Next year’s junior class may be losing some students this year, Superintendent Beth Schwarz told the ISD 166 school board at a February school board meeting. If the class size approaches 30, they may need to reconsider the proposed class schedule.
The changes in the sophomore class will be largely due to family situation, she said, but currently, 130 average daily learning units (roughly 130 students) are going outside the district (charter schools, home schooling, online learning, etc.).
Students at different grade levels represent different average daily learning units (“average daily membership”). Last year, the entire county had an average daily membership of 601, but Cook County Schools accounted for only 470 of that.
Renewable energy encouragement
George Wilkes and Virginia Danfelt of the Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) talked to the board about how CCLEP could be useful to the district. Wilkes said they would like to see the school form an energy group comprised of administration, staff, parents, and students that could look at school energy use, implement an energy awareness curriculum, and pursue renewable energy projects.
Danfelt received the board’s permission to survey teachers about what they are teaching in regard to energy issues. She hoped to obtain a grant to purchase educational materials for the school.
Wilkes talked about the feasibility study under way that is investigating the possibility of a district biomass heating plant that could help the school save money on heat. Mary Sanders wondered where such a plant would be located. “Cedar Grove Business Park is a likely choice,” Wilkes said, adding that some places in Europe have hot water pipes extending 20-30 kilometers from the plants.
New accountability system
Superintendent Schwarz reported on Minnesota’s No Child Left Behind waiver, a new accountability system that would increase the district’s flexibility with federal funding and give it more local control. Under the new system, sanctions for not making Adequate Yearly Progress are eliminated and incentives are created for high performance.
The system will measure student proficiency, growth, and graduation rate as well as achievement gaps among subgroups – special education students, students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, and minority populations.
Schwarz said she was excited about the new system.
Investment interest
Superintendent Schwarz reported on investment interest earned by the school district in recent years. In 2007, the school earned $104,000. After that, however, interest rates went down but the state also started delaying its funding to the district, funding on which the district would otherwise have been able to earn interest. Last year, she said, the district only earned about $1,000 in interest.
Superintendent contract
By a vote of three ayes and one abstention, with school board member Leonard Sobanja absent and Terry Collins abstaining, the board approved a one-year contract with Superintendent Schwarz. Contract days were reduced from 260 to 240 with 15 vacation days, nine paid holidays, three personal days, and sick days accumulating at the rate of 1.25 per month to a maximum of 120 days (24 weeks). The superintendent’s salary will be $95,000.
Union negotiations
School board member Terry Collins said he has been participating in contract negotiations with the Cook County Education Association union. The administration and the union are requesting mediation from the state, he said, “to move the conversation on salary along. … We just have a gap here that we need some outside assistance to address.”
Track and field agreement
The board approved an agreement with the North Superior Ski and Running Club for its sponsorship and administration of the track and field program. The school will pay up to $3,700 for transportation and the club will provide coaching. Superintendent Schwarz said the team “exploded” to 40 kids last year. Donations
The superintendent expressed appreciation for numerous recent donations, including $1,662 earned by volunteers at First and Second Thrift Shop and $2,098 from the Cook County Booster Club for coaching staff.
Tardiness improvement
Since implementing more stringent consequences for tardiness in the middle and high schools, unexcused tardies have decreased significantly.
Transparency and celebration
School board member Deb White, on the school’s Communication Team, reported that they are working on creating a mission statement and on ways to disseminate information to the public. “We need to have transparency,” she said, “but we (teachers, faculty, and students) need to get credit for what is being accomplished. …We need to celebrate!”
School board meeting schedule
In 2012, the school board will be meeting at 5:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month, with a 15-minute informal discussion with community members preceding each meeting.
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