EACSD Board of Directors addresses matters in preparation for the upcoming school year

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular meeting of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors held at Kee High School in Lansing Monday, July 19 dealt  mainly with the business of preparing for the new school year by reviewing and approving numerous items. Board President Heather Schulte attended by phone, and just two other board members were present, Bobbie Goetzinger and Melanie Mauss. School district staff and administration present included EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier, Kee Middle and High School Principal Dr. Sarah Updegraff, and board secretaries Marian Verdon and

Michele Martin. Board members not attending included Tony Becker and Kelli Mudderman.

After the adoption of the agenda, the usual consent items were approved. Those included the July consent items, minutes of the regular June meeting, bills for June 30 and July, Secretary’s Financial Report for June, and the Student Activity and Food Service June Reports.

After accepting the resignation of Tara Drape from her head cook position, the board moved on to a series of approvals for new contracts, including the  transfer of Jason Drape from assistant varsity girls basketball coach to assistant varsity boys basketball coach, a contract for Bryce Rigdon to be varsity assistant girls basketball coach, and contracts for Brenda Good to be a special education teacher aide, Russell Atkinson to be an at-risk/special education teacher and Brittney McKee to be a Kee Connect teacher aide.

The next items approved included bids, handbooks, procedures and agreements. The board also accepted the only milk bid from Prairie Farms. No bread bids were received. The milk bids from Prairie Farms-Swiss Valley Division were as follows:

Half-pt. 1% white - .2880
Half-pt. skim white - .2730
Half-pt. skim chocolate - .3090
Four-oz. orange juice - .2400.

The board also approved both the student and teacher handbook for the 2021-2022 school year. Safety Procedures were also approved as presented.

Next, regarding the cooperative sponsorship of a wrestling agreement with the Allamakee Community School District, the board approved both middle school and high school participation.

New teachers and staff will be invited to the August 16 board meeting. Dr. Crozier will present the district’s Return to Learn Plan and Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) representative Dr. Bill Withers will also be in attendance at the August 16 meeting.

Under Administrative Reports, Dr. Updegraff presented information about the new Therapeutic Classroom Grant (Kee Connect).  Eastern Allamakee also received a STEM Grant for Kee Connect.

Dr. Crozier discussed the possibility of adding air conditioning to classrooms in both Lansing and New Albin, an idea he will continue to research. In New Albin, the State Fire Marshal has requested a door be replaced due to deterioration, which will be taken care of. Maintenance of other existing doors will also be done.

The new legislation under 279.8B was presented. This allows the public to petition an item to be on the board meeting agenda if the number of people on the petition is at least 10% of the number of votes cast in the last election. Dr. Crozier will meet with administrative staff as to how the district wants to continue to build on its current COVID-19 procedures and what will be discontinued.