Bulletin Board
The BOE meeting recap newsletter is shared after each regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The May Board of Education meeting was held on May 14, 2024.
Meeting Agendas:
The recording, which includes the pre-work session, work session, regular meeting, and public comment, is available here.
City Schools of Decatur Board of Education
Board Members
Mr. James Herndon, Chair
Dr. Carmen Sulton, Vice Chair
Mrs. Jana Johnson-Davis, Board Member
Mr. Hans Utz, Board Member
Ms. Tracey Anderson, Board Member
Student and Staff Recognition
Class of 2024 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
The valedictorian and salutatorian are the Decatur High School students who earned the highest and second highest grade point averages over the first seven semesters of high school. These outstanding students consistently exemplify academic excellence and dedication. They have received numerous acknowledgments for their exceptional academic achievements throughout high school, and both have bright futures as they graduate next week.
Alexander Gurch is the salutatorian and a candidate in the IB Diploma program. Alexander has made significant contributions in and out of the classroom, including participating in Ultimate and Fencing programs. Alexander has also excelled in Computer Science over the past two years. He will attend Georgia Tech next year.
Gordon Lichtstein is the valedictorian of the DHS Class of 2024. Gordon is an IB Diploma candidate and Dual Enrollment student at Georgia Tech. Additionally, Gordon has been named a 2024 Presidential Scholar, a 2024 National Merit Scholarship winner, and the 2024 STAR student for achieving the highest SAT score in the Class of 2024. Gordon will attend MIT next year.
Gordon and Alexander’s hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence have earned them this high honor and set a benchmark for their peers and future classes at Decatur High School. Congratulations!
Student Board of Education Representative and Apprentice Candidates
The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education believes that engaging the student body and seeking input and feedback regarding district educational programs and activities is vital to achieving its vision and mission and carrying out its strategic plan. To amplify the voice of CSD students, the Board passed Regulation BAB - R(1), creating the Student Board of Education Representative and Apprentice roles.
Thirteen sophomores and juniors stepped up and qualified to run to be the first student Board of Education representative and apprentice in CSD.
The Apprentice is a current sophomore, committing to working alongside the Board of Education for the next two years. These students were running to spend the 2024-2025 school year engaging in “training” before assuming the student board of education representative role for the 2025-2026 school year. We congratulate the following apprentice candidates:
William Baggenstoss
Ellison Belew
Astrid Joyce
Najma Noor
Anson Vu
Congratulations to the apprentice winner:
Nia Batra
The Representative role is a current junior committing to serve for the 2024-2025 school year. Congratulations to the representative candidates:
Luca Alvarez
Qaden Daise
Gabrielle Fenn
Reyes Le
Brex Miller Patton
Emily Silver
Congratulations to the Board of Education Student Representative winner:
Sophia D’Elena
Oakhurst Robotics Club
When 2nd-grade teacher Kelly Whelchel had the great idea to begin a robotics club, she enlisted the support of the Decatur High School team. DHS students Sydney and Isabelle volunteered with Oakhurst Elementary’s Robotics Club. These two young people continue to show up for our students week after week to help them brainstorm and overcome obstacles to creatively design and execute robotic masterpieces. Thank you, Sydney and Isabelle, for all that you do!
Ms. Kelly Whelchel had the idea to start a robotics club, and she has turned it into a lively and exciting experience for all participating students. She sought out and received grant funding from DEF and goes above and beyond to support the learning and happiness of children in the Robotics club, right down to some pretty cool t-shirts and an upcoming showcase of their hard work. Way to go, Ms. Whelchel, for making this idea come to life!
Cyber Safety and Strong Passphrases Poster Contest Winners
The Information Services Department organized a poster contest for students to educate teachers and other staff on best practices around cyber safety and strong passphrases.
Poster Contest Winners
Elementary winners
Zahra Samtani
Sveva De Gennaro
Secondary winner
Vasil Petkov
Elementary runners-up
Knoble Smith
Catherine Dutko
School Security Officer Jerome Tillery
School Security Officer Jerome Tillery joined our staff in July 2023. As a safety and security team member, he maintains visibility on school campuses and is instrumental in implementing building safety measures across the district. He works closely with administrators, offering support in addressing school safety matters and enforcing a range of safety and security measures, including access control, accident prevention, risk management, fire safety, emergency management, school safety plans, and coordination with local agencies for emergency management.
Before CSD, Officer Tillery served as a Master Officer for the DeKalb County Police Department and as a security supervisor at Emory University Hospital. Officer Tillery continues to receive applause for his response to a recent incident at DHS, where his 15 years of law enforcement experience and quick action proved critical to preventing the escalation of a potentially life-threatening situation for students, staff, and the surrounding community. In addition to school safety, Officer Tillery coaches wrestling and Little League football.
We salute Officer Tillery for his bravery, dedication to the safety of our district, and for being All In for the students and staff of CSD!
Winnona Park Elementary First Grade Team
Winnona Park’s 1st Grade Learning Expedition, “Growing and Caring for Others,” is more than the sum of its parts. This expedition brings learning to life and centers students as the leaders of their learning, pushing them to do more than they thought they could. “Growing and Caring for Others” was created by the team using 1st-grade ELA, Science, and Social Studies standards as the foundation. They tended the crops they planted in our garden and learned from community experts and field work to make the learning come alive. As a service-learning component, the team partnered with DEAM (Decatur Emergency Assistance Ministry) so that the students became active participants in helping neighbors in need. The 1st-grade team will deliver the fresh produce they grew in the school garden and canned food collected from the Winnona Park community to fill DEAM’s pantry. The students also collaboratively created Public Service Announcements focusing on caring for our garden and how to support DEAM.
Winnona Park’s First Grade Team: Monica Blackmon, Kristen Tavel, Heidi Westbrook, Kim Gordon, Matthew Hicks.
2023 - 2024 Retiree Recognition
The 2023-2024 retirees have dedicated their lives to shaping our school community and making a difference in students' lives. These retirees have given their all to education, pouring their hearts into teaching, guiding, and supporting generations of learners. They've been there for the ups and downs, the victories and challenges, always with a smile and a kind word.
As they embark on this new chapter of their lives, let's take a moment to thank them for everything they've done. Their hard work, dedication, and kindness have made our district a better place, and their legacy will live on in the memories of all those they've touched.
To our retirees, we wish you nothing but happiness and relaxation in your well-deserved retirement. Thank you for everything.
2023-2024 Retirees:
Ruth Bryant+
Joyce Butler #
Hazel Gibbon+
Donna Langley*
Belinda Mattox #
Jennifer McNulty
Carol Pasquale-Camirand
Terri Pope+
Gary Ragland #
Kari Rheney+
Linda Spadaccini #
Lolethia Spencer+
Argean Vokes*
Agnes Wells #
* < 30 years of service in CSD
# < 20 years of service in CSD
+ < 10 years of service in CSD
Chair's Comments
Good evening. On behalf of the Board of Education, thank you for continuing to be ALL In for CSD.
As always, we join the administration in recognizing this month’s celebrations. I want to add that, in May, we also join the national celebrations of the heritage, experiences, and contributions of Asian American & Pacific Islanders and Jewish Americans throughout history. As a school district, we remain committed to cultivating inclusive environments where every student is seen, heard, and successful.
Like you, our excitement for our graduating seniors increases as we draw closer to commencement on May 22. This annual event serves as the pinnacle and culmination of every school year. We congratulate all graduating seniors and look forward to formally celebrating with you next week!
Following the executive session, we began tonight’s board meeting with pre-work, where we continued our book study on “Great On Their Behalf,” which provides a practical guide for school boards to adopt and maintain a student-outcomes-focused mindset. We also provided feedback on an initial draft policy for Student Demonstrations and Strikes.
During the work session, three presentations were given with updates on student support services, the state of information services, and a monthly report on HR retention and staffing. All of the presentations are available on Simbli and represent our collective commitment to increasing the transparency of organizational operations.
Tonight’s agenda has a slight change. Our student and staff recognitions will be held just before public comments. We certainly look forward to applauding the many accomplishments of our students and staff later this evening.
As Dr. Whitaker mentioned in her remarks, the board is excited to meet and welcome our first student representative on the City of Decatur Board of Education. We are equally looking forward to meeting the second representative who will apprentice in preparation to serve for the following school year.
Following my comments, the board will take action on several important consent items, such as overnight/out-of-state student travel. Additionally, we will review a few leases and the food services management policy for approval.
The most important item on the Regular Meeting Agenda this month is the final recommendation of the FY25 budget for final approval and the millage rate adoption. The board tentatively approved this budget last month. As I have stated since we began this process in November, the entire board recognizes the importance of the district's current and future fiscal sustainability. We equally understand our role in maintaining organizational efficiency and attracting and retaining high-quality staff. I want to thank the community for your feedback online and during our community meetings and public hearings.
We believe this budget reflects our strategic five-year goals of:
Creating safe and positive learning environments
Ensuring fiscal sustainability
Cultivating and retaining high-quality professionals through competitive compensation and;
Providing equitable access and opportunities for all CSD students to reach their highest potential, particularly our traditionally underserved
Additionally, this budget encompasses our commitment to hiring and retaining the best in all areas and equity for ALL, including staff. While compensating teachers was the priority this budget year, we began evaluating compensation for all staff. Teachers can dedicate their time and energy to teaching because of the support provided by the Wilson Center staff and school departments. Like any major business, they work behind the scenes:
Hiring our professionals in HR;
Ensuring our facilities are safe and maintained and that students are transported to school, fed, and healthy in Operations;
Paying the bills in Finance, keeping the utilities on, compensating staff, purchasing the necessary supplies and equipment;
Overseeing all things technology, including internet access, cybersecurity, Campus Portal, and learning technology such as Google Classroom and Infinite Campus;
Determining the curriculum for instruction and facilitating teacher training in Teaching and Learning;
Providing student support services such as counseling, English as a Second Language, federal programs, and interventions; and
Implementing effective governance, managing student registrations, and district and school-level engagement and crisis management - all to support our teachers and schools in focusing on the classroom and student achievement.
To name a few.
I want to especially thank Dr. Whitaker, CFO Dr. Lonita Broome, and HR Chief Adena Walker for working closely with the board on the budget over the past few months.
In addition to the budget, we have talked a lot about safety. Last month, the board heard presentations about new safety tools the administration plans to implement districtwide next school year. With summer quickly approaching, when we see an increase in serious incidents involving youth, both in and out of school, CSD has partnered with a nationally acclaimed non-profit organization called Be Smart for Kids. The campaign includes circulating flyers and posters to schools and families, raising awareness that secure gun storage at home can save lives.
Superintendent's Comments
We've almost completed another school year, with a week until graduation and the last day of school! That means our students are full of mixed emotions, from excitement about the summer break to pride and uncertainty about their next chapters in life. Likewise, our staff are probably on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I am certain the countdowns have begun for some time away, reflection, and well-deserved rest. But we're not there yet.
We must continue to make every minute of our remaining time count. I challenge us to stay focused on our mission to inspire and enable student success through meaningful and engaging learning experiences. It is equally important that each class, school, or department takes a moment to evaluate the strides made this year and opportunities for potential future growth.
In addition to the end of another school year, May is the month we celebrate the importance of principals, from birth to high school, and all the work they do for the betterment of our schools, including all students and staff.
This month, we join the American Nurses Association in celebrating our incredible school nurses. They understand the link between health and learning and make a positive difference for students every day.
In May, we also honor our teachers. Last week, I recorded a video message expressing my sincere appreciation for our teachers and everything they do to ensure positive student outcomes for ALL students in CSD. Additionally, I sent a special email announcement to teachers, extending my appreciation to the Board of Education for tentatively approving the FY25 Budget.
The recommended FY25 budget includes a 7-14% salary increase for teachers and a step adjustment for eligible teachers. Fulfilling my commitment to improving staff compensation as your new superintendent has been one of my key priorities, second only to enhancing student performance. I am also pleased that the budget reflects a minimum increase of 5% for all CSD staff.
While I have issued a challenge for all of us to finish this school year strong, the entire month of May is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness, reminding us of the vital role of mental health in our overall health and well-being. Mental health truly matters. Please be aware that support and resources are available to students and staff to overcome challenges and successfully cross this year's finish line.
Next, as I round out my first year as superintendent of the City Schools of Decatur, I cannot thank my advisory councils enough. Without their feedback and engagement, I could not have served the Decatur community as I did. As I call the name of your advisory council, please stand to be recognized and then be seated.
System Charter Leadership Team Advisory Council (SCLT)
PTO Advisory Council
Elementary Student Advisory Council
Secondary Student Advisory Council
Support Staff Advisory Council
Teacher Advisory Council
Once again, I appreciate our monthly engagements and look forward to meeting your successors in the fall.
I eagerly anticipate tonight’s introduction of our first-ever Student Member of the Board during our traditional Board Recognition Section.
I have one final announcement this evening. The State Board of Education approved our amended charter contract last Thursday. You may remember that the document approved last year by the State Board of Education included the former charter’s innovative features. The new innovations align with our All-In Decatur Strategic Plan and are:
Amplify student voice by creating student representation with the Board of Education
Leverage community partnerships to implement a long-term eco-friendly facility plan, expanding early learning opportunities
Establish a Learn and Earn Apprenticeship that certifies students and student teachers in the Science of Reading
Ensure students are college and career-future-ready by aligning K-12 CTAE pathways to City of Decatur workforce development needs
We look forward to uploading the amended executed contract to our website.
Chair Herndon, that completes my report.
Board Meeting Action/Discussion/Information Items
FY25 Final Budget Approval
The Board unanimously approved the FY25 Budget of $123,633,083.
The FY25 budget includes a minimum 5% salary increase for all permanent employees and a step increase for eligible employees. Additionally, employees paid on the teacher’s salary scale will receive a $2,500 salary increase, which is included in the 7-14% salary increase and a step adjustment for eligible teachers.
The budget presentation is included in the meeting agenda linked here and can be heard starting at 2:00:29 in the meeting recording.
Tentative Millage Rate Approval
The Board unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 tentative millage rate of 20.30 for Maintenance and Operations.
The district has not received the tax digest from Dekalb County and, therefore, is required to project the percentage of tax growth. Based on conversations with the tax commissioner's office and other surrounding districts, the tax percent increase for FY2025 is projected to be 8%. An 8% tax digest growth and the current year's millage rate of 20.30 is sufficient to provide the district with the revenue required to fund strategic initiatives and maintain a fund balance between 4-15% as specified by board policy DCL. The proposed FY2025 millage rate is the same as the current FY2024 millage rate.
The city's tax digest is scheduled to be distributed in mid-May. At that time, the district will better understand the digest growth for the city of Decatur and be better able to project a more accurate millage rate.
The school district will hold three public millage rate hearings before adopting the final millage rate in June.
Consent Items
The Board unanimously approved the following consent items:
March Financial Report School Nutrition Fund
April Personnel Report
March Financial Reports
Overnight/Out-of-State Student Travel
Property - Wilson Center Purchase and Easement
The Board of Education unanimously authorized the Board Chair and the Superintendent to execute the real estate closing documents for the transfer of ownership of the central office property/Wilson Center property from the City of Decatur to the Board of Education of the City of Decatur.
Copier and Managed Print Services Lease
The Board unanimously approved for the superintendent to enter into a contract with Sharp Business System to provide the district with an equipment lease and software-as-a-service license for managed print services for one year, with an option to renew annually for up to four additional years, not to exceed $200,000 annually.
K-5 Student Device Lease
The Board unanimously approved the superintendent to enter into an agreement with CDW-G on a four-year lease, management license, and deployment services for 2,450 Chromebooks to be deployed to the K-5 sites. The lease will cost $177,762.76 annually for four years, with a $1 buyout option.
The majority of the K-5 Chromebooks have reached the end of their planned lifecycle, and the Information Services Department's lifecycle plan calls for a refresh this summer. The devices are expected to serve their primary role as K-5 devices for the next four years. The equipment is being procured under Sourcewell pre-bid instrument #121923. The pre-bid instrument allows City Schools of Decatur to procure the equipment and services without issuing an RFP. Most of the existing student devices will be put out for public auction to offset some of their total cost of ownership; some that were procured out-of-cycle will be deployed as loaners, used for training, pulled for parts, or otherwise repurposed.
Policy
Board of Education Meeting Information
Next Board Meeting: The next Regular Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at the Wilson School Support Center. The times for the work sessions and the meeting will be made available a week before the conference. The board will also convene for a retreat on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at Talley Street Elementary School, 10:00-2:00.
Link to Join Board Meeting Virtually: https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/95614159391
Board Agenda(s): Go to Simbli to access the CSD Board of Education meeting agenda(s), supporting documents, and meeting minutes.
Public Comments: Click here for information on signing up to speak at a CSD Board meeting.
Contacting Board Members: Email the entire Board at board@csdecatur.net. Click here to view board member bios and contact information.
City Schools of Decatur Board of Education
Email: board@csdecatur.net
Website: csdecatur.net
Location: 125 Electric Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: (404) 371-3601