Mid-Prairie Community School District
Kalona, Wellman, West Chester
Mid-Prairie Central Office Community Room, Wellman, IA 52356
June 14, 2021 – 6:15 p.m.
President Jeremy Gugel called the meeting to order.
Board members present: Mary Allred, Denise Chittick, Gabrielle Frederick, Jeremy Gugel, Jodi Meader, and Marianne Schlabach.
Board members absent: Jeremy Pickard.
Also Present: Mark Schneider, and Jeff Swartzentruber. Administrators present were Amy Shalla and Tyler Hotz.
Gabrielle Frederick moved to adopt the agenda as presented except that the hiring of Lisa Keston will be pulled from the Consent Agenda. Seconded by Mary Allred. Motion carried 6-0.
WORK SESSION
Recognize Special Guests
The USA Cross Country Coach Association Coach of the Year in the State of Iowa Mark Hostetler, and the Iowa Gatorade Runner of the Year Danielle Hostetler were introduced to and recognized by the School Board. Activities Director Tyler Hotz presented Danielle with the Runner of the Year Award. Hotz also presented Mark with his award and provided comments of appreciation. Mark and Danielle both spoke briefly about their appreciation for the District, the boosters and the fans. Additionally, Hotz noted the 4 in a row State Championships for Girls Cross Country and 3 in a row State Championships for Girls Track.
Middle School Math Materials Request
Kristan Hunter, District Curriculum Leader; Ashley Bartels, Middle School Math Teacher; and Elsie Spilman Middle School Math Teacher presented on the Proposal for new Middle School Math Curriculum. They provided information on their vision and background work leading up to the recommendation. This new curriculum method enhances and extends the current curriculum and teaching that is being used at the Middle School. The recommendation includes a 5-year access to DESMOS digital platform for 350 students in grades 6-8 for $26,180.00. This breaks down to $74.80 per student over 5 years, or $14.96 per student for one year of access. The Board asked questions for clarification.
District Facilities Plan
Superintendent Schneider discussed the current Facilities steps being taken. He discussed the overall plans and needs assessment for the work of the Facilities Committee is continuing to be evaluated. Schneider has asked Matt Gillaspie of Piper Jaffray to come to the June 28th School Board Meeting to discuss the Bond strategies. He has also requested a preliminary costing for a number of the Facilities Committee top rated projects as a way forecast the needs of the various additions and renovations. It is hoped that representatives from Carl A Nelson will be able to attend a School Board Meeting in July or early August. The Board asked questions for clarification on the project list, recent additions, and options to be considered.
Board Member and Administrator Dialogue
Amy Shalla reported Summer School at East Elementary and at the ALC is on-going through June. There will be an additional week of Summer School in the first week of August. Transportation is being provided for students who have expressed a need. Summer projects include: replacement of flooring in a number of the elementary school classrooms, replacement of a number of unit ventilators at West Elementary, replacement of the HVAC controls at the Middle School, and painting selected areas in all the buildings. Schneider then provided an overview of a number of the agenda items on the Business Meeting session.
Board Development and Inservice Activities
Schneider discussed the Principal’s Retreat in the first few days of August to build team within the new Administrative Team. On Tuesday, August 3rd the Board is invited to join the Principals at the Kirkwood Hotel at 6pm with Supper and then a Work Session.
Announcements and Suggestions for Next Agenda
Agenda item moved to the end of the meeting.
BUSINESS MEETING
Public Forum– 7:00 p.m.
No one spoke.
Consent Items
Marianne Schlabach moved to approve the following consent items.
Minutes of Previous Meetings
The minutes of May 10, 2021 and May 16, 2021;
Finance Report
The Finance Report for June, 2021;
Payment of Bills
The bills as listed for June 14, 2021; and Prepaid Bills;
Open Enrollment Requests
Dosha Vasquez requests Jaelynn Schultz (Kindergarten), attend Mid-Prairie from Pekin Community School District for the 2021-22 School Year;
Devra Stapleton requests Bella Sinn (Kindergarten), attend Mid-Prairie from Washington Community School District for the 2021-22 School Year;
Stacy Doehrmann requests Samantha McQuirk (Grade 12), attend Mid-Prairie from Williamsburg Community School District for the 2021-22 School Year;
Clint and Niki Miller request Hadley Miller (Kindergarten), attend Mid-Prairie from Williamsburg Community School District for the 2021-22 School Year;
Lynda Halteman requests Elyse Halteman (Grade 3), Chasya Halteman (Grade 4), Jamila Halteman (Grade 6) and Kalea Halteman (Grade 1) attend Mid-Prairie’s Home School Assistance Program from Williamsburg Community School District for the 2021-22 School Year;
Personnel Items
Contract issued to Julie Cole, Bus Driver, $24.13 per hour;
Contract issued to Roy Beachy, Bus Driver, $23.63 per hour;
Contract issued to Billy Matiyabo, Bus Driver, $25.13 per hour;
Contract issued to Cassidy Rourke, Middle School Softball Coach, $1,827 per season;
Contract issued to Taylor Weber, 0.5 FTE Middle School TLC Interventionist, $26,451 per annum;
Contract issued to Frank Slabaugh, 0.5 FTE Middle School TLC Learning Design Leader, $32,685 per annum;
Contract issued to Hallie Whitten, East Elementary Second Grade Teacher, $39,365 per annum;
Contract issued to Kelsey Stumpf, West Elementary Fourth Grade Teacher, $39,365 per annum;
Contract issued to Emily Pennington, East and West Elementary TLC Math Interventionist, $67,104 per annum;
Contract issued to Kristan Hunter, 0.5 FTE Early Childhood Facilitator, $35,220 per annum;
Contract issued to Kristan Hunter, 0.5 FTE District Curriculum Director, $35,220 per annum;
Contract issued to Olivia Tucker, Middle School Fifth Grade Teacher, $39,365 per annum;
Contract issued to Lori Simon, East and West Elementary TLC Technology Education Teacher, $52,645 per annum;
Contract issued to Wendy Puteney, Middle School Spanish Teacher, $69,570 per annum;
Contract issued to Carmen Fernau, East Elementary Nurse, $40,722 per annum;
Resignation of Fabiola Hernandez, Middle School Spanish Teacher, $43,267 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Deb Carlson, HS Math Teacher, $56,012 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Jaclyn Greiner, HS Nurse, $45,581 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Hannah Halstead, Fourth Grade Teacher, $38,906 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Wendy Klostermann, Bus Driver, $23.16 per hour, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Rachel Sather, West Elementary Paraprofessional, $13.76 per hour, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Erin Campbell, West Elementary Paraprofessional, $13.76 per hour, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Kyla Schneider, East Elementary Paraprofessional, $13.79 per hour, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Julie Cole, High School Paraprofessional, $15.50 per hour, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Stephen Bender, Middle School Girls Basketball Coach, $3,169 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Aaron Coghlan, Assistant Varsity Football Coach, $3,130 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Resignation of Aaron Coghlan, Middle School Boys Track Coach, $2,267 per annum, effective end of 2020-2021 School Year;
Fundraising Requests – None presented at this time;
2021-2022 Cooperative Agreements with Clear Creek Amana Community School District
The four existing and on-going 28E Agreements for shared with Clear Creek Amana Community Schools are: Human Resource Coordinator—hired by Mid-Prairie; Social Worker—hired by Mid-Prairie; Building and Grounds and Grounds Director –hired by Clear Creek Amana; and Curriculum Director—hired by Clear Creek Amana. These agreements will continue into the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year;
Power School Agreement
Approval of the Licensing Agreement with Power School for the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year.
Gabrielle Frederick seconded the consent items. Motion carried 6-0.
Hiring of Lisa Kesten
Superintendent Schneider explained that Kesten is his daughter and noted the potential conflict of interest. He discussed the situation with Jeremy Gugel before she applied. He stayed out of the interview and hiring recommendation. Amy Shalla noted the qualifications of Kesten and their recommendation to hire her. The hiring bonus incentive to be discussed later is not recommended by Schneider for Kesten.
Denise Chittick moved to approve that a contract be issued to Lisa Kesten, West Elementary Special Education Teacher, $45,812 per annum. Mary Allred seconded the motion. Approved 6-0.
Student Learning
Middle School Math Materials Request
Superintendent Schneider recapped the recommendation for Math Materials from the Work Session. Gabrielle Frederick moved to approve the Math Curriculum request to purchase a 5-year access to DESMOS digital platform for 350 students at a cost of $26,180.00. Jodi Meader seconded the motion. Motion carried 6-0.
New Principal Contracts
Superintendent Schneider reported that our past practice has been to offer Principal Contracts that begin annually on August 1st and end on July 31st. He is proposing to move the 3 new Principal contracts to a July 1st to June 30th annual cycle. This is recommended in order to match the practice of other Districts in Iowa and prevent a gap in income and benefits of one month. Existing Administrator Contracts will remain on the August 1st cycle. The contracts will be reissued with the new dates. It was deemed no motion was required for this change. This is only a reporting item.
Incentive for Hiring Teachers in the DE Identified Shortage Areas
Superintendent Schneider shared a listing of the 17 content areas that are defined as hard to fill teaching positions. Many of the District’s open positions in this area have had none or at most one applicant. The Washington District recently instituted this type of bonus for the 2021-2022 school year. He requested the Board consider a hiring bonus of $5,000 to be paid to teachers in these identified categories. This would be similar to what other Districts are doing for these types of positions. Further, it would be recommended that hiring bonus be paid half in the first check of the first year and the second half of the bonus in the first check of the second year the teacher is under contract. This would be a longer term change of Board Policy where the amount within the policy would or could be set by the Board each year. The Board discussed the inclusion of the elementary special education teacher in the bonus, especially in light of Schneider’s recommendation to not include this position.
Gabrielle Frederick moved to approve a signing bonus for teachers in shortage areas as identified by the Iowa Department of Education and that the bonus be given to any teacher hired for the 2021-22 school that fits the criteria except for the elementary special education teacher hired tonight. The amount of the signing bonus shall be $5,000.00 with half paid on September 25, 2021 and the second half being paid on September 25, 2022 if the teacher is still an employee of the district on that date. There was no second to the motion. Motion died for lack of a second.
Denise Chittick moved to approve a signing bonus for teachers in shortage areas as identified by the Iowa Department of Education and that the bonus be given to any teacher hired for the 2021-22 school that fits the criteria. The amount of the signing bonus shall be $5,000.00 with half paid on September 25, 2021 and the second half being paid on September 25, 2022 if the teacher is still an employee of the district on that date. Mary Allred seconded the motion. Motion did not carry as the vote was a tie 3-3. Gabrielle Frederick, Marianne Schlabach, and Jeremy Gugel voted against.
The Board discussed the reasons for the bonus and the inclusion or not of Keston’s position as eligible for the bonus. The Board affirmed Mark’s transparency in this agenda item. The policy would new and ongoing if approved as compared to if the policy had already been in place.
Gabrielle Frederick moved to approve a signing bonus for teachers in shortage areas as identified by the Iowa Department of Education and that the bonus be given to any teacher hired for the 2021-22 school that fits the criteria. The amount of the signing bonus shall be $5,000.00 with half paid on September 25, 2021 and the second half being paid on September 25, 2022 if the teacher is still an employee of the district on that date. Chittick seconded the motion. Motion carried 6-0.
Board Policy 403.1 – Employee Physical Examinations
Superintendent Schneider recommends that the policy be changed to remove the content “and that the employee did not test positive for tuberculosis”. In the past few years, there has been a very low supplies of tuberculosis testing kits that has resulted in the various physicians who perform the pre-employment physicals not providing this service. It does not look like this situation will be resolved anytime soon. The attending physician will make their determination and recommendation as to whether the employee is fit to perform their duties.
Jodi Meader moved to pass on First Reading Board Policy 403.1 Employee Physical Examinations as presented. Denise Chittick seconded the motion. Motion carried 6-0.
Student Handbooks
Student Handbooks for East Elementary, West Elementary, and the Middle School are under consideration. This was tabled as there were none presented for this meeting.
Finance
Modular Classrooms
Superintendent Schneider noted that we are still waiting on the agreement with Vesta Modular. Shive-Hattery is continuing to work with Vesta Modular on the placement of the classrooms. Schneider noted that he has asked for a leasing agreement. The Board asked questions for clarification on timing.
Superintendent Compensation
Board President Jeremy Gugel drew the Board’s attention to the schedule for Superintendent Schneider’s pay package for the upcoming year. Current salary is $172,995 with a total package of $223,859. It is recommended that the Superintendent’s compensation package be increased by 2.90%, which is the same as all other District Staff for the 2021-2022 School year. This would raise his salary to $178,390 and total package to $230,352. The Board expressed appreciation to Schneider and acknowledged how busy this next school year will be with new administrative staff.
Denise Chittick moved to approve the Superintendent Compensation Package to $230,352, a 2.90% increase for the 2021-2022 School Year as recommended. Mary Allred seconded the motion. Motion carried 6-0.
Work Session
Completion of Unfinished Work Session Items
There were no unfinished items from the Work Session section of the meeting.
Announcements
Announcements and Suggestions for Next Agenda
The next regular Board meeting will be on Monday, June 28, 2021, at 6:15 p.m. at the Central Office Community Room. Agenda items to include: The District Annual Report, the modular classroom agreement, Second Reading of Board Policy 403.1, Student Handbook changes, and introduction of the new principals.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m.