Mid-Prairie Community School District
Kalona, Wellman, West Chester
Mid-Prairie Central Office Community Room, Wellman, IA 52356
May 18, 2022 – 6:15 p.m.
President Jeremy Pickard called the meeting to order.
Board members present Mary Allred, Denise Chittick, Gabrielle Frederick, Jeremy Pickard, Marianne Schlabach, Jed Seward, Jake Snider.
Board members absent: None.
Staff Present: Superintendent Mark Schneider, Business Manager/Board Secretary Jeff Swartzentruber, East Elementary Principal Greg Jergens, and Middle School Principal Rob Hruby
Mary Allred moved to adopt the agenda as presented. Seconded by Jed Seward. Motion carried 7-0.
Public Forum – No one spoke.
Consent Agenda
Marianne Schlabach moved to approve the following consent items.
Personnel Items
Contract issued to Randy Billups, HS Head Wrestling Coach, $4,339 per season;
TLC Contract issued to Melissa O’Rourke, PBIS/SEL Teacher Leader, $2,867 per annum;
TLC Contract issued to Stacia Danner, Model Preschool Teacher, $2,867 per annum;
Resignation of Melanie King, HSAP Supervising Teacher, $28.10 per hour, effective 6/15/2022;
Resignation of Rachel Otting, West Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher, $42,079 per annum, effective end of the 2021-2022 School Year.
Mary Allred seconded the motion. Motion carried 7-0.
Construction Projects Funded with Revenue Bonds
Superintendent Schneider introduced the floor plan options for the Middle School while noting that East Elementary floor plan is settled. There are three options for the Middle School. Personnel from Carl A. Nelson Company, Construction Manager for the District, and Shive-Hattery, Architect for the District were present to answer questions. The Board focused on the third option as this was a combination of option 1 and input from Middle School staff as presented by Principal Hruby. The Board discussed the pros and cons of option 3 at length as well as thoughts for long term growth items. The third option is estimated to be the less expensive, by $200,000 to $500,000, of the three options. It also appears to provide flexibility for future expansion.
Jed Seward moved to accept Option 3 for the Middle School. Jake Snider seconded the motion. Motion carried 7-0.
Following the approval Shive-Hattery personnel talked about next steps in the process for design and development with an initial timeline for going for bid in December 2022, bids to be returned in late January of 2023, ground breaking goal is March of 2023 with completion in the Fall of 2024.
Superintendent Contract for 2022-2023
President Pickard noted that the Superintendent Contract for two years has been presented to and signed by Brian Stone. The form of the contract is similar to the previous Superintendent contract in terms of benefits and structure, but has been updated to include two years. The contracted amount is $156,000 base salary. Additionally, there is a $12,000 403(b) payment in lieu of family health insurance coverage, as Mr. Stone has asked for single coverage only. Other benefits include 4 weeks of vacation, and similar leaves to the Certified Staff Master Agreement provisions. The contract was reviewed by the Board. Question were asked by the Board for clarification.
Denise Chittick moved to approve the two-year Superintendent Contract with Brian Stone for $156,000 for the first year as presented. Gabrielle Frederick seconded the motion. Motion carried 7-0.
Board Training Session – President Pickard asked about the board training session in July would the Board prefer it to be on two dates in shorter sessions or one date with a longer session. It is currently planned for 2 sessions. There appears to be initial agreement to keep the 2 session format.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:53 p.m.