April 11, 2022
The Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District Board of Directors met at the district office on Monday, April 11, 2022 for a regular board meeting. Visitors in attendance: Steve Noble, April Glosser, Jil Nelson, Tammy Davis, James Fineran, Cathy Williamson, and others not signed in.
Budget Hearing: President Brinegar opened the budget hearing at 6:00 p.m. Superintendent Williamson presented to the board the 2022-2023 Budget with the total property tax rate set at $10.8251 down from the 2021-2022 tax rate of $10.8320. With no comments from the public, hearing closed at 6:25 p.m.
Regular Board Meeting: Call to Order - Establish Quorum: President Brinegar called the regular board meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. Roll call: Eric Klyn, absent; Rena Shepherd, present; Lara Vandello, present; Micah Van Mersbergen, present; Curt Houk, present; Mark Haselhuhn, present; and Doug Brinegar, present. Quorum established.
Public Forum: none
Correspondence: none.
Approve/Amend Agenda: Shepherd motioned and Houk seconded to approve the amended agenda with the change of the date on 8) Action Items, b) 2021-2022 Budget - Set Amendment Hearing i) May 18, 2022 to be May 16, 2022. Motion carried unanimously.
Reports: April Glosser, Curriculum Director, gave updates on professional development, Character Strong curriculum and data analysis in reading, math and science. Steve Noble, principal of the Jr/Sr High, updated the board on the events taking place in April, including the Spring play, Iowa Jazz Championships, State FFA Convention, Build My Future and the robotics competition at UNI. Jam.es Fineran, Principal of the Fremont Elementary, gave the combined elementary principal's report that addressed new hires for the 2022-2023 school year. Cathy Williamson, Director of Special Services, informed the board that work has begun on staffing adjustments for the next school year as well as grants that EBF has been awarded. Other reports submitted, but not read, were from the Childcare, Maintenance & Nutrition directors.
Consent Items: Van Mersbergen motioned and Shepherd seconded to approve the Consent Items: March 21, 2022 Board Meeting Minutes; Financial Reports as of March 31, 2022; April's Bills; the second reading of School Board Policy 400.3 Communicable Diseases; the Review of School Board Policies:
400.20 Licensed Employee Tutoring, 400.21 Substitute Teachers, 400.22 Summer School Licensed Employees and 400.23 School Volunteers; Contracts & Agreements: 2022-2023 Sharing Agreement with Ottumwa CSD for Agricultural Education Classes & Agri Power FFA, Operational Sharing Agreements for Social Worker with Great Prairie AEA, Transportation Director with North Mahaska CSD, Maintenance Director with North Mahaska CSD, and Human Resource Director with Oskaloosa CSD; and Open Enrollments for 2022-2023: IN: Deanika Poe, Kindergarten from Albia to HSAP, Karver Jemison, Kindergarten from Oskaloosa to Eddyville Elementary, Casten Hatfield, Kindergarten from Oskaloosa to Eddyville Elementary, Gracelynn Dodd, 8th Grade from Pekin to HSAP, Jade Dodd, 9th Grade from Pekin to HSAP, Harper Wickenkamp, Kindergarten from Oskaloosa to Eddyville Elementary, Lennon Fairchild, Kindergarten from Oskaloosa to Eddyville Elementary, Ellie Mae Mall, Kindergarten from Ottumwa to HSAP, Kinlee Whitten, Kindergarten from Oskaloosa to Fremont Elementary, Makinlee Ver Steegh, Kindergarten from Oskaloosa to Eddyville Elementary, OUT: Beckett Strasko, Kindergarten to Cardinal, Kole Speer, 6th Grade to Pella, Kassi Speer, 10th Grade to Pella, Dakota Myers, 10th Grade to Oskaloosa, Tucker Glosser, Kindergarten to Davis County. Motion carried unanimously.
Personnel: Shepherd motioned and Houk seconded to approve for 2021-2022: Micheal Pilcher, paid prep period & zero hour - $2,343.90, Loghan Hunt, Para Educator, $11.50/hr, Donavan Young, 9th Grade Baseball Coach (10%/2) $2,740.00 and for 2022-2023: Justin Von Ahsen, 5th/6th/Jr High Instrumental Music Teacher/Band Instructor (BA 30/8) $48,091.00, nine years of experience, 20 extra days, $4,545.40, Assistant Competitive Band, (3%/0) $821.00 and Jr High Instrumental, (9%/0) $2,462.00, Desiree Law, Vocal Music Teacher at Jr/Sr High, (BA/8) $45,578.00, eight years of experience, Varsity/JV Vocal, (11%/0) $3,009.00, Jr High Vocal, (3%/0) $821.00 and Tri-M, (2%/0) $547.00, Shawna Padgett, 2nd Grade Teacher at Eddyville Elementary, (BA/1) $36,781.00, first year teacher, Kaelyn Strong, Kindergarten at Blakesburg Elementary, (BAil) $36,781.00, first year teacher, Ryan Jackson, Assistant Football Coach (10%/4) $2,954.00, Jesse Riley, Assistant Football Coach (10%/5) $2,954.00, Alexander Holt, Assistant Football Coach (10%/0) $2,735.00, Micheal Pilcher, Jr High Football Coach (7%/3)
$1,991.00, Gladys Genskow, Head Volleyball Coach (13%/11) $4,267.00, Kiera MacPherson, Jr High Volleyball Coach (7%/3) $1,991.00, Alexis Kauzlarich, Head Cross County (9%/4) $2,658.00, Bob Shepherd, Assistant Cross County (4%/5) $1,182.00, Tony Fenton, Head Girls Basketball Coach (13%/11) $4,267.00, Mike Haywood, Assistant Girls Basketball Coach (10%/6) $3,063.00, Alexis Kauzlarich, 9th Grade Girls Basketball Coach (10%/5) $2,954.00, Ryan Jackson, Jr High Girls Basketball Coach (8.5%/4) $2,511.00
Travis Stout, Head Boys Basketball Coach (13%/11) $4,267.00, Andy Heinle, 9th Grade Boys Basketball Coach (10%/2) $2,844.00. Motion carried unanimously, with Shepherd abstaining. Van Mersbergen motioned and Vandello seconded to accept the resignations of Dawn Black, Special Education Teacher at the Jr/Sr High and Jill Thompson, Business Teacher at Jr/Sr High, both effective at the end of the 2021- 2022 school year. Small discussion held on replacing of business teacher. Motion carried unanimously.
Action Items: Shepherd motioned and Vandello seconded to approve 2022-2023 Budget. Motion carried unanimously. Houk motioned and Shepherd seconded to approve to set the 2021-2022 Budget Amendment hearing to May 16, 2022. Motion carried unanimously. Van Mersbergen motioned and Houk seconded to approve the MOU for 2022-2024 Wages for Classified staff, with 25 cent wage increase and change to base wages. Discussion held. Vandello motioned and Houk seconded to amend the motion to increase wages by 35 cents. Motion failed. Discussion held regarding how contracts are paid to staff.
Van Mersbergen motioned and Vandello seconded to amend the motion to include paying classified staff over 12 months vs the 9 months they are currently being paid. Motion carried unanimously with Houk abstaining. Shepherd motioned and Vandello seconded to approve the Certified Master Contract for 2022- 2024 Tentative Agreement. Motion carried unanimously. Shepherd motioned and Van Mersbergen seconded to approve the Administrators/Fiscal/Other Contracts for 2022-2023. Motion carried unanimously. Vandello motioned and Houk seconded to approve the purchase of 300 Chromebooks and 100 Samsung tablets with the Emergency Connectivity Funds. Small discussion held with board recommending that these will be used with upper elementary students to ease their transition to the Jr/Sr High. Motion carried unanimously. Van Mersbergen motioned and Vandello seconded to approve Board Resolution FY22-08 Safety Equipment in the amount of $2,140.19 for reconditioning/purchase of football helmets & pads ($1,051.19), for the purchase of 10 new helmets for softball ($400.00) and for a heavy duty screen for baseball ($689.00). Roll call vote: Klyn, absent; Shepherd, yes; Vandello, yes; Van Mersbergen, yes: Houk, yes; Haselhuhn, yes; and Brinegar, yes. Motion carried unanimously. Shepherd motioned and Van Mersbergen seconded to approve the preschool rates for 4-year-old students to
$150.00/month for the 2022-2023 school year. Motion carried unanimously. Shepherd motioned and Houk seconded to approve Headstart renting two rooms at the daycare for 3-yr-old preschool for the 2022-2023 school year. Discussion was held. Shepherd motioned and Vandello seconded the vote for Headstart so Superintendent Williamson could get the answer to the following questions: How will the lunches work with students eating our meals? Do they have a mask mandate? Why are they not operating in Oskaloosa or Ottumwa next year? Do they have a minimum regarding enrollment? Motion tabled.
Capital Projects: None
Discussion Items: Superintendent Williamson informed the board of various curriculum changes for the Jr/Sr High next year, including a Reading teacher, School Within a School Teacher, offering a journalism class along with the annual/yearbook and reminded the board members about the Indian Hills Board/Superintendent Appreciation Dinner on April 26th at 6:00 pm. Open positions: Immediate Openings: Child Care Associate, Activity Route Driver, Junior High Softball and Junior High Baseball and for the 2022-2023 School Year: School within a School Teacher - Jr/Sr High, Business Teacher - Jr/Sr High, 5th Grade Teacher - Fremont Elementary, Junior High Social Studies Teacher - Jr/Sr High and the following coaching positons: Junior High Football, Assistant Volleyball, 9th Grade Volleyball, Junior High Volleyball, Junior High Girls Basketball, Assistant Boys Basketball, Junior High Boys Basketball (2), Head Wrestling, Assistant Wrestling, and Junior High Wrestling.
Adjourn: Shepherd motioned and Vandello seconded to adjourn board meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 8:38 p.m.
Board Secretary
