June 20, 2022
North Mahaska Board of Education met in regular session on June 20, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the high school library in New Sharon, Iowa. Those members present: Dirk Wilkin, Keith Foster, Michelle Sampson, and Todd Vanderwilt. Also present: Sherrill Strobel, Amber Goemaat, Lindsay Thoreson, Angela Livezey, and Sarah McGriff.
Dirk Wilkin called the regular meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve the agenda with the addition of approving the resolution for Fund 31 to repay Fund 33 the amount borrowed for construction costs with interest. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Foster to approve the consent agenda. Motion carried.
COMMUNICATIONS
PUBLIC FORUM
Sherrill Strobel addressed the board with concerns regarding open campus and questions regarding the door lock system.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
A written communication was provided from Terry Malone advocating for a paid assistant track coach for next year.
UPDATE ON CONSTRUCTION - DCI GROUP
Trent Kain updated the board via phone regarding construction. The large air units are all being turned on this week and all AC units should be running by Tuesday. It may take a couple of days to cool the space down but should be feeling the correct temperature by the end of the week. Exterior signage is being touched up and fixed after initial install. Flooring in the preschool and nurse’s office will be repaired once Teenserve is done on July 2. Commissioning team is expected to be onsite the week after Teenserve as well.
COMMUNICATION ON UPDATED WARHAWK LOGOS / BRANDING - RYAN GROOM
Ryan Groom provided an update regarding new Warhawk Logos and branding that will be used in athletic facilities and on new uniforms and apparel. The retro logo will continue to be used throughout the district.
OLD BUSINESS
ROOF UPDATE - SCOTT PALMBERG VIA ZOOM
Architect Scott Palmberg reviewed the bids that were received for the Tritoflex installation on the majority of the school roof. Two bids were received, one from Dryspace and one from Hoppe Roofing. He recommended approving the bid received from Dryspace. Dryspace will be ready to perform the work starting in August, should the board approve the bid. Mr. Palmberg also presented the board with cost options for the elementary gym roof, brick masonry repairs, and mechanical system, with totals ranging from $390,000-$536,000. The prices presented are good through 07/31/2022 due to current market costs and changes. Installation time of the roof would be anywhere from 2-5 weeks depending on the option that is chosen. The board will vote on a final option at a special board meeting on July 5 or July 7 at 6pm. Mrs. Livezey will follow up with the architect and board members not present to finalize the date.
NEW BUSINESS
SET PRICE FOR SCHOOL LUNCH FEES
This is delayed until the fee calculator is available from the USDA.
APPROVE BID FOR ROOF RESTORATION PROJECT
A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Foster to approve the bid of $526,675 from Dryspace for the Tritoflex application portion of the roof restoration project. Motion carried.
APPROVE OPEN CAMPUS FOR SENIORS
Mrs. Goemaat presented the open campus policy for seniors. The board asked questions regarding the safety of the proposal and how students would exit and enter the building. Mrs. Goemaat explained that students would still have to enter via camera intercom and all students who are eligible for open campus due to grades or parental permission will be reviewed daily by the lunchroom monitors. Currently 60-70% of the senior class would meet the requirements for open campus. A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve open campus for seniors. Motion carried.
APPROVE OPEN LUNCH FOR JUNIORS
Mrs. Goemaat presented the open lunch policy for juniors. She noted that this is an incentive for juniors and also serves as a trial run as they apply for open campus as a senior. A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Sampson to approve open lunch for juniors. Motion carried.
APPROVE THE JR./SR. HIGH HANDBOOK, INCLUDING CODE OF CONDUCT
Mr. Vanderwilt asked if there were any large changes to the handbook. Mrs. Livezey answered that the grading scale was updated as approved at the May 2022 board meeting and updates to open enrollment procedures will be added once the Department of Education sends out new guidance. Updates were also made to the Code of Conduct. A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Foster to approve the Jr./Sr. High Handbook and Code of Conduct. Motion carried.
APPROVE LOCAL ELIGIBILITY CHANGES
Mrs. Goemaat presented a new local eligibility policy to match the State of Iowa’s rules. For high school, if a student has 1 or more F’s at the end of a quarter, they will be ineligible for 30 calendar days from the date the grades were received to the office OR the first allowable date of competition for students not currently in season. For junior high, if a student has 1 or more F’s at the end of the quarter, they will have 10 school days of ineligibility AND the grades must be brought to passing to regain eligibility. A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Sampson to approve local eligibility changes. Motion carried.
APPROVE THE ELEMENTARY HANDBOOK
Mrs. Livezey noted that the only change that would need to be made to the handbook is regarding open enrollment, lunch fees, and active or passive response requirements for screeners. A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Foster to approve the elementary handbook. Motion carried.
APPROVE OVERNIGHT TRIP RATE FOR BUS DRIVERS
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Sampson to approve the update to the overnight trip rate procedures for bus drivers to $15/hour with drivers being paid from the time they leave the school to the time they arrive at their hotel, room and board being paid, and a $37/day per diem provided for meals. Motion carried.
APPOINT OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Foster to approve the appointment of the Oskaloosa Herald as the district’s official newspaper. Motion carried.
APPROVE BANK DEPOSITORY LIMITS
A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Foster to approve bank depository limits of $3,000,000 for First State Bank and $15,000,000 in ISJIT. Motion carried.
APPROVE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve Ahlers and Cooney as the district attorney. Motion carried.
APPROVE 28E SHARING AGREEMENT W/ NEW SHARON CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOL
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve the 2022-2023 sharing agreement with the New Sharon Child Care and Preschool. Motion carried.
APPROVE CERTIFIED STAFF HANDBOOK FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve the certified staff handbook for the 2022-2023 school year. Motion carried.
APPROVE ACTIVITY PASS FOR ACTIVE SUBS
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Sampson to approve activity passes for active subs and one guest. Motion carried.
BOARD POLICY REVIEW
200.3 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Smapson to approve the second reading of board policy 200.3 as recommended by IASB. Motion carried.
710.01, 710.1E1, 710.1E2, 710.1R1 - SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM AND FORMS
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve the second reading of board policy 710.01, 710.1E1, 710.1E2, 710.1R1 as recommended by IASB. Motion carried.
802.4 - CAPITAL ASSETS
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Sampson to approve the second reading of board policy 802.4. Motion carried.
WELLNESS POLICY
The board performed a first reading of the revised Wellness Policy. Mrs. Sampson asked what the rules were regarding P.E. participation if a student is in a varsity sport. Mrs. Goemaat noted that graduation requirements must be met as well as the Healthy Kids Act of Iowa Code. A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Foster to approve the first reading of the Wellness Policy.
708 - CARE OF RECORDS
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Vanderwilt to update policy 708 to read that documents may be stored by electronic means. Motion carried.
APPROVE RESOLUTION FOR FUND 31 TO REPAY FUND 33
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Vanderwilt to approve the resolution for Fund 31 to repay Fund 33 $5,919.77, which includes a principal of $5,913.86 and interest of $5.91, for construction costs. Motion carried.
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
No principal’s report in summer months.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
OPAA REPORT - MAY
The May OPPA Report was presented to the board.
NEW LEGISLATION CHANGES FOR OPERATIONAL SHARING
Mrs. Livezey shared that beginning July 1, schools may share resource officers for 3 FTEs. Currently Mahaska County does not have an officer to share, but this could be discussed again in December. Mrs. Livezey asked the board if they would like her to approach the city regarding sharing an officer for 20% of the time. She noted that this is being presented as a preventative measure and not necessarily due to a need for additional security. The shared officer’s responsibility would be to assist the school when needed, having greater visibility during the school day and at events, and becoming more acquainted with the students. The board was in agreement for Mrs. Livezey to discuss this with the city.
GOVERNOR’S PLAN FOR INCREASED SCHOOL SECURITY
The District will go through a threat assessment to assess what added security measures would need to be put in place at the school buildings. The State will be providing funds for these measures, but amounts and other details are not known at this time.
APPROVE CLOSED SESSION FOR SUPERINTENDENT’S ANNUAL EVALUATION
A motion was made by Vanderwilt and seconded by Sampson to go into closed session as according to Iowa Code Section 21.5 (1) (i). Motion carried.
RETURN TO OPEN SESSION
A motion was made by Sampson and seconded by Foster to return to open session. Motion carried.
COMMENTS
Mr. Wilkin expressed his thanks for the patience of the board during his absence due to work.
THANK YOU
The board congratulated Sarah McGriff for completing her School Business Official training and receiving her license through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.
ADJOURN
A motion was made by Foster and seconded by Sampson to adjourn the meeting at 9:11p.m. Motion carried.
Sarah McGriff
Board Secretary
Dirk Wilkin
President
