MORMON TRAIL COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
September 16, 2020
President Evans called the Regular meeting of the Mormon Trail Board of Directors to order at 6:36 p.m. in the Humeston Commons. Answering roll call in person were board members Cromer, Evans, Bear and Dachenbach. Director Smiarowski was present via ZOOM. Superintendent Kerry Phillips, Elementary / High School Principal Becky Stripe, Board Secretary Peggy Rash, John Hansen, MCC, Stacie Porterfield, Kara Hilton, Tami Arnold, Chris Hilton, Pam Woollis, Gloria Rumley, Mona Baker and Linda Horton with the Humeston New Era were also in attendance. Ten additional guests joined the meeting via ZOOM.
The agenda was approved with a motion by Cromer and a second from Dachenbach. Motion passes with all present voting aye.
The consent agenda, consisting of previous meeting minutes and open enrollment requests was approved with a motion from Smiarowski, a second by Cromer and ayes from all present. There were no new open enrollments into or out of the District to report.
There were no resignations to report.
A new contract was approved for new Special Education teacher, Tara Wilson. The motion was made by Dachenbach and seconded by Cromer. Motion passes with aye votes from all present.
Jessica Stark and Pam Davis were hired as para-educators with a motion by Cromer and a second from Dachenbach. All present voted aye to approve. Stark will be full-time and Davis will be 2 days per week.
Tammy Arnold, representing the Booster Club was present to ask the Board to approve moving Boom Night from Thursday to Wednesday night, Sept 30th. Dachenbach made the motion followed by a second from Cromer. All present voted aye to approve. There is an away volleyball game Thursday night.
Mona Baker was up next to ask the Board to approve the 2020-21 FFA calendar and fundraisers. Motion by Bear, second by Cromer followed by all aye votes to approve.
A team from the DLR Group presented the Schematic Design to the Board followed by a financial projection by John Hansen. Hansen suggested the District needs to look into and seek bids to invest $6.5 million dollars from the bond proceeds in a short-term investment. Hansen, from Midwest Construction Consultants (MCC) also submitted two invoices for payment, including Midwest Construction Consultant: consulting fees $10,042.28 and Civil Design Advantage LLC: Topical survey for property south of the current school $5750. Cromer made the motion to approve the Schematic Design and payment of the two invoices. Dachenbach seconded followed by all aye votes to pass the motion.
With a motion by Cromer, a second by Dachenbach, and ayes from all present transportation employees received the following pay increases. Daily routes will increase from $77.25 per day to $87.00 per day. Extracurricular trips will be paid an hourly rate of $14.00, up from $12.88 per hour. Subs receive the same rates as full-time drivers and hourly employees receive their regular hourly pay for driving assignments.
The Instructional Support Levy Public Hearing was rescheduled for Oct 14th at 6:30 pm. The following resolution was approved with a motion by Stephanie Bear and a second from Jeremy Cromer. All Board members voted aye to approve.
President of the Board, Evans called up for consideration the Resolution to Consider Continued Participation in the Instructional Support Program which requires that a public hearing be held on this proposal.
Director _____Bear_____________________ introduced the following Resolution and moved its adoption. Director _____Cromer___________ seconded the motion to adopt. The roll was called and the vote was:
AYES: Evans, Cromer, Smiarowski, Dachenbach, and Bear
NAYS: __________none___________________
The President declared the Resolution adopted as follows:
RESOLUTION
TO CONSIDER CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has approved a five (5) year finance plan, which anticipates the level of funding that will be possible to continue the current level of services and to fund the ongoing programs of the School District; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors wishes to consider continued participation in the Instructional Support Program as provided in Iowa Code sections 257.18 through 257.27; and
WHEREAS, the authorization for the Instructional Support Program will expire on June 30, 2021; and
WHEREAS, this resolution sets forth the proposal of the Board of Directors, including the method that will be used to fund the program; and
WHEREAS, notice of the time and place of a public hearing must be published:
NOW, THEREFORE, it is resolved:
1. The Board of Directors wishes to consider continued participation in the Instructional Support Program as provided in Iowa Code sections 257.18 through 257.27, for a period of five (5) years, commencing the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
2. The additional funding for the Instructional Support Program for a budget year shall be determined annually, and shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total regular program district cost for the budget year and moneys received under Iowa Code section 257.14 as a budget adjustment for the budget year.
3. Moneys received by the District for the Instructional Support Program may be used for General Fund purposes.
4. The Instructional Support Program shall be funded by instructional support state aid and a combination instructional support property tax levied annually upon the taxable property within the School District commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 and instructional support income surtax imposed annually, the percent of income surtax to be determined by the Board for each budget year to be imposed upon the state individual income tax of each individual income taxpayer resident in the School District on December 31, 2021, and each year thereafter.
5. The Secretary is authorized and directed to give notice of a public hearing to be held in the Board Office, Mormon Trail Community School District, Garden Grove, Iowa on October 14, 2020, 6:30 o’clock P.M.
6. Following the public hearing the Board intends to take action on the question whether to consider continued participation in the Instructional Support Program.
The Board approved items to be purchased with grant funds from the County Rural Offices of Social Services (CROSS) Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS) Region Grant The grant funds necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19. Expenditures must have been incurred between 3/1/2020 and 12/30/2020. Superintendent Phillips applied for and the District was approved for a CROSS MHDS Grant in the amount of $8428.33. With a motion from Bear and a second from Dachenbach the Board voted all ayes to approve the purchase of 3 standing thermometers ($5985), face shields ($98.99), wash bags ($103.92), storage containers ($490.42) and cloth masks ($1750).
Bills and financials were approved with a motion from Cromer and a second from Smiarowski. Cromer, Evans, Smiarowski and Dachenbach voted aye to approve the motion. Bear abstained.
Cromer motioned that the meeting be adjourned. Dachenbach seconded with all voting in favor of adjournment. Evans closed the meeting at 8:20 p.m.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Mormon Trail Board of Directors will be held October 16, 2020 @ 6:30 pm in the District Office in Garden Grove.
____________________________ ___________________________
President, Board of Education Secretary, Board of Education
_________ _________
Date Date
These minutes are written as recorded by the board secretary and subject to approval at the next regular board meeting. Peggy Rash, Board Secretary/Treasurer