Call to Order: President Greg Schmitt called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. The board recited the East Buchanan Mission Statement. Board members present were Greg Schmitt, Scott Cooksley, Andy Sperfslage, Heather Steffens, and Shawn Stone. Administration attending were Superintendent/Elementary Principal Dan Fox, HS/MS Principal Eric Dockstader, and Business Manager/Board Secretary Teresa Knipper. Several visitors attended d the meeting.
Approve Agenda: Motion to approve the agenda was made by Cooksley, second by Stone. Motion carried with all ayes.
Approve Consent Agenda: Motion to approve the Consent Agenda was made by Cooksley, second by Steffens. Motion carried with all ayes. Items included on the Consent Agenda: minutes from the regular meeting on November 17, 2021; expenditures listed; financial reports; hiring of Thomas Crawford as MS boy’s basketball coach; approval of inter-agency agreements for special education with West Delaware and Starmont; and early graduation requests.
FY2021 Financial Reports: The FY2021 financial reports were submitted to the board. Motion to approve the reports was made by Stone, second by Cooksley. Motion carried with all ayes.
Acceptance of Abstract of Votes: Results of the election were presented as Tim Recker for District 1 and Scott Cooksley for Director at Large. Motion to accept the abstract of election was made by Sperfslage, second by Steffens. The board thanked Greg Schmitt for his dedication to the district as a school board member for eight years
Appointment of President Pro-tem: Motion by Sperfslage, second by Stone to appoint the board secretary as President Pro-tem. Motion carried with all ayes.
Adjourn: Motion was made by Sperfslage, second by Stone to adjourn the annual meeting at 5:07 pm.
Call to Order: The organizational meeting was called to order at 5:08 pm by the board secretary.
Oath of office to new board member: The board secretary administered the Oath of Office to newly elected board member Tim Recker.
Election of President: The board secretary took nominations for president. Motion by Stone to nominate Sperfslage. Steffens motioned to cease nominations. Motion carried with all ayes to approve Sperfslage as president. The oath of office was administered by the board secretary.
Election of Vice-President: Sperfslage took nominations for vice-president. Motion by Cooksley to nominate Steffens. Motion by Sperfslage to nominate Stone. Steffens was elected vice-president with a vote of 3 to 2. The oath of office was administered by the president.
Appoint Board Secretary: Motion by Stone, second by Steffens to appoint Teresa Knipper as board secretary. Motion carried with all ayes. The oath of office was administered by the president.
Appoint Board Treasurer: Motion by Steffens, second by Recker to appoint Marilyn Steinkamp as board treasurer. Motion carried with all ayes.
Appoint Legal Counsel: Motion by Cooksley, second by Sperfslage to appoint Steve Weidner of Swisher and Cohrt as legal counsel. Motion carried with all ayes.
Approve Official Depositories: Motion by Stone, second by Cooksley to approve the official depositories and maximum deposits as: Citizens State Bank ($10 million), UMB ($2 million), and ISJIT ($2 million). Motion carried with all ayes.
Name Official Publication: Motion by Cooksley, second by Steffens to approve The Winthrop News as official publication for the district. Motion carried with all ayes.
Establish dates and times of school board meetings: Motion by Stone, second by Steffens to approve the second Wednesday of each month at 5:00 pm as the school board meeting date and time. Motion carried with all ayes.
Facilities Update: Architect Josh Demmer and engineer Brian Crawford presented plans, time line, and estimates for improvements to the athletic complex and playground/outdoor learning center. After discussing the options, the board directed Fox to get an estimate to move the Kids Corner building from its current location to the vacant lot to the south so that the maintenance building and playground/outdoor learning center could be built west of the elementary building. Demmer Architecture submitted a cost of services proposal for $78,400. Crawford Engineering & Services submitted a work authorization totaling $19,000 to the board for both projects. Motion by Stone, second by Recker to approve the Crawford Engineering authorization to proceed.
Administrative Updates and Reports: Dockstader presented attendance policy ideas based on policies from surrounding districts and provided MS/HS attendance data. Fox reported that weather alerts will no longer be through govdelivery but did state that they will continue to be done through the designated television and radio stations. Fox also reported that the elementary concert is on December 13th and that the new district website will be active on December 13th.
Buchanan County Conference Board – Shawn Stone volunteered to be the district’s representative for the Buchanan County Conference Board. His appointment was approved by all members.
Board Policy Review – 2nd Reading – Motion by Steffens, second by Cooksley to approve the second reading of policies 407.6 and 413.2 regarding certified and classified employee retirement policies. Motion carried with all ayes.
Board Policy Review – 1st Reading – Motion by Steffens, second by Cooksley to approve the first reading of the 409 and 414 series. Motion carried with all ayes.
Buccaneer Brag-About – Scott Cooksley has been in the 1st grade classrooms to read to them, ten students have had perfect attendance for the first 71 days of school, the FFA fruit is here, the female wrestlers placed at a recent tournament, and the elementary teachers do a great job getting the students excited for the holidays.
Student Questions – Students asked the board about the track and plans for the old playground.
Adjourn – Motion by Stone, second by Cooksley to adjourn the meeting at 7:32 pm. Motion carried with all ayes.
The above are not official minutes until approved at the next regular board meeting. A copy of the official minutes may be viewed in the office of the Board Secretary any Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.