Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors holds regular monthly meeting

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday night, March 17. Board member Tim Waters was absent.
During the Secretary’s Financial Report, Board Secretary Janice Rea noted that expenditures were up about three percent over this same time last year. Rea looked into the matter and found that electricity and natural gas/LP costs were the reason.
During the Superintendent’s Report, ACSD Superintendent Dave Herold discussed some of the bills in legislation, including Allowable Growth, radon testing in schools, bully prevention, and operational sharing. He also noted that the current last day of the school year will be Monday, June 2. “That’s one more day than last year,” Herold noted.
Ann Hard, Principal of East and West Elementary Schools reported that Project SEALED will be visiting East Elementary next week. The schools also have scores back from Iowa assessment testing. “East has made some really nice gains,” Hart noted, adding that instructors at all learning centers are looking at the data to determine student growth.
Joe Griffith, Principal of the Waukon Junior High and Waterville Elementary Schools, informed the Board that the junior high play was held last weekend and junior high track is scheduled to begin the first week in April. Waterville Elementary and East Elementary sixth graders traveled to Luther College to see Street Beats Dance Through the Decades, and then the Waterville students caught a matinee of the junior high play, “Parents Just Don’t Understand” on their way back to Waterville.
Waukon High School Activities Director and Assistant Principal Jennifer Garin noted that track and golf practice are underway at the high school level. She informed the Board that the golf teams can use a newly purchased simulator until the weather is good enough for them to get outside.
She also gave updates and statistics on some of the other programs that students participate in, such as Project Lead the Way and 21st Century after school programming. Garin noted that during parent teacher conferences this week, parents of high school students will have an opportunity to get more information on the aspects of the high school 21stCentury program.
The Waukon Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter will be sending 27 students to the State Convention, 13 of which will be competing at the State level. A total of 72 students will also be attending the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference at the end of March.
Waukon Senior High School Principal Dan Diercks noted that the high school music department has hosted the Cat's Pajamas and also put on its Pops Concert. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday and Thursday of this week. Senator Chuck Grassley visited the high school and talked with students Monday, March 17.
During the other departmental reports, Maintenance and Grounds Director Dennis Mahr updated the Board on several projects. ACSD Food Service Director Julie Magner noted that the kitchens are using lettuce, spinach and radishes harvested from the green house at the high school, and next week’s menu will feature local pork.
During the Communications portion of the meeting, Michele Pladsen, one of the junior high math teachers, gave a presentation to the Board on how she uses video instruction in her classroom. Pladsen will record a video for the lesson, and then e-mail the link to her students. She played a few examples of her videos. Pladsen noted that there are some disadvantages, such as the students not watching the video before class, technology issues, students can’t ask questions during the video, and there is no class discussion when watching a video outside of class. Pladsen further noted that students can always write their questions down and ask later.
Some of the advantages with the program are that it is a “great use” of technology, it works well when teachers are absent, students can better use class time for further investigation, there is more time for 1:1 student/teacher interaction, students can watch the video as many times as they want or need to, and students are better prepared for online college courses.

Under new business, the Board approved the hiring of 21stCentury staff for after school programming. They also approved hiring Toni Pearson as a 5.75 hour per day high school special education associate. Kelly Delaney was hired as Technology Assistant, and Blaine Snitker was re-hired as ninth grade baseball coach. All hires are pending a background check.
The Board also accepted several resignations. Peyton Wacker, Ciara Mahr and Lisa Snitker all resigned from their high school cheerleader sponsor positions. Jerry Keenan resigned from his seventh grade boys’ basketball coach position, pending finding a suitable replacement. Aaron Roemhild resigned from all of his coaching and teaching duties, effective at the end of this school year. Amy Wasson resigned from her head seventh grade girls’ track coaching position, pending finding a suitable replacement.
The Board also accepted the resignation of head varsity girls basketball coach Gene Klinge. “We want to thank him for his service to our school and wish him well in the future,” said Superintendent Herold.
In other new business, the Board approved the cooperative swimming agreement with Decorah, as has been done in the past. Out-of-state field trips for the East and Waterville Elementary fifth grade classes to go to the Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, WI and for Industrial Technology students to visit the 3M plant in Prairie du Chien, WI were approved. A Post Prom fundraiser was approved, as was a Tower Lease Agreement with Innovative Ag Services for transportation department use.
The Summer Feeding Program was once again approved, and the meal sites will be located at the Junior High School lunch room in Waukon and the Harpers Ferry Community Center. “This has gone very well for us and helped a lot of families, and we hope to continue this,” noted Herold.
The following budget levies were also approved for 2014-2015 for Proposed Budget: Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) - .33, Management – 1.13253. A Budget Guarantee Resolution was approved. The date and time for the public hearing on the 2014-2015 budget was set for April 8 at 7 a.m.
Opening negotiations began between the Allamakee Education Association and the Allamakee Community School District. Prior to adjournment, Board President Al Rissman reminded everyone that the Board's April meeting will now change back to a 7 p.m. start now that the winter season is over and will not be held at 5:30 p.m. as the meetings had been during the winter months.