Celebrate School Library Month
April is School Library Month, so the teacher librarians of Marshalltown Community School District came to the Board meeting Monday to share some of the ways they connect students with books, learning and the larger community.
In just the first semester students visited the school libraries 40,000 times, checking out 91,000 items. Teacher librarians have started before and after school reading programs, held library sleep-overs, and helped students use technology in learning. Each librarian told the board about specific events and programs started at their schools.
Marshalltown’s teacher librarians are Sue Inhelder (MHS), David Stanfield (Miller), Erin Feingold (Lenihan), Jeni Sloan (Hoglan), Beth Steffa (Anson), Alicia Patten (Fisher), John Fritz (Franklin), Ellen Youds (Rogers) and Sue Cahill (Woodbury).
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Manis named next Anson principal
Ronnie Manis will be the next principal at Anson Elementary School starting July 1, 2013.
Read more here.
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Positive feedback from Dept. of Ed site visit
The report from the Department of Education is overwhelmingly positive after a Site Visit Jan. 15-17, 2013.
Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, associate superintendent for student achievement, presented a summary of the formal Site Visit report, which noted strengths and recommendations in seven categories: Vision, Mission & Goals; Leadership; Collaborative Relationships; Learning Environment; Curriculum & Instruction; Professional Development; Monitoring and Accountability.
The district had three areas of non-compliance, which have been corrected and submitted to the Department of Education. Dr. Pecinovsky said as of the Board meeting Monday the District was in complete compliance.
To view the Site Visit Summary presentation, click here.
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Board approves 2013-14 budget
The Board approved the District budget for 2013-2014 Monday.
The budget is based on zero percent allowable growth and the 1 percent budget guarantee. Since the state legislature has not set allowable growth for the next year, the budget is based on “worst case scenario”. Finance Director Kevin Posekany told the Board this uncertainty was also the reason for a 30-cent increase per $1000 valuation in property taxes to $17.84. He said the Board could always go back and reduce the tax levy after the state sets allowable growth, but they cannot go back and increase them, which is why it is set higher to start. He told the Board once allowable growth is set they should be able to reduce the tax levy back to 2012-2013 levels.
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NOTES FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
By Dr. Marvin Wade, Superintendent of Schools
The Board of Education’s approval of the fiscal year 2014 budget was another step in the process of clarifying how monies to be received during the 2013-2014 school year will be spent. Among the factors included in these allocation decisions are district priorities, board policy, and current knowledge of federal and state funding levels.
Now that the budget has been adopted, the next step is to align expenditures with district priorities, without changing the total to be expended. These adjustments will be made between now and the end of June based upon factors such as curricular needs, compensation packages and operational costs (e.g. utilities and transportation fuel). Reports will be made about these adjustments as additional information becomes available regarding changes in state revenue and district commitments for 2013-2014.
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NOTES FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD
By Sherm Welker, Board President
Tonight we formally reviewed the Site Visit Report from the Iowa Department of Education. The report summarized the findings of the inspection team that came here in January of this year. The team interviewed staff, administration, students, parents, and community members while looking through our procedures, plans, training, credentials, curriculum, testing scores, policies, and reviewing the quality of service we are achieving in our school district. (Sounds almost like an IRS audit or visit to the Dentist if you ask me.)
We had been given a verbal report when the team completed the inspection and all of the points were confirmed by the written report. It is my privilege to summarize the results and say the Marshalltown School District passed with flying colors! The inspection team remarked that all members of our team know and understand the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan and the measurements that enable the Board, administration, and staff to monitor our progress. There are many facets to encourage and motivate student achievement, and the SAP identifies our plan and our results. We are very pleased that only a few minor paperwork / policy issues were needing adjustment as a result of the inspection and those items were all corrected in February after they were identified. Marshalltown is in full compliance and ready to grow and advance as we have planned.
Thank you to all parties involved with the Site Visit and our progress. We look forward to all of the opportunities the future will bring here in Marshalltown.
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POLICY
First Reading
405.3 Licensed Employee Individual Contracts, waive second reading.
Initial Review
405.6 Certification, mark reviewed with citation of Iowa Code.
405.7 Assignment and Transfer, mark reviewed with citation of Iowa Code.
405.8 Evaluation, bring back revisions based on IASB policy.
405.10 Access to Buildings, rewrite to align with current practices.
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PERSONNEL – Click here.
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The Board Report 