2023.04.17 Public Hearing and Regular Session

PUBLIC HEARING AND REGULAR SESSION

OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE

SOUTH TAMA COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Board of Directors of the Community School District of South Tama County met on April 17, 2023 for a Public Hearing on the 2023-2024 Certified Budget at the Partnership Center, Tama, Iowa at 5:00 p.m. with members of the community attending electronically through Google Hangouts.

On call of the roll the following were present:  Mandy Lekin, Elizabeth Dolezal, Penny Tyynismaa, Clint Werner, and Beth Wiese.  Quorum Present.   Also present were: Superintendent John Cain, Board Secretary Katie Mathern, Steve McAdoo, Marilyn Rippy, Kris Collins, Brad Schweppe, Jonathan Meyer with the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle and members of the community through Google Hangouts.

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Dolezal to approve the agenda.  All Ayes. The motion carried.

Public Hearing - President Lekin opened the Public Hearing for the 2023-2024 Certified Budget at 5:00 p.m.  President Lekin asked for public comments.  Hearing none, President Lekin asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing.

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Dolezal to close the Public Hearing at 5:01 p.m.  All Ayes.  The motion carried.

The Regular Session was called to order at 5:01 p.m.

On call of the roll the following were present:  Mandy Lekin, Elizabeth Dolezal, Penny Tyynismaa, Clint Werner, and Beth Wiese.  Quorum Present.   Also present were: Superintendent John Cain, Board Secretary Katie Mathern, Steve McAdoo, Marilyn Rippy, Kris Collins, Brad Schweppe, Jonathan Meyer with the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle and members of the community through Google Hangouts.

Motion Dolezal, second by Tyynismaa to approve the following consent agenda items: minutes from the
April 3, 2023 regular Board meeting, bills for payment as presented, Timberline Agreement & Addendum, early graduation request for Sarayna Mauskemo - January 2024 and Caitlyn Mathes-Henle - May 2024.  All Ayes.  The motion carried. 

Public Comments – None 

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Dolezal to approve the following personnel requests.  All Ayes. The motion carried.

Hires:  Taylor Ray - Kindergarten Teacher, Carley Boulhius - K-6 Trojan Academy Special Education Teacher, and Gretchen Taylor - 9-12 Special Education

Resignations:  Molly Ramirez - 5th Grade Teacher and Nicole Walker - 5th Grade Teacher

Transfer:  Kenadie Geiger from Elementary Academic Interventionist to Elementary Special Education Teacher and Andrea Rutledge from High School English Language Arts Teacher to District Wide Substitute (High School Focused)

Officials:  Kyle Clark - HS Soccer, Steve Vermeer - HS Soccer, Robert Scranton - HS Soccer, Theron Hitchman - HS Soccer, Mark McFate - MS & HS Soccer, Jeffrey Blanchard - HS Soccer, Bryan Foster - HS Soccer, Terence Moriarty - HS Soccer, Tyler STrickler - HS Soccer, and Greg Cruikshank - MS Soccer

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Wiese to approve the first reading of the following policies:  Policy 403.03 R1 - Communicable Diseases - Employees - Regulation and Policy 705.04 (formerly known as 804.07) - Expenditures for Public Purpose.  All Ayes.  The motion carried.

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Wiese to approve the bid from Pan-O-Gold for the 2023-2024 bread vendor.  All Ayes.  The motion carried. 

Motion by Dolezal, second by Werner to approve the Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of Not to Exceed $5,000,000 General Obligation School Bonds and Levying a Tax for the Payment Thereof.  All Ayes.  The motion carried.  

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Dolezal to approve the quote from Cassill Motors, in the amount of $59,997, for a 12 - passenger van paid with ESSER funding.   All Ayes.  The motion carried.

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Dolezal to approve the AthleticSound proposal, in the amount of $3,198.00, for the baseball field sound system.  The STC Boosters agreed to pay $3,000.00 towards this.  All Ayes.  The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Tyynismaa to approve the 2023-2024 Certified Budget as presented with a total tax rate of $14.45.  All Ayes.  The motion carried.

Motion by Tyynismaa, second by Wiese to approve setting the date of May 1, 2023 for the 2022-2023 Calendar Public Hearing for a change to the calendar.  4.75 hours need to be added to the student calendar.  It is recommended to utilize 1.0 hours on May 25th and 3.75 hours on May 26th.  All Ayes.  The motion carried.

Elementary principal, Brad Schweppe and elementary assistant principal, Kris Collins, presented information from the elementary school.  Mr. Schweppe is happy with how things are going at the elementary building.  Using the FAST testing data, they are able to identify what students need interventions.  The building has an average daily attendance goal of 95%.  According to PowerMetrics data, the elementary school is sitting at 92.7% for the average daily attendance.  The District Attorney has been great to meet with in regards to the possibilities of what to do to increase this percentage. 

Demolition has started at the new middle school site.  The contractors are gutting the inside of the building and filling dumpsters.  This is all part of Bid Package #1. 

Superintendent Cain reported RAGBRAI is coming and the District will be providing showers and transportation for sure.  Negotiation meetings and exempt sessions have been occurring, as STCEA and the District have not yet settled.  The District has 4.75 hours to add to the student calendar, which a Public Hearing will be held for at May 1st’s Board meeting.  A few SIAC committees are continuing to meet, while others will resume meetings in the Fall.           

Motion by Dolezal, second by Wiese to adjourn the meeting at 5:59 p.m.  All Ayes.

Immediately following the regular meeting, the Board went into exempt session per Iowa Code 21.9 to discuss strategy relating to employment conditions of employees covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 

Mandy Lekin, Board President                             Katie Mathern, Board Secretary