March 15, 2010 regular meeting

MINUTES,
Regular Meeting
Anita Board of Education
Monday, March 15, 2010, 7:30 p.m.

The Anita Board of Education was called to order by President Randall J. Rabe for the regular meeting on March 15, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the media center at the high school.  Members present for opening were Jeff Gregersen, Nick Kauffman, Chuck Kinzie, Randall J. Rabe, and Julie Williamson.  Others present were Superintendent John Brazell, High School Principal Dominic Giegerich, and Secretary Linda Edwards.  There were five visitors.

POSITIVE COMMENTS:  Positive comments were received by the Board.  The Speech performers are having a successful season.  Angela Arp will be presenting at All-State in Acting.  Another successful Walnut Hills Speech Contest was held.  The recent Pops Concert went well.  Number of participants in the spring sports were reported.  Two CAM girls performed with the drill team at the girls’ state basketball tournament.  The winter sports banquet will be held on Thursday.  Six elementary students participated in the Invention Convention and Mitch Williamson goes on to compete in Iowa City.  Cheerleaders have been selected to perform at the Shrine Bowl.

AGENDA CHANGES:  None.

CONSENT AGENDA:  A motion was given by Director Kauffman that was seconded by Director Kinzie to approve the agenda, minutes of the regular meeting of February 15, 2010 and joint board meeting March 9, 2010, and the bills.  The motion carried with a 4-0 vote.  Julie Williamson abstained due to being unable to attend the joint meeting.  The bills were approved in the amount of $56,137.64, from the General Fund, $50.00 from the Management Fund, $839.11 from the PPEL Fund, $4,779.13 from the SILO Fund, $982.63 from the Elementary Activity Fund, $6,149.34 from the High School Activity Fund, and $6,181.22 from the Hot Lunch Fund.  

APPROVE FINANCIAL REPORTS:  February financial reports for the funds of General, Management, PPEL, PERL, SILO, Elementary Activity, High School Activity, and Hot Lunch were offered the Board.  After reviewing the financial reports, Gregersen motioned to accept these financial reports.  This was seconded by Kinzie.  The motion carried 5-0.

PROMETHEAN BOARD DEMONSTRATION:  The Board moved to the Spanish room for a presentation by Joni Clinton and Julie Stender on how they use the Promethean Boards in their classrooms.  

SPENDING AUTHORITY/POSSIBLE REDUCTIONS:  Discussion was held on the decrease in unspent balance the district has been experiencing the last few years.  Expenditures need to be reduced to stop the downward slide in unspent balance.  Mr. Brazell has held meetings in both buildings to discuss possible reductions. A motion to have the administration research possible reductions and provide a recommendation to the Board at the April meeting to reduce expenditures by $150,000-$170,000 for the 2011 fiscal year was made by Gregersen, seconded by Kauffman.  The motion carried 5-0.

OPERATIONAL SHARING:  Currently Anita and C & M are taking advantage of the operational sharing incentive in the business manager position.  Other options available to the districts are to share transportation director, maintenance director and superintendent.  A motion to pursue sharing the positions of transportation director, maintenance director and superintendent for FY2011 was made by Kinzie, seconded by Gregersen.  The motion carried 5-0.

INSURANCE RATES:  Premium rate increases of 11.47% for FY2011 were reviewed.

REORGANIZATION DISCUSSION:  Discussion was held on the progress of acquiring signatures for the reorganization petition.  We are within just a few signatures of meeting the goal of 300 signatures.  They will then be sent to the attorney for verification.

2010-2011 BUDGET PUBLICATION APPROVAL:  The proposed budget for 2010-2011 was given the board for review.  After reviewing the proposed budget, Director Kinzie made a motion to approve the budget publication.   A second was received from Kauffman and the motion carried 5-0.

SET DATE / TIME FOR BUDGET HEARING/APRIL BOARD MEETING:  The motion from Kauffman to hold the budget hearing on April 8 at 6:30 p.m. prior to the joint board meeting was seconded by Williamson.  The budget needs to be certified by April 15.  The regular April board meeting will be held at its original time/date:  April 19 at 7:30.  The motion carried with a 5-0 vote.

2010-2011 SCHOOL CALENDAR:  Mr. Brazell had a 2010-2011 work-in-progress school calendar for the board’s review and opinions.  This same calendar is being presented to the C & M School District’s board for their feedback as well.  There was no motion as this was for discussion only.  This item will return at a later board meeting for review and approval.

BIDS FOR SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT:  After discussion, Director Kinzie made a motion to accept the bid from Horizon Equipment for a 318D skid steer, with a snow bucket, for $18,500.  This motion was seconded by Kauffman.  With Gregersen abstaining from the vote, the motion carried with a 4-0 vote.

PRESCHOOL GRANT:  Discussion was held on the progress of the completion of the preschool grant.  A motion to approve applying for the Voluntary Preschool Grant was made by Gregersen, seconded by Williamson and carried 5-0.

ATHLETIC SHARING AGREEMENTS:  Approval was given for athletic sharing agreements for boys’ wrestling and soccer and girls’ soccer with the Atlantic Community School District on a motion by Williamson, seconded by Kinzie.  Motion carried 5-0.  Athletic sharing agreements are renewed each year.

MEDIA AUTOMATION:  The administration and library personnel in the two districts have been researching various options for automating the libraries.  Two companies have made presentations and it was recommended by this committee to accept the proposal from Alexandria Software.  Cost to the Anita district will be approximately $12,000.  Funding sources were discussed and possible funding could be from PPEL Fund or using the Microsoft settlement dollars.  A motion to accept the proposal from Alexandria Software was made by Kauffman, seconded by Williamson.  Motion carried 5-0.

CONTRACTS:  Contracts to Mike Cormack, head baseball coach, and Richard Strittmatter, driver education instructor, were approved on a motion by Gregersen, seconded by Kinzie.  The motion carried on a 5-0 vote.

RESIGNATION:  Jamaica Reed has resigned from her part-time Title I aide position at the elementary to be effective immediately. A motion from Williamson to regretfully accept Jamaica Reed’s resignation was seconded by Kauffman.  The motion carried with a 5-0 vote.

ROLLING HILLS CONFERENCE-NEW MEMBER:  East Greene has made an application to join the Rolling Hills Conference starting in the fall of 2010.  The conference principals approved this at their last meeting.

OPEN ENROLLENT APPLICATIONS:  2010-2011 applications into the Anita district for Brady Burg (kindergarten) from Nodaway Valley, and for Chloe Pershin (kindergarten), Callie Pershin and Natasha Pershin (3rd graders) from Atlantic were approved on a motion by Kinzie, seconded by Williamson.  The motion carried 5-0.

Minutes Continued
Page 3 of 3
March 15, 2010

POLICY REVIEW:  Board policy 602.3d on correspondence courses is to be brought to the board annually for review.  The motion for annual approval of this policy 602.3d was offered by Gregersen, and seconded by Kauffman.  The motion carried 5-0.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS: The Superintendent/Elementary Principal’s report included information on teacher appreciation week May 2-8, elementary parent-teacher conferences attendance, upcoming Iowa Rural Schools meeting, legislative action on teacher salary supplement money, and Head Start. Mr. Brazell discussed the SBRC decision to not grant modified allowable growth for the loss of Phase I funding.  The Anita Elementary will host the Cass County Spelling Bee on April 16.  

The Secondary Principal reported on attendance at parent-teacher conferences, driver’s education, and an update on the high school band situation.  Educators from the Audubon schools came to observe our one-to-one laptop initiative.  The principal from Nodaway Valley has contacted Mr. Giegerich about the possibility of sending students to participate in our introductory FFA classes and Industrial Arts classes.  Mr. Giegerich said that Atlantic has indicated that it might not have a need to share Mr. Mehrhoff next year.  

LOOKING AHEAD:  Looking ahead items are classified staff wage review, hearing and approval of next year’s calendar, budget hearing and certification, classified contracts, negotiated agreement—teacher master contract, approval of issuance of certified contracts, administrative contracts, and approval of current year’s graduating seniors.

ADJOURNMENT:  President Rabe declared the meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

signed Randall J. Rabe, Board President 

signed Linda Edwards, Board Secretary