ACSD Board of Directors tours East Elementary renovation project, addresses variety of items as early preparations begin for school year

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) school board members toured the East Elementary School building Monday evening, July 15, prior to their regular meeting, to see the progress being made on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and window replacement project at the school. Some of the classrooms have the new style of window already installed, so board members were able to see the difference in comparison to the old windows still in place in some classrooms.

During the regular meeting, the board approved several consent agenda items. Under personnel, the board approved staff for the after school programming and fall sports volunteer coaches. The board also approved Sunday requests from the music department. The board voted to renew the BackPack Program for the 2019-2020 school year and also approved the Free and Reduced School meal policy.

The board also approved a request from Kerndt Brothers Bank to use the school logo on checks. In a letter to the board, the bank requested use of the school logo in order to offer customers the option to use checks with the logo, called School Spirit Checks. The board approved voluntary life insurance for staff members and also approved open enrollment requests for three students.

Under the Communications portion of the meeting, the board examined the vehicle and facility usage reports compiled by district administrative assistant Pat Klinge. ACSD Superintendent Jay Mathis noted that it was “good to see the facilities are being used.” He also noted that he was impressed with the good communication in the district between everyone and that they are appreciative of the work Klinge does in compiling the vehicle data and with the facility usage requests.

Under old business, the board approved the second reading of the following policies: 401.7-Employee Travel Compensation, 401.10-Credit and Procurement Cards, 401.12-Employee Use of Cell Phones, 401.12R1-Employee Use of Cell Phones Regulation, 705.4-Expenditures for a Public Purpose, 705.4R1, Use of Public Funds Regulation, 707.5-Internal Controls, 707.5R1-Internal Controls Procedures, 905.1-Community Use of School District Facilities & Equipment, 505.8-Parent and Family Engagement, 508.8R1-Parent and Family Engagement Building-Level Regulation, 401.6-Limitation to Employment References, 504.3-Student Publications, 504.3R1-Student Publications Code, 505.5-Graduation Requirements.

Under new business, the board approved a social worker sharing agreement between Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) and the ACSD. The social worker will be in the district two days a week. Mathis noted that ACSD will pay Keystone $20,640 for 72 days of service from the social worker and that that amount is equal to funds provided to the district by the State of Iowa. He also explained that having the social worker there will help with the district’s commitment to mental health needs, as well as other needs. The social worker will have an office in the former junior high building.

The board approved staff policies and administrative rules, as well as the Nutritional Services handbook. Milk bids were accepted from Anderson Erickson as follows: for unflavored 1% milk ½ pint $0.2204 ($0.2904 for plastic bottles), unflavored skim ½ pint $0.2079 ($0.2779 for plastic bottles), chocolate skim ½ pint $0.2219 ($0.2919 for plastic bottles), chocolate 1% 12 oz. bottles (ala carte) $0.7384 and 12 oz. strawberry milk bottles (ala carte) $0.7384. Bread bids were accepted as follows: Pan-O-Gold for whole grain white bread $1.30, whole wheat bread $1.20, whole grain hamburger buns $1.30, whole grain Coney buns $1.30, and 2 oz. dinner rolls $1.35.

The board approved the purchase of a library circulation desk for East Elementary. ACSD Teacher Librarian/Technology Integrationist Lisa Snitker explained to the board that the desk is custom made and that they have never had a circulation desk at East, so this would eliminate the need for some of the furniture they had been using in the library as well as making some things easier for the library staff. The board then moved on to approve flooring for East Elementary rooms as well as HVAC project change authorization requests.

The board approved the disposition of obsolete equipment of a variety of types from throughout the district. A list of equipment was provided to the board and Mathis explained that the equipment would be sold at auction by Sweeney Auction Service in August and that the items would be advertised so the public would have a chance to bid.

The board chose its four legislative priorities for the upcoming year, and those included supplemental state aid, mental health, dropout/at-risk funding and school funding policy. Discussion on new equipment for the Waukon Middle School kitchen was tabled until next month, when Mathis hoped to have additional bids to present to the board. The first reading of the following Board Policies was also approved by the board: 203 - Board of Directors’ Conflict of Interest; 206.2 - Vice President; 307 - Communication Channels; 501.5 - Attendance Center Assignment; 603.1 - Basic Instruction Program.