Rams to get less athletic training coverage at lower cost
Greene County Schools’ buildings are ready for the new school year. School superintendent Brett Abbotts reported at the Aug. 13 school board meeting that 92 new Clevertouch® interactive display screens have been installed district-wide; new LED lights have been installed at the middle and elementary schools; and the sound system in the high school gymnasium has been replaced.
New clocks and the EverAlert® communications system have been installed at the elementary school, and 700 new chairs are ready for students. According to Abbotts, 600 used chairs were picked up by Midwest Missions for its charitable and humanitarian efforts, and some of the larger chairs were moved to the middle school.
Projects yet to be completed include practice fields at the high school and replacing the high school track.
The board approved a contract with 21st Century Rehab for sports medicine coverage for 2025-26. The contract covers less but also will cost the district less than last year. Last year’s contract included having a certified athletic trainer at all home high school sporting events except bowling; home and away high school football; and home middle school football, wrestling and track. Coverage for volleyball and basketball was for varsity level only. Cost was $12,000.
This year’s contract includes coverage at all home and away varsity football games; and all home JV/JV2 and middle school football games, cross country meets, high school and middle school wrestling meets, and varsity soccer matches. Other services will also be available during the week. Cost of the new contract is $8,000.
The athletic trainer who provided the coverage last year has left the company and a replacement has not been hired.
The board reviewed quotes from DB Acoustics for a new sound system at Linduska Field. A new scoreboard and new lights have been installed at the field recently, improvements board facilities committee member Michelle Fields called “pretty freaking awesome.” The sound system, however, doesn’t measure up to what other conference and district schools have.
The first quote was for a single point source sound system installed on the present scoreboard at a cost of $65,221. The second quote was for new speakers on two light poles and the press box. Cost was $30,735.
“If this was a one-sport improvement I’d drag my feet a bit, but this is something al the sports could benefit from,” Fields said, adding that she preferred the pole-mounted option.
Board president Cindy Daubediek and board member Connie Boyd both said a sound system is a lower priority than new restrooms at the field. Fields made a motion to approve the bid for the press box/ light pole system; the motion died for lack of a second.
The board approved the elementary and middle school student handbooks; the bus driver and coaches/director handbooks; and amended board policies including anti-bullying/harassment, disposition of complaint form, open meetings, child abuse reporting, abuse of students by school district employees, certified employee qualifications/recruitment/selection, classified employee qualifications/recruitment/selection, compulsory attendance, chronic absenteeism and truancy, student conduct, graduation requirements, student health and immunization certificates, basic instruction program and health education.
A new policy creates a school safety assessment team “to help assess, coordinate resources, and where appropriate, intervene for students who are experiencing or are at risk for an emotional disturbance, or whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of a student or students, employees, or the district community.” The school safety assessment team will be comprised of a local law enforcement official, a mental health professional, a social services representative, and a school official. Also, the district will share with school safety assessment teams from other schools any information that is reasonably necessary to ensure the safety of students or others. The policy is in conformance with new Iowa Codes 29D.1 and 280.36.
