The position of Greene County Schools activities director will be increased in phases to fulltime for the 2020-21 school year. Making the job a fulltime position was discussed at length two years ago but not approved. The board approved it at the April 18 regular meeting with only a little discussion.
The change was made as an “add-on” to the recommendation from the board’s administrative committee. Board member Steve Karber, speaking for that committee, recommended 1.75 percent salary increases for administrators which, including increases in IPERS and insurance, would mean a total increase to the district of 2.25 percent.
The same recommendation included increasing the activities director position to fulltime, phased in as an 80 percent position in 2018-19, a 90 percent position in 2019-20, and a fulltime position in 2020-21. The recommendation called for the AD filling his work schedule as 20 percent strength and conditioning coach the first year and 10 percent the second year.
Mitch Moore was hired last summer as a half-time AD. (Moore is also head varsity football coach.) He added strength and conditioning coaching during the school year, but the two together do not equal a fulltime position. The administrative committee’s recommendation called for offering Moore a fulltime contract with full family benefits for the 2018-19 school year.
Teacher Dean Lansman was half-time AD and half-time high school science teacher for several years before he left the district for other employment a year ago. During the spring of 2016, parents Doug and Celli Whipple lobbied the board to increase the position to fulltime, saying that a fulltime AD would lead to a better athletic program.
The district cut 2-1/3 teaching positions that year. Board member Mark Peters, now board president, called a fulltime AD “a worthy goal,” but not possible at the time.
This time, Peters reminded board members they had agreed to reduce the music department by one-half position this year and that they had heard a presentation at the March meeting about the need to increase staffing for elementary guidance counseling. “If we have money for sports, we have money for guidance counseling,” Peters said, adding that he knew it was not the correct time to ask for additional guidance staff.
Board members Catherine Wilson and Mike Dennhardt both agreed with Peters on the need for elementary guidance counseling.
School superintendent Tim Christensen said he would look at all options for making room in the budget for additional guidance counseling, and that would be a topic for board discussion next month.
The board then approved the administrative committee’s recommendation unanimously.
In other business, the board approved summer projects to be funded by the physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) and sales tax fund totaling $136,049. Purchases include 250 new Chromebooks to replace older models at the middle school at a cost of $56,500; 75 HP Desk Pro 600 computers for staff and classroom use at the high school at a cost of $40,883; and a new phone system at the high school at a cost of $38,666. The phone system is 25 years old and replacement can’t wait until the building is repurposed as a middle school, district technology director Tim Buenz said.
The board approved adding a third trimester of science for ninth graders to meet state science standards. The number of science credits needed for graduation will not increase. The change may impact freshmen as they try to schedule elective courses, and older students who want to take all the science courses offered.
The board approved a change in the 2018-19 calendar, changing spring break from the week starting March 11 to the week starting March 18. The change will put the Greene County break at the same time as the Iowa State and University of Iowa breaks.
The board received information about the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (IJAG) program. Board member Sam Harding recalled the district used IJAG several years ago and that the success of the program is highly dependent on the individual hired to implement it. Christensen said he was not ready to make a recommendation to the board and that it would be on the agenda again in May.
The board set May 16 at 6:30 pm as the time for a public hearing on a budget amendment for the current school year. The budget amendment will not change the tax levy, but will increase the expenditure limit, function by function, using available funds. The hearing will be held at the beginning of the regular meeting at the administrative building.
