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School board makes committee assignments

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Community School District Board of Education established its governing bureaucracy at Monday’s meeting, making assignments to committees for the 2020-21 school year.

Two board members will serve on each standing committee, and meetings of the standing committees will comply with the Iowa Open Meetings Law with the exception that the minutes of the meetings are not published. As part of the first regular meeting of the month, the chairperson for the committee may report on meetings held during the month.

Committees serve an advisory role to the board and have no decision-making authority.

The facilities committee will consist of board members Scott Dight and Janiece Bergland, the communications and public relations committee will include Bergland and Missy Freund, the finance committee will include Josh Mack and Dight, the negotiations and compensation committee will consist of Pat Rottinghaus and Mack, the policy committee will consist of Freund and Rottinghaus, and the equity and achievement committee will consist of Rottinghaus and a rotating board member.

Dight will serve as delegate to Iowa Association of School Boards, Mack will be the the representative to the County Conference Board, Freund and Dight will be representatives to the school improvement advisory committee (SIAC), and CCHS students Anders Haglund and Shemhiah Lara, will serve as the student representatives to SIAC.

The board also appointed CCHS senior Cael Ruzicka and junior Mario Hoefer as the student school board members for 2020-21.

In other business Monday, the board approved a list of depository banks for 2020-21. Those banks, and the amounts deposited are:

● CUSB Bank, Charles City, $15,000,000
● UMB Investment Direct, $2,000,000
● First Citizens National Bank, Charles City, $200,000
● First Security Bank & Trust, Charles City, $200,000
● Fidelity Bank & Trust, Charles City, $200,000
● Iowa Schools Joint Investment Trust, $200,000

Naming of depository banks was delayed until after the results of the service bid were known. The district will continue to use CUSB Bank as the primary bank depository.

In other business Monday, the board approved notice of a public hearing, which will be held on Oct. 12 at 6:15 p.m. in the CCHS library. This hearing is on a resolution to expend funds from district’s Flexibility Account. Included among the items in this funding are $40,295.40 to Agile Minds for math curriculum, $7,795.37 to Otto’s Oasis for landscaping at Washington Elementary, $7000 to Sandy’s Sign Shop for signage and $398 to Circle K for radios.

In 2017, the Iowa  Legislature lifted restrictions on how school districts can spend state funding. At the time, state money provided to schools flowed into a series of funds that carried restrictions on their use, including money for professional development, preschool and building maintenance.

The Legislature loosened restrictions on categorical funds to create flexibility accounts for money a district couldn’t spend, couldn’t use or had large balances. Districts can transfer that money to a flexibility account that could be used for any general fund purpose.

The total amount of these funds is $60,620.37. The funds were not expended and not obligated from the Home School Assistance Program (HSAP). The proposed resolution will include certification that the statutory requirements for the original source of the money proposed, HSAP, have been met. The public is invited to attend this hearing and be heard. Written comments may be submitted to Terri O’Brien, Board Secretary on or before Oct. 12 at 3 p.m.

In other action Monday, the school board approve the Equity Literacy Institute scope of work/estimate, not to exceed $36,000, over three years as recommended by superintendent Mike Fisher. Fisher presented information to the board on the district’s equity strategic plan, and funding for the initiative. The cost will be paid through categorical funding.

Fisher also presented the second of a series of professional development sessions on equity to the board. Monday’s session was entitled White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.

In other business on Monday, the board:
— Heard information from O’Brien regarding what the Instructional Support Levy is and future plans to renew.
— Approved the Transition Alliance Program Contract Amendment for 2020-21.
— Approved the school fundraising calendar for 2020-21.
— Approved a resolution to affirm the school district’s support for Thursday, Sept. 24, as Legendary Teacher Day. The resolution encourages individuals in the community to take time on this day and contact a legendary teacher in their life and express gratitude for the difference they made.
— Heard presentations from CCHS Principal Bryan Jurrens, CCMS Principal Tom Harskamp, Washington Principal Kara Shannon and Lincoln Principal Marcia DeVore, as well as middle school teacher Eric Hoefer regarding culture and climate from the 19-20 school year.
— Heard a presentation from Todd Forsyth, activities director, regarding the sportsmanship action plan.
— Set the time and date for a public school board listening post, for Saturday, Oct. 24 starting at 9 a.m. The listening post will be virtual, not face-to-face.
— Approved the first reading of board policy 907 and 907R1, District Operation During Public Emergency. The policy gives the superintendent the authority to close school for up to two days without board approval should there be a major COVID-19 outbreak. The board waived the second reading.
— Approved the schedule for regular school board meetings, which will be held at 6:15 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of every month excluding the months of July, March and December.

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