WNDLC

Notice of the meeting was posted on the WNDLC Internet Web site (dl.esu13.org) on December 20, 1999.

Members attending: Don Wagner, Mitchell; Joe Baker, Scottsbluff; Gayla Fredrickson, Hay Springs; Ed Hollinger, Hemingford; Gary Fisher, Crawford; Bruce Epstein, Gering; Rod Borders, Gordon; Randy Marymee, Morrill; Jim Calder, Bridgeport; Dale Eberhart, Chadron; John Cruzeiro, Sioux County, Lewis Gellett, Rushville

Members absent: None

Also present: B.J. Peters, John Bays

1. Spring 2000 course schedule - B.J. Peters, WNDLC Coordinator, shared with the group the Spring schedule. He noted that Western Nebraska Community College will be the only institution teaching classes to the high schools this spring (Calculus II, Intro to Psychology, Intro to Corrections, Trigonometry, & College Algebra). Chadron State offered four different classes but no students registered. Chadron State is using the WNDLC system to offer three adult courses, two undergrad Teacher College classes and an evening graduate class. Peters noted that the Spring schedule was lighter than the fall. The technical problems with the WNCC system made some schools back off on teaching in the Spring. Also many high schools don't have a many semester courses that could even be offered. All Phase One schools will receive at least one class in the spring.
2. Fall 2000 Schedule - B.J. Peters told the group that the WNDLC Principals will be meeting on January 19, 2000 in Hemingford with hopes of pounding out a tentative Fall 2000 schedule. The group will focus on needs and try to match up schools with course needs with schools who can fill those needs. Some discussion followed on whether there was a need to have all schools go to a common calendar. Peters said that although the Principal's Council was able to come to a consensus on a common bell schedule, there was no agreement on a common calendar. The WNDLC Policy Manual says "that there will be no common calendar and students at receive sites will follow the calendar of the providing institution." That did seem to work for the fall semester when the community college started before a number of high schools and students had to start attending classes before their actual school year began.
3. Phase Two Timeline & DL Teacher Training - A tentative timeline for Phase Two was presented by B.J. B.J. is trying to arrange site visits to all the schools by the telephone companies and by Cytek our equipment provider. It is hoped that these visits will take place before the end of February. Teacher training has been set up for March 7 & 21, 2000, two full-day sessions. The training will be offered over the distance learning system with sites at Chadron State and ESU #13. Shirley Schall, coordinator, of the Southwest Consortium will present the first day with the second day devoted to B.J. covering policies and procedures and practice teaching by participants. Money is available in the lottery grant to pay for substitute teachers. Schools are encouraged to identify faculty that should attend this workshop. Another training session will be offered sometime this summer but no dates have been set yet. Sprint has informed B.J. that they will be donating $3,000 to WNDLC for training purposes.
4. Lottery Grant Proposal - Peters told the group that ESU #13 will be applying for another lottery grant. The proposal is seeking funding for Minatare and Kimball to join our distance learning consortium. Each of those schools' boards of education has passed resolutions indicating their willingness to join WNDLC if they win grant funding. It was hoped that Bayard and Banner County would also be included in the grant proposal but their superintendents indicated that the ongoing costs were too expensive for their districts. Peters said the grant proposal needs a resolution from the WNDLC Governing Board indicating their intent to allow Minatare and Kimball into WNDLC if they receive funding. A Motion was made by John Cruzeiro of Sioux County, and seconded by Gary Fisher of Crawford that it was the intent of the WNDLC Governing Board to all Minatare and Kimball to join WNDLC if funded by the lottery grant proposal. The motion passed unanimously.
5. E-Rate Applications - Peters said that he was finishing up the distance learning e-rate applications for each of the consortium school districts. These applications apply to the DS-3 line charges and the T-1 frame relay charges. He said the deadline for applying was Jan. 19, 2000. Peters had each of the superintendents fill out a signature sheet for their respective schools application.
6. Budget Adjustments - Peters shared with the group a year two budget breakdown. He noted that there was a $40,000 carryover from year one and that he was moving most of that amount to the equipment line item. The original budget amounts are short of paying for the full classroom equipment charges from Cytek and the one-time payment to the phone company. This will allow us to save more of the grant from NET to be used in the future for equipment replacement and upgrade. He also noted that since he will not need clerical help again this year, the clerical salary dollars will be applied to the coordinator's salary and reduce the assessment to member schools.
7. Phone/Fax Lines - Peters said there is an increasing need for Phase One schools to install phone lines in their distance learning classrooms. As WNDLC starts to expand programming into evening and weekend hours, it is very difficult for people to have access to a phone and/or fax. A situation before Christmas highlighted the need with a class in Gering and Bridgeport on a Saturday morning. The DL system failed to turn on and both groups were unable to call each other because the rest of the buildings were locked up. B.J. said that he will purchase fax machines for the schools that need a fax (Bridgeport, Gering, Mitchell, & Morrill) in Phase One.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.