
        • Subs for Teacher Assessments
        • Volunteer Coordinator (hours cut this coming year)
        • Instructional Support (increased hours this coming year from .4 to .5, with idea that some of time will go towards math as well)
        • Tutoring
        • Lab Tech Manager
        • Instrumental Music
        • Recess Supervision
        • Moving pieces on this budget include enrollment and amount of carryover may fluctuate
        • Also school supply ask will fluctuate depending on enrollment
        • Discussion around increasing communication around what families fund with their donations to the PTSA. Treasury to work with Communications to increase transparency and education around what is being funded and why
  2. Bryant Blast Recap (7:50-7:55) Ann Sonnen
    • Great day! 12k earned. Tried a few new things including pre-pay on line and credit cards, asked teachers to join more overtly this year
    • New Blast leaders this year, thank you and great job!
  3. Nomination Committee’s Slated Candidates, Tammy Shorr
    • Nominations approved!                                             
  4. Playground Update:
    • Consensus amongst kids is to add more age-appropriate structures
    • Parent interest in turf field (which is not allowed by district)
    • Sought quotes, around 175K for what is being asked
    • Other option is wait for district to replace structures, but won’t happen until structure is 40 or more years old (!!!)
    • Most popular grants sought for this project has fallen to 25k
    • We do have strong support from the community and willingness to donate time and money
    • We have a great and dynamic playground committee, and we have the desire!
    • Other grants available through King County Parks and some national grants
    • More research is needed before we can approve this project
    • Will put another survey to see what people want from PTSA