ACSD Board of Directors approves several personnel moves at recent pair of sessions; Board members honored during School Board Recognition Month

by Brianne Eilers

Board members of the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) met for a special board meeting Thursday, May 4. The board approved a pay increase of $1.50 per hour for cooks for the summer feeding program. The board also approved the following hirings: Brice Wood as the seventh and eighth grade wrestling coach; Jani Lippert as fifth grade teacher and assistant varsity volleyball coach; and Jeremy Strub as the ninth grade volleyball coach. The recommendation to hire a fourth grade teacher was deleted from the agenda. Also under personnel matters, the board approved an equal distribution of TSS carry-over money to all staff that are eligible, depending on full-time equivalence.

The board approved the school calendar hours, as well as the use of the high school football field for the Fields of Faith event to be held Wednesday, October 11 of this year. The board also approved a bid of $7,420.45 from Print Transformations for high school window treatments.

The use of the Waterville Elementary School parking lot during RAGBRAI® in late July was approved. A letter from the Waterville Fire Department stated that the asphalt areas on the front and north side of the school would be used for bicycle parking and, weather permitting, the grassy playground area on the west side of the school would be used for parking of cars for volunteers at the event. The grass area in front of the school could also possibly be utilized for bicycle repairs. The letter also stated that the Waterville Fire Department, Ambulance Service and Waterville Main Street Pride would be supervising the area and make sure all the trash is picked up.

The board also approved the Emergency Shelter MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Allamakee County Emergency Management. A letter from Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker stated that school facilities would be used as emergency shelters due to emergencies in the county, including natural, man-made or technological hazards. The letter also stated that facilities designated as Emergency Shelters have coverage extended under the Allamakee County insurance coverage and that the County would be responsible for replacing supplies used and returning the facilities to the same condition as they were prior to the use as an emergency shelter.

The regular monthly meeting of the ACSD Board of Directors was held Monday, May 15. During her report, board secretary Jaime Curtin thanked the board members for their service to the school district in honor of May being School Board Recognition Month. ACSD Superintendent Dave Herold informed the board that at the most recent visit from the Vision to Learn program, 27 students were seen and 21 received eyeglasses. The regular monthly school board meeting for June will be held June 26 at 5:30 p.m. Herold also noted that they are finalizing the sale of the second house built by the high school construction class students and they can now look at selling the third home.

Waterville Elementary School Principal Julie Askelson reported that they have wrapped up field trips and had a STEAM day at Waterville Monday. "It was an awesome day," she said. Links have been posted to SeeSaw for parents to see.
East and West Elementary School Principal Joe Griffith noted that the West academic awards are coming up. Waukon Middle School Principal Jennifer Garin noted that their awards ceremony will be next week. She also gave a list of all the track records broken at the Middle School this season, including boys eighth grade shuttle hurdles, boys eighth grade high jump and girls eighth grade shot put. Garin thanked the board members for their service to the district.

Waukon High School Activities Director Brian Hilsabeck noted that spring sports are wrapping up. He congratulated the three choirs for their division 1 ratings at contest. He also noted that the girls golf team will be moving on to the Regional Finals Tournament next Monday after finishing second at the First Round Regional Tournament earlier that same Monday of the meeting.

Waukon High School Principal Dr. Mike Hardy said they are getting ready for semester tests May 18 and 19 of this week with the make-up days being May 22 and 23. Dr. Hardy noted that last semester they implemented a closed campus for students who were failing a class. This semester, there are 26 students, while last semester there were 37 affected by that policy.

In other departmental reports, Buildings and Grounds Director Bill Hennessy noted that there a lot of projects coming up for the summer. Technology Director Shawn Gordon informed the board that he had been to Waterville Elementary School Monday morning to replace batteries that were worn down during the power outage in the Waterville/Rossville area over the weekend. The batteries had to be replaced in order for the school to continue with its STEAM day.

Transportation Director Randy Nordheim noted that the bus inspections were complete, with nine buses being written up. The issues were fixed in less than 24 hours. Nordheim also noted that because the bus barn has been doing a good job with maintaining the buses, the inspectors are having to be a little more “nit picky" when doing inspections.

Barb Winters-Kelly, 21st Century Coordinator, thanked the members of the board for their service and gave an update on the partners meeting they had last week. She noted that it was a very successful meeting.

During the Communications part of the meeting, the School Board members were recognized for their service to the district, as May is School Board Recognition Month. The Employee Recognition Luncheon will be held May 24. Superintendent Herold noted that board members should review the 2018 IASB call for legislative action. The ACSD Board will choose its priorities in July to then be taken to the meeting at the state level.

Traci Byrnes, Michele Pladsen and Kelli Olson gave a presentation on the TLC (Teacher Leadership Compensation) program. They had video highlights of the things students have been learning with technology, which ranged from video book trailers to the Weekly at West broadcast. They also discussed how the coaching cycles and learning labs work for and with the staff. Byrnes also thanked the board for its service on behalf of the Allamakee Community Education Association.

Under old business, the board approved the second reading of the following board policies: 200.1R1-Organizational Meeting Procedures, 210.2-Regular Meetings, 411.2-Classified Employee-Qualifications, Requirements, Selection, 701.3-Financial Records, 506.1-Education Records Access, 506.1E1-Request of NonParent for Examination or Copies of Education Records, 506.1E2-Authoriztion for Release of Educational Records, 506.1E3-Request for Hearing on Correction of Education Records, 506.1E4-Request for Examination of Education Records, 506.1E5-Notification of Transfer of Education Records, 506.1E6-Letter to Parent Regarding Receipt of Subpoena, 506.1E7-Juvenile Justice Agency Information Sharing Agreement, 506.1E8-Annual Notice, 506.1R1-Use of Education Records Regulation, 506.2-Student Directory Information, 560.2E1-Authorization for Releasing Student Directory Information, 506.2R1-Use of Directory Information, 710.1-School Nutrition Program, 710.2-Free or Reduced Price Meals Eligibility, 710.4-Meal Charges.

Under personnel matters, the board approved hiring Mike Shupe and Tyler Scholl as volunteer cross country coaches, as well as hiring Pat Mahr as additional summer maintenance help. The board accepted the resignation of Madison Wagner from her teaching and coaching positions effective at the end of the school year, as well as the resignation of Chris Dahlstrom from his seventh and eighth grade wrestling coach position.

An out of state field trip for the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students to attend the National Convention in Anaheim, CA was approved. The board also approved a request from the Northeast Iowa Shooting Club for a donation to cover the cost of ammunition for the seven participants from ACSD at $1,247.40. Superintendent Herold noted that this sport is a good opportunity and may appeal to students who don’t usually participate in other extracurricular activities.

The board also approved a service fee for online payments, effective July 1 of this year. The service fee is for payments made to the school online, as the school does have to pay a service fee for those transactions. The board also approved several bids for the sports complex entrance project at the high school, including the following: $48,867.00 to Kelly Concrete for concrete work; $26,200.00 to Rusty Berger Masonry for brick work; $5,300.00 to Byrnes Landscaping for landscaping; $5,997.83 to Ken Kerr Electric for electrical work and $949.35 to Bodensteiner Body Werks for work to be done on the school’s victory bell.

The board then recessed to the board room for a closed session to discuss a personnel matter prior to adjournment.