EACSD Board of Directors accepts resignation of baseball coaching pair, holds annual reorganizational meeting as new school year gets underway
by Susan Cantine-Maxson
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) was held at Kee High School in Lansing Wednesday, September 12 due to a scheduling conflict with its typical third Monday of the month meeting date of September 17. The meeting included both the board’s annual reorganizational meeting at the start of the new school year, as well as regular business.
The meeting began with the election of the school board officers for the upcoming year. Heather Schulte was selected as Board President and Bobbie Goetzinger was selected as Board Vice-President. Goetzinger was also selected as the board’s Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) delegate and the Legislative Action Network (LAN) representative for the next school year. Schulte was also appointed to serve as the representative to the Allamakee County Assessors Conference Board. All appointments and elections were unanimously approved.
The board approved the resolution for Authorization for Banking Operations to remain as listed with check signing authority to Heather Schulte, president; Bruce Palmborg, board member; and Janet Heiderscheit and Marian Verdon, board secretaries. This authority is for all school accounts.
After the official business of the annual meeting, the board moved to its regular September meeting. Under new business, the board approved a Junior High Girls Basketball Coach contract for Jason Drape and also approved the resignations of Pat Heiderscheit as Varsity Baseball Coach and Daniel Love as the Varsity Assistant/JV Baseball Coach, pending suitable replacements.
The board approved the resolution to request additional allowable growth and supplemental aid payment calculated by the Department of Management for a negative special education balance on the 2018 Special Education Services (SES).
Kee High School/Middle School Principal Mary Hogan informed the board that more students are showing interest in the FFA program. The chapter entered and won a state competition and will now compete at the national level. River Day was held with the seventh grade students going to Genoa, Blackhawk Park and the Driftless Center.
Hogan handed out the Iowa Core Assessment in reading, math and science. Proficiency levels of the EACSD students ranked in the 90% range at all grade levels, which was higher than the averages for both the local Area Education Agency and state levels.
New Albin Elementary School Principal Chad Steckel informed the board that Breakfast with Dads would be November 9. The elementary school is trying a new lunchtime routine, which allows the students when they finish eating to go outside or to the gym for the remainder of the lunch period. This makes the lunchroom less chaotic and noisy. Steckel also announced that Andy Kelleher, a Kee High School graduate, has taken the position of director of Main Street Lansing.
EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier reported the NICC bond renewal vote passed by 80%. After the 2017-2018 Certified Annual Report (CAR) is completed, the district’s unspent budget authority should increase if miscellaneous income, expenditures and SES deficit remains the same. The enrollment for 2018-2019 has yet to be determined. The Special Education 2018 Delivery Plan has been completed and filed with Keystone AEA.
Dr. Crozier reviewed with the board several anticipated 2018-2019 expenditures from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) fund for dehumidifiers and fans for the gym, a different pick-up for the custodians, a replacement mini-bus, repair or replacement to the refrigeration system for the kitchen walk-in cooler, and a French Horn for the band department. Future items that will be considered are more band instruments and systematic air-conditioning of the elementary and high school/middle school classrooms. Dr. Crozier also advised that the school district’s Fitness Center is going to be closed for a short time to reinforce the interior wall foundation and then replace that wall between the garage and the center with a three-hour firewall.
