November 13, 2017 at 6:30 PM - Regular

Description:  Demuth, Habben, Hesse, Humbert, Schurman, and Wesenberg. 

Student Reprresentatives AnnaMaria Tomovic, Emily Haus, and Grace Sauer.

Description:  The School Board Chair will lead the board and attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Description:  Board action to approve the agenda for the meeting is expected.

Description:  The agenda is open to visitors of the meeting to offer comments to and/or requests of the school board. The comments and requests should follow the adopted district guidelines which are printed and available at the meeting.  As a general rule, items introduced in the opportunity for comments and requests do not receive action from the School Board, but are taken under advisement or consideration for future action.

Description:  Action is requested on the following items of the consent agenda. Consent agenda items are typically adopted without discussion of the individual items because they are routine or ordinary in action.  Any consent agenda item may be removed for further discussion and deliberation by any member of the board.

Description:  The minutes from the Regular meeting of October 23, 2017 are included in the exhibits.

Recommend approval of the minutes from the meetings.

Description:  Food Service Director Barker is recommending Becky Fuchs as the 5 hour Cook's Helper to fill the position vacated by Sue Schmitz who moved into a Cook position.

Acting Principal Muth is recommending Denin Knapp-Baykham as the Long Term Substitute Teacher for Kayelee Freeman effective approximately November 28, 2017 and to continue for 12 weeks.  Kayelee has previously submitted, and been approved, for a leave of absence for this period of time. 

Ms Muth is also recommending Ashley Peck as the five hour paraprofessional at Cold Spring Elementary. 

Recommend approval of the offers of employment to the candidates.

Description:  It is the practice of the School Board to formally accept donations made to the school district.  A list of the donations received this school year have been included in the exhibits. Formal School Board action to accept the donated items is desired.

Recommendation:  Accept the donated items.

Description:  Activities Director Baumgarten has submitted a list of the coaches for the 2017-2018 winter activities.  It is the practice of the district to review the list of activity coaches for the fall, winter and spring activity seasons and to approve the employment of the coaches as the activity seasons get underway.

Recommendation:  Approve the list of coaches for the winter activities

Description:  Ariana LaVine, Paraprofessional at the Secondary Schools has submitted a letter of resignation.  Her resignation is effective immediately.  Her letter of resignation provides background information and reason but also includes information that cannot be disclosed publicly.

Recommendation: Accept the resignation from Ariana LaVine.

Description:  Action items receive individual attention because of the nature of the issues, the need to discuss or review the information prior to taking action, or the specific kind of action required for the item.

Description:  The ROCORI School District conducted a Technology referendum on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7, 2017.  The School Board is asked to canvass the election results to certify them.  Election judges in each precinct compiled the results for their precincts and submitted the information to the District Office.  The information has been reviewed and coordinated to meet the state reporting requirements.  

Desired Outcome:  School Board review of the information related to the election results and certification of the results to finalize the election.

Recommendation:  Adopt the resolution, which requires a roll call vote, to approve the election results as summarized in the tabulation forms.

Description:  At the previous meeting, discussion continued regarding the establishment of School Board goals for the 2017- 2018 school year. The discussion included reflections from the previous meeting in which School Board members reflected on which seem to be going well along ideas for growth and improvement. The School Board Chair and Superintendent refined the items of discussion and offered a set of goals.  Discussion at the meeting resulted in revisions to the proposal with the commitment to bring the goals back to this meeting for confirmation.

Desired Outcome: Confirmation of the proposed goals for the School Board.

Recommendation: Action to approve the goals as direction for the School Board for the current school year.

Description:  Discussion items receive individual attention because of the nature of the issues and the need for introductory or other discussion in order to review the information prior to taking action.  This is also the agenda location for items which simply need school board review, but no formal action on the item is required.  Discussion items will typically return to the agenda at a future point for more specific action.

Description:  The Policy Review Committee is recommending a first reading of a number of policies in Chapter 9 of the District Policy Manual.  Many items of work in Chapter 7, District-Wide Policies, are either complete or under review.  The Committee is asking the School Board to look at the policies in Chapter 9, policies related to Students, to determine whether they are acceptable as outlined, need further review by the Policy Review Committee, or have other direction. Policies 9-1 through 9-11 are submitted for first review.

In addition, the Policy Review Committee is recommending the adoption of a new policy, 7-12, Violence Prevention Policy.  Previously, the Violence Prevention issues have been addressed as part of the Harrassment and Violence Prevention Policy.  The Committee, however, is recommending the two elements (Harrassment and Viiolence Prevention) be separated into two distinct policies within the District.  As such, Policy 7-12 Violence Prevention, is submitted for first reading as a new policy.

Desired Outcome:  Decisions made on the policies to 1) confirm as they are written, 2) refer back to Policy Review Committee for further consideration, 3) offer other direction for action with the policies.

Recommendation:  Accept Policy 7-12 for further policy readings at the Board level.  Refer Policies 9-1 through 9-11 as Board sees appropriate.  Most, at a minimum, should be referred back to Policy Review Committee for District format purposes.

Description:  The following policies are being submitted for a first reading: #7-2 Violence Prevention Policy; #9-10 Assault; #9-1 Behavior At School Activities; #9-6 Communicable Diseases; #9-4 Discipline; #9-5 Medication Administration; #9-3 Open Enrollment; #9-11 Student Early Entrance; #9-2 Student Locker Policy; and #9-9 Weapons.

Description:  The Policy Review Committee has considered the following policies and has submitted them back to the full School Board for a second reading:  #7-3 Bully Prevention Policy; #7-4 Harassment Policy; #7-5 Tobacco Free Policy.

 Policy #7-3, Bully Prevention Policy; received some minor adjustments to the document and is submitted for second reading.  The policy will return to the full School Board after it has received some feedback from the Student Senate as well as Law Enforcement.

Policy #7-4, Harassment Policy; has also received some minor revisions.  The recommendation to include "gender" has been advanced by MSBA in the modification of the model policy.  In addition, the previous reference to Violence prevention has been removed to have this particular policy focused on the issue of harrassment.  This adjustment has also encouraged the submission of the separate Violence Prevention policy.

The Tobacco Free Policy, #7-5, is submitted with modifications.  Language regarding definitions of tobacco products is included in the policy as well as inclusion of "e-cigarette" items.  The base of the district policy remains in place.

Desired Outcome:  Consideration of the policies for second reading.  There is an expectation the policies will return for third and final readings under the consent agenda of the next or a future meeting.

Recommendation:  No formal action is required at this time as this is the second reading of the policies.  The policies are expected to return for formal action.

Description:  During the course of the year, the principals at the elementary and secondary levels are asked to attend the work session to allow for greater interaction between the School Board and the Administrative team. Secondary administration and elementary administration will rotate on a monthly basis to allow the interaction. 

For November, the secondary administrators are scheduled to attend the School Board meeting.  The information is expected to cover information from the events of the fall term of the school year but also highlight particular academic projects and activities which have been implemented, strengthened, or focused this year!  

Desired Outcome:  This is an opportunity for School Board members to learn about particular programs and efforts at the secondary level.  The agenda item is informational in nature.

Recommendation:  No formal action is expected or required with this item.

Description:  Administrative reports are requested of each administrator for update purposes.

Description:  The reports during the first meeting of the month are expected from the Academic team including principals and curriculum leaders.

Description:  Included in the exhibits is the list of priority items generated during the budget development process from last spring.  The administrative team has taken the list under discussion and consideration given the significant number of changes in leadership roles, new perspectives offered, and the implications of the priority list.  A revised version is expected to be submitted to the School Board at a future meeting, but this form should continue to guide decisions.

Description:  School Board members have requested the agenda include a designated opportunity to share feedback from community members.

Description:  A calendar of upcoming issues of concern to the school board is included as part of the agenda.