November 22, 2021
The Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District Board of Directors met at the district
office on Monday, November 22, 2021 for a regular board meeting. Visitors in attendance: Steve Noble,
Cathy Williamson, Jil Nelson, Tammy Davis, Michele Ratliff, Tom and Robin Taylor and others not
signed in.
Regular Board Meeting: Call to Order - Establish Quorum: President Brinegar called the regular
board meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Roll call: Dave Friedman, absent; Rena Shepherd, present; Mike
Mayberry, present; Patrick Powers, Patti Maloy, absent; Mark Haselhuhn, absent; and Doug Brinegar
present. Quorum established.
Correspondence: None
Approve/Amend Agenda: Shepherd motioned and Mayberry seconded to approve the agenda. Motion
carried unanimously.
Reports: Superintendent Williamson presented the board an overview of general fund expenditures and
revenues for FY2022, brief notes from the Denovo presentation on October 18th and The OSHA Federal
Rules for Employers with over 100 employees regarding vaccination mandates. Mr. Noble presented his
board report and updated the board on events at the Jr/Sr High, the hire of a new social studies teacher
and that the following students were inducted into the National Honor Society: Taylor Kerby, Paige
Molesworth, Colton Sheldon, and Carson Wade. Tammy Davis, Principal at Blakesburg Elementary,
gave the elementary principal’s report and updated the board on happenings at all the elementary
buildings. Cathy Williamson, Director of Special Services, gave an update on the Explore Academy and
trainings for the para educators. Other reports submitted, but not read, were from the Activity, Daycare,
Maintenance and Nutrition directors.
Old Business: Powers motioned and Shepherd seconded to approve the second reading of Board Policy
5.46A: Graduation Requirements - Home School Assistance Program. Motion carried unanimously.
Shepherd motioned and Mayberry seconded to approve the IHCC Contract for the first semester of
Composition I. Superintendent Williamson mentioned that the bill was just received from Indian Hills and
why the board was just now approving. Motion carried unanimously. Mayberry motioned and Powers
seconded to approve the authorization to submit a request to the School Budget Review Committee for a
modified supplemental amount of $171,971.20 for open enrolled out students who were not included in
the district’s previous year certified enrollment count. Roll Call vote: Friedman, absent; Shepherd, yes;
Mayberry, yes; Powers, yes; Malloy, absent; Haselhuhn, absent; Brinegar, yes. Motion carried. Mayberry
motioned and Shepherd seconded to approve the authorization to submit a request to the School Budget
Review Committee for a modified supplemental amount of $58,167.12 related to the English Language
Learning Program for students who have exceeded five years of weighting that are included on the Fall
2021 certified enrollment headcount. Roll Call vote: Friedman, absent; Shepherd, yes; Mayberry, yes;
Powers, yes; Malloy, absent; Haselhuhn, absent; Brinegar, yes. Motion carried. Shepherd motioned and
Mayberry seconded to approve the FY 2021 Year End Financial Balances. Motion carried unanimously.
Review of Canvassed Election Results: Lara Vandello received 65 votes and Eric Dean Lennox
received 65 votes for Director District #1. Lara Vandello’s name was drawn by the Wapello County
Supervisors on Tuesday, November 16th. Lara Vandello elected. Micah Van Mersbergen received 65
votes and Patrick Powers received 54 votes for Director District #2. Micah Van Mersbergen elected. Curt
Houk received 63 votes for Director District #6. Curt Houk elected. Eric Klyn received 94 votes and Scott
Pilcher received 36 votes for Director District #7. Eric Klyn elected.
Adjournment of Retiring Board: Mayberry motioned and Powers seconded to adjourn. President
Brinegar thanked all the retiring board members for their dedication and support of Eddyville-
Blakesburg-Fremont. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 6:30 pm.
Call to Order: Secretary McCrea called to order the meeting of the newly elected EBF Board of
Directors at 6:05 p.m. and administered the Oath of Office to newly elected board members Lara
Vandello for DD #1, Micah Van Mersbergen for DD #2, Curt Houk for DD #6 and Eric Klyn for DD #7.
Organizational Items: Shepherd nominated and Vandello seconded to nominate Doug Brinegar as EBF
Board President. Motion carried unanimously. Brinegar appointed President and given the oath of office.
President Brinegar then took over the meeting. Vandello nominated and Brinegar seconded to nominate
Rena Shepherd as EBF Board Vice President. Motion carried unanimously. Shepherd appointed Vice
President and given Oath of Office. Shepherd motioned and Brinegar seconded to appoint Mary McCrea
as EBF Board Secretary. Motion carried unanimously. McCrea appointed EBF Board Secretary and
given the Oath of Office. Shepherd motioned and Houk seconded to set the regular board meeting
schedule for the third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m.at the District Office, unless otherwise noted on
the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. Van Mersbergen motioned and Shepherd seconded to set the
procedural rules as Parliamentary Procedures at a Glance. Motion carried unanimously. Shepherd
motioned and Vandello seconded to set the official depository as First Iowa State bank with a maximum
depository limit of fourteen million dollars. Motion carried unanimously. Vandello motioned and
Shepherd seconded to select the Ottumwa Courier as the official publication. Motion carried
unanimously. Houk motioned and Van Mersbergen seconded to select Lynch-Dallas Law Firm, Mr. Brett
Nitzschke as the school attorney, Motion carried unanimously. 2021-2022 Board Committees and
Delegates were discussed and Vice President Shepherd appointed the following to the following
committees: Capital Projects/Transportation: Eric Klyn, Curt Houk and Doug Brinegar with Micah Van
Mersbergen as an alternate. Negotiations: Micah Van Mersbergen and Rena Shepherd with Doug
Brinegar as an alternate. County Delegates: Mahaska County - Micah Van Mersbergen; Monroe County
- Mark Haselhuhn; Wapello County - Eric Klyn. Quarterly Building Representative Meeting: Mark
Haselhuhn and Lara Vandello.
Consent Items: Discussion was held on the process of approving consent items. Shepherd motioned and
Klyn seconded to approve the Consent Items: October 18, 2021 Board Meeting Minutes; Financial
Reports as of October 31, 2021; November’s Bills; Review of School Board Policies: 4.0 General
Principles, 4.1 Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action, 4.2 Employee Physical Examination,
4.3 Communicable Diseases; there were no contracts or agreements and Open Enrollments in from
Christian Jarvis, 5th Grade from Ottumwa to Blakesburg Elementary, Addie Heald 8th grade from
Ottumwa to the Jr/Sr High, Gracelyn Heald 4th Grade from Ottumwa to Blakesburg Elementary and
Kadence Heald 9th Grade from Ottumwa to the Jr/Sr High and Open Enrollments out from Shelby
Provenzano, 10th Grade to Ottumwa. Questions were asked regarding board policy 4.1 Equal
Employment Opportunity and 4.3 Communicable Diseases. Superintendent Williamson will ask for
clarification from Mr. Brett Nitzschke from Lynch-Dallas Law Firm. Motion carried unanimously.
Personnel: Houk recused himself from this item. Shepherd motioned and Vandello seconded to approve
the hires of Misty Sharp, para educator for the Jr/Sr High; Stephanie Houk, para educator at the
Blakesburg Elementary; Brandy Haines, .5 6th Grade / .5 Reading Interventionist at Fremont Elementary;
Rachel Tague, para educator at Eddyville Elementary; Adam Proctor, Jr High Wrestling coach; Jakeup
Huff, Social Studies at the Jr/Sr High and Tom Hallgren, Individual Speech. Motion carried unanimously. Van
Mersbergen motioned and Houk seconded to accept the resignations of Michael Pickney, Alternative Education
Teacher and Ashleigh Sammons, Cook. Motion carried unanimously. Shepherd motioned and Klyn seconded to
approve Matt Kargol and Derek Eye as volunteer wrestling
coaches. Motion carried unanimously.
Action Items: Shepherd motioned and Vandello seconded to vote for Trevor Crall for Area Education
Agency Board of Directors Election. Motion carried unanimously. Van Mersbergen motioned and
Vandello seconded to approve the early graduation request from Sylvia Burger. Motion carried
unanimously. Shepherd motioned and Van Mersbergen seconded to set the date of public hearing for a
categorical fund transfer on December 20, 2021. Motion carried unanimously. Houk motioned and
Shepherd seconded to close and transfer dormant activity accounts of $340.18 in Jr High Softball to
Softball and $71.10 from Tri M Society to Activity Management. These accounts were noticed as
dormant by district auditors. Motion carried unanimously.
Capital Projects: None
Discussion Items: Superintendent Williamson updated the new board members on the board goals for the
superintendent. Upcoming board work sessions are being planned with a Facility Assessment work
session scheduled for Monday, November 29, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the district office and another work
session with the Iowa Association of School Boards with the date to be determined. Superintendent
Williamson also informed the board on the need to purchase a special education van for wheelchair bound
students that would like to attend school activities outside of the regular school day, that he has a meeting
scheduled with the Classified Union representative regarding starting wages for all classified staff and
there might be a need to update the Revenue Purpose Statement. Open positions are: Elementary
Computer Science Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Alternative Education Teacher, Cook, Child Care
Associate, Activity Route Drive, Head Golf Coach, Head Football Coach, 9th Grade Baseball Coach, Jr
High Track, Baseball & Softball Coaches and substitutes for all positons.
Adjourn: Shepherd motioned and Houk seconded to adjourn board meeting. Motion carried
unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m.
