Adds cheerleading as shared activity with Paton-Churdan
Paton-Churdan and Greene County boys have played football together as a team for decades. Now, finally, P-C girls – and boys, if they’d like – will be able to try out for the Ram football cheerleading squad. The same goes for wrestling.
The Greene County Schools board of education at its May 18 regular meeting approved the sharing agreement with the Paton-Churdan CSD for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. The only change from the current agreement is the addition of cheerleading for the shared activities. P-C will continue to pay tuition for general classes at 95 percent of the district cost per pupil, and at 100 percent for upper level classes. Student participation cost per activity per student is set at $597.76.
The only discussion on the sharing agreement was a difference in the two districts’ discipline policies pertaining to student eligibility. P-C’s policy is more stringent, allowing for the suspension from extra-curricular activities if a student is at an event where underage drinking takes place, regardless of whether the student drank. Greene County’s policy is more lenient, calling for suspension only when there’s proof the student drank.
Greene County superintendent Tim Christensen said he has suggested to the P-C board that the two districts have the same policy regarding student eligibility.
The board next approved a new sharing agreement with P-C for the services of special education director Karen Sandberg for 2022-23. Greene County will hold Sandberg’s contract with P-C paying for 20 percent of her time. Sandberg was previously shared with the Lu Verne Community School district. She said she’d be happy to make the shorter drive to Churdan.
The Greene County board of education delayed until June a decision on whether the 2022-23 construction class will build a house.
Instructor Kirk Davis approached the board in April about planning for a house next school year. The class last built a house during the 2019-20 school year. Completion was delayed when the Covid-19 pandemic caused the school year to end early. The class has worked on smaller projects the past two years.
Davis was not at the May board meeting, but Christensen shared a rough estimate of $300,000 to construct a 1,200-1,300 square-foot house. He told the board he sent an email to school staff after the April meeting asking if anyone would be interested in purchasing the house. Staff shared the information. “The public knows of the potential project,” he said.
However, only two persons expressed a “general interest” in the house, Christensen said.
“I know building a house is the best for the program, but I struggle with the cost, especially if we can’t sell it,” he said.
The district has $157,000 from the sale of the last house to start construction of another house, whenever that happens. Students will carry out projects for the school if they don’t build a house. A large storage shed southeast of the high school is one possibility.
The board hopes to have a better idea of potential buyers of a student-built house before the June 15 meeting.
The board ratified a new contract with bus drivers, members of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 177. The new contract sets a differentiated hourly rate for drivers, with drivers being paid $41.93/hour for driving routes, and $18.52/hour for activity and other driving. Christensen said the change will add about 10 percent to transportation wages. Christensen explained that bus drivers on a regular route are solely responsible for their passengers, whereas those driving for activities or field trips have coaches or teachers there to supervise children.
The board approved the 28E agreement with Iowa Central Community College for the career academy. Greene County will pay a minimum of $144,000 tuition for five program offerings: advanced manufacturing-welding, agriculture information technology, computer science/programming, culinary/hospitality, and health care, as well as $15,000 toward the services of a career academy specialist. Iowa Central will pay Greene County Schools 15 percent of the utility and custodial costs of the high school building. Length of the agreement is 10 years.
The board approved out-of-state travel for five members of the Greene County chapter of Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) to attend the national leadership conference in San Diego, CA, June 30-July 4. The group has raised funds and received a BOOST grant to cover costs for the students. Advisor Ashley Havens requested district funds to cover her travel costs for the trip. Christensen said there is money available outside the general fund budget to cover the estimated $1,800 in cost for Havens.
The board approved the purchase of a new reading curriculum for elementary students. The McGraw Hill “Wonders” curriculum was recommended by a committee of teachers and reading specialist Julie Neal. Covid relief funds (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) will be used for $62,250 of the cost, with the remaining $87,400 coming from regular district funds.
The board approved revising a policy to shorten the number of consecutive days a substitute teacher works in the same classroom before receiving long term pay. The current policy starts long term pay on Day 16; the revision starts the extra pay on Day 10. Regular substitutes are paid $135 per day. A long term sub receives $171 per day. If a substitute is in a long term job and misses one day, the pay goes back to $135 and the count of days starts over.
Christensen said the district struggles to find long term subs.
During the reports portion of the meeting, E-sports coach Kyle Kinne reported on the first year of that activity. E-sports is not governed by the Iowa High School Athletic Association, but by the Iowa High School E-sports Association. According to Kinne, Greene County was the 32nd school to join the association last June. There are now 60 member schools.
E-sports has fall, winter and spring seasons. Thirty Greene County students participated over the course of the seasons, with four competing all three seasons. Kinne said the team as a whole had a winning season, but he didn’t provide numbers.
He said students improved their communication skills and their sportsmanship, and that some students improved their academic performances to remain eligible to participate. “It’s just amazing what we’ve done in a year,” Kinne said.
He told the board that two graduates of Belmond Klemme were offered $15,000 renewable E-sports scholarships by Waldorf University, and that there are three or four Greene County juniors who could be in that position a year from now.
