ACSD Board of Education hears updates on final preparations before start of the new school year

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting Monday, August 15. Prior to the business meeting, the Board took a tour of some of the projects completed over the summer in the high school/middle school facility, as well as at West Elementary School. Among the larger of those projects viewed was the LED lighting in West Elementary that has made the school’s hallways considerably brighter and the resurfacing and restriping of the parking lot between the two facilities.

To open the business meeting, Keystone Area Education Association (AEA) Board Member Bill Withers introduced himself, Administrator Pat Heiderscheit and two new area directors, Tesha Ruley and Annette Hyde, who are replacing recently retired directors. Ruley will be Keystone’s Director of Educational Services, while Hyde will serve as Special Education Director. The Keystone AEA representatives asked the Board if there were any issues that currently need to be addressed, and none were expressed by the Board. They also encouraged the Board and other district staff members to contact them with any questions or concerns they may have.

In the School Lunch Report, ACSD Superintendent Dave Herold explained the recent large gain shown in the district’s lunch account, noting that last week’s student registration for the new school year resulted in an influx of revenue from money being placed in student lunch accounts. In his Superintendent Report, Herold advised that the district’s Annual Progress Report will be sent out to residents within the district in the near future. He also updated the Board on House File 2392, which deals with Career and Technical Education. Herold also requested a work session be held in the near future to further discuss such items as House File 2392, the retention basin near the high school softball field, and any other matters that may need to be addressed prior to the next regular board meeting. The Board agreed to a 5 p.m. work session scheduled for Monday, August 29.

In their respective reports, each of the four building principals expressed their appreciation to the district’s custodial staff for getting the school buildings ready for the upcoming school year and said they were looking forward to the start of another great school year. They also advised that their respective Meet the Teacher Nights and new student orientation sessions were also scheduled to take place Tuesday evening, August 16.

Waukon Middle School Principal/Activities Director Jen Garin advised that fall athletic seasons will begin practice August 23. She also said that the before and after school programs held at the middle school this past summer averaged about 15 students per day and provided a variety of different activities and programs.

Waukon High School Activities Director Brian Hilsabeck said the high school sports seasons have been in full swing since last week with practices and that each high school team will be introduced this Thursday night as a new addition to the annual Sports Drink Scrimmage Night that kicks off the new school year and athletic seasons, along with Dan Gable being the featured speaker in another new addition to the annual event. Hilsabeck also advised that he received many compliments on the district’s athletic facilities when the Waukon baseball team hosted the first round of district tournament play in early July.

In her report, Curriculum Director Gretchen DeVore shared that the district’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) program is in place for the new school year and focused on “helping kids do better at a variety of things”. She also advised that more focus is being placed on teaching students how to be problem solvers rather than just “regurgitating” what they’ve memorized.

Technology Director Shawn Gordon said that he has met with new teachers to get them “set up” with their technology needs to get the new school year started, and that student laptop computers are ready to go. Gordon also advised that the district’s new PowerSchool student information system and Canvas learning management system have been integrated and should be “ready to go” for the new school year, expressing pleasant surprise that the State of Iowa’s reporting system is already up and running as well, about a month ahead of what he anticipated would happen.

Food Service Director Julie Magner advised that participation numbers in the district’s summer feeding programs recorded at an all-time high this year. Transportation Director Randy Nordheim said that he is happy to have all of his bus drivers back for this school year, and he continues to work on getting new students integrated into the busing system as they come to the district while also putting the “finishing touches” on buses prior to the start of the new school year.

Barb Winters-Kelly, 21st Century Coordinator, thanked everyone who helped the 21st Century program through all of its summer activities and advised that credit recovery for high school students progressed well throughout the summer. She also said that her staff members participated in a variety of professional development opportunities using robotics throughout the summer.

District Teacher Librarian/Technology Integrationist Lisa Snitker presented her annual library report to the Board, pointing out that the district’s library system follows the Iowa School Library Program Guidelines, which focus on reading while incorporating technology to improve on reading skills. She presented circulation numbers for each of the district’s libraries, noting that the middle school and upper elementary numbers are notably different from previous years due to the incorporation of sixth grade into the middle school.

Snitker also advised that she has begun the process of “weeding” books out of the district’s libraries that have not been popular reading choices, providing one example of a book that has not been checked out since 1988. These weeded out books are being repurposed, either being distributed to students or utilized in school art projects. She also described a project she is undertaking with high school business teacher Peyton Lapel and a yet to be determined English teacher that will utilize a $5,000 grant Snitker was awarded from CenturyLink to purchase iPads that will then be used by students to help collect stories and photos from local nursing home residents to create an application where people can learn more about Allamakee County history.

The Board approved the second reading of several Board Policies. Among those policies were some dealing with administration of medicine to students, drone usage, election to the Board of Education, and construction contracts.

Under personnel matters, the Board approved the hiring of staff for the 21st Century After School Program, and also gave its approval to increasing substitute teacher and nurse pay to $100 per day, that amount increasing to $125 per day after 10 days in that same substitute position. Morgan Stegen and Maria Baker were each hired as elementary classroom associates for 28.75 hours per week at a rate of $11.31 per hour. Tyler Scholl was approved as a volunteer cross country coach and Lexie Bieber was approved as a volunteer cheerleading coach. Associate Jennifer Hermanson was approved for a transfer to Waterville Elementary with a slight change in her hours.

The Board approved the Treasurer’s Annual Report, as well as bus routes for the 2016-2017 school year, which have very minimal changes for this year, according to Nordheim. Approval was also given to Sunday usage of the Middle School gymnasium by the Waukon Park, Recreation and Wellness Department for fifth/sixth grade volleyball from mid-September through mid-October.

Added to the agenda prior to the start of the meeting were two items addressed at the end of the meeting, including a late open enrollment request that was subsequently denied by the Board due to being filed past the application deadline. Jerry Keenan was also approved as the head coach for the new co-ed bowling team being formed this school year as a new extracurricular activity.

Gruhn Law Firm was approved as the school district's attorney, and Superintendent Dave Herold, Principals Mike Hardy, Jen Garin, Joe Griffith, Brian Hilsabeck and Julie Askelson, and Curriculum Director Gretchen DeVore were each approved as members of the district's Teacher Quality/Professional Development Administrative Team. In one final action before adjournment, the Board approved holding its September meeting at Waterville Elementary School.