BENTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
IN THE COUNTIES OF BENTON, IOWA, AND TAMA, STATE OF IOWA
BENTON WORK SESSION/REGULAR BOARD MEETING,
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022, 5:00 PM
DISTRICT OFFICE BOARD ROOM
WORK SESSION – 5:00 P.M.
1. Budget Review – Projections
a. Larry Siegel – ISFIS
i. Dr. Ewell, Dr. Bieschke – basic school finance, district specific data and projections.
Present: Directors Thompson, Upah, Nolte, Werning, Ludeking and Phillips (5:58 p.m.)
Also Present: Dr. Ewell, Dr. Bieschke, Larry Siegel (Zoom), Jason West, Phil Eastman, Rob Arnold and Anna Upah.
2022-2023 Calendar Hearing
No public comments on the 2022-2023 proposed school calendar.
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
1. Call to Order Regular Meeting: 6:06 p.m.
Present: Directors Thompson, Upah, Nolte, Werning, Ludeking and Phillips
A Quorum was declared present.
Also Present: Dr. Ewell, Dr. Bieschke, Anna Upah, Ryan Junge, Phil Eastman, Jason West, Emily Bishop, Jessie Stock, Breanna White and Maggie Hartzler.
2. Delegations, Communications, Considerations of Additional Items for the Agenda
Dr. Ewell discussed the calendar for this school year. No additions.
3. Open Forum
No Comments
4. Action Item #88 – Approval of Agenda
Motion by Nolte, second by Upah to approve agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
5. Action Item #89 – 2022-2023 School Calendar
Motion by Nolte, second by Phillips to approve the 2022-2023 school calendar. Directors Thompson, Upah, Nolte, Werning voting to approve, Ludeking voting nay. MOTION CARRIED
6. School Improvement Report
a. School Counselors, SEBH/Social Worker, Tanager Therapists – In attendance: Emily Bishop, Jessie Stock, Breanna White and Maggie Hartzler.
7. Action Item #90- Bus Purchases
Discussion about bus companies and difficulty getting parts or engines. We will continue with our bus purchases as per our Hoglund order. No action taken at this time.
8. Action Item #91 – 2021-2022 Calendar Change
Due to missed school days, we will have Teacher contract days to make up at the end of the school year as well as student school days. Discussion centered on waiting until later in March to determine if additional days are missed due to inclement weather. Decision to add days to our current school calendar at the end of the year, will most likely take place at the March 16 meeting.
Also discussed leaving the current No School days as currently scheduled. April 15 will remain as a No School day and March 23, 24 & 25 will remain as spring break days.
Motion by Phillips, second by Werning to approve the 2021-2022 calendar changes as presented; MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
9. Action Item #92-Food Service Van
Discussion about the need to purchase a food service van and directing the superintendent to pursue competitive quotes. Current policy allows trade-in options. Future purchase bid price and trade-in will be on a future board agenda.
Motion by Nolte, second by Upah to approve seeking competitive quotes for a food service van and the trade-in of the current used van as per our policies. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
10. Action Item #93 – Literacy/Reading/Language Arts Adoption – K-6th Grade
Benton Community has been reviewing literacy curricular resource options for a K-6 adoption. A team of teachers from throughout the district has been working collaboratively through the curriculum resource review process. In addition to looking at literacy resources, the group spent time learning and talking about the science of reading and systems-thinking components.
The Literacy Curricular Resource Review Team took a deeper delve into Wonders and Benchmark Advanced resources. We were looking for a cohesive, rigorous resource that aligned throughout our system. The team also analyzed data from interviews of districts that used each of those resources. Upon reflecting, collaborating and analyzing, the group came to a consensus around proposing that Benchmark Advance become the literacy resource selection throughout the K-6 system at Benton CSD.
Motion by Upah, second by Phillips to approve the K-6 purchase and adoption of Benchmark Advance for $138,000. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
11. Action Item #94- Baseball Park Proposal
a. Proposal – as per our Policy 920
Motion by Werning, second by Nolte to approve the proposal to name the baseball park, “Anderson Ballpark” to honor and memorialize Derek Anderson, our teacher and baseball coach of 15 years who unexpectedly passed away in January, and leaving the current name of the field as Manship Field. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
12. Administration
13. Action Item #95 – Business Services
Superintendent Report
a) Warrants – Summary of Warrants
b) Financial Reports
Motion by Ludeking, second by Phillips to approve warrants and financial reports as presented. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
14. Action Item #96 – Consent Agenda
Motion by Nolte, second by Upah to approve the consent agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
15. Superintendent Report
A. Board Goals Update
B. Superintendent Evaluation – New ISSL Standards
a) Growth model, discuss growth and expected progress on Standard
b) Superintendent Self-Assessment
c) One-on-one meetings with Superintendent and Director Thompson (to be scheduled)
C. Mayors Meeting – Headstart and Preschool Update
D. SIAC – Long-Range Needs Assessment – Spring 2022
E. Management Fund –property insurance increases of 14%.
F. March 16 Board Meeting – 5:00 Work Session, regular meeting work session
1) Draft Topics:
b. Board goals and progression, future goal development – IASB here to facilitate.
16. Action Item #97 – Closed Session – As per Iowa Code 21.5(e) to discuss whether to conduct a hearing or to conduct hearings to suspend or expel a student(s), unless an open session is requested by the student or a parent or guardian of the student if the student is a minor.
Motion by Nolte, second by Upah to go into closed session.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
Board went into closed session at 8:56 p.m.
Board reviewed the violations of policy and good conduct by the student and agreed upon the consent agreement from the student and parent.
Action Item #98 – Come out of Closed Session
Motion by Nolte, second by Upah to come out of closed session. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
Action Item #99 – Approval of Consent Agreement
Motion by Werning, second by Ludeking to approve the consent agreement for the student(s) who are the subjects of the school violations. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
17. Action Item #100 – Adjournment
Motion by Nolte, second by Upah to adjourn the board meeting. MOTION CARRIED ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
Meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m.
Jim Magdefrau 