2008-04-11
Due to inclement weather on Thursday, April 10, the meeting was rescheduled to the following evening, Friday, April 11, 2008.
Prior to the meeting, Board members and Superintendent Schiltz met at the elementary school to view the access control system, which has now been completed.
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING––APRIL 11, 2008
Vice-President Bruce Feikert called the meeting to order at 8:20 p.m. in the St. Francis High School library on the above date with all members present except John Knodel and Mary Beth Miller. Reporter Karen Krien was also present to observe and take notes.
Superintendent Schiltz requested three changes to the agenda: 1) delete Old Business, which was to include discussion (concerning the new gym project and information about issuing a bond election) with Greg Vahrenberg, Managing Director of Piper Jaffray, who was unable to attend due to the inclement weather; 2) under New Business, add a request-letter from an out-of-district family requesting that their child be allowed to attend school in USD 297; and 3) under Miscellaneous, delete the selection of Board members to present diplomas at High School Commencement on Sunday, May 18 (already taken care of). Bonnie Zweygardt moved to approve the agenda with these changes; the motion was seconded by Sherry Weeks and carried.
Items on the consent calendar were reviewed and discussed. A motion was then made by Bonnie Zweygardt, seconded by Kelly Gienger, and carried to approve the consent calendar, including the following items: 1) The minutes of the regular meeting on March 13, 2008. 2) The list of bills being paid on checks numbering 7980-8075 on BankWest and numbering 5112-5172 on First National Bank for a total of $269,727.19. 3) The Cash Summary Report (including three transfers––$3,951.86 from the Supplemental General Fund to the Vocational Education Fund, $6,452.30 from the General Fund to the At-Risk Fund, and $27,127 from the General Fund to the Special Education Fund), and the Grade School and High School Activity Fund Reports––all as of March 31, 2008.
There were no audiences and no committee reports, but the Scholarship Committee indicated that they would be holding their first meeting for this year on Wednesday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m.
The Board received and read two letters of resignation: 1) from Terri Orth, resigning from her position (after seventeen years) as special education paraprofessional, and coach of junior high volleyball and junior high track, effective at the end of the 2007-08 school year; and 2) from Marsha Kechter, resigning from her special education paraprofessional position (after thirteen years), effective at the end of the 2007-08 school year. Kelly Gienger moved to accept these resignations; the motion was seconded by Sherry Weeks and carried.
The Board and administration reviewed a roster of licensed teachers, their present assignments, and some recommended reässignments for the 2008-2009 school year. The proposed reässignments for 2008-2009 included the following: 1) Gloria Cassidy, Jennifer Krien, and Sandy Smull––same part-time positions as currently or reässign where needed, if agreed; 2) Jeff Beims––add head high school boys’ basketball coach (formerly held by Ward Cassidy); 3) Devin Dinkel––change from assistant high school track coach to head high school boys’ track coach; 5) Tim Lambert––change from head high school track coach to head high school girls’ track coach; 6) Kaye O’Brien––add seventh-grade life skills class; and 7) Carla Schiltz––drop seventh-grade life skills class, and add high school basic math.
Bonnie Zweygardt then moved to offer contracts for 2008-2009 to
all current licensed faculty members who have not resigned, or are
not returning due to the expiration of their emergency teaching
license (Brad Matthies and Robin Petersen), including all of the
reässignments specified above, and subject to the provision that
the contracts paid partially or fully from federal funding are
dependent on USD 297 receiving sufficient federal funds for those
contracts. The motion was seconded by Sherry Weeks and carried.
The Board also received and reviewed a list of the present
nonlicensed personnel and their current assignments. This review
will continue prior to offering 2008-2009 contracts to nonlicensed
personnel at a later meeting.
The Board received and read a letter from Derek and Amy (Rice)
Hathaway, requesting that their son Isaac (pre-K) be permitted to
receive services in St. Francis USD 297. Kelly Gienger moved,
Bonnie Zweygardt seconded, and it carried to allow this student to
attend in accordance with Board Policy 5111, “School Admission,”
and to waive tuition charges.
The Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) Region 9 Meeting, to
be held on Tuesday, May 6, in Goodland, was briefly discussed.
Those planning to attend are Sherry Weeks, Bonnie Zweygardt,
Superintendent Schiltz, and Clerk Sharon Olofson. Other Board
members expressed an interest in attending, if their schedules
allow.
Superintendent Rob Schiltz and K-12 Principal Scott Carmichael gave brief reports, including some review of performance on the current Kansas Assessments which are going very well.
Board members and administrators presented a few other miscellaneous items for information and discussion, but no action was taken.
No report on the school improvement process and no review of board policy were scheduled for this meeting.
At 9:15 p.m., Bonnie Zweygardt moved that the meeting adjourn; the motion was seconded by Pete Raile and carried.
