ACSD Board of Directors reorganizes at September meeting held in Waterville

by Jennyanne Hager
 
The Allamakee Community School District Board of Education gathered Monday night, September 21 for its annual re-organizational session. Waterville Elementary played host to this month’s meeting, which featured an agenda full of annual “to do” items.
The meeting opened with some brief reports. Superintendent Dave Herold reminded board members to sign-up for the October 6 Iowa Association of School Board session that will be hosted by the district. Herold also requested a work session October 26 to meet with a representative of Iowa School Financial Info Services.
Next, Herold reported that the building project at East Elementary should be completed very soon. Brick work will be done this week, and windows and doors are being installed. Grading will be on the schedule the following week, with sod anticipated immediately afterward. Herold added that the district has received about $3,000 in rebate money as a result of various projects.
During their respective reports, district principals made note of many things going on in their buildings. Among the highlights, High School Principal Dan Diercks announced that Waukon FFA’s dairy cattle evaluation team won the state title, and will now be competing at the national contest later this fall in Indianapolis. At the Junior High, Principal Joe Griffith reminded the Board that magazine sales start this Friday. The annual sales event is the chief fundraiser for the school’s activity fund, and Griffith encouraged everyone to purchase their subscriptions through a student to help support the wide variety of student activities.
Jim Veale, 21st Century Evaluator, spoke next and provided a summary of the Community Connections Safe Schools/Healthy Students program. His report showed an increased attendance rate, reduction in student disciplinary referrals, and increased reading and math scores throughout the three Allamakee County school districts. An area of concern, he noted, is alcohol use. While the percentage of students who used alcohol had been decreasing from 2002 to 2005, it spiked back up to 33 percent in 2008.
After the reports, the Board jumped into its re-organizational meeting. With Dwight Watkins serving as temporary chair, the meeting reconvened with Al Rissman and Scott Melcher taking their respective oaths of office after each won re-election earlier this month.
The Board then selected Watkins to serve as board president again this year, with Patty Fosaaen named vice president. Janice Rea was again named as board secretary. The Board agreed to continue to meet the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Waukon State Bank, Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, Fidelity Bank, and ISJIT/ISCAP were named as depository banks for the district.
Moving into the regular portion of the session, the Board moved on a number of personnel items. Staff was okayed for Reducing Alcohol and 21st Century Grants, and Nancy Haberichter was approved as volunteer nurse. Time was added to Lana Troendle’s contract (1.5 additional hours per week), and also to Niki Jones’ contract (15 minutes per day). Linda Halvorson’s cook contract was also altered, allowing for an additional hour per week, as needed.
Nick Farley’s request to transfer from head eighth grade boys basketball coach to head seventh grade coach was approved. Perry Hesse was approved to fill the head eighth grade position.
Karen Burke and Superintendent Herold were named as Level I investigators for child abuse reporting, and Richard White was approved as a Level II investigator. Herold was also appointed Multi-Cultural Gender Fair Coordinator, and John Lacewell was named truancy officer for the upcoming year. Watkins volunteered to be the IASB delegate at this year’s convention in November. Also, the Board voted to cast its ballot for Bill Withers for Keystone Board Member.
Linda Groe presented an overview of the Annual Progress Report and Annual Yearly Progress data. The reports broke down statistics from ACT, MAP, DIBELS, and other tests students take each year, and indicated that scores are increasing or meeting the required trajectories in almost every area. The reports in their entirety will be available for the public to view, although details on when and where were not yet known at the time of the meeting.
Early graduation was approved for four students, pending meeting all requirements, and the Board approved PSEO and contracted classes. Herold noted that students in these classes are earning a combined 779 college credits, slightly above last year’s total.
Curriculum updates were approved for foreign language and guidance courses, and changes were approved for the 2009-10 coaching handbook. Also, the Information Services Policy was passed for the current year. The policy should be available to view on the district’s website in the future.
An out-of-state trip was approved for vo-ag students to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis October 21-24, and the first reading of one board policy was also approved.
Before adjourning, the Board discussed the purchase of a school bus with a lift. Transportation Director Joe Egan explained that the unit is available now at a reduced price of just under $80,000.  Egan anticipated that the same bus would cost about $92,500 next year, if not more, when the district had been considering making the purchase. This bus has room for four wheelchairs, but that space can be converted to seating, if needed. The Board considered the situation, and then agreed to go ahead with the purchase.