Postville CSD
Board of Education Meeting
May 8, 2023
Superintendent’s Notes

Consent Agenda 

5 a/b. Minutes, Bills, and Financial Reports 

5 c. Hires:  Kristine Streicher/Senior Class Sponsor, Aandi Deering/Head Boys’ Basketball Coach, Eli Nessa/Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach, Kim Kleve/Head Girls’ Basketball Coach, Mollie Franzen/1st Grade Teacher, Lisa Davis/Summer School Paraprofessional, Dara Knudtson/CSTO Future Business Leaders of America Advisor, Melissa Johnston/Jr. High Girls’ Assistant Basketball Coach, Brad Mohs/Assistant Softball Coach, Brad Rose/7-8 Athletic Director                

5 d. Resignations:  Aandi Deering/Head Girls’ Basketball Coach, Eli Nessa/Head Boys’ Basketball Coach, Kim Kleve/Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach, Jenna Wemark/5th Grade Teacher, Shannon Tietz/Special Education Teacher, Brett Corlett/Full-Time Substitute Teacher/Coaching Positions, Emma Treloar/Middle School Student Council Advisor.                                                               

5 e. Transfers:  Brooke Edwards/Strat II K-12 Special Education, Bryan Mueller/7-12 At-Risk Teacher             

5 f. Acceptance of Donations/Gifts to the District

5 g. The board will consider the 2023 graduation lists for the John R. Mott High School and the RISE Academy.

5 h. End-of-the-Year Schedule/Final Day Friday, May 26, 2023, 1:30 P.M. Dismissal/Add one Teacher Inservice Day 

5 i. Open Enrollment Applications

• 2023-2024 In from Decorah: Chelsea Valdez (7)
• 2023-2024 Out to NFV: Dimitri Gasyuk (K)  

6. Superintendent’s Report:  

• I want to recognize the school board during School Board Recognition Month.  Thank you for your service!!!!  The students, staff, and community value your commitment to public education.  

  New Business 

7. The board will consider the 2023-2024 non-bargaining contract increases for the following 8 positions: homeschool teacher 4%, migrant coordinator 4%, central office administrative assistant 4%, school business official 4% plus $5,000 one time stipend for sharing with North Fayette Valley, elementary principal 4% and a 2 year contract, buildings, grounds, and transportation director 4%, technology director 4%, and nutrition director 4%. 

8. The board will consider the Teacher Leadership and Compensation staffing and pay structure for the 2023-2024 School Year.  The administration is recommending the program remain in place for now even though the law has changed.  We need more time to analyze what to do with the TLC initiatives going forward.  Postville will still get the categorical funding; however, there will be more flexibility on how it is spent.  

Background Information for the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Program 

The Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) System rewards effective teachers with leadership opportunities and higher pay, attracts promising new teachers with competitive starting salaries and more support, and fosters greater collaboration for all teachers to learn from each other.

The overriding philosophy of the system is multi-pronged but boils down to this: Improving student learning requires improving the instruction they receive each day.  There is no better way to do this than to empower our best teachers to lead the effort.

Through the system, teacher leaders take on extra responsibilities, including helping colleagues analyze data and fine-tune instructional strategies as well as coaching and co-teaching.

The goals of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System are as follows:

• Attract able and promising new teachers by offering competitive starting salaries and offering short-term and long-term professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Retain effective teachers by providing enhanced career opportunities.
• Promote collaboration by developing and supporting opportunities for teachers in schools and school districts statewide to learn from each other.
• Reward professional growth and effective teaching by providing pathways for career opportunities that come with increased leadership responsibilities and involve increased compensation.
• Improve student achievement by strengthening instruction.

Every school district in Iowa has implemented a TLC plan. The state of Iowa has almost 10,000 teachers serving in a teacher leadership role.

The Postville School District Teacher Leadership and Compensation Program information is listed below.

• The state-approved program began in the 2016-2017 school year.  
• The district will receive $241,730 next year in TLC funding.
• The goal is to have 25% of our teaching staff involved in some type of leadership capacity.

9. The board will consider renewing the Human Resources Sharing Agreement with Allamakee for the 2023-2024 school year.  The agreement is worth four extra students in supplemental state aid which equals $30,144 in additional funding.  Jeanette Ruegnitz works at the central office one day/week and in Waukon one day/week; Allamakee holds her contract.           

10. The board will consider the first reading of board policy updates 200.4, 210.5, 401.5R1, 401.10, 407.2, 501.2, 604.6, 701.2, and 708.  The details of the changes are enclosed in the packet.  

11. Kristy Turner will be at the meeting to discuss the needs of the Postville Child Care Center.  She will be requesting assistance from the board to keep the Center afloat.  

12a. Iowa Code allows for a flexibility account within the general fund.  The district will not see an increase in revenue but will see account balances within the general fund blended together for other general funds purposes. 

2017 Iowa Acts chapter 154, House File 565 increased district flexibility in how unexpended, unobligated amounts from certain categorical funds can be used by creation and utilization of a Flexibility Account within the General Fund. Effective with the budget year beginning July 1, 2017 (fiscal year 2018), a school district may authorize transfer of all or any portion of unexpended, unobligated amounts remaining at the end the fiscal year from the following categorical funds to the Flexibility Account: Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) Funds, Professional Development Funds, Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program Funds, Any expired or repealed state or local program funds, and Teacher Leadership Funds.

Before the board of directors may adopt a resolution approving expenditures from the Flexibility Account, it must hold a public hearing on the proposed resolution, which must include certain information prescribed by statute. The board is required to publish notice of the time and the place of the public hearing not less than ten nor more than twenty days before the hearing in the same manner as required in Iowa Code section 24.9, using the form prescribed by the Department.

12b. Iowa Code allows districts to transfer general fund dollars to the activity fund to pay for safety equipment such as football helmets/facemasks, helmet inspections/reconditioning, shoulder pads, wrestling mat sanitation, and baseball/softball catcher’s gear and helmets. The board will consider a resolution at the June 12, 2023 board meeting.

Postville CSD
Board of Education Meeting
April 10, 2023
Superintendent’s Notes

5 a/b. Minutes, Bills, and Financial Reports 

5 c. Hires:  Karen Miller/Special Education Teacher, Olivia Lansing/Part-Time Summer Custodian, Betty Eberling/Part-Time Summer Custodian, Aandi Deering/Head Boys’ Basketball Coach, Eli Nessa/Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach, Kim Kleve/Head Girls’ Basketball Coach, Morgan Taake/7-12 Summer School Teacher, Stephanie Osman/7-12 Summer School Teacher, Kris Bigler/7-12 Summer School Teacher, Emily Neal/7-12 Summer School Teacher, Amy Norby/7-12 Summer School Teacher, Sandy Lopez/7-12 Paraprofessional, April McQuade/Senior Sponsor, Solas Lenth/Assistant High School Soccer Coach, Megan Flaherty/1st grade Teacher and High School Volleyball Coach 

5 d. Resignations: Manon Bushman/Elementary Guidance Counselor, Katie Crogen/High School Softball Coach, Jennifer Benda/Elementary Paraprofessional, Aandi Deering/Head Girls’ Basketball Coach, Eli Nessa/Head Boys’ Basketball Coach, Kim Kleve/Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach    

5 e. Acceptance of Donations/Gifts to the District    

5 f. The board will consider a list of district transportation employees.  Iowa Administrative Code 281 section 43.34(8) requires the district to use only drivers and substitute drivers who have been approved by the board of education and who have received their school bus driver’s authorization.

• Route/Activity Drivers:  Kevin Palas, Brian Schutte, Kelly Livingood, Evan Livingood, Terry Grotegut, Glen Lansing 
• Special Education Route Drivers:  Lisa Davis, Jill Dehning, Angie Lansing, April McQuade, Kristine Streicher
• Substitute/Activity Drivers:  Ryan Holthaus, Bruce Kleve, Dale Mohs, Dan Ohloff, Jim Zieman

New Business 

7. The board will hold a public hearing for the FY24 budget. 

8. The board will consider the FY24 School District Budget.

9. The board will consider the Master Contract with the Postville Education Association.   

• The terms of the agreement include. 
  • 2023-2024 School Year:  $1,000 base increase (not including the Teacher Salary Supplement which will be a separate item).  Base Salary w/o TSS is $33,420.   
  • The total package increase for next year will be 4.06% which includes the aged index amount, the Teacher Salary Supplement, health insurance, dental insurance, disability insurance along with FICA and IPERS.  There are 74 certified contracts plus additional duty and supplementary schedule agreements. 
  • The master contract language which includes the mandatory and permissive items will be in effect through June 30, 2025. 
  • In addition, the certified handbook includes illegal subjects of bargaining and can be updated as needed.   
• The Nurse’s Salary Schedule was updated to reflect 2 lanes which include one for a Registered Nurse and one for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing w/ a Statement of Professional Recognition from the Board of Education Examiners.
• The Supplementary Schedule is going to add CTSOs which are Career and Technical Student Organization Advisors.  CTSOs are required for the Perkins Grant which is a funding source for our career and technical education program.  These will be on the same line as the FCCLA or Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. The lanes were updated to .05, .06, .07 and .08. 
• Student Ambassadors, and Annual/Newspaper will be on the same line of the Supplementary Schedule. 
• The board will continue to annually approve pay for out of school assignments such as ticket takers and score board helpers. 
• The TSS Carryover will be at 5% per state law. 

10. Kristy Turner from the Postville Child Care Center will give a presentation.

11. The board will consider an agreement with Northeast Iowa Community Action.  This will allow EARL transit to park transit vans near our bus garage from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2025 for $200/month.  

12. For the 2023-2026 school years, the board will consider an agreement with Timberline Billing Service LLC.  Timberline works with the district to ensure compliance with Medicaid documentation and claiming practices.  The district receives Medicaid funding for students who have IEPs with health care and/or behavioral components.

13. The board will consider an agreement with Asset Services from Kansas.  They will go through the district’s equipment and update the asset list for the audit.  This service needs to be done once every five years and will cost $6,180 for their work.

14. The board will consider an agreement with Software Unlimited for electronic document management.  The one time fee is $1,550 with an annual fee of $3,790 for the size of our school.  We are moving all of our paper documents to the cloud through this process.