April 16, 2009

PTA Meeting

Attending:

John Wong, Jim Thirtyacre, Brad Kaplan, MJ Call, David McIlhenny, Meserve Platt, Robyn Lipsky, , Brad Kaplan, Nancy Sur

Absent:

John Rothmann, Gary Goldsborough, John Olden

Amanda Bloch: Administrative representative

Meeting called to order at 6:45pm

Minutes from March read by Nancy Sur, Robyn Lipsky moved to approve, Brad Kaplan seconded, approved unanimously.

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT – Amanda Bloch

• Full time Korean immersion teacher to be hired – partly funded from grant, partly from budget. Will be working to bring KIP to 6^th grade.

• Funding procured for early literacy specialist at Madison.

• Auditorium being restored. New sound system is in place. Being prepared for May 28 celebration for Carol Munch.

• Madison library is now outfitted for smaller children, with shorter desks and smaller chairs.

• Receiving 3 new trees along Clay Street for those destroyed during storm in 2008. Coming thru Friends of the Urban Forest in cooperation with PHAN – Presidio Heights Association of Neighbors. $600 total cost to CL. May be able to access green schoolyard funds for Madison to fund. If funds not available elsewhere, PTA will consider funding.

• Very grateful for partnership with PTA and Hymowitz family to obtain new flat screen for Madison campus. John Wong has obtained $1500 approval from District in meantime. Should be in within next few weeks.

• Excited about Earth Day Garden Day this Saturday at 9am.

• 2^nd Community meeting on April 23 at 6pm at Madison Campus.

• Kindergarten Orientation is Tues, May 12 6pm at Madison.

  • MJ suggested that Robyn Lipsky make eScrip sign up available

  • Brad Kaplan to find someone to offer ClaireWear

• JCC Kindergarten preview night is coming up

• Michael Mazzaferro asked about ballooning class sizes at grades 4-6 – what are plans for 2009-10?

  • KIP 4/5 split will be 40 students – so full time teacher being brought in to help with that class (and to start bringing KIP to 6^th grade)

  • Current ½ teacher for 6^th grade will not be available for 7^th grade

  • Amanda will get back at next meeting with class sizes for 4^th through 8th grades next year

  • Robyn Lipsky asked what plans would be to handle bubble class of 6^th graders moving forward.

  • District is moving to up to 22 enrollments in K – 1.

TREASURER’S REPORT - Dave McIlhenny

• Net profit from Auction is an all time record of $114,531 (so far)

• PTA profit at $83K thus far this year – Auction and PTA membership both over expectation, and expenses below projected.

• $203K in accounts ($178K in money market account)

• Some expenses shown are affected by timing

• Outdoor Ed expenses lower this year than last (transport costs very high last year)

AUCTION REPORT –MJ Call

• Great party, great fundraiser

• 85% of items sold – high compared to other years

• Online sales – 17 people purchased online

• 90% of value of items realized

• Some outstanding balances to be paid

• $139.8K gross; $116K profit thus far (update vs Dave McIlhenny report)

• MJ will consult on Auction next year, and provide oversight for the Board. Cynthia Hogan shadowed MJ to help take over next year.

• Professional auctioneer helped boost revenue.

• John asked MJ for formal re-cap of lessons learned.

• Wine raffle did better than Heads and Tails – and didn’t cost the donated items out of the Auction items. Wine raffle was pure profit.

• Leftover Auction items will be included for sale at Mayfair (value approx is just over $1K)

GREENING REPORT - Bolivar

• Work day this Saturday, 9am-2pm.

• Landscape architect will be there, and will help set up teams, etc.

• No parking signs are out front to prevent parking on Saturday.

• Participants asked to bring gardening tools, gloves, etc.

• BBQ will accompany work effort.

• Permit has been granted for greening effort. Project will be out to bid soon.

• Amanda suggested having next Garden Day date set before Kindergarten Orientation.

• Will be child minders available during Garden Day.

• Amanda suggested that those in charge wear something distinctive to be identifiable.

• Suggestion made to grow medical marijuana in the schoolyard as a fundraising opportunity.

SURVEY

• 50 responses received thus far.

• To be sent out to full community by tomorrow – Dave McIlhenny.

• Nancy Sur will analyze and distribute prior to the next PTA meeting.

• Dave McIlhenny will submit it in the bulletin by Monday.

NEW BUSINESS

• David Bass talked about doing a targeted fund raising effort against outside sources– making a public/private fundraising push – high net worth parents, corporations, trusts, sponsorships, etc.

  • Amanda/MJ suggested a meeting, prior to next PTA meeting, with William and Amanda to define guidelines of what is workable.

  • Pam suggested developing a wish list to take to potential donors.

• Nancy Sur made a suggestion to use these funds to fund the CL Endowment. Also made a suggestion that some of our surplus should be set aside as a rainy day fund.

• Elections – Nominating forms went out in Wed envelope this week. John suggested that officer assignments be determined by the board following general elections of reps at large.

  • Brad Kaplan will examine by laws to see if that process is do-able.

  • Nominating form will be distributed again in Wed envelope.

• Budget – We are currently have a projected surplus of $15K and are under on spending. Discussion followed as to how budget planning process should proceed.

  • Dave will do some budget scenarios for next meeting

  • Nancy will send out survey results

Jim Fong called to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 pm

Meserve Platt seconded. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm.