The Board Report

Recognitions

Mary Abbe, secretary at Woodbury Elementary School who is in her 42nd year, was honored by Woodbury Principal Anel Garza at the start of the meeting.

Woodbury Elementary School Principal Anel Garza, left, honors secretary Mary Abbe during the Oct. 19 board meeting.

“She knows everything about our school,” Garza said. “She knows all the students, their parents and their grandparents.”

Mary received a standing ovation from the board and guests at the meeting. She said she loves the staff, which is why she has stayed at the school. Several members of the Woodbury staff were at the meeting to show their support.

Golf video

Lucas Johnson, Marshalltown High School boys’ golf coach and Miller Middle School teacher shared his video of the golf team.

Johnson thanked the local golf courses for their support of the team and said the team had a great season. To view the video Johnson produced, click here.

Continuous Learning Calendar Committee

Arlene McAtee gave an update on the work the committee has been doing. She said the committee is looking at a different type of break schedule which would include more frequents breaks of length and a shorter summer break to help cut back on summer learning loss.

There are 24 members of the committee who meet monthly. The members include parents, representatives from community groups, teachers, school board members and administrators in the school district.

The next step the committee will take is to interview 10 districts across the country which have been successful in implementing a continuous learning calendar. The board confirmed they want the committee to continue its work and come back to the board for a recommendation in March 2016.

Board President Bea Niblock asked them to also interview those districts that were not successful with this continuous calendar implementation. President Niblock said many community members would like to have public forums on this topic as well.

New board members Ben Stansberry and Ross Harris would like to serve on the committee and board member Kendall Derby will remain on the committee as well.

Medicaid

Matt Cretsinger, director of special services with the district, gave an update on Medicaid reimbursements. Cretsinger talked about the claiming process and who is eligible to receive Medicaid.

“We continue to show an increase in reimbursements over the years,” he said.

IASB

Mary Jane Vens, of the Iowa Association of School Boards, talked to the board about what IASB does and how it can assist board members.

Vens had the board members write down what their greatest accomplishment would be 8 years from now and two hallmarks of this board. Most board members talked about the goal of increasing student achievement.

Supplemental Education Services

Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, associate superintendent, updated the board on what supplemental services are available to elementary students and how they qualify for these services. This was an information item only.

Data Access

Lisa Koester, director of human resources, presented educational data available to board members, which is quite extensive. She focused on how to navigate certain websites. One site being the Iowa Department of Education website, where anyone can access the  public reporting website for testing data, demographics, enrollment, financial information and more. The second website she focused on was the district website and how to access board policies. The third website she displayed was the Iowa Association of School Boards site.

Annual Report to Community

Andrew Potter, communications director, presented the annual report to the community, which is part of the Fall newsletter. It will be printed and distributed later this week at the schools and several community locations including the Fisher Community Center, Marshalltown Public Library and Albion Public Library. The report will also be available on the MCSD website.

Demolition at the Rogers Elementary School site and demolition of 317 Columbus Drive

Rick Simpson, director of Buildings and Grounds and Dave Schulze, district architect with TSP, presented to the board on the demolition of homes in the Rogers Elementary School area and also the demolition of the former district office.

Simpson said this has made the Rogers site safer and opens it up for future school projects. For photos of before and after work on the projects, click here.

The board accepted the projects as substantially complete.

Anson Elementary Equity Remodeling

This project included restroom remodeling and addressing accessibility issues. The board approved the project as substantially complete.

Boardroom audio and visual

A discussion was held regarding the audio/visual presentation of the board room. Schulze and Simpson spoke to the board on this issue to attempt to fix some problems in the board room regarding sound and display of items being discussed. Schulze said the proposed cost of the improvements is estimated at $20,000.This was a non-action item with a formal proposal planned to come before the board in November.

Board Policies

603.12 R- Electronic Resources and Electronic Mail Appropriate Use Regulation – Marked with a review date.

310.4 –MCSD Organizational chart– The current district chart was passed out to the board.

204-5 R- Organizational Meeting Procedures– Marked as reviewed

705.4 – Receiving Supplies and Equipment – Marked as reviewed

802.7-R – Energy Conservation Guidelines– Central office staff to prepare draft on this and will be brought back to the board.

Personnel

For personnel items, click here.

The board then went into closed session for a superintendent evaluation. The next regular meeting of the board is planned for 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 in district offices

From Board President Bea Niblock

“The board had the opportunity to have Mary Jane Vens, Board Development Director for the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) make a presentation to them during the board meeting. During this presentation she explored the board’s direction, goals and teamwork. Ms. Vens gave the board her insight and provided us with suggestions for working together for the common good of the students in the district.

Our board is a working and learning board. Not only does the board have the charge to be a visionary team, but to provide effective leadership for quality instruction and high, equitable student learning and to foster a culture that enables excellence and innovation. To that end, the board will spend time together learning, planning, growing and leading. “ – Bea Niblock

Hoglan Elementary Principal Amy Wiliams, left, and teacher Lindsay Stanton present to the school board on Oct. 5.

Recognitions

Hoglan Elementary School Principal Amy Williams and teacher Lindsay Stanton talked about the Hoglan Garden. Every student in the school was part of the planting project last school year. Many students helped water and care for the garden over the summer and were able to take home some of the food.

“We will look to expand the garden next year,” Stanton said.

Art Institute of Chicago

Marshalltown High School Art Trip

Marshalltown High School art teacher Kirk Niehouse was given approval by the board for an art trip to Chicago planned for Oct. 24. The one-day bus trip will take students and chaperones to the National Museum of Mexican Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. The students will also visit “The Bean” at Millennium Park and have dinner at Navy Pier while in Chicago. All out-of-state school trips must be approved by the board.

Hoglan Elementary Attendance Center Plan

Hoglan Principal Amy Williams presented the annual report to the board along with Hoglan staff Deb Moore, Lacie Moore, Lindsay Stanton and Sara Nichols. Hoglan serves 369 students with 45 percent being English Language Learners. Hoglan has had an influx of Southeast Asian students in recent years and has a bilingual language assistant this year to help serve many of these students and families.

Hoglan staff talked about several initiatives at the school including Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), Language Literacy Framework and more. They also talked about several ideas used to increase parent involvement. The presentation also featured video clips from students and staff at Hoglan.

Student Certified Enrollment Count

Lisa Koester, Director of Human Resources, explained that the official student enrollment count has yet to be determined. The numbers are still in transition between districts as reconciling needs to be done between districts.

Insurance Dividends Report

Bobby Shomo from Shomo-Madsen Insurance (EMC) presented a dividend check to the Marshalltown Community School District for $52,281. “The school has done a really good job with our safety program,” Shomo said.

Special Education Deficit

Matt Cretsinger, Director of Special Services, talked about the current special education deficit of $1.37 million. He said schools have to recover over-expenditures due to lack of state and federal funding for special education students. This is typical of many school districts in the state.

The board approved to seek authority from the School Budget Review Committee for additional spending authority.

Budget Preparation Process

Brian Bartz, Director of Business Operations, talked to the board about this process. He described how the district is funded on a per student basis. He also gave the board a brief overview on how the budget is built. Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade said building the budget is a year-long process and the board will receive updates on the process periodically.

Board Policies

603.4 – Education Program – Accept policy as amended and waived second reading

603.5 – Textbook/Resource Selection – Minor changes accepted and waived second reading

603.6 – Instructional Materials Selection – Deleted a line , approval dates moved. Approved as presented and waived second reading

603.7- Outside Resource People – No changes, marked as reviewed

603.8 – Academic Freedom- No changes, marked as reviewed

603.8- R – Academic Freedom – Changes recommended, Marked reviewed as amended

603.12 E1 – Internet Access/Permission Letter to Parents or Guardians-  deleting this policy – No longer need this form as it is in handbooks and at registration.

603.12-R – Internet and Electronic Mail – Appropriate Use Regulation – Changes to be made, will be brought back for first reading.

700 – Statement of Guiding Principles – Marked as reviewed

701 – Financial Accounting System – Marked as reviewed.

Miscellaneous

Committees – Board members were asked to send Board President Bea Niblock the top 5-6 choices for committees to serve on. Board members should plan to be on at least 3 committees.

Niblock said at the end of the each meeting she would like board members to talk about the difference being made in the lives of kids at each meeting. Board Vice President Janelle Carter mentioned the Hoglan Garden and art trip as examples of those differences made.

For a list of personnel items, click here.

From Board President Bea Niblock

“September’s election has put a far different group of people around the board table. The October 5th meeting was the first meeting that all of these people gathered to blend their abilities. To this new board, let me say that I am excited to see how we can make a difference in the lives of teachers and students.

To those past board members who no longer occupy seats at the table, let me thank you for your many years of service to this school district. Those members gave many hours of time and effort and shared their abilities with all of us in their service.

Being a board member is a difficult job that you love. The tough decisions are balanced with the successes that we see throughout the district. So to those folks sitting around the board table now, I say lace up your shoes. It’s going to be the ride of your life. But, the rewards of watching a hardworking staff helping students succeed each day will be your blue ribbon.”

– Bea Niblock

Recognitions

Marshalltown High School students Sydney Grewell and Nate Harris presented information on Homecoming week, which is underway at MHS. For more information on Homecoming week, click here.

MHS students Sydney Grewell, left, and Nate Harris spoke to the board about Homecoming week.

MHS teachers Mike Lazere and Scott Smith talked about the STEM Camp held at the high school this past summer. It was a big success for area youth. “The hope is to continue this,” Smith said

Roundhouse Public Art Project

Mary Giese of the Marshalltown Public Art Committee (M-PAC) talked about a grant they received for a significant art piece for the Roundhouse from Iowa Great Places. A total of $100,000 is designated for a piece of art and $125,000 for enhancements such as light poles, banners and seating. Both are paid for through the grant.

Proposals for artists for the project are expected to draw interest from around the country. Construction completion and installation of the art piece is expected by Jan. 1, 2017. This piece will be on loan to the Marshalltown Community School District. The board approved the proposed Request for Qualifications.

Iowa Youth Caucus

Tom Swartz presented information on the Iowa Youth Caucus, which will be Nov. 19 at Marshalltown Community College. Both political parties will be there to show what caucus night is like so youth can be educated on the process.

Anson Elementary Attendance Center

Anson Principal Ronnie Manis, along with school staff members Kim Hurley, Jennifer Estabrook and Jennifer Janssen presented the school’s Attendance Center plan to the board. Anson serves 350 students in the district. Manis said they have four focus areas this school year including Instructional model (Sheltered Instruction), Math, Language Literacy Framework and increasing parent involvement.

ACT Scores

Associate Superintendent Dr. Susan Pecinovsky presented on the ACT scores. “We have showed gains across the board and with our composite score, Pecinovsky said. The number of students taking test showed a decline and the district is looking at ways to increase participation. For more details on the ACT scores click here.

District in Need of Assistance and School in Need of Assistance

Pecinovsky presented information on this. From the district perspective, the Annual Yearly Progress was missedin reading and math, with the benchmark being 100 percent of students being proficient. Pecinovsky said there has been growth in the numbers but there is still work to do.

Election of Director to AEA 267

Board approved nomination of David Giese as our director to the AEA 267 Board of Directors.

Miller Handbook-

Changes the Miller Middle School handbook were presented by Director of Human Resources Lisa Koester. The changes dealt with a selection of classes that earn high school credit at Miller. The board approved the changes.

Appointments

For 2015-16 school year, the board:

– Appointed Brian Bartz and secretary/treasurer for the district.

– Appointed Cartwright Druker & Ryden as school’s attorney.

(Rex Ryden as collective bargaining counsel spokesman)

– Appointed Ahlers & Cooney PC as additional legal counsel for selected legal issues.

– Appointed TSP as architect of record.

Depository Resolution – Brian Bartz

The board approved the financials institutions eligible to receive public funds and the maximum amount that can be kept in these institutions.

Annual Treasurer’s Report 

Brian Bartz gave the certified annual report.  “The district is in good financial shape moving forward,” Bartz said.

The board accepted the report as presented

Policies

502.7 Student Conduct in Extra-Curricular Activities – Approved as amended- waived second reading.

601.2 – School Calendar – Marked as reviewed

601.3 – School Day – Approved new policy (from IASB template) and waived second reading

602.10 – Federal Programs – Marked as reviewed

603.4 Homework – Changes suggested – will be brought back for first reading

603.5 – Textbook selection- Change this to textbook/resource selection in name and body of policy. Will be brought back for first reading

603.6 – Instructional materials selection – Changes to be made – will be brought back for first reading.

Communications

Andrew Potter reminded the board of the community feedback meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29 at the MHS library.

For personnel items, click here.

New board members are cheered on after being sworn in.

Election Results

Bartz presented an abstract of votes and noted the four new members who were elected as a result of the Sept. 8 election. Bartz then gave the oath of office to the new board members including Janelle Carter, Ross Harris, Sean Heitmann and Ben Stansberry.

The 2014-15 board adjourned. The seating of the 2015-16 board was then held, along with a call to order and a roll call of all of the members

Election of President and Vice President

After being sworn in, the board elected Bea Niblock as president and Janelle Carter as vice president. Niblock thanked the outgoing board members for their service. She also said she was appreciative, humbled and honored to be chosen to lead the board.

Brian Bartz swears in new Board President Bea Niblock.

From outgoing Board President Kay Beach

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the School Board for the past eight years; I care deeply for this community and for all the children growing up here.  I believe that a sound education is the surest pathway out of poverty and that strong public schools are the best way of providing that path.  I am grateful to all those who continue to ‘nurture students to become personally and intellectually empowered for citizenship in a changing world.’” – Kay Beach

Susan Fritzell, MHS teacher

Recognition

Marshalltown High School extended learning teacher Susan Fritzell was recognized for being the recipient of the Iowa Soil Conservation Teacher Award from the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Transportation Van Purchase

Don Meyer, transportation director, presented van bids to replace a van that has 178,095 miles and transports students to River Hills (special education school in Cedar Falls) each school day. The board approved the bid for a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan for $22,554 from Ken Wise of Marshalltown. The older, high mileage van will now be utilized for district mail.

Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program

The board approved the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program for those looking to retire at the end of the upcoming school year. The program was approved for licensed teaching staff, 12-month secretaries and administrators. Staff must be at least 55 years old and have worked in the district for 15 years to qualify. Staff have until Feb. 1, 2016 to decide whether to participate in this program. This incentive covers insurance costs for retirees in the program until they turn 65.

Roundhouse renovation

Susan Jones of CPMI (project manager) spoke on the progress of phase 1 of the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse renovation. The board approved a Certificate of Substantial Completion for many areas of the Roundhouse, including most recently the gym, girls locker room and restrooms. Work remains on the new locker rooms, site work and other portions. An open house and tours for the public will be held at the Roundhouse from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, August 21. A bigger celebration will be planned for later in the fall.

MCSD Security Vestibules

Dave Schulze, district architect of TSP, presented the bid for security vestibule upgrades at Franklin, Hoglan and Woodbury elementary schools and Marshalltown Learning Academy and additional projects including a network access controls systems for based in MHS and new doors at the Support Services Center. The board approved the bid (4-2) from Hay Construction of Marshalltown for $470,500.

Policies

First Reading

312.4 – Administrator Evaluation – IASB policy formatted to fit our format – Policy adopted.

414.6 – Jury Duty – Added paraeducators and transportation employees. Accepted as amended.

204.9 – Agenda and Order of Regular Business Meetings – Marked as reviewed

204.9- R-1- Board Calendar -Added board self evaluation in June –

204.9. R-2. – Agenda and Order of Regular Business Meetings –Changes made

Initial review

502.7 – Student Conduct in Extra-Curricular Activities– To come back with regulations as a first reading after a meeting held with parties involved.

505.7-E Standard Fee Waiver Application and 505.7- R Fee Waiver Procedure – No recommended changes- to mark reviewed.

601.2 – School Calendar- To be brought back to mirror IASB policy.

601.3 – School Day – To be brought back

For personnel items approved at the meeting, click here and here.

The next regular meeting is Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. in district offices.

From School Board President Kay Beach

Wow! School starts in only a week – where has the summer gone?!? It’s my hope that you will enjoy these last days of “summer vacation:” savor the time with family, build among your children a sense of expectation of exciting things to come in the new school year, be grateful for the opportunity to live and work in our very special community……..and remember to exercise your right to vote in the School Board election on September 8.

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

District architect Dave Schulze of TSP talked to the school board about several projects during the July 13 meeting.

Recognition

MHS life sciences teacher Erin Weatherly talked about her externship at Central Iowa Healthcare as part of the Iowa STEM Council. She has been working in the dietician’s office at the hospital on diabetes prevention curriculum for six weeks. She also witnessed some surgeries in the hospital and has learned more about careers in the field. She plans to take what she learned from the experience back to her students this fall.

Building presentation schedule

Dr. Marvin Wade presented the schedule of building presentations to the board for the next school year. To view the schedule, click here.

Budget Preparation Update

The governor approved 1.25 percent in Supplemental State Aid but vetoed one-time funds. Kevin Posekany said the current $18.15 per thousand valuation tax rate will go up to $18.33. The tax rate was certified previously at a higher rate of $18.43 at the April 6 board meeting. At that April meeting, Posekany said he expected the $18.43 to come down as that was based on zero percent SSA.

Elementary School Security Vestibules and Access Control Systems

District architect Dave Schulze of TSP presented information on the project, which would be adding security vestibules at Franklin, Woodbury and Hoglan elementary schools and Marshalltown Learning Academy and a district access controls system. A public hearing was held on the project. Bids will be received at Aug. 11 for board consideration at the Aug. 17 meeting. Completion date for all work if bids are approved would be Nov. 20. The board accepted the scope of work and plans and it will now go out to bid.

Acceptance of Reading Recovery Project as Substantially Complete

Schulze said the project is substantially complete, with minor touchups to be made before it is ready for furniture. The project is located at the former Staff Development Annex at 315 Columbus Drive. The site will be used for Reading Recovery training. The board approved the project as substantially complete.

Woodbury Elementary – Handicap Ramp

This will allow the main entrance to be handicap accessible at the school. The project includes two ramps – one near the main door and one to the south main entrance. The board approved a bid of $49,200 from Hay Construction of Marshalltown for the project.

Anson Elementary School East Parking Lot

Dr. Wade said the project is substantially complete. The board approved the project as substantially complete.

The new Anson Elementary east parking lot

Board Policies

Initial Review

804.1 R – Safety Management Manual – Change name of former B&G director and mark reviewed.

903.4-E – Public Conduct on School Premises– Conduct Standards – Already reviewed in 2015, will be marked reviewed.

312.4 – Evaluation of Administrative Staff – Will check on administrator regulations on “formal summative evaluation.” Policy will be brought back.

401.8 – Recognition of Service of Employees – Deletion of commas, mark as reviewed.

414.6 – Jury Duty– Add paraeducators and transportation employees and will be brought back.

502.7 – Student Conduct in Extra-Curricular Activities –Lisa Koester and Dr. Wade will work with Activities Director Craig Huegel to update this policy.

For personnel items, click here.

The next regular board meeting is at 5 p.m. Aug. 3 in district offices.

From Board President Kay Beach

“The highlight of tonight’s meeting – for me – was hearing Erin Weatherly’s (MHS Health Education and Career Development teacher) excitement in relating her recent participation in an externship with Central Iowa Healthcare.  We are grateful to Erin for giving up six weeks of her summer for this experience and also to CIH for providing the opportunity.  This was definitely a breath of fresh air on a sweltering evening and a “win” for all:  Erin, CIH, and Erin’s students at MHS!” – Kay Beach

The board met in a special session on June 22 to approve salary agreements with several different groups of district employees.

Ratification of salary settlement for paraeducators for 2015-16

No increase on base salary, but paraeducators will get an increase based on movement in the salary schedule, which equates to an increase of 2.95 percent salary and benefits package. Board approved (6-0). Click here for more details on this settlement.

Ratification of salary settlement for food service employees for 2015-16

Agreement calls for a 2.95 percent salary and benefits package increase. Board approved (7-0). Click here for more details on this settlement.

Ratification of salary settlement for transportation employees for 2015-16

The contract now includes the bus monitors as well as bus drivers and calls for a 2.96 salary and benefits package increase (includes wage scale for monitors and drivers). Board approved (7-0). Click here for more details on this settlement.

Ratification of salary settlement for Buildings and Grounds employees and transportation mechanics for 2015-16

The contract calls for a 2.95 percent salary and benefits package increase. Board approved (7-0). Click here for more details on this settlement.

Secretary salary and benefits package for 2015-16

This includes 10-month and 12-month secretaries in the district. The increase in the salary and benefits package is 2.95 percent. This also includes other non-represented groups. Board approved (7-0)

Administrative salary and benefits package for 2015-16

Administrators receive an increase of 2.95 percent on the salary and benefits package, according to the agreement. Board approved (6-1).

Superintendent’s contract for 2015-16

The contract for the superintendent calls for a 2.95 percent salary and benefits package increase. Dr. Marvin Wade’s contract was also extended one more year, so it is a two-year contract through the 2016-17 school year. Board approved (6-1).

Jeff Weinberg presented information to the board on the Dell Chromebooks heading to the high school this fall

Samsung Galaxy Tablets

Jeff Weinberg presented the bids for 170 new Samsung Galaxy Tab Education units, which will be used in kindergarten through third grade in the district and will be paid for by Microsoft settlement funds. He said the pricing was favorable. The board approved the bid of $42,857 from Global Gov/Education Solutions of Fletcher, OH.

Bid recommendation for Dell Chromebooks

Weinberg said the district also received favorable bids on the 1,190 Dell Chromebook units heading to the high school as part of the 1:1 next year, where all students will have access to their own Chromebook. The board approved the bid of $292,740 from Tierney Brothers, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn. The units will be paid for through technology funds and curriculum funds.

Urban Education Network

The board approved renewal for MCSD to be part of the Urban Education Network, which is made up of the largest school districts in the state. The membership fee is $5,000 a year in the UEN and it provides lobbying, networking and other learning opportunities for MCSD staff.

Discipline data for 2014-15

Lisa Koester presented the discipline data, which was mostly positive. She said the district continues to make good progress in decreasing in-school and out-of-school suspensions. Out-of-school suspensions dropped from 243 last year to 153 this past school year. Expulsions also remain lower than they were a few years ago. Koester said the district continues to look at ways to make students accountable for their actions, but still allow them time in school.

Strategic Action Plan Indicators for 2014-15

Dr. Marvin Wade led this discussion and matched Iowa Assessment scores on how they fall on 10 different indicators in the Strategic Action Plan. The numbers talked about included fourth, eighth and 11^th grade proficiency, growth and accelerated levels in reading and math, attendance rates, students taking college level coursework, classroom engagement and more. To view the numbers, click here.

Legislative Priorities for 2016

The board talked about legislative priorities to submit to the Iowa Association of School Boards for work during the 2016 legislative session. The board selected eight from a list provided by IASB which they felt are important to the district. The list includes the following:

– Supports adequate and on-time funding for English-language learner (ELL) students until the students reach proficiency. (No. 4 on IASB list)

– Supports an increase in funding to ensure all 4-year-olds have access to a high quality public school preschool program. The increase should include transportation and facility development costs. We should continue to allow 4-year-olds to be included in the enrollment count if those programs can demonstrate meeting the collaboration and quality standards requirements of the statewide voluntary preschool program. (No. 6 on IASB list)

-Supports returning to three-year school board member terms with less than a majority of the school board elected in any one year. (No. 12 on IASB list)

-Children’s Mental Health System: Supports increased statewide access to and funding for mental health services for children. Students are struggling in school and there are not adequate resources, financial and human, for necessary services. It is often unclear whose role it is to provide the services and to provide funds for programming. Neither the education nor children’s mental health delivery systems have the resources to meet current needs. The legislature also needs to clarify roles and secure full funding.(No. 15 on IASB list)

-Supports setting supplemental state aid (replaces the term allowable growth): a. 400 days (or 14 months) prior to the certification of the school district’s budget; b. at the rate of 6 percent to encourage continuous school improvement and reflect the actual cost increases experienced by school districts and AEAs. Our priority is to increase the state cost per pupil and the spending authority associated with it to build a strong base for future education resources. (No. 17 on IASB list)

– Supports offering incentives to school districts to provide extended days and/or innovative calendars. School districts receiving these incentives will evaluate and determine the impact on student learning. (No. 25 on IASB list)

– Supports sufficient state revenues to adequately fund public education as Iowa’s number one priority. IASB opposes erosion of the existing tax base. IASB supports a full accounting every two years by state government of the costs of all exemptions, credits or deductions for the income tax, sales tax or property tax. Any proposed or existing tax credit must undergo an independent cost benefit analysis. (No. 28 on IASB list)

– Opposes any new mandate that does not provide sufficient and sustainable funding for successful implementation and supports the repeal of existing unfunded mandates. (No. 42 on IASB list)

Board President Kay Beach will work on getting the eight pared down to 5 for the next meeting, possibly combining some of them as well.

Click here for the full IASB priorities options available to the board.

MCSD Commitment to Equity

Matt Tullis gave an annual presentation as part of the Commitment to Equity. He said the Equity Advisory Committee met three times this school year. The committee wants to make sure the policies are made clear to the public. Tullis will work with the communications manager Andrew Potter on a clear link on the district website to access equity information. Tullis went through data and also presented the Affirmative Action Plan, which can be viewed by clicking here. He said one thing concerning in the data is there are 60 percent minority students in the district though only 6 percent of minority teachers. Tullis said the district continues to look at ways to recruit more minorities to MCSD. The board approved the plan.

Roundhouse progress report

Rick Simpson and other project personnel gave an update on this project. Susan Jones of CPMI said the majority of the Roundhouse work is completed. One hold up on the project is tile remediation, with new tile to take three months to install. Jones said the some of the seams on the roof were not installed as expected. It is the goal of all involved that the gym will be ready for volleyball season this fall.

Hoglan 2015 upgrades – Water and storm drainage control project

Rick Simpson and Dave Schulze presented bids received on the water and storm drainage control project at Hoglan Elementary School, which also will work to add cooling inside the school. The board approved the bid to Hay Construction of Marshalltown of $488,250. The board also approved an increase in the construction contingency from $24,415 to $85,000 on the project to replace aging furnaces if they are deemed in need of replacement, after a request to do so was made by board member Sherm Welker. Schulze said he will ask the HVAC subcontractor to assess the status of the furnaces and their condition, as originally the project called just to add cooling capability to them.
Policies

Board policy summary

Superintendent administrative assistant Marilyn Rhodes put together a listing of policies and the date in which they were last reviewed. It was recommended by Rhodes to delete policies no longer in the policy book such as: 205.2, 401.9, 403.2, 405.9, 406.2, 407, 903.6, 904.6 and 905.3. Board member Bea Niblock will work with Rhodes to make sure the policies online and in the book are updated and the right ones are deleted. They will also work to make sure the updated policies are kept in one main place.

Communications

Andrew Potter talked about the parent rallies featuring Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, which are June 23 and 24 at Marshalltown High School. They will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the media center and all are invited.

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A work session followed the regular meeting to discuss administrative salaries. No action was taken by the board on the salaries.

From School Board President Kay Beach

“Tonight as we examined the 2014-2015 indicators from the district’s Strategic Action Plan, one fact was underscored for me: we have a very complex student population, and improving their test scores is often an uphill battle. But we ARE winning; our students ARE gradually becoming “intellectually empowered” as they grow into true and complete citizenship in this ever-changing world.” – Kay Beach

MHS teacher Jocelyn Frohwein, left, talks to the board about her selection into the Belin-Blank Fellowship Program at the University of Iowa during a meeting on June 1.

Recognition

MHS English teacher Jocelyn Frohwein talked about being selected for the Belin-Blank Fellowship Program, where she will study this summer for five days at the University of Iowa. There is also online work involved in the program. “I’m really excited about the opportunity,” she said.

Frohwein said she is excited to learn about new ways to extend learning for her students beyond just what is being taught in class.

Woodbury Elementary Attendance Center plan

Principal Anel Garza presented along with Woodbury staff members Sue Cahill, Tanda Stanton, Elizabeth Overstake, Mary Harris and Olivia Romero. The staff talked about several initiatives at the school including the dual language program, reader’s workshop, Spanish literacy standards, SIOP and parent involvement. At Woodbury, 295 of the 345 students are English Language Learners (86 percent). Also at the school 90 percent of students are on free and reduced meals. The staff was pleased to report that parent teacher conference attendance was 98 percent in both the fall and winter.

Marshalltown Learning Academy

MLA Administrator Eric Goslinga updated the board on the school. MLA has reconfigured and reshuffled space to allow MLA and Four Oaks to have more separation in the facility. He said they are continuing work with personalized learning for students and “diving deeper into that.” There is also increased cooperation with Iowa Valley Continuing Education, he said. Goslinga also talked about a proposed dress code for MLA, which he said could be implemented for the 2016-17 school year.

Open Enrollment Request

Parents of two MHS students wanted to open enroll out their students past the March 1 deadline for the 2015-16 school year. Dr. Marvin Wade said it’s a different standard for open enrollment after March 1. Parents proposed the pervasive harassment clause as a means to get their request approved, after incidents involving the students. Dr. Wade said he did not feel it met that pervasive harassment clause. The board did not approve the request from the parents by a vote of 4-3.

School Improvement Advisory Committee

Dr. Susan Pecinovsky presented to the board the Annual Progress Goals.

Meal Prices for 2015-16

All elementary breakfast and lunches will be for no charge based on the Community Eligibility Provision for next school year. There will be a 5-cent increase for breakfast and lunch for grades 5-12 for next school year. There will be a 15-cent increase for breakfast and 25-cent increase for lunch for adult meals. The board approved the new meal prices.

Cell Tower Revenue

The district is now receiving $ 2,300 per month from the cell tower lease, which is given to the schools on a per pupil basis. It has allowed funds for opportunities for students such as field trips. This was an information item and no action was taken.

Ratification of Salary Settlement for Teachers for 2015-16

Lisa Koester presented the salary settlement between the district and the Marshalltown Education Association for teacher contracts for 2015-16. She said negotiations went well. The agreement calls for an increase to the bachelor’s base of $475 from $31,615 to $32,090 (teachers start at step 5 and not at the base). Three extracurricular positions were added and two were deleted. The increase in the base salary and teacher’s advancing on the salary schedule equates to a 2.95 percent increase over current year’s cost. The board approved the settlement 6-0, with one abstention.

Budget Amendment

A public hearing for a budget amendment was held. Kevin Posekany presented the reasoning behind this budget amendment, which was approved by the board.

Board Polices

905.9 – Smoking and Tobacco Use on School District Facilities-  Approved as amended and waived second reading

705.9 – Death of a Student, Staff Member or Board Director – Adopted new policy

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The board went into closed session for the superintendent evaluation. The next regular board meeting will be at 5 p.m. on June 15.

From Board President Kay Beach

Tonight we celebrated the fact that the legislature finally agreed on a budget allocation for Iowa’s schools for the coming year! Although it is not as much as we had hoped for, it is at least a solid amount (we hope!) on which we can base our spending for the upcoming school year. We also celebrated an agreement between the district and the MEA on a salary package for the coming year – accomplished in near-record time. We are grateful to the negotiators on both sides- who all really had the same goal in mind: to nurture students to become personally and intellectually empowered for citizenship in a changing world. – Kay Beach

Elementary art teacher Maggie Parks talks to the board at the start of the May 18 meeting. Also pictured are students, from left, Javi Nunez, Elias Ruiz and Oscar Waterhouse.

Recognitions

Elementary art teacher Maggie Parks talked about the “Trophy of Learning” art projects at Woodbury and Fisher elementary schools. Also talking to the board about the projects were students Javi Nunez, Elias Ruiz and Oscar Waterhouse. The sculptures used clay pieces made by the students and were put together by student teacher Tilly Woodward.

Audit bid summary for 2015-17

Kevin Posekany presented the audit bid for 2015-17. The board approve bids from Nolte, Cornman & Johnson of Newton of $14,250 for 2015, $14,750 for 2016 and $15,250 for 2017.

Community Eligibility Provision

Lynn Large, said MCSD has decided to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision. All students at all six elementary schools in the district will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge next school year as part of this program.

“This is a really exciting provision for us as it makes access to meals easier for our families that we serve,” Large said.

This was approved by the board.

District preschool playgrounds

The board approved the district-wide preschool playground project as substantially complete.

MHS west administration addition and district vestibule project.

Bids were received on May 14. The results of the bids were not as expected as the two bids received were well over the architect’s estimate. The district plans to disconnect the security vestibules from the main MHS project in hopes to get more favorable bids. The board accepted the recommendation to reject the bids. The district will revise the project and bring it back to the board.

Hoglan gutter, storm drainage and air conditioning project

A public hearing was held for this project for work at Hoglan Elementary School. There are physical safety concerns with storm and refreeze – due to water runoff from the roof at Hoglan.

The project was let out to bid with bids to be received on June 11 and the possible awarding of bids on June 15. The board accepted the plans, scope of work, schedule, form of contract and anticipated budget for the project.

Policies (First Readings)

905.9 – Smoking in School District Facilities – To be brought back to reflect “tobacco use” in title

705.9 – Death of a Student, Staff Member or Board Director – Remove last three lines of policy and bring back.

For personnel items, click here.

From Board President Kay Beach

“This coming Sunday afternoon we will be graduating 307 young men and women from Marshalltown High School. As a school district we have strived to ensure that they leave us “intellectually and personally empowered for citizenship” in our ever-changing world. We wish them every good fortune as they step out on their own to enter more fully into adulthood!” – Kay Beach

The next regular board meeting is at 5 p.m. June 1 in district offices.