Roundhouse renovation and expansion
Susan Jones and Dave Deemer from CPMI (project manager) said the majority of the Roundhouse work is completed. The new locker rooms are not expected to be complete by the start of school. The district has the certificate of occupancy for all areas of the building except for the new locker rooms. The new gym is getting some use as the Marshalltown High School volleyball camp is being held in the Roundhouse this week.
Professional Learning Schedule
Dr. Susan Pecinovsky presented the Professional Learning Schedule for the 2015-16 school year for staff. “This calendar is really a result of year-round work,” Pecinovsky said. She said this year-round work involves gathering the needs of the district as far as professional learning. To view the professional learning schedule for 2015-16, click here.
Board Policies
414.6 – Jury duty – Changes to be made and brought back
502.12 – Smoking, Drinking, Drugs – Marked as reviewed
201.4 – Elections – Marked as reviewed
701.2 – Transfer of Inactive Account Funds – Marked as reviewed
312.4 – Administrator Evaluation – Brand new policy – will come back for first reading.
904.6 – Community/Family Activities – Board member Kendall Derby presented recommended time on policy moved from 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. School personnel will talk with local group on this and get back to the board.
204.9 – Agenda and Order of Regular Business Meetings
Three board members went to an Iowa Association of School Boards training session about board meetings, building agendas and how the agendas are presented to the public.
Some suggestions they had for the agenda for the future included:
- Action items and information items to be identified and include name of school personnel presenting each item.
- Include mission statement at top of agenda.
- Public comment time on non-agenda items could be moved up earlier in the meeting.
- Agenda items that include acronyms should be spelled out.
Board/ school personnel will work to include a regulation to cover these new ideas.
Voluntary Early Retirement
Before the end of September, the board will decide whether to offer voluntary early retirement for the following year for licensed teachers, 12-month secretaries and administrators. The board will bring this back as an agenda item under finance at next meeting (August 17) with more information on this.
Communications
A reminder that another set of Parent Rallies will be held Aug. 10 and 11 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Marshalltown Public Library. These rallies will have a similar format as those held in June, with a special focus this time on families from Burma. All are invited to the rallies.
Public Comment
Public Forums For School Board Candidates
Anson teacher Matt Nevins said the Marshalltown Education Association will host a school board candidate forum on Saturday, August 29 at 10 a.m. in the Marshalltown Public Library.
There will also be another school board candidate forum on Tuesday, September 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the Fisher Community Center. This forum will be co-sponsored by the Times-Republican, Marshalltown Regional Partnership and the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce.
A total of eight candidates are running for four seats on the school board in the September 8 election. Candidates include Kay Beach, Janelle Carter, Ross Harris, Sean Heitmann, John Johnson, Patrick Kouang, Anne Paullus and Ben Stansberry.
Personnel
For personnel items, click here.
The next regular meeting of the school board will be at 5 p.m. on Aug. 17.
From School Board President Kay Beach
It’s already August. Summer will soon be winding down, and almost before we know it another school year will begin. Teachers will welcome new groups of students: some eager and excited, some frightened and reluctant – each of them a new challenge. What an awesome responsibility our teachers face: “to nurture students to become personally and intellectually empowered for citizenship in a changing world.” – Kay Beach
The Board Report 