BENTON COMMUNITY BOARD OF EDUCATION
DR. PAMELA EWELL, SUPERINTENDENT
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
TIME: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2023
6:00 p.m. – Regular Meeting
PLACE: Central Office – Board room
304 1st Street
Van Horne, Iowa 52346
HEARING – FY24 CERTIFIED BUDGET
REGULAR MEETING
1) Call to Order
Directors Present: Roy Becker, Theresa Ludeking, Cynthia Phillips, Theresa Thompson, Emily (Upah) Kaiser, Brenda Werning.
A quorum was declared present.
Also Present: Dr. Ewell, Dr. Bieschke, Jamie Telgenhoff, Amber St. John, Shawn Pfiffner, Ryan Junge, Jason West, Rob Arnold, Phil Eastman, Anna Selk, and Melisa Venneman
2) Delegations, Communications, Considerations of Additional Items for Agenda
None
3) Action Item #190 – Approval of Agenda
Motion by Kaiser, second by Thompson to approve meeting agenda.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
4) Open Forum
None
5) School Improvement
a) ELL (English Language Learners) – Information presented by Jamie Telgenhoff and Amber St. John.
7) Action Item #191 – FY 24 Certified Budget Information
a) Budget Presentation – Dr. Ewell
(1) Enrollment trends – impact to FY24 budget
(a) Certified and BEDS enrollment
(b) Open enrollment in and out
b) Certified Budget File information – Dr. Bieschke
FY’24 Certified Budget information: Benton CSD FY 24 Budget presented at a property tax rate of $9.70 for FY’24 comprised of Local Additional Tax to include General Fund Levy (Property Tax 7.77), Instructional Support Levy w/ 4% Income Surtax (Property Tax .56) subtotal $8.33, Management Levy 1.04, and PPEL .33 for a total Tax of $9.70 for FY 24 Budget Publication. (FY23 Tax Rate= $9.70)
c) FY 24 Tax Certification Page
d) FY 24 Certified Budget Notice of Public Hearing
NOTICE OF PUBLICATION AND HEARING FOR FY24 CERTIFIED BUDGET
PUBLICATION – MARCH 28th
HEARING – APRIL 12, 2023
DUE TO THE STATE – MAY 1
Motion by Thompson, second by Werning to approve the F’24 Budget, and continue with the Instructional Support Levy Income Surtax at 4%.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
8) Action Item #192 – Calendar Change for FY’24
When the calendar was created and approved our spring break was aligned with Kirkwood Community College in order to accommodate our Benton students who are enrolled in Kirkwood classes. Since that time, Kirkwood has changed their spring break to March 11-15. The proposed change would move Benton’s spring break to March 11-15 (instead of March 18-22).
23-24 Calendar- Proposed Changes
Motion by Phillips, second by Kaiser to approve the change of the 2023-2024 School Calendar Spring Break to March 11 – 15.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
9) Action Item #193 – Business Services:
Motion by Ludeking, second by Thompson to approve warrants and financial reports as presented.
1. WARRANTS
4. SPRING ACTIVITY PAY SCHEDULE
5. FINANCIAL REPORTS
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
10) Action Item #194 – Central Office and Director Positions & Appointments
Motion by Phillips, second by Werning to approve the assigned appointments for 2023-2024 as presented.
Mrs. Anna Selk- Associate Superintendent
Mrs. Melody Spence- Board Secretary/ Board Treasurer
Mr. Kent Meyer- District Buildings and Grounds Director
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
11) Action Item #195 – Consent Agenda
Motion by Thompson, second by Kaiser to approve the consent agenda as presented.
i) HIRES
(1) Brent Harvey – Assistant Varsity Softball Coach
(2) Courtney Kimm – Preschool Associate – Keystone
(3) Colin Waters – Assistant Varsity Football Coach
ii) TRANSFER
(1) Emily Schulte – from HS English to Guidance Counselor – Keystone Elementary
iii) VOLUNTEERS
(1) Matt Buscher – Volunteer Assistant Varsity Softball Coach
iv) RESIGNATIONS
(1) Beth Pilcher – Dance Team Sponsor
(2) Riley Pfiffner – Asst. Varsity Football Coach
(3) Isaiahn Powell – HS Business Teacher
(4) Taylor Nickell – Keystone Associate
(5) Pat Pohlman – Custodian
(6) Lori Oberreuter – Associate, MS/HS
v) MEETING MINUTES –
(2) March 28, 2023 Work Session
vi) POSITION
(1) REDUCE PRESCHOOL and SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHING POSITION – EFFECTIVE END OF 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
(a) The recommendation to terminate the position is being made for the reasons that:
(i) Declining enrollment of preschool-age children
(ii) Declining enrollment of preschool-age children with IEP’s
(iii) Budgetary Restrictions and considerations
vii) CONTRACTS
(1) Non-renewal/termination of teaching contract – Jocelyn Nimmo – 3 yr. Old Preschool Teacher & Spec Ed Preschool Teacher (ECSE)
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
12) Action Item #196 – Policy Review
Motion by Phillips, second by Ludeking to approve policy revision/review as presented.
a) Policy 412.2 – Non-Exempt Employee Wage and Overtime Compensation
b) Policy # 414.8 – Classified Employee Political Leave
c) Policy 411.3 – Classified Employee Contracts
d) Policy 411.2 – Classified Employee – Qualifications, Recruitment, Selection
e) Policy 411.1 – Classified Employee Assignment/Transfer
f) Policy 410.3 – Summer School Licensed Employees
g) Policy 410.2 – Student Teachers
h) Policy 410.1 – Substitute Teachers
i) Policy 409.7 – Licensed Employee Military Service
j) Policy 407.3 – Licensed Employee Suspension and Discharge
k) Policy 407.2 – Licensed Employee Contract Release
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
13) Action Item #197 – BCEA Negotiations and Contract for FY’24
Motion by Phillips, second by Kaiser to approve the Board of Education and BCEA settlement agreement for 2023-2024 teacher salaries and contract.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
14) Vape Detectors
No action taken, discussion only
15) 2022-2023 Prospective Graduates
No action taken, presentation only.
16) Superintendent Report
a) Bond Vote and Facility Improvements
i) SURVEY deployed
(1) GOALS OF THE BOARD – for the SURVEY
17) Action Items 198, 199 and 200 – Closed Session
Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(i) to “evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation and that individual requests a closed session.”
Action Item 198
Motion by Thompson, second by Kaiser to go into closed session at 8:01 p.m.
Roll call vote to go into closed session: DIRECTOR: BECKER Yes, LUDEKING Yes, PHILLIPS Yes, THOMPSON Yes, KAISER Yes, and WERNING Yes.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
Action Item 199
Motion by Thompson, second by Werning to come out of closed session.
Roll call vote to come out of closed session at 8:18 p.m.: DIRECTOR: BECKER Yes, LUDEKING Yes, PHILLIPS Yes, THOMPSON Yes, KAISER Yes, and WERNING Yes.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
Action Item 200
Motion by Thompson, second by Werning to approve the resignation agreement.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
18) Exempt Session
Iowa Code 21.9
A meeting of a Board to discuss strategy in matters relating to employment conditions of employees who are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. I.C. 21.9.
19) Action Item #201 – Assignment/Transfer
Motion by Phillips, second by Ludeking to approve the assignment/transfer of Shawn Pfiffner as recommended by Dr. James Bieschke, Associate Superintendent, concurred by Dr. Ewell, and requested by the employee, to Activities Director/Associate MS/HS Principal.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
20) Action Item #202 – Adjournment
Motion by Thompson, second by Kaiser to adjourn the meeting at 8:34 p.m.
MOTION CARRIED
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING AYE
Meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
Jim Magdefrau 