Topics discussed during USD 379’s Board of Education regular meeting on November 11th included: District and Building Action Plans, Budget Paying Reduction, Perkins Funding, Fundraiser Policies, Food Service, Facilities, and more.
Bud Young, Principal of CCCHS, along with Stephanie Lane, GES Principal, and Anna Knepper, GES Special Education Teacher, presented their Building Action Plans to the Board. Young highlighted the items from the High School’s Action Plan, to include scoring levels, curriculum, reading instruction, and goals for the building, classrooms, and students. Lane and Knepper spoke about GES’s Action Plan goals, including moving 2% of students up levels and how that is achieved, as well as intervention groups and learning teams. The District Action Plan can be found on the Board’s website.
Jaclyn Pfizenmaier, Director of Curriculum, reported to the Board that the District can apply for Perkins Funds. Previously this funding was given based on USD 379 being part of a larger consortium, but they are no longer doing that grant work. She mentioned starting up a consortium with area districts for Perkins funding. She also presented information on fundraising for the District. Much was discussed about liability, different organizations’ fundraising, and policies.
Joy Lund, Chartwells Food Service Director of Dining Services, met with the Board to give an annual update. She spoke about the focus on menu innovation, culinary programs, and student engagement. Lund stated that they are planning on doing on-the-go menu items in the high school cafeteria for students. She also spoke of “Discovery Kitchen,” a program where food service workers bring recipes and ingredients into a classroom and make them in front of the students, giving the students an opportunity to see the food being prepared and taste it.
The Board reviewed the information given to them by BHS on the District facilities. They were very pleased with the condition of the facilities at USD 379, compared to other districts. The Board plans to do an audit of the results to be proactive on facility upgrades in the future.
The Board had preliminary talks on a future Bond issue, as the current Bond is set to expire in 2026. There was much discussion on what the Bond funding could help address at the schools, tax rate, and more. The Board will reconvene on the conversation in later meetings.
After an execution session, the Board ended the meeting with employments, resignations, and retirements. The District hired a Bus Driver, Project Lead Substitute, and Custodian. A paraeducator for RCHS and CCCHS custodian resigned, and Brad Conner, Industrial Arts Teacher, will retire at the end of the school year.
